Bright Side

Chapter 7

        After they take the roll call and every kid yells present, the head rat goes into a long speech about how President Crimson's great, grandfather, whose name was President Rey Crimson, stepped up and saved everyone from certain death by starvation. He then tells everyone how it is such an honor to be a resident of high status with a high paying job. He definitely exaggerated high paying. It is the same speech each year, and since the event is televised, everyone has memorized it. I make eye contact with Mia Rose who is only ten places away from me and we mouth along with the rat.
   
Only Mia Rose, Sash, and I are lined up because we are the oldest in our families, but Sash is towards the other end of the line because she is ranked high enough to live in First Class. The others are in the crowd on either side of the huge stage in front of us. Only the kids in the secondary school and the adults in 15 are allowed to attend.
   
Next, we all are forced to say the pledge of allegiance, so you hear a chorus of kids creepily saying the same thing at the same time in a flat voice. Well, I mouth it because I would never believe in nor agree with these things.
  
"I believe in the power of the President who is the supreme ruler of his country The United States. We are united under the laws and social system that was set in place by President Rey Crimson after the devastation of world war three. I believe in the social system and the life it offers me. I believe that I can find hope in the fact that the government allows its citizens the opportunity to move up in social status and gain respect. I am thankful to the government and Officers who help to keep the peaceful flow of our nation. I believe that the government is just and fair with its laws and punishments. I will be loyal to The United States until death."
   
Once we finish, we overexaggerate bending over and touching our right hand to our left knee, touching it to our mouths-though the extreme loyalists will kiss their hand-, and holding up four fingers. The four fingers show that we are in the fourth part of world history. The first was before the world wars, the second after the first war, the third after the second war, and now the fourth after the third world war.
   
A professional lady in a sleek ash grey dress that hugs her body walks out onto the stage in her eight-inch, bright pink heels that definitely do not match. She holds a dark green envelope with the seal of Dependency 1 printed on it. There is a huge screen also bearing the same seal. It is an ash grey number one outlined in dark green. There are sixteen crimson lines shooting out of it indicating that Dependency 1 completely supports all the other dependencies. The colors are ash grey and dark green because those are the country's national colors and crimson as a nod to the presidential bloodline.
   
15's seal is just the number fifteen in bold font and a single crimson line to show the importance of Dependency 1.
   
The lady begins to talk in an oddly low voice, "Why, hello to my fellow citizens of the wonderful country of the United States. I am here today to announce the lucky hopeful from Dependency 15 who will try to conquer their greatest fear in two weeks' time. If you can conquer your fear then you will have the opportunity to move up in either rank or dependency. As not many know, it is the 100th clash so this year will be extra special." What! With my luck, the extra special thing will end up as 'extra special' embarrassment. I make eye contact with Mia Rose with a scared, shocked face. She returns it with a shocked, sad face of her own. "And I will probably speak for the hopeful who's name is in this envelope that he or she is very grateful for this opportunity." At this, she looks over the crowd of kids expecting applause but doesn't get any. My look changes to that of disgust at the statement and I roll my eyes. Mia Rose's face matches mine. There is no way I would ever be grateful for this.
   
When she realizes that she won't get any applause for her scripted speech, she looks a little hurt but quickly wipes it off her face.

"Well then," she begins again, but in a darker voice, "if no one wants to come up and express any emotion towards the wonderful actions of our government, I will go on."
   
I quickly scan the crowd in front of me for my father, though there is very little chance that he will be there. He has to work to make even a little bit of money, and to some government officials, his job is seen as illegal because he has to travel outside the dependency. I just wanted to see him one more time. I don't know what I would do if I had seen him, maybe I would smile, give him a shy wave, maybe I would show him total disgust because he left me, or maybe I just wanted him to say goodbye and I love you, just like he used to. It doesn't matter though because I don't see him.
   
The announcer holds up the envelope and painstakingly slowly opens it to reveal the name. Her eyes go from showing frustration and hurt to showing delight and evilness.

"The hopeful of Dependency 15 will be," She drags out the last word for extra effect, "Stella of Rank 609!"
   
I step forward to the front of the line and walk to the front and center to stand on a raised platform. The lady still looks delighted and giddy, like she is getting revenge on her worse enemy.
   
Normally the hopeful will do the salute to the announcer to show their respect to their higher rank, but I do not bother. Why waste energy on someone who obviously hates me? She sees this, and her smile grows even bigger and eviler, which confuses me.

"Why hello, Stella or Rank 609," she addresses me.
   
I respond mockingly with, "Why hello announcer. And please call me Stella. Stella of 609 sounds to uh...," I pause looking for the right word. "fancy," I decide.

"Well then, Stella," she says, practically spitting my name, "is there anything you would like to say to our country?" I look around with fake confusion indicating that the whole country is not present. The lady rolls her eyes and says, "this is a televised event, honey."

"Oh," I say, "I guess that makes sense." But I keep looking around until I lock eyes with Aya. I raise my eyebrows asking the same question I asked her this morning, but her response is different. Instead of a confident, playful expression, I am met with a shocked, scared expression. She is vigorously shaking her head to say no, she knows about my lack of respect all too well. I sigh and don't do anything stupid, but do decide I want some fun.

"Um," I really don't know what to say. The lady is looking at me with eyes as to say go on. "I really don't have anything to say." I see Aya who has given up all seriousness, facepalm, which makes me snort and tells me that I am not alone for now. We are normally the trouble-some duo in school, with Aya's chattering and my lack of respect.

"Do you find something funny, Stella?" The announcer asks.
   
I compose myself and answer flatly in the same voice that I used to say the anthem, "No." This gets a laugh out from Aya. I can't hear it, but I can see it.
   
The lady just says, "Mmm," obviously not falling for my lie, and walks off the stage. I stand there confused at what to do next. I start to turn around for clues when a pair of strong arms forcefully grab me and yank me off the stage.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️(•̀ᴗ•́)و❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thanks for reading!! Finally some action-sorry for the long beginning part. I'm gonna try to post a bunch of chapters over the next few days because school starts in about a week and I'm pretty busy during the day now. Any feedback helps-even if it is from a reader years from now.

Also if anyone wants to design a cover please contact me.

1397 words

Remember God loves you!!!!

Happy_hoosier