The Land Before Tomorrow

Chapter 4

Today is June 27th, 11:59 am. 

12:00 pm

It is very quiet today. Everyone breathlessly, hopefully, waits to see whose name gets drawn in the raffle, hoping it's them. I hope neither I nor Carter gets picked, otherwise, I hope we both do so we can be together in the new world. The drawing always happens at 3:00 pm. Not a second later or earlier does it start. Right now, it is 12:00 so I have a few hours before it starts.  

12:30 pm

I go to find Carter, he lives only a few houses down from me. I knock on his door, and his mother answers. "Hi, Mrs. Drews!" I say. "Is Carter home right now?"

"No, Dear. I'm sorry but he is in the garden dome right now." 

Why would he be in the garden dome? I thought to myself. I decided to go see him. 

1:00 pm

I make it to the garden dome and I see Carter with Brittney hanging on him like usual. This time she took his arm and put it over her shoulder. You can visibly see how uncomfortable Carter is right now. She turns herself around so they're chest to chest and looks up to him. That is how short she is. He looks back down at her. I can feel the anger rising inside me. I keep watching from a distance. She says something to him, he looks dismayed. She kisses him. 

Wait a minute. 

She kissed him?!

That was it I calmly walked over to them, greeted Carter, and punched her in the jaw. She went out like a light and fell on the ground. I look at Carter wide-eyed. Neither of us says anything. We don't know what to say. I turn a bright shade of fuschia as he continues to stare at me. I can feel the tears welling in my eyes. I turn and run. As fast as I can, I don't know where, but I go. I need to get out of here. I run all the way home (which is quite a ways away). I run straight into my room and start crying on my bed. 

2:00 pm

How could I do that in front of him?! Now he knows I have feelings for him! Ugh! He is never going to want to talk to me ever again! All of a sudden, I hear a knock on the door and my mom answers it, I hear some mumbling, then someone knocks on my bedroom door. Fear grows inside me as I wonder who it is. "Come in," I say with a shaky voice. The door opens slowly and Carter walks in. 

"Hey," he says. 

"Hi," I say blushing profusely, hiding part of my tear-stained face under the covers.

"So what was all that about?" he says with a slight chuckle. 

"I-I... uh... I don't know... I completely and totally understand if you never ever want to talk to me again."

"Actually no, it was kinda hot." 

"R-really?" I say. I'm honestly shocked when he says that because I thought he was going to hate me for it. 

"Yeah. It was cool to see how strong you are!" Now I'm blushing more than ever. 

"I-I... thank you..." He comes over and sits in bed right next to me. He puts his arm around me. 

"There is something I have to tell you..." He says. My heart starts racing, I can hear it in my ears. I start to feel very hot. "Yes?"

"I have always kind of had a thing for you... and I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me sometime. As a date. You know?" 

"Yeah, I know," I say, now blushing more than I ever have before.

"So is that a yes?"

"Yes," I say. We stayed there talking for a while. "So what do you want to do when you graduate?" He asked. 

"I don't quite know yet." 

"I think it would be pretty cool if you did the extensive training to be a guard with me," 

"You really think so?" 

"Oh yeah, for sure. With those skills I saw you use on Brittney, you could take down anyone the Overground sends."

"Thanks," I say blushing once again. 

"That was really cool of you. What you did." 

"Not really, I'm probably going to get in trouble for hitting another citizen." 

"Not if I'm there." 

"R-really?" 

"Yep," He says. Now you notice how close you two really are. I can smell the scent of lavender coming from him. His eyes stare deep into mine. We sit there for a minute just staring at each other. He starts to lean in, and instinctively, I do too. 

2:59 pm

Everyone is gathered in the underground main square. 

3:00 pm

The ten names are drawn. Ramsay lists them off after a whole big schpeel "Hello people of Akmondeza! How are you all doing today *cricket chirps* great! I know you are all hoping your name gets drawn, so let us find out who are the lucky winners today! The first one is...

Alex Arwen!" The continuing list went like this; Savanna Jules, Heidi Jennings, Billie O'Connel,  Ella Harrison, Sarah Joyce, John Navy, Evan Alex, Cooper Anderson, and... 

Everyone waited, holding their breath, waiting for Ramsay to call the last name. 

"Totyana Ross!" No. No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no! This can't be happening! Carter didn't get called! No! I have to leave to go to the new town! Without him! No! And after our kiss today! Why me?! "Please continue to towards the main gates of Akmondeza! You will meet a guard there and they will escort you to a limousine." I solemnly continue towards the gates with the ten other people who are beaming with joy that their name got picked. All I can think about is how Carter isn't going to be with me.