One Touch (2014 Watty Awards winner)

Twith

"We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others."- The Giver, Lois Lowery

"What are you doing here?" I yell. Leath gives me a playful smile and pushes past me, into my morsel apartment.

"This place is so tiny, I feel like I'm Being squeezed!" He says sarcastically and then laughs at his own joke. I roll my eyes and try to hold in a smile.

"Seriously what are you doing here?"I say fatigued.

"Are you kidding?" He says giving me a serious look. He glances at the time making me look at the time.

"Holy shit!" I yell, not even bothering to apologize for the language I just said that's not socially acceptable. I race to my bathroom and quickly brush out my frizzy hair and add mascara to my eyelashes. I turn around and bump into Leath.

I push him out of my way and check the time again to make sure I'm not crazy. 6:50 on the dot. The ceremony where Twith announces the Careers she has chosen for us is at 7:00.

"We are so late!" He says twiddling his fingers. I walk out the front door and he follows.

I start sprinting towards the building.

"Why were you even at my apartment?" I ask harshly.

"I felt like saying sorry," I felt Leath's eyes burning a hole through the back of my head.

I roll my eyes and continue to run until we get to the building.

When we get there a tall man with ginger hair starts reading names and assigning careers. Everyone will get a job. When Twith announces who the new supreme ruler is that person accepts the assignment and gives back their old job.

The tall man began to get on my nerves. His thick curly mustache twitched every time he says a name. Then again he's probably like every other monotonous person in our country.

He comes to a stop and tries to pronounce my name.

"Graaaneeesiiiiaaaa." He says pronouncing my name very, very slowly. Leath snickers next to me.

"You are an author."

I get up and do a happy dance to the stage. I bet everyone's watching, but I don't care.

As I make my way to the stage he tells us why I received this job.

"Granessia was selected for this job for her outstanding response to writing and reading during her scanning."

I take my folder and sit back down next to Leath.

"I would give you a hug, but I kind of can't," He said giving a shy smile. I instantly melted inside.

"I will pretend you did."

Minutes pass and eventually hours pass until they announce our new supreme ruler. Leath eventually gets called and is an author, like me. Of course, he does a happy dance with me.

There is an intermission and Leath and I talk mostly about planning group writing sessions. We talk until our current supreme ruler quiets everyone.

"Now that I have your attention I would like to announce our new ruler." Twith says with a smirk. Maybe she wants to give her job up.

All I know is I would literally die inside if I was the new supreme ruler.

"Our new supreme ruler of the year 2870 is..." She trails off putting us in suspense. Leath and I lock eyes at this second giving each other a silent message.

I hope to god it's not me.

She opens her mouth to say the words we are all nervous for.
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