Think 'Haven' & Take My Hand (girlxgirl)

Chapter 3 Rachel

I remember what happened that day like the back of my hand. The day we were told we would belong to some big thing. As an 8 year-old, I did not really understand what was going on. Gradually was the process in which I came to understand my life. It was as crucial to talk about as the puberty talk. While you learn what pubic hair is, you also learn what the 'tubing' process does to you. Reading the graphs showing your substance levels, including those hormones involved in puberty... It's almost as if all the technology came first in every sense.

To make it short, when we arrived to the orphanage lobby the same thing happened as when we opened Stephanie's front door. We both recalled perfectly well what would happen; the door opens and immediately, even if this is not my place and they're not looking for me, I get scanned with a red, then blue, and then an ultra-violet light. I linger in my spot as a much warmer feeling floods my body, starting from my head and finishing down my toes – infra-red light.

The man standing in front of us looked like a body-guard. Tall, bulky, dark-sunglasses and with a headpiece. Yet, as we all know, since it is supposed to be more accurate, these people are also Cases. The headpiece is actually attached to his body like a USB. The mic spurt out right next to his lips and we could tell it did not affect any muscles as he spoke a command and the box under his arm opened.

“Stephanie Richards. HCode R.601. Bone Reconstruction and Bone Marrow Investigation Unit.” He called out. It was the same information as her ID.

He turned to me then and mouthed out the same thing. “Rachel Andrews. HCode A.734. Organ Tissue Growth and Culturing Organization.”

With that he handed us each a hand-sized cream colored envelop. I grabbed a hold of it and felt its rough texture against my skin. I could feel a strange and warm sensation under my ribs. My heart began to pound as I watched the dude turn around, press the elevator button, wait, get in and disappear behind the metal doors.

“HCode R.601, Steph.” I said with the same robotic and monotone voice the Government postman had used... but I guess the attempt to lighten up the mood was futile.

Steph closed the door in front of us and turned around. I could tell that by the way she looked down at the envelope without paying much attention to me meant that she was thinking hard. I mean, I understand what she's probably thinking about... but I'm the type to be indifferent to these sort of situations since it's better to react peacefully than, in some way, erratically.

“You don't think this...” Steph said motioning her wrist to tell me she was talking about the letter.

“Opening it is the only way to find out.” I shrugged as I flicked the folded side open with my fingers. The paper felt very clean and professional, almost as if they had dedicated any valuable time into making these.

My ears noticed Stephanie also opening hers and, in a few minutes, we were holding a green paper in our hands:

Dear Rachel Andrews,

It is of our most sincere pleasure to announce that you have been chosen as 1 of the 1,000 citizens to participate in a very selective process to determine the existence of a new Research Section. 

From tomorrow onwards, please present yourself at your local United Councils of Health and Technology headquarters from 9am to 5pm.  Information will be given to you in regards to this process as soon as the 26th week of the year begins.

Kind regards,

United Councils of Health and Technology, and The Northern Republic.

… Hm...

“Isn't that secretive?” I said to Steph.

I tore my eyes away from the green sheet as my friend did the same. We locked glances and it was like the world seemed to collapse above us. Was it true?

“I need to call Jay.” Steph said.

“Yeah,” I nodded, “Do that. Hand me your sheet over.”

Okay. So, these letters honestly didn’t say anything. But they did answer to our suspicions: they are forming a new Section… maybe.

I held the green sheets in front of my face, compared them, and saw no difference other than our names. The content was the same and everything…

“You didn’t receive it?” I heard Steph say from the kitchen, “Maybe you will. It you do it will probably be today.”

Jay. Her boyfriend. 

“Alright. Call me.” I heard again. I turned my body around and stared at her thinking face. Her dark eyebrows frowned in intense concentration. “Anything special?” 

“Nope,” I said, handing her the sheets. “Nothing.” 

“The only thing I can’t believe is that we were chosen over ‘1,000 citizens’. I bet it’s only Cases.” She said and crumpled the green things immediately. “I can’t even believe this might be true.”

“Same here” I admitted as she threw them away in the recycling hole in the wall. “I think you’re reacting more than I am, by the way.”

Steph shook her head. I smirked as I noticed how the smile in her lips couldn’t help but escape. “You’re always numb to stuff like this. Remember when we were 8? You ended up crying 4 months after the mail man came over.”

Immediately, I felt my face blush at that. Certainly, when observations are about me, I do react. “Shut up.”

With a nervous laugh that attempted to lighten up the tense and preoccupied tension, Steph started laughing. “Oh, I love making you blush.”

“Oh, really?” I said with the same mocking tone. “I love telling stuff to Jay when you do that.”

She stopped laughing, “Don’t.”

“You sure?”

“Sorry.”

“Forget it.” I said, reaching for my phone. “I’m calling him.”

“No no no!” She exclaimed. Steph grabbed my arm and squeezed it. “Let’s eat?”

I smirked at her again. Teasing her to get things going my way is probably what I’m the most expert at. With Jay around, I realized that she hates having her boyfriend find out things because of me. Apparently I always express them erronously and she ends up having to explain how a cracked egg ended up in her shower on her 15th birthday.

My eyes landed on her darker ones and, in a small pause, I felt that thing again. That think I don’t stop feeling. And in that instant, she let go of my arm and stared at me again.

“Eat?” She asked again, softly.

I said, shaking my head. “Yeah.”

For a moment; just for this dinner, we tried to forget what had just happened: the stare and the green sheets of paper from the government. Whatever these things were, they were too dangerous or complicated to discuss right now. There’s nothing we really know yet.