The Apprenticeship

Coming of Age Ceremony

Every year thousands of kids line up in their home town to choose what skill they're going to learn. There's five main options, doctor, nurse, teacher, writer, and performing arts. These are all main ones for reasons that include how much money they make. Personally, I don't want to be a doctor, that's what my mom is. I don't want to be a teacher, my dad's a teacher. I don't want to be a writer or a nurse, my twin sister Bella is going to be a writer, my older brother, Sam, is a nurse. Truth is, I don't want to go. I wish I could just skip the whole thing.

My mom helps me get dressed, "You could always be a doctor apprentice, then we wouldn't have to leave."

I remain quiet. I don't want to go anyway. I don't want to be an apprentice, most of the leaders are terrible anyway. I don't want anything to do with it. I hate the system. 

•••

A few hours pass. My frilly white dress goes just past my knees and my sister is wearing a blue dress that barely reaches her finger tips. Mom hates when she wears that dress, claims it's unprofessional. What she says never gets through to Bella. I always knew growing up she would be the braver twin. The twin who would do what she wants without fear, I always admired that about her.

My shoes are simple white flats while Bell's are black heals. After a leader takes us, we change into a certain uniform. One that let's everyone know that we're apprentice's and to whom we belong. It's really efficient, and really annoying. We're adults and still need to be tagged like children. In elementary schools, they use the same system. A uniform with your name, teacher's name, and year.

The air outside is crisp and chilly. My dress isn't long sleeve and it doesn't take long to realize that I'm going to freeze. My mom curled my long platinum hair and I'm regretting that decision. Bell cut and dyed her hair and some leaders will refuse you because of hair color. They don't like artificial coloring or short hair styles on females. That would've been terrible hundreds of years ago but now, not so much.

The science program is looking like a winner to my friend, Anne. She's always been good at stuff like that and the program would allow her to do more with her abilities than we could ever do at school. I'd love to go into science but, I'm not good at it. I'd constantly be chastised for messing up something. Not a chance I'm willing to take.

"Ave, this is going to be great!" Anne has black hair that reaches just past her shoulders, today it's in a braid. As she spins around her braid whips her in the face.

"I don't know what I want to choose."

She stops in her place, "Ave, you have to know. We're on our way to the ceremony. You can't just chicken out."

"I know, nothing interests me though."

"Look, you love to write, do that."

I roll my eyes at her, "Bell's doing that."

"So? The probability of you two getting the same leader is slim. It's like four percent." She retorts. Anne has always been way smarter than me. She proves it well.

We continue walking and eventually take our seats at the assembly hall, Beckner Hall. School was always held here, it brings back memories.

A few hours pass and the ceremony commences. They're calling up each kid one by one in alphabetical order. Anne should be next. I read in books about people using last names, that doesn't happen now. No one in the same year shares a name so there's no worry.

"Avery!" The lady says over the microphone system. I look up shocked, they skipped Anne. I look over to her and see her watching me, then again, so is everyone else.

Bell knows that I don't know what I want to do, would she be upset if I chose writing? There's four writing leaders today and only one other kid has shown an interest.

My grades and test scores flash across the screen letting all the leaders take note of me.

"Avery, choose an apprenticeship."

I panic, "I choose, science."

Is that literally what just came out of my mouth?

One leader stands up, he looks like he'd be a science leader. He raised his hand.

There's a line of seats behind him with two kids sitting there, one looks about 27, reaching the end of his apprenticeship. The other is about 20, just a few years ago she was in my position. The elder apprentice may be graduating at this ceremony.

I take the third seat behind him. Anne is called up next, it should've been in alphabetical but, maybe they made a mistake.

"Anne, choose an apprenticeship."

"I choose science!" She sounds so confident.

The lady in the row next to me stands up and raises her hand. Anne gives me a weird look as she walks past. Almost to say, 'why did you choose this, you hate this?' I know that's what she's saying.

Four more kids are called up on stage before Bell. We live in a small town, I've never seen this leader before, probably from the city. Every once in awhile we get leaders from outside the town, it doesn't happen often but when it does, everyone's excited. I'm so focused on the guy that I miss Bell being called up on stage.

"Bell, choose an apprenticeship."

"I choose," she hesitates and coughs, "writing!"

One girl stands up and raises her hand. No surprise, she looks extremely smart. Bell deserves someone like her as a leader.

The girl in front of me turns around, "Hi, I'm Gen, you are?"

"Avery. Can I ask a serious question?"

"What is it?"

"How difficult is this program?"

"Well," she sounds smart and all she said was well, "it's supposed to be one of the hardest there is. Just don't mess up, agree to do whatever, and just do it. He doesn't believe in trying, only doing."

"That sounds terrifying."

"It's okay, things happen. Just try your best, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," I look down to my watch and back up again.

She turns back around and we watch til the end if the ceremony. The boy in the front did graduate today.

Soon we're all dismissed. The leader turns and looks at me, "Avery, welcome."

I shake his extended hand. "Great to be here."

"Gen, could you get Avery an uniform?"

Gen nods and walks away. He turns back to me, "I'm Guy Daniels, or Mr. Daniels. Why did you choose science?"

"Well, sir, I wanted a challenge. Defy what's normal and expected if me," it's not all a lie.

"Nonetheless, I'm happy to have you in my program. As you can see, we graduated a young man this year. His name is John, he is going for forensic sciences. Any particular area of study you're interested in?"

"Mainly chemistry and astronomy."

By now Gen has returned, "Thank you," he says taking the uniform and hands it to me.

"There's a changing room over there," he points over by the dining hall portion of the building, "please go change."

I listen. I need to do everything I can to please this guy, I'm not cut out for this program, but I can't skip out now.

The jumpsuit is blue with silver embroidery, it spells my name, and Daniels name. Then Science Program underneath our names. No wonder it took her so long to get it. The shoes are just black sneakers. Nothing special about them. I take a spare hair tie from my wrist and pull back my hair. My glasses get smudged in the process.

After I'm done, I walk back out to Daniels. He looks me over fast and smiles.

"Welcome to the next eleven years of your life Avery."