Running • Iggy

School

The feeling of standing on that balcony was addictive, but it wasn't the balcony that really caused it. It was the feeling of pure, utter freedom. I would die all over again to feel the chains that had been there for almost 17 years dissolving from around my body for the very first time.

After everything had played out, and we had finally gotten word that Mark Burnen and anyone who worked for him had been arrested and sentenced to jail time, we finally had some time to think about what we wanted to do going forward. We sat in Annabelle and Alisha's living room and talked. After a while, Nudge finally suggested going to school.

We all agreed, but I think some of our reasons were different than others. For me, I just wanted to be able to get a job when I was older. A few days after the final sentencing, August 20th, Broghan set off to help a group of C.O.E workers who had worked alongside her to get us and other kids out of the lab find the rest of the labs and safely remove all the completed experiments. They had concluded that they wouldn't terminate any of the ongoing experiment children that had passed the 12-week stage.

While getting ready for school one night on the 30th of August, I had a realization.

"Iggy -" I blurted out loudly, scaring the life out of him. We were in his room, and I was trying to help his hopeless, indecisive self pick out an outfit for the 30th of September, our first school day. Turns out, neither of us are very decisive.

"I love you, but Jesus fucking Christ please turn the volume down a notch." He laughed, running his hand back through his strawberry blonde ponytail. He was thinking about going to get it cut before school, but I liked his hair long.

"31st of August," I said quietly. "That... was the day, right?" When I looked up, the cogs finally spun in his brain. His face lit up so brightly I couldn't help but smile as well. He bounced over and knocked us both back flat onto his bed. His eyes sparkled with life and love as he kissed the tip of my nose so softly I couldn't help but melt.

"It'll be a year since you confessed tomorrow, huh? It feels like it's only been a few weeks, not a year." He laughed lightly, sitting up to allow me to sit too. "Yeah, to you." I huffed, crossing my arms. "I've been waiting for a year to pass for 3 years, if you remember correctly."

"My bad, my bad." He held up his hands in mock surrender. "What should we do tomorrow, hm? It's not like we can tell the others we're celebrating an anniversary. They don't know. Going on a date when I think the streets will flood from rain alone also doesn't sound very appealing. So, what do you think?" He sounded like a child planning a birthday party, his beautiful black, white-tipped wings open slightly in anticipation.

"Sleep. All day." Was my input as I let out a long yawn. My hair was back to my upper shoulder blades, which made Iggy happy. He'd randomly start playing with it sometimes. Iggy whined in protest. "Nooo! We gotta do something special, come on sweetheart!"

I let out a sigh. "Make out all day?"
"Sounds good to me." He decided straight away.
I couldn't help but laugh as his mischievous grin melted my heart. He ran his hand back through my hair and cupped my cheek as he pressed a soft kiss to my lips, causing a blush to spread across my patterned cheeks. "Honestly, I just wanna spend the day with you. I don't mind how." He whispered. "It'll be our first anniversary being free. We can spend it however we like without the threat of being sent back."

"Igs..." I murmured. He was so close that my lips brushed against his when I spoke. I felt my heartbeat pick up slightly as he ran his hand down my leggings slowly. Dangerous. This is very dangerous for my over-sensitive sonic speed hormonal teenage brain which can imagine things in great detail. I found myself taking his hand and lightly tugging it away from my thigh, giving him a look.