Surviving my Scholarship

Bull Shot

                I threw my satchel over my shoulder and turned to head out the door. Pierce waited by it and extended an arm as I exited. He followed behind me as I headed down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, I turned right and Pierce turned left down the small hallway to his bedroom. I waved before turning and heading to the front door.

                I walked down the steps, as I was so used to doing, I stopped at the barrier of my house arrest. I froze staring at the step to my freedom. My foot shook as I slowly lowered it to the step. I paused inches from the touch and sighed. I pulled my foot back and stared down at the path to freedom.

                "What is wrong with me," I whispered. "Just step."

                I tried again and pulled back in fear. My body had been conditioned to stay within the border of my prison. I pushed again, closing my eyes, and fell back on the step with a groan. I sat there staring down at the concrete as if it was foreign to me.

                A bug traveled across the step and headed off towards the driveway. I glared at it. Show off! I slipped my foot over the barrier and tapped the step below me. See no alarm. Let's go. I stood again and pushed forward. An inch off the ground my foot paused again.

                An arm wrapped around my shoulder and pushed me forward. My body panicked and fought back against the arm but he held strong. I looked up at a smirking blue eyed Pierce; he turned and winked at me. At the driveway, I glanced back at the prison and smiled. I'm free.   

                "That was painful to watch," Pierce chuckled as he popped a small capsule and a helmet appeared in his hand. He handed it to me.

                "She is not cleared for that," Jon argued as he grabbed the helmet and twisted it back into a capsule. "Care to ride in the hover?"

                Pierce scoffed. He shook his head as he slid his helmet over his head and started up the bike. "See you there."

                Jon rolled his eyes as Pierce hovered on the bike for a second before rushing off. He motioned towards the hovercraft that was placed nearby. I turned and headed towards it. Jon smiled as he opened the door for me.

                "He's coming," I questioned as I slid into the familiar hovercraft. He smiled with a shake of his head and shut the door. He headed around the craft and then hopped into the front. "Can't I sit up there with you?"

                "No," he clearly stated. "Security risk. You are more secure in the back."

                I nodded. There was no point fighting Jon. He always got his way. He glanced back at me a few times as I stared out the window in silence.

                "How much did he take you for," I asked. My eyes looked down at my entwined hands. Jon raised an eyebrow and then shook his head.

                "It doesn't matter," Jon commented as he drove along an open stretch of harvesting fields. It supplied two thirds of the planets vegetation.

                "I'll pay you back," I mumbled picking some paint off of one of my fingernails.

                "Ms. Violet," he slowed the car turning to see me. "It is my fault as much as your father's. It has nothing to do with you. I was foolish enough to trust him even knowing of his gambling addiction. As a foolish young Earl, I tended to feed into his gambling myself. You owe me nothing."