INSOLENCE

CHAPTER 6

I wake up, shivering. The bed is cold, and I know exactly why.

During our tour, the Overseer explained that our bed's temperature would drastically decrease when it got closer to wake up call. That way, in theory, everyone will be up and ready by the time the official wake up call happens.

I don't want to get up, but I do anyway. At the foot of my bed is a black box, and I assume it contains my clothes. Upon opening it to examine its contents, I can confirm that inside is a few feet uniforms with several pockets. I pull on the button up shirt and slacks and exit my dormitory into the great room that I share with Blake, and a few other boys from our loft. It occurs to me that I still don't know their names, but they're not in the great room, so now isn't the time to find out what they are.

Blake is sitting on one of the armchairs, and he smiles when he sees me.

"First day, Aero."

I don't smile back.

"Yeah."

He's oblivious. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing."

He shakes his head. "Seriously, Aero."

I stifle a chuckle. "I had to kill someone yesterday. Did you notice? Or were you too busy talking to Bonus?"

Blake loses his smile. "I didn't want to mention the... incident, because I was afraid it would make you mad."

"But ignoring me at lunch is completely fine? Because that's what's really got me pissed right now."

A loud gong sounds outside. It's the wake up call.

Blake is about to say something, but I just start to leave the dorm.

"I'm headed to breakfast. I'll save you and your friend a seat."

As I shut the door, I hear Blake muttering to himself.

"Don't bother."

I laugh on my way to the mess hall. As if I wanted to spend another second around Bouns.

* * *

Breakfast is lonely, but it doesn't bother me. I have empty spaces on both sides of me. I know it's because I killed that boy yesterday, and I think I deserve the treatment I'm receiving right now.

To my surprise, however, a dark skinned boy sits next to me.

"You're Aero, right?"

I nod.

"I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. If you would have known Lan, you would have known that he was a pretty big jerk anyways.

Someone is apologizing to me? Someone is justifying my actions?

I decide that this isn't right.

"That's no excuse to just kill someone, though..."

The boy smiles. "I guess so."

Without thinking, I slowly begin to smile.

"Thanks anyway, though. I needed that."