Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
___ ♪___
"Maybe 'okay' will be our 'always'"
-John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
___ ♪___
Part I: The Rings
She didn't understand.
Sure, the system had been established way before she was born, but she still didn't see the point in it. The whole finding your 'perfect match' idea by using these scientific created rings was just completely mind boggling if you asked her. Every citizen is given a ring at the age of eighteen, once graduated from high school. The ring takes into consideration your personality, likes, dislikes, and the way you are as a person. Once it is close in proximity to its matching pair, the ring glows brightly, alerting its owner of their so called soulmate.
She thought it was ridiculous.
Why couldn't she choose who to be with instead of having to be waiting around for this guy to show up? She would much rather learn about a person on her own and decide for herself if she likes them or not than basically being forced into a relationship with someone because they're compatible.
She wasn't the only one who thought this way either. But finding people who actually thought the system was wrong was like looking for a needle in a haystack. A lot of people preferred to have their future love life laid out for them since it was convenient and easy. She didn't care if it was convenient or easy.
She just wanted a choice.
So when she received her shiny silver band on her graduation day, it took everything in her not to throw it in the trash and light it on fire. It's against the law to not wear your ring, let alone set it ablaze. So she wore the stupid thing, but not on her hand. She decided to wear it as a necklace, hidden from everyone's view underneath her shirt.
Her parents always scolded her for not wearing it traditionally, but she just argued back that it's her life and she will do what she pleases. Plus, this way if she does find her future partner, she won't know it and she can continue living her life without the pressure of searching for that special person.
She decided that if she couldn't choose who to be with, then she wouldn't be with anyone at all.
So now two years have passed and she is still very much alone. She likes it that way, but she gets annoyed when the people in her life give her pitying looks. All of her friends have already found their matches and are happily arranging their future lives together. There's so much giggling, hugging, and kissing going around that every time she steps out of her apartment she feels like she's going to throw up.
