Alex, Caleb and Blake quickly snuck into Chase’s room and exchanged smirks before they jumped onto his bed, “Good morning!” they yelled.
Chase groaned, “No…” he mumbled.
Alex and Blake poked Chase’s sides and laughed, “Get up,” Blake said. “It’s your birthday.”
Chase sighed, “Then let me sleep.”
Nick laughed as he walked into Chase’s room with Cora and Jackie, “Maybe we should just eat the cake,” Cora said as she laughed at her younger cousin.
Chase quickly sat up and looked over at Jackie, who was holding a cake, “Give,” he said.
Blake laughed from his spot on Chase’s lap and Alex bumped his shoulder, “You have to have presents first,” Cora said. “You’re eighteen, you should know the rules.”
Chase pouted, “Fine…”
Nick chuckled and dropped a bag onto Chase’s lap, “Happy birthday, weirdo.”
Chase stuck his tongue out at Nick as he unzipped the bag and pulled two guns out, “They’re prototypes,” Alex warned. “They don’t explode when you pull the trigger anymore, but I wouldn’t point them at anyone… or stand near anyone when you shoot them.”
Chase raised an eyebrow and let out a half laugh, “Um… okay…” he said.
Blake grinned at Chase, “Do you like them?” he asked. “We worked for ever to get them done in time.”
Chase looked over at Blake, then at Alex, then back at Blake, “Of course I do,” he said, putting the guns on his bedside table as Nick shook his head and chuckled.
“The rest is boring,” Caleb said, taking the bag. “It’s just clothes and two books. We should have cake.”
Alex laughed and waved for Jackie to come over, “I agree. Let’s have cake!”
Jackie smiled and started to walk over to Chase’s desk, “Jackie, don’t,” Cora said. “Cal knows the rules. Chase has to open all of his presents.”
Caleb, Blake, Chase and Alex pouted, “That’s not fun…” Blake said.
Nick laughed and sat on Chase’s bed as he said, “Sorry, bud. Those are the rules.”
Alex pushed Nick, “Don’t defend those unfair rules,” she said, poking Nick’s cheek as she said each word. “We want cake.”
Nick laughed and pulled Alex into his lap as he handed the bag back to Chase, “Hurry,” he mouthed.
“I saw that,” Alex said, leaning back onto Nick’s chest.
“No you didn’t,” Nick said. “Now shh. We’re trying to enjoy this family gathering so we can have cake.”
* * *
Nick walked into Alex's room a few hours after she came back and laid next to her on the bed, “Hey,” he said.
Alex scooted closer to Nick and put her head on his chest, “Hey.”
Nick wrapped an arm around Alex, “How are you feeling?” he asked.
Alex shrugged, “I'm not,” she whispered. “I'm kind of... just numb.”
Nick sighed and kissed the top of Alex's head, “We'll get him back.”
Alex nodded, “Okay,” she paused. “What if all of this doesn't get better?” she asked. “What if we're doing all of this for nothing? What of this struggle doesn't matter?”
He looked around the room as he pulled Alex closer, “It'll get better,” he said. “We are doing this for something. We're doing this for us, for people. For kids like Cal and guys like Denzel. So that my brothers, Jackie and Jake can be normal, so we can be normal and for the next generations, so they don't have to have runners and techs and Monsters. All of this matters, all the lives that have been lost and the people we couldn't save, they matter. It will get better.”
Alex looked over at Nick and gave him a small smile, “Okay.”
Nick raised his eyebrows, “Okay?” he asked.
Alex nodded, “Okay.”
“Just like that?”
Alex nodded, “Just like that.”
“How?”
“You told me. You never lie to me, so that has to be the truth,” Alex said.
Nick chuckled, “Alright,” he said as he kissed the top of Alex's head.
Alex grinned, “Alright.”
YOU ARE READING
The Fall of Hope
Science FictionNovella It's been thirty years since Teracon Industries took over and enslaved most of the population while the Rebels have been living on the Outskirts, fighting, training and scavenging. Five years after Teracon took over, the next generation of c...
