Abnormal {Book 1: Completed, Book 2: Ongoing}

Chapter 38

A beep comes from my watch, and I startle awake. I hadn't realized that I fell asleep while reading about President Gray from the various online sources I'm able to access from the nation's public digital library. There are thousands of articles based purely on the history of President Gray and the Revolution, describing how courageous he was in maintaining the peace of the nation and ensuring the survival of humanity. There are even articles about his childhood, about his loving parents, and his education.

These aren't the articles I wanted to read. 

But whenever I try to type the key words "President Gray" and "Abnormals" into the search bar, an error message pops up. "Something went wrong. Please try another search term."

I sigh and click on the notification that pops up on my screen. It's a document titled "list". I open the file, and a list of names is displayed immediately. This must be the list of soldiers for the mission tomorrow. 

Margaret...Iris...Zachary...I see a handful of names that I don't recognize. As I near the end of the short list, I start to panic as I realize that my name isn't on it. It must have been Adrius, I think as my teeth clench in anger. He must have convinced the Commander not to let me go. 

I jump up from my bed immediately, my face flushed, and stomp over to our joined door. I turn the doorknob forcefully and push open the door, bursting into the room. I know that I must look like a mess to him. My hair is tossed up carelessly into a bun, my oversized shirt is only half tucked into my pajama shorts, and I'm not even wearing socks. I groan in frustration as my elbow instantly crashes into a heavy book on his nightstand, causing it to fall to the floor. I bend down and pick it up hurriedly, putting it back onto the nightstand. Then finally, I look up...

And I wish I hadn't.

Adrius is frozen midway through putting on his shirt, and his sweatpants are resting low on his hips, revealing the lower half of his upper torso. His hair is half wet from the shower, with glittering droplets of water on the tips.

"What...umm...what are you doing?" I gasp.

"I'm...not doing anything," he replies, feigning confusion. His eyes glint with amusement, and I glare at him, feeling my blush deepen. 

I look away deliberately as he tugs his shirt down, and he chuckles. "What's so funny about this?" I ask, my gaze snapping back to him.

He shakes his head, still grinning broadly. "You're so cute when you blush."

"Hmmph." I plop down onto a cushioned chair next to his bed so I'm facing him. "I came here to talk."

"Obviously."

"Did you ask the Commander not to put me on the list?" I ask bluntly.

His eyebrows raise, and he runs a hand through his hair. "No. Why would I?"

I roll my eyes at him. "Because you didn't want me to go?"

"Lyanna, even if I didn't want you to go, I wouldn't actually interfere. I might persuade you not to go, but the decision is ultimately up to you."

I breathe out a sigh of relief, then narrow my eyes at him. "Are you telling me the truth?"

"Yes," he replies. "It's not like my father would listen to me anyways," he adds as an afterthought, shrugging. The bitterness in his voice is evident.

We stare at each other for a few moments, and I try to decide whether he's lying or not. 

I decide that he's not.

He mimics my serious expression, trying to keep a straight face while his lips keep curving into a smile. I burst out into giggles, and he opens his arms towards me. 

I squeal as he pulls me onto his lap, and he turns on the screen on the wall in front us. "Let's watch a movie," he says, scrolling through the list.

A movie. I don't even remember the last time I watched a movie. 

And as we watch the characters on scene battle one another with their flimsy knives, Adrius falls asleep, his arm still pillowing my head as he rests soundly.

And of course, I stay in his room for the night. 

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Hey guys! 

This chapter is slightly shorter than usual, so I've decided to include a surprise: I'm finally revealing TCD's logo!

Explanations

Colors

The color blue was chosen for the entire logo because blue symbolizes freedom, which is the ultimate goal for all Abnormals in TCD.

The color white was chosen for the background because white is usually associated with peace. While conflict is inevitable between the government and TCD, the Abnormals hope that one day, their nation, and all its citizens, will find peace within themselves, wherever that might be.

Symbol & Text

The lion / dragon creature symbolizes power and bravery. If you look at the creature as a whole, you might think that this is a dragon based on its tail and wings. The dragon's power comes not only from its talons, but also from its weapon of ultimate destruction: fire. And it is only fire, that can rule of the world and bring the enemies to their knees...or rather, their death. If you focus on the creature's head and legs, you might realize that the shape also resembles a lion. The lion represents bravery, and its roar encourages minorities, or in this case, Abnormals, to find their voice and stand up for themselves. 

The text, "TCD", stands for "The Chained Defiance". I chose this name because while many Abnormals have been captured by the government (and thus, 'chained'), they aren't yet broken. This encourages the remaining Abnormals in TCD to fight back, and protect those they love.

As usual, don't forget to vote and comment below to support #Lyadrius !