Under the Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 6

Luna was sitting in the library, doing research for a history project. Her classmates sat around at the other tables, noses stuck in various books. She was flipping through a textbook, jotting notes and thinking about Harper. Her hands were shaking, her knuckles white gripping her pen, and her teeth clenched together.

Trae slung an arm around her shoulders, startling her. "Are you actually doing the assignment?"

"Yes," she hissed, slamming the pen onto the table.

"Yo, are you okay?" He asked, his playful tone dropping. "What's wrong?"

Luna sighed. "It's nothing, not really. It's the way that things are right now... so much is wrong in the world and no one is doing anything about it. How is any of what we're doing for our classes actually going to help us in the future? We're learning about a war that happened a hundred years ago, where the nations of the world turned on each other and a nuclear war almost ended civilization. Okay, cool. We're learning about why that happened, but we're not learning about how to prevent it in the future. Clearly no one learned anything since a terrorist group tried to tear everything apart only six years ago. Now we're all living in the aftermath of all that, and nothing has changed for the better. We're separated from half the population, and nothing has changed. The government is controlling who I'm allowed to talk to, and what time I'm allowed to be awake, and how my body reacts to sunlight."

He blinked. "That's just the way things are. There's no reason to be getting worked up about this."

"But why, Trae? Why? Why are things like this?" She tossed the textbook back onto the table.

"You know why, these were the terms of the treaty. Splitting up the population would decrease overcrowding, help control overpopulation, and reduce crime." He put his hand over hers, trying to keep his tone gentle.

She slipped her hand from under his, running it through her hair. "But why? It's not like it's helping. People are still dying out in the Rostle Slums. That's where most families are, you know. The families the government ignores. We're lucky. We live in a nice neighborhood, with nice houses and no crime. But out there," her tone finally softened. "People are dying. People are dying and no one is doing anything. The White Sand has made a comeback too, you know," she raised her voice again. "Vandalisms and kidnappings are going on everywhere. And don't even get me started on the discrimination that still plagues us. The world burned down in a nuclear war a hundred years ago because of people who wanted to make things right. It's been a hundred years since then and all we've managed to come up with is a terrorist group like the White Sand, and 'hey, let's split up the population, maybe that will keep them silent!' A terrorist group, mind you, that the government consistently turns a blind eye to, even though they're the reason for the War of the Fates only six years ago. I want to do something, Trae. I can't just sit around anymore."

"Luna, I get it. Things are unfair, and still very, very messed up. But just look at everything you have—" he reached for her hand as he spoke but she jerked away from him.

"No, Trae. I won't be happy with what I have until everyone has it too. I won't celebrate what I own until everyone has the chance to own it as well. I won't be happy with my house until everyone in the slums and tiny apartments has one too. I won't be happy with my education until everyone has access to it. I won't stay silent until everyone's voices can be heard. I won't stop until we can walk in the sunlight again. When the government can't dictate when I'm allowed to be awake. When they can't dictate how I have to live." She crossed her arms, staring at him with a gaze so intent was like she was looking through him.

He nodded finally, sitting down in his chair. "You're right. It's about time things started to change. So, what do you want to do about it?"

☆★☆

"A petition? That's your big idea?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow at her.

"That's just the first step. We could protest if we get enough people." Luna responded, snatching the paper out of his hands and stuffing it back into her backpack.

"And what would we protest for, exactly?"

"Equality. Getting the people out of the slums and into the town, away from the Outskirts. Better crime control, equal pay, suppressing discrimination, and most importantly, getting the population remixed."

"Statistically," Trae continued, "splitting the population not only does nothing to lower the crime rate, but it's effects on managing overcrowding are abysmal and the results just aren't there. Housing isn't an issue, especially with more people moving to the Towers in New City and such, but everything else is still a mess."

"Statistically," Lloyd echoed with a smirk. "You two really put a lot of thought into this."

They had reached the parking lot and were starting to get into Trae's car. Luna slid into the front without a word, tossing her bag onto the floor while the others settled into the back.

"Yeah, we did," she responded finally, turning to face the others. "And we're serious about this too."

"Okay, what do you want us to do?" Colin asked.

"I need help writing the petition, and spreading it around."

"Okay," Razaia replied. "I'm in."

"Yeah, totally," Colin responded.

"Yeah Luna, I'm in too," Lily smiled.

Lloyd nodded. "It's a great idea."

Luna beamed, turning back to face the front. "I told you they'd agree," she hummed, crossing her arms and slumping down in the seat.

"That's because you're scary," Trae snorted.

She sent him a glare, her lips curling up into a smile.

"Okay, I get it," he responded with a smirk, not taking his eyes off the road. "I won't doubt you again."

"Good," she giggled.

☆★☆

"So we're petitioning the government? Yeah, that sounds like you."

Luna jumped at the sound of the voice. "How'd you know?" She looked behind her from her desk to the window Harper was climbing in through.

"I saw your post," she took a moment to look around the room. "God, it's been a while since I've been in here."

"Yeah, how are you here?" Luna leaned across the back of her chair. "How can you even see?"

Harper shrugged. "I stayed up too late a few nights ago cause I was scared of my dreams. It started to get dark, but my vision didn't go out the way it used to, the way it should. It's like wearing a blindfold when the moon comes out. Not even silhouettes can be seen. It's not like that for me—I mean it used to be... I think." She backtracked. "The other night it was normal, I could see the night sky as clearly as I could before the divide."

Luna gaped at her for a moment. "You're lucky, I guess." She said finally. "But regardless, you should be sleeping. Not to mention that you could get caught jumping through windows."

Harper laughed lightly. "I couldn't sleep again. I'm too stressed out about what's going on at school." She sat down on Luna's bed, running a hand through her watermelon-colored locks.

"What's going on?"

"It's my 'friends'," she scoffed, rubbing at her eye bags. "They're being so weird... treating me like garbage one moment then pretending they didn't just say horrible things to me... it's just a mess." Harper groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I don't even know why it's happening. I don't know what I did to them."

"I'm so sorry Harper, you know I'm always here." Luna stood up to hug her.

"I know," her tone perked up a bit. "That's why I came in through your window."

Luna scoffed. "Trae wants to see you," she blurted. "He misses you a lot."

"I miss him too," Harper said. "If only he lived a little closer it would be easier to slip in through his window," she joked.

Luna cracked a smile.