I got up and everybody gave me an applause. A knight escorted me to a room where all of the other Aspirants are waiting for the part two of the Symposium which is the Interview.
I sat down on the first sin of the fourth row under a cardboard painted in red and yellow which denotes Sector D. I saw the Sector C Aspirants having a debate but every after one finishes his piece they laugh, I saw the Sector B ones planning something, and the Sector A Aspirants who are, of course, studying in pursuit of knowledge but Erudite doesn't join them. She looks at me and smirks. I don't know why she did that but she looks evil- like any other Sector A Citizen. The door opened and Trey entered. As usual, he was gorgeous. He sat down beside me and held my hand but I did not pull it away; as a Sector D Citizen, holding a hand means a sign of affection or sympathy. I don't know which is which but its okay.
"Hey, you look pretty," He says "Your eyes are stunning, I'm tantalized."
"Thank you," I reply with a smile. "Who's next?"
"Victoria."
"Oh okay. I hope she does not faint." We laugh.
"Can you keep a secret?" He asks me.
"Of course I can!" I said smiling. He lowers at me, his mouth facing my left ear and says, "I like you, Iris." I pulled my hand away and looked in front.
"Why?" He asked me again looking me in the eyes.
"Its just that no one liked me before and if anyone had, he wouldn't confess it to me, in public." I reply.
"But its true, Iris." He says holding my hand.
"I'm not used to this but-"
"What?"
"But I like you too." I reply smiling. For a moment he smiled and looked at me. I don't know if I was going to melt or turn to ice or burst into flames. I smiled at him too.
"What's going on here?" Victoria laughed.
"Iris and I are-"
"We're interchanging jokes." I said before Trey spills it all out. I pinched him and gave him a look. Right, Trey?"
"Oh yeah right."
"What took you so long?" I asked Victoria.
"Long? Long? I was just the3re for three full minutes! And you were there I think four or five?" Victoria said, raising a brow.
"Four." Trey said. "I wonder what Zeke's fear is.."
"Doesn't he have any?" Victoria queried.
"No," he says "I don't think so."
"What?" I said "Is he inhuman?"
We were childhood friends from the start. He is not afraid of dogs, heights, spiders.." Trey laughed. Then the door opened, Zeke entered looking worried. Its my first time seeing him like that.
"Hey, Zeke!" Victoria chuckled. He doesn't move or reply. He remained silent. "What happened?"
Zeke took a deep breathe. "It was just...," he whispered. "the interview was fine...until it got to the weaknesses part."
Trey frowned. "And?"
"Well," Zeke sighed. "I'm sure non of you guys knows my weakness."
"Yeah," I said. "you've always been brave and fearless since we were kids."
Zeke chuckled sadly. "I am not fearless," he confessed sadly. "I have a fear of...a member of my family..."
Trey, Victoria and I were frozen. I cleared my throat, I knew it was about Zeke's father. His death. "My father," Zeke continued. "his death."
