Intractable

Chapter 2

"I can't believe I only have ten more minutes with my best friend," Liz says, tears in her eyes.

My attempts at making it to midnight without crying have officially gone out the window. Tears have soaked my cheeks, and I've gone through an entire box of tissues.

"You'll see me in a year, right?" I ask, trying to put some optimism in my voice.

"One year." Mom gives me a small smile as she nods. "Just one year."

"Who's gonna let me braid their hair?" Liz asks, pulling me in for another hug.

"Who's gonna share cookies from Sophia's mom with you?" I frown.

"Hide me in your suitcase and I'll go with you to Collation."

"I don't get to bring a suitcase." I shake my head.

"You can't bring anything with you?" She raises her eyebrows. "That's not right."

"It's protocol," Mom says.

"What if she's not placed back here? She can't take anything from her old life to her new one?"

That thought makes me sick. Forget my belongings, I don't want a new life. I'm happy with this one.

"If she's not placed back in Coterie, I can pack up some of her things and drop them off to her transfer team. They'll get them to her in her new home."

"I don't want to talk about this." I shake my head. "I don't want to hear about a transfer team or a new life or not living in Coterie anymore. This isn't how I want to spend my last few minutes. And where the hell is Dad?"

"He's on the phone," Mom says quietly.

"Get him out here."

"Honey, he's trying a few more people."

I roll my eyes. "It's pointless. I'd like to spend my last few minutes with him out here instead of trying to get me out of it at the last second."

"Okay." Mom nods. "I'll go get him."

She goes down the hall and returns a minute later with Dad.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I did everything I could."

"I know you did." I nod. "This isn't avoidable for people like us."

"I'm your dad. It's my job to protect you from things like this."

"Things like what? Why doesn't anyone here ever talk about Collation?"

"Because it's the worst year any of us have ever had." He shakes his head. "You're going to have to do a lot of things that you grew up knowing are wrong. You're going to have to put your needs before the needs of others. You're going to have to be with people from other provinces who will kill you if they get the chance if they believe for even a second that you'll be placed where they want to go. Nearly a quarter of my group didn't survive Collation and those of us that did had nightmares about what we saw and what we went through for months after making it out. It's every man for himself there, Mackenzie. It goes against everything Coterie has taught you. Everything your mother and I have taught you."

Someone finally opens up about Collation and it's basically to tell me to forget everything I know and try not to die. Fantastic.

"So how do I survive if nothing I know will help me?"

"You know what not to do," Mom says.

"Use your head." Dad nods. "Don't let anyone from Inimical get under your skin. Avoid them when you can, ignore them when you can't."