Superior

Chapter 15

Picture of Abby on the side!

Chapter Fifteen

Delaney

"Attention, students of Beverly High." The principal's voice crackled over the intercom. "This is just a reminder; the Superiors will be coming in nine days, on the thirty-first. The Choosing ceremony will occur on this day, and the two who are Chosen will embark on their journey to the Capitol on the following day. Good luck to you all, thank you, and have a nice day."

My stomach clenched. Nine days left. There was a feeling of anxiety sitting in my gut, as if I was the one in danger of being Chosen. That, though, had become completely out of the question. When I came to school that day, it was as if the drama with Caleb had never happened. Either everyone had forgotten, or they had simply ceased to care.

"Nine days," the girl next to me breathed, startling me back to reality. When she noticed me watching, she blinked and turned bright red. "I mean, it's not like I'll actually be Chosen, but hey, a girl can dream, right?" She laughed nervously. I flashed a small smile in return.

"Yeah, sure," I said, deciding that, since she hadn't glared or gasped at me, it was safe to talk to her. She grinned and nodded, then looked away.

"So, are you all excited?" my Marine Biology teacher, Mrs. Phey, asked. "You're Sophomores, it's your year. I remember being fifteen, wondering who would end up on their way to the Capitol..." She got a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Sorry to ruin your trip down memory lane, but...I'm a Freshman. And I really don't understand what's so great about being Chosen."

Every head turned to the back of the room. The speaker was a girl I had never noticed before, leaning back in her seat casually and watching the class with eyes hidden behind flashy, red-rimmed sunglasses. She was wearing a black skirt and t-shirt, all dark colors except for her shoes and belt, which were both a stark white. As Mrs. Phey glared at her, the girl pushed one strand of long, red-streaked black hair behind her ear, her face expressionless.

"It's all about opportunity, Ms. Kaiser." Mrs. Phey walked the length of the classroom, her sky-high heels clicking on the tile floors. "Being Chosen is a chance for young people like all of you to become something greater than what they could ever imagine!"

"Ms. Kaiser" tilted her glasses down and raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, I get that. But it just seems, well, stupid."

A hush fell over the class. Everyone glanced at each other in utter shock, appalled at what they were hearing. I just watched in interest; this girl definitely had my attention.

Mrs. Phey didn't get a chance to answer because just then, the bell rang. In the crowd of people trying to exit the classroom, I lost sight of "Ms. Kaiser", but ran into the girl whom I had spoken with earlier in class.

"Hey, um..."

She whipped around, her blonde ponytail nearly slapping me in the face. "Hm? Oh, hi!"

"Hi," I said, raising my voice over the conversations of the other kids pushing their way into the hallway. "Do you know the name of that girl who was talking back to Mrs. Phey?"

"Um...." The girl thought for a second, a crease forming between her eyebrows. "That would be....oh! Abigail. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," I mumbled, losing myself in the mass of bodies before she could ask anymore questions. As I shouldered my way forward, looking for a less cramped area, I was once again struck It was amazing to me, how quickly people went from obsessed to uncaring. My Rank had already dropped down to a four overnight, and I was perfectly content. Everyone seemed to have forgotten my face.