Aberrant

Chapter 3

I wake up to Aunt Jody shaking my shoulder. I mutter something saying that I’m awake. I roll out of bed until my feet hit the floor. Not many people have to work on Assembly days because, for the most part, they are mandatory. Everything is shut down on Assembly days save for the hospital and the Bravura Police, just in case, after services conclude. Aunt Jody doesn’t work today. I put on a dress that comes just above my knees and covers my shoulders, courtesy of Benevole standards. A girl’s shoulders must be covered at all times, and skirts, dresses, and pants must be of a respectable and modest length. Dresses can’t be tight and form-fitting. My aunt enforces these policies strictly.

Downstairs, Aunt Jody and I wait for Elise before we leave for Assembly. I look at my aunt. She holds herself with dignity, standing tall with her shoulders back. Her dark hair is pinned up in a bun, the signature hairstyle of Benevole women. I’ve never really studied her appearance before. She has some of the same facial features as my father due to her being his sister. A family trait must be a strong chin since most of us have it.

Elise bounds down the stairs, and we leave for Assembly. We walk to Assembly with the other families from Benevole since it’s rare that people from Benevole drive to Assembly on Sundays. “It’s a day of selflessness and sacrifice. You think of others when you are selfless and sacrifice which is what we are trying to teach you all,” the adults always say.

I must have been zoning out because when a hand touches my shoulder I’m startled. I jump slightly and jerk my head to the source of the appendage and, I see Daniel’s bright blue eyes looking down at me. It seems the look that he kept giving me last night is still there. I smile at him. “Good morning,” I say. He walks up next to me and easily falls in step with me.

“Morning Mouse,” he answers. My aunt turns and sees him walking beside me. She smiles at me and walks ahead of us gently tugging Elise with her to give us some privacy. Elise sees some of her friends and runs to catch up with them her light brown curls bouncing. “So, how are you this morning?”

“I’m a lot better this morning, thanks for asking.” I lie, dropping my head a little. We stop walking while the people still stream around us. He reaches over and tilts my chin up. I gaze into his crystal blue eyes.

“You look nice today.”

“Thanks, but I wear this to Assembly often. What’s different about it this time?” I smirk at him.

“I don’t really know, but something feels different this morning.” He slips his hand mine. “But I think I like it.” I blush at his comment, and it scares me that I react this way. It takes me aback.

“We better get to Assembly, or we’ll be whipped for being late,” I say flatly, taking my hand out of Daniel’s.

“Yeah, we’d better.” His face falls. We continue walking toward the large brick building that we call the Meeting House for Assembly. We walk in silence until we reach the large wooden doors. Daniel ushers me ahead of him into the cavernous space where the benches are set up. I say my thanks to him quietly, and we each shuffle to where our families are sitting. “I’ll see you later.” I nod as I sit next to Elise.

“Okay.” I look around at the mass of colors gathered in front of me. The Sectors aren’t supposed to be separated on Assembly days because it promotes, “Unity in the Community,” as their saying goes, but looking around a person wouldn’t know. The Sectors are clearly separated with the colors as an indicator. I guess no one decided to correct it in the past so we still do it.

There are four distinct columns of colors nestled next to each other on the wooden benches. Herald hues of purple sit farthest to the right signifying their value of honesty which is always right to them, and Savant greens fill in the column to their left. The dark pigments of Bravura contrast on the left of the warm colors of Benevole.