Republic of Omisha

Chapter 22: Eliza

   Everyone talks and enjoys the evening. After dessert Eliza is still trying to avoid her Father and Helena. She decides to go on a walk through the school... alone.

She peeks into the administration office to see the headmaster, Mr. Nelson, working at his desk. She quietly enters the room. He doesn't know that she's there until he jumps when she speaks."Why am I different?"

"I beg your pardon?" He replies, not following.

"From the other students, why am I different? Everyone around here treats me like I'm something special. Why?"

He pauses before he speaks to think his answer through. "What do people do when they are faced with a problem? They either run away from it, hide from it, or they manipulate others to deal with it for them. This is the first time someone outwitted the 'trials' that they were faced with."

"Is that the point of the trials? To see how we react in a life threatening situation." The thought of being a science project sickened Eliza, but before he could reply his phone rings and he politely asks her to leave. Eliza obliges.

She waits outside his door for ten minutes, and when he's still on the phone she decide to continue her walk. She finds herself passing the gym wing.

The happy thoughts of learning archery from Clay lifts her heart. The memory of kissing him and feeling the warmth of his lips and losing herself in his eyes washes her worries away.

Eliza finds herself mindlessly playing with the feathers on an arrow as she thinks about yesterday. She doesn't snap back into reality until she her's a voice behind her and whips around. "This dinner is for you."

Eliza is panicked until she sees that it's Clay. "What are you doing in here?" He asks in his deep, but sweet voice.

"Just thinking," Eliza is embarrassed at what she was thinking about and she blushes.

"About?" He pushed. Eliza's cheeks turn even redder and he laughs when he picks up on it. "Ah."

He no longer dwindles in the doorway. He walks right into Eliza's personal space. She fights the urge to back up. He puts his hands on her hips and looks into her eyes.

He smiles and tilts his head as he says, "Good thoughts I hope."

"Why did you come look for me?" Eliza asks.

He shrugs, "I missed you."

Eliza laughs, "I was gone for just over ten minutes."

"Okay, fine. I was just worried about you and wanted to make sure you were okay."

That is a complex question. It sends Eliza's thoughts swimming. She thinks about her family and Sebastian and the rebellion. She feels overwhelmed by her thoughts.

Eliza leans forward for a hug. She turns her head to the side as he holds her tightly. Because of his towering height her head rests on his chest. "Yeah," she replies unconvincingly. She closes her eyes and focuses on the beat of his heart. The constant rhythm helps her to focus her thoughts.

"Thank you." Eliza opens her eyes and pulls her head back to gaze into Clay's eyes. "For being my constant. I have been a wreck in one way or another ever since my Mother died. Something has been different ever since I met you."

Clay leans in and presses his lips to Eliza's. She kisses him back. Eliza can feel the electricity sparking between them. After the kiss they press their foreheads together. They don't need words to understand each other.