Refuse

Chapter 5

It was Monday, the last Monday before the Day of Choosing. I walked to school and I saw Eric on my way there. We couldn't walk together since there were other people around, I texted him when I saw him. He was looking at his phone already, I messaged him "Look up." He did, he saw me and smiled. I smiled back at him, we had to keep walking so it wouldn't look obvious, unfortunately however I saw Jack right after I saw Eric. Jack saw me before I could hide anywhere he lifted his arm and started waving to me. I waved back and put a small smile on my face. He walked up to me and gave me a hug. I hugged him back, then he told me "Hey, how are you? I normally never see you walking to school, you must be running early today." I looked down at my phone, I was running 10 minutes earlier than what I normally did. I told him "Yeah I must be." He held both of my hands and said "You know what this Friday is right?" I sighed and said "How could I forget, I know it's the Day of Choosing." He replied "Not just that, the day our lives together finally officially begin. We won't have to be apart anymore and we can be with each other all the time. I was missing you last night, I was hoping that I would see you more than just our date today." I forced a smile and said "Oh well, yeah I guess. It's coming up faster than what I would like. Also I guess you got your wish, you got to see me before school." He held my hand and we started walking to school. I glanced behind me and I saw Eric and Chloe not that far behind us. Eric made eye contact with me, we both had this look on our face that we would rather be somewhere else just the two us rather than where we were. Jack said to me "I was happy when I saw you, you must be coming around, because I saw you smiling at me right before I saw you." So he must have seen me smile at Eric, luckily he thought it was for him, but still. I just nodded along with what he was saying, we finally got to school. I told Jack "Well I guess this is where we have to part ways, I'll see you later for the date tonight." He said "Okay, wear something nice." I rolled my eyes as he was walking away. Then right before I went inside I saw Chloe and Eric. She gave him a big hug and kissed him on the cheek before heading toward the same door I was standing in front of. 

I kept walking on inside to school, I sat down in my first class of the day and I got called down to Glasser's office again. I got up and walked to her office like I did the last week. I went inside, I couldn't keep my mind from overthinking. What if she knew about Eric and I somehow? What if she saw me sneaking around after curfew on a security camera in the city? What if Jack knew something and he just didn't tell me, but told Glasser? When I went into her office, she gave me the same look that she always did. That I was a mere ant to her, she told me once the doors closed "Well how has this past weekend gone? I haven't heard any reports other than the one about the two kids who were running around, we still have to find out who they are. I immediately thought it was you, but you surprised me, Jack came to me and told me that you were not one of them. So apparently there is hope for you, you have been showing up to all of your dates appropriately dressed. Jack has had nothing, but good things to say other than a few things. However he said those will get fixed with time." A sigh of relief came over me, she doesn't know about Eric and I, and Jack has been telling her mainly nothing but good things. I replied "Oh really? Thank you ma'am, I appreciate the compliment, the past weekend went well." She actually smiled and said "Maybe you are finally starting to turn a new leaf, you seem happier. I'm glad you and Jack are working out, see you have to trust the system. Maybe now you will believe in the ways of this place, how about as a little reward I can let you and Jack spend some time in the restaurant alone together tonight?" Then I started to get worried, I had to think of an excuse of why I couldn't, but I also had to look like I wish I could go, but couldn't. 

Especially not tonight, I am supposed to meet Eric tonight right after date night. Glasser was waiting for a response she could tell I was thinking about something and said "What is there to think about? I'm rewarding you, just accept it. I'll go call Jack down here and I'll tell him about tonight." I blurted out as soon as she turned around "Wait! I can't, I didn't sleep well last night. Really bad insomnia, I was planning on going to sleep early tonight, I'm sorry ma'am." She looked shocked and said "Oh really I didn't know, well maybe tomorrow night then, you will be well rested by then so I will tell Jack tomorrow night then." I couldn't make another excuse, because then that would look suspicious. I told her "That will work better ma'am thank you." After she sent me away, once I was out of sight, I went in the corner of the hallway and texted Eric a brief summary of what had just happened. He texted me back right away and said "Oh no, I'm so sorry. Well at least you got out of it for tonight so we can still see each other." I had to look on the bright side, Eric was right at least I got to see him tonight. The rest of my school day wasn't interesting, after the day was over I walked out and I saw Jack waiting outside for me. I was not looking forward to this conversation, since he probably knows by now what Glasser told me. He ran up to me as soon as he saw me, he said "Hey Astra, I heard about what you and Glasser talked about today. I'm excited for tomorrow you didn't tell me you had a bad night last night. You don't seem that tired, you could have told me I would have gotten you coffee or something. You have to start telling me these things, I don't want my pretty flower to be suffering." I wanted to throw up, my only thoughts were to smile and nod. I told him "Oh yeah well I didn't want to worry you so." He put his arm around me and we started walking away from the school building. Once we got to my house he asked me "Do you think I could come inside?" I told him "Uh right now is not a good time. I have a ton of homework tonight so yeah, see ya later." He grabbed my wrist before I could get inside the door, he said "Don't I get a kiss or a hug before I go?" I gave him a quick hug and he was finally on his way. I went inside and just sat on my couch staring at the ceiling processing what all just happened that day. Soon the evening came and I started to get ready for the date. I did the same thing I had done for almost a week at that point. 

I walked to the restaurant and sat down at Jack's table. When I got to the table he had flowers for me, I told him "Oh thank you, you really didn't have to." He smiled and said "No I did, because we are a couple now you know." The rest of the date was going as normal, when Jack offered to walk me home I told him that I wanted to get home fast so I could go to bed since I was "so tired." I rushed home, I changed into more comfortable clothes and headed to the dirt path to go to Eric's house. I knocked on the back door and messaged him, letting him know that I was there, he came to the back door and let me in. I went inside and we both sat on the couch, Eric said "So tell me again exactly what happened with Glasser today?"I told him everything that happened and he said "Oh well, I mean that's a good thing that you are getting on her good side so then she won't suspect anything you do. On the other hand though it sucks that she is forcing you to spend more time with Jack." I replied "Right, I don't know what to do anymore about this. Also for some reason Jack is under the impression that we are getting closer and that I really like him. Like my acting deserves an award or something." We both started laughing, I said "If only I could be somewhere, where all of this didn't exist. We could be free to do whatever we want and life would actually be fun for once. I would make my own decisions and my family and friends would all be supportive. Well hell, I'd actually have more than one friend. I wouldn't be forced to spend time with some jerk. It would be nice." Eric's smile left his face, I asked him "What's wrong?" He told me "I have a chance to go somewhere else, I actually don't have a choice." I was shocked and asked "What? Why?" He couldn't make eye contact with me, he turned to look out the window, he said "Well I was going to tell you, I just don't like talking about it. The career that got chosen for me is a Dimension Warrior. Friday is my last day here, once I go through the portal I'm never coming back here. I also might die fighting the war." I knew what a Dimensional Warrior was, it is said that it is the most dangerous job you can get. Anyone that gets assigned this job gets teleported to another dimension to fight the war that was currently going on. In school they would tell us about the War to end all Wars. How we had to send soldiers to defend our dimension from others invading. There are four known dimensions, they were all fighting in a war. There used to be five, but it got destroyed by Dimension 2, our worst and most dangerous enemy. Soldiers get sent to this dimension to try and take them down, the war has been going on for 20 years and whoever goes through the portal can never come back to this dimension. Since they can't risk opening the portal and having Dimension 2 invade ours. When Eric told me he got chosen to be a Dimension Warrior my mouth fell open, I couldn't believe it. The only real friend I ever had and the first guy I ever had a crush on was going to be leaving forever and might die. I wanted to cry, but I tried to keep it together. I turned him back around to face me, he couldn't look me in the eye, I told him while my voice was getting choked up "Why? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why couldn't you tell me?" He didn't say anything and just hugged me, he said "I couldn't tell you, because I knew it would break you, knowing that one of the only lights in your life would be snuffed out and taken from you." When he stopped hugging me we looked at each other, he started holding my hand. I told him "Well in that case there is something I need to tell you, I really like..." Then he kissed me, we stayed like this for a moment my lips on his. When he pulled away he said "I know, I have always liked you too. Ever since we started becoming close friends I have had a crush on you." I smiled and kissed him again. When we pulled away for the second time, I said "Well now what are we supposed to do? We know we both like each other, but the Day of Choosing is Friday, and you're going to be leaving forever." 

He said "Well I have an idea, what if I don't go through the portal and stay here with you?" I said "That's crazy, you know how much trouble you will get in and the punishments you will get from that. Glasser would send you to prison for treason, or worse. And then you would never be able to see me or your family or friends ever again." He said "Well I was thinking we could run away and not go to the Day of Choosing at all." I chuckled and said "Where to? There is no where outside of the city except forest, the only other place is the capital and that's even worse and that's 30 minutes away. We have no where to go, plus if we both run away then Glasser will take out her anger on our families, nothing can happen to them. They are brainwashed, but at the end of the day they are all we have." Then Eric laid down and put his head on my lap and said "Let's not think about that now let's just be happy we are together now okay?" I said "Okay, but just for tonight we really have to start thinking of solutions tomorrow promise." He replied and said "Promise." Around 2 in the morning I went back to my house, I was so confused on how to feel. I was so happy Eric and I are officially together now, but I couldn't help but think about Friday even though Eric told me not to worry about it. Right before I went to bed I got a text from Eric saying "Have sweet dreams! Can't wait to see you tomorrow<3" I smiled so big, I couldn't believe that Eric was now my boyfriend, but I couldn't share my exciting news and feelings with anyone. Not even my parents, or friends from school.