History class is boring. Everyday Ms. Debris reaches the same thing; why the United States is divided into thirds, why that was the best decision ever made by President Lee, and why it is important and smart for us to do what President Lee says. President Lee is now on his tenth term as President, the public and Congress love him and what he does so everybody ignored Amendment 22: no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice. When he was ending his second term, they negated Amendment 22. It was during his third term of presidency that he began the relocation process. Everyone was relocated to a place they have never been before. They told everyone not to leave your yards except to go to school and work so that you wouldn't be separated from your family. There was no time to say goodbye to friends or extended family members. One day they disappeared and the next, you were the one missing.
Jordyn and I were climbing trees in her front yard when a long black car pulled into her driveway. A man dressed in black head to toe stepped outside braving the heat of summer. He shouted at us to get out of the tree and with us being five years old, we didn't dare disobey his authoritative voice. We scrambled down the tree quickly and just as our feet hit the ground he shouted at us to come over. He pulled out his mini-tab and scanned it briefly.
"Which one of you us Jordyn?" He demanded in a whisper. Jordyn put her arm up tentatively. He turned to face me and screamed in my face. "Get lost girl!" I ran as fast as my five year old legs could go. As soon as I reached my property I turned around just in time to see him yank Jordyn by her curly black hair and throw her into the vehicle. I sat down and stared at the car as tears poured down my face. I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe, my friend was leaving.
Her parents were treated just as poorly, they were pulled out of the house. Jordyns mother was yelling and screaming words that could not be deciphered.
"Someone is missing!" The man yelled at his mini-tab. "Where. Is. Your. Son?" I demanded poking her chest with each word.
"In a different neighborhood." Jordyns mother whimpered.
"What is it with people and not following the law! We will get your son but there will be consequences." He said while slamming the back door of the car shut after her parents. He turned around and saw me again. "I said get lost!"
The sound of a ruler smacking my desk makes me jerk back into reality.
"What were you doing?" Ms. Debris says making it seem like I have an option of whether or not to answer, but I know I don't.
"Oh, um, I was remembering the day my friend got relocated." I say as strongly as I can muster without bursting into tears.
"The past is in the past, we have to move on from it." She glances at me without any sympathy as she heads back to the front of the classroom to bore us with a lecture about President Lee and his latest and greatest accomplishment. My ears can't stand it anymore, all of this talk that President Lee is the best President because he moved everyone to their rightful place? Without meaning too I stand up and slap my hand down onto the desk, hard. Half of the classroom jumps and everyone turns to stare at me in disbelief.
"What is the cause for this interruption Ms. Carter?"
"I don't support President Lee." The words flew out of my mouth unfiltered.
"I would like an explanation." Ms. Debris commands just like that man that took Jordyn away demanded me to get lost. I take a deep breath.
"He took away my best friend and my childhood. He doesn't tell us what occurs in those other sections. For all we know it could be another holocaust!" Ms. Debris' face turns red and the entire class bursts into laughter. Once the class quieres down Ms. Debris speaks to me again.
