The kids in the Dark

Part 9- same day

Sarion and I race back to Micah's car and grab our bags. He beats me by a long shot and pivots to race back to the RV, but trips on air and falls to the ground. I take the opportunity and sprint back, cackling as he scrambles to his feet. I speed in and set my bags on the bed to the right, solely because this side has a window.
Sarion runs in just behind me, his black pants coated with pale dust, and sighs. "Dammit I wanted that side" he says as he sets his stuff down on the left bed.
"All in favor of getting rid of this partition?" Sarion says from his side. I yelp a quick "I!" and grab the small handle on the side, folding it back into the wall. "Better."
We unpack our things in silence, pressing clothes into drawers and the small closet on my side. Until this moment, the magnitude of what I did has not sunk in. I begin thinking about everything and how I changed the entire direction of my life in one swift decision.
I think about my mother, who lost my dad and now me.
I think about my other friends at school, who are likely wondering where Sarion and I have gone.
I think about the fact that I have joined a rebellion against the national government and the second people notice that Sarion and I are gone we will have bounties in our head.
Am I in too deep?
Even if I am, there's no turning back now. There is absolutely no way the Kids In The Dark are going to let me leave after I've seen everything. I'm here now, and I have to remember that I was given no choice.

I look up at Sarion and realize that he is looking at me.
"You're having second thoughts, aren't you"
Looks like Micah is not the only one who can read people like a book.
"This is what's best. We can't let them choose our lives for us"
I nod at him and smile.

We hear a knock at the door and I jog over to it. Micah pokes her head in and looks around. "You guys settled?" She asks quickly. Sarion and I nod at her in unison and she shoots us a smirk.
"Let me introduce you to everyone" she says, more as a statement than a suggestion; Me and Sarion are happy to oblige.
We follow Micah out and she takes us first to Fletch, she is of average height and build and her blonde hair is pulled into a tight ponytail. She dons combat boots and sweatpants with a plain white tank top.
"This is Fletch" Micah says, motioning to her "she's kind of the leader around here. We have a small council, but she calls the shots."
Fletch smiles at us and shakes each of our hands. "We're glad to have you." She says with a broad smile, and you can tell she means it.
Micah starts over to a group of about 8 kids who look to be no older than us.
"These are our other newbies. They're all 16-ish and they ran just like you two"
There is a tall black kid who stands like a foot above me. He smiles down at me and reaches out a hand. "Jackson. 16." He says briefly, shaking both of our hands.
Next to him stands a short, tan girl. She is skinny and has long, pin-straight black hair. "Katherine, 16" she says, nodding toward us.
Beside them there is a pretty blonde girl with striking blue eyes sitting on a milk crate. "Safat, also 16" she says with a smile.
Seated on the dirt is a black girl with a puff of hair on her head held back with a black headband. She grins at us and springs up from the ground. She is wearing a Thrasher hoodie as well, and I can tell her and Sarion will get along well. "Zharia, 17"
Next are two short Asian girls who look to be related in some way. The both have short black hair and lovely smiles. "Tia,16" says the first. "Kristy, 17" says the second.
Second to last is another tall and skinny black girl. She wears her hair in long, flowing braids and flashes Sarion a smile. "Rayna, 16" she says quietly, shaking each of our hands.
Lastly is a short Hispanic girl with long brown hair with blue streaks and a wide smile. She is sitting on a milk crate like Safat, but gets up to shake both mine and Sarion's hands. "Billie, 17". She says with a grin.
Even though I've just met these people, I feel like I have known them for ages.