Incandescent

Chapter 8

There's no other option for me but being Planter. I know this. We stand together. All Seventeens are in the Square. When we hear our name, we go up to the various kiosks and get a tattoo.

It's just a dot, an almost invisible dot. But it gives us a new color- or an old one.

Purple means stay.

Black means go.

Anybody with black gets a new color dot added next to it depending what region they're shipped off to.

I breathe in. And then out.

That won't be me. Stop worrying. I chide myself.

We all get into lines. I get into the line for the kiosk that has the most people in it. I don't ever want to get to my turn.

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I'm sitting in my house. On the sitting mats with Mother drinking Tea.

It's quiet. Father has to go to work- he's just in charge of labeling shipments since his arm is broken- but Purple allows Mother to take the day off because today is my "Sorting". 

Thyme took Maca to the field of Date trees, to be with his friends.

The window is open, letting the breeze and the quiet noise from the day getting started come in.

I lean back onto my hands on the floor and close my eyes. I let my head fall back on my shoulders. My back kind of protests at this little bit of movement.

Mother looks at me. "You want to be Planter, don't you?" 

I open my eyes. "What do you mean?"

"They're going to ask you if you want the job, you'll have to explain why you want it."

Thinking. "I do want it, it's all I ever do," I giggle. Mother does not giggle. She seems worried. 

I sit up. "I just don't want to put my hopes up too much on it and then be disappointed if they send me out to the fields." I look at my mother and try to convey how non-bothered I am by this situation.

But I am scared. Scared that I'll be sent somewhere worse than the fields.

-----

Lime rushes over to my place in line.

He seems excited and even confident. As soon as he has to speak though, he turns bright red and lowers his head. "Tea, look." He shows me his wrist. 

I squint and pretend I don't see anything.

He laughs.

But yes, a Purple dot. 

It screams at me.

I look up and give him the best smile I can have. "I'm so happy for you." I want to put my arm on his shoulder again. But I figure now is not the time to be looking for trouble.

He flushes a deeper shade of red. "I...I hope yours goes well." He looks at me for a second and gets embarrassed and looks down at his shoes. "I'm sorry, for the other day. I don't know why I didn't defend you. I feel awful. I-"

"Dont worry about it." I interrupt. I'm still mad at you. "I'm not mad at you Lime, I couldn't ever be."

He smiles. "I will see you then?" 

I nod, and he walks away to go see his family.

-----

Mother starts preparing everything for the lunch.