Faultless: A Utopian Love Story

Chapter IX - August

"LISTEN, IDIOT," CLARISSA grabbed Maria by the collar of her flannel shirt, "You have zero authority here, so stop trying to act like it!"
I rushed over to them, my foot turned, and I slid down the hill. I scrambled to my feet and brushed off the side of my jacket, which was covered in dirt and sand.
"Hey, whoa, calm down," I said, putting myself in between the girls. "What's the problem?"
"Your space-headed, orphan girlfriend over here thinks she has a say in what goes on in my organization," Clarissa spat.
"Every one of us are orphans, Clarissa—Spare the comments. What happened, Maria?"
She walked away with her arms folded and Clarissa stormed off in the opposite direction. I ran after her and caught her arm.
"What's your issue?" I scold.
"I had to get away from her, we were arguing about something I found, she has been lying to us. Anthony has been lying to us,"
"You're wrong, you must be wrong!"
"They aren't our friends, August." Maria said, disregarding my rebuttal, "Regardless of whatever relationship you had with Anthony before, he is lying."
    "How do I know you aren't lying to me, right now?"
    "Wake up, August. Those people are not our friends, and the only way to survive is we act like they are. They can not know that we know, all right?" 
    "Roger that,"
    "You're going to be calm, right? I don't know how cool you can be under pressure,"
    "Yeah, I'll be fine. Everything will be fine."
    "You seemed a little freaked out back there." Maria said as we walked back to the main building.
    "Only because she called you my girlfriend, I mean . . . that isn't a bad thing, but we aren't, are we? You know . . . physically in . . . involved . . ."
    "What are you trying to say?"
    "Nothing, it isn't important." I said, scratching the back of my neck.
    She looks from the ground to up at me. "Unless you want to be."
    "I only want to be if . . . if you want to be,"
    "Then it's settled," Maria said after a few moments.
    "Yeah."
    "Do you want to hold hands or something . . . ?" she asked.
    "Sure, that would be nice,"
    She took my hand as we walked back to the main base of operations. Anthony greeted us with a wide grin and a clap on my shoulder.
    "Don't mind Clarissa, she's extra cranky today,"
    "We're all good, earlier we were arguing about something stupid. My fault." Maria lied.
    "All right, then we're all good. You okay, August?"
    "Yeah, I'm fine." I said, trying to hide my nerves.
    Anthony led us back to the dining hall—a dark oak cabin lined with picnic tables, a stage at the back of the room.
    "Today marks the start of the rebellion, of building a new, prosperous society; one beyond genetic impurities," Anthony announced. 
    His statement made me even more uneasy. Maria was right, they were planning something big. And we were the only ones who could stop it.