Untouched

9. Friday/ More of Zach's idiocy-day

Walking to the same spot in the schoolyard, the conversation changes to a topic we've never had before. Everyone starts to speculate when Mara and Mattan will request to move in together. A topic, I really don't want to think about.

Permission will be granted. But they must make a request to the council leaders so there is time to organise a cabin and all the necessary items which must be left for the normal twelve-week period.

The whole process is ridiculous because all the items are sourced by Techie's who, Jenna told me, sterilise them immediately after being brought back from outside the wall. However, our leaders still demand they be placed in our storage cabin. Twelve weeks must pass before the owners may collect the items, under supervision, to ensure they don't touch any items which are to go to others.

The supervision part is a must now.

Last year, one of the residents dug her hand through a box of wool so the council leaders ordered for it to be left for another twelve weeks to ensure it was safe and people were outraged. The lack of wool meant people had to temporarily stop crocheting. People still talk about the tragic wool crisis of last year as though it were as bad as the Virulence pandemic.

It's ridiculous. Nobody has died of a lack of crocheting.

'They'll settle soon,' Brielle says to the group as she sits in her usual position.

'You must know, Kit?' Suki asks, waiting for me to sit in the middle of the bench seat.

'No, I don't,' I reply.

'They're so sweet together,' Hope says, sitting next to Brielle whilst ensuring a wide enough distance is kept between them.

This routine is always the same; we all take turns sitting down at the bench in the same order and at the same places, like all the younger Naturalists around us.

'You think everyone is sweet, Hope,' I chuckle. She shrugs her shoulders but gives me a little grin.

'Come on, Kit. Don't hold out on us. Have they already asked, and they're keeping it secret from us?' Brielle asks.

'I wouldn't know. I don't get involved in my brother's love life.' I slump down onto the bench.

'That's not what I've heard,' Seb retorts. Suki grimaces as she sits beside me as does Axel who sits on the other side of me.

'And what do you mean by that?' I snap.

'Everyone assumes the delay is due to you,' Seb says, sitting down on the other side of Brielle.

I frown. 'I'm not his keeper. Mattan will settle when he's ready. '

'Will he ever be ready while you two are so close? The way you both act...' Seb shrugs innocently, but I know he purposely left the sentence unfinished. The insinuation hangs in the air and I feel my face flush.

'I'll finish that sentence for you, Seb. The way we both act is normal for two kids who grew up together without knowing their biological parents, and who spent the first four and a bit years with only each other as company. I love Mattan like a brother, and he loves me like a sister,' I growl.

'I'm envious of Kit and Mattans' sibling relationship,' Axel interjects. 'I can only suffer about five minutes with my sisters before I need to lie down in a dark room.'

'Tell me about it. My brothers and sisters only know two volumes; loud and extremely loud,' Hope adds, giving me a sympathetic nod.

They start to talk about siblings, except for Seb and Suki who remain silent. I feel bad for them. It must be tough being an only child.

Tuning out the conversation, my eyes search the crowds of Techie's until they find Zach. He's staring at me, and he mouths what I assume is, 'Are you ok?'

I nod.

This has been a recurring occurrence of the week. At the beginning of the break, our eyes meet and he usually winks or tries to say something which I either can't understand or pretend not to, then I shake my head in dismay or roll my eyes whilst simultaneously trying to stop a smile creeping onto my lips.

Zach mouths something now but I only make out the word '...Sunday.'

I arch an eyebrow. He winks, and I perform the obligatory eye roll.

Zach grins in response but looks away when a girl sits on his lap and says something. Laughing, he tickles her and my insides clench.

'What do you think, Kit?' Axel asks.

I drag my eyes away from Zach and towards Axel who is looking at me expectantly. I shuffle uncomfortably in my seat, unable to get Zach's crude comment about Axel out of my mind. Axel does not want to suck my face or get in my pants or hump me with his eyes.

Axel notices my hesitation and must assume I don't have a clue about what they're talking about, which I don't, because he adds, 'About the new song you heard on Sunday.'

'It was really good,' I say slowly, trying to force some resemble of sincerity in my words.

Axel smiles. 'Brielle and Suki think it's missing something.'

Does it really matter?

The only people who hear their music is us, and we aren't exactly a hard crowd to please. We have nothing to compare it to or I didn't. Now I do, and I can't help think what they play is an insult to all music.

'I think the song sounds great as it is but you three would know best. You're the musicians.' I shrug.

Axel's smile widens. I return the smile forcing myself not to look back at Zach. What he gets up to and with who is none of my business. The only reason I'm meeting him is because I want to continue to go into the woods. 

I promised my parents I wouldn't go alone.

This is a temporary friendship. We'll both get bored soon and it can't be anything more, even if I wanted it to be. Which I don't.

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