This was an ambush. Rafi and Melissa had definitely crossed a line. Fenton let out a weak laugh as he took a step back. It was too late to run. Running would only get him into further trouble.
Rafi slapped Fenton on the back and disappeared into the kitchen. He began to clang about as he got together pans and ingredients. Melissa didn't say anything either. She stayed sitting on the couch next to Lacey, eyes flitting between her and Fenton.
"One of you say something," she finally spat out.
"R-right," stammered Fenton. He took a step forward. "... Hello, again."
"... Hello," replied Lacey meekly.
"I'm Fenton," said Fenton.
"... I'm Lacey," muttered Lacey.
"High chosen be among us," whispered Melissa. Being in the same room with both of them was draining her of all energy. "Listen, you two. We're on cleanup now. Pay attention. Mama Melissa is going to fix everything."
Lacey fiddled with Zenfred's leash. "It's fine now, isn't it? I found Fenton, so we should just do what the guide says."
"The guide is full of shit," replied Melissa. She then held up her hands, drawing attention to herself. "Don't repeat anything I say. What is spoken in this room stays in this room."
Fenton didn't say anything at first. Neither did Melissa. She was waiting for them to confirm that they would stay silent. Lacey nodded first, and Fenton second.
Melissa began to wring her hands together. She looked around, as though the ceiling or windows might have ears. "It doesn't matter who your partner is," she finally said. "But you don't want to be matched right away. They'll take a close look at your potential and send you off to a colony."
"A colony?" Fenton hadn't heard of those. From Lacey's face, he could tell that she hadn't heard of one either.
Melissa struggled to find the right words. "Your potential is everything. Fenton wasted his first two years here, and it doesn't take a lot of education to become an elementary teacher. If people think you two are matched, you'll get pulled. He'll be some disrespected no name while you do nothing but spit out babies, Lacey. That's no way to live."
Lacey continued to twist the leash about her hands. Tighter this time. She didn't understand why that would be such a bad thing, but... "That means I wouldn't be a teacher, right?"
"Right," replied Melissa. "The two of you are going to want to waste as much time staying in Blue Ginger as you can. Pick up what skills you can, and then think about registering as a couple after you graduate. You'll end up in a better city afterward."
"And what if we aren't partners?" Asked Fenton.
"You are my partner," quickly replied Lacey. She put her hand to her chest. "I can feel it. You're the one."
Melissa shook a finger in the air as an idea hit her. "Fenton is on the right page. If you want to stay, your safest bet is to claim that you ran into each other when your marks activated."
Lacey couldn't believe what she was hearing. She took a deep breath, just to stop the tears from falling out of her eyes. It felt like everyone was rejecting her. No... It didn't feel like it, they literally brushing her aside without caring about what she wanted.
She stood up, and Zenfred obediently stood up next to her. "I would like some time to consider this. Thank you for all your help, but I would like to go home now."
Rafi's head peeked out from the kitchen. "If you give me thirty minutes, I can give you a to-go bag. Do you need some snacks?"
"I'm sorry, but I live near the edge of the city and it takes the trolley a long time to get there," replied Lacey. "Zen is on a very specific feeding schedule that I cannot afford to tamper with."
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Platypus
रोमांसFenton was born in a world obsessed with matchmaking. He was gifted with a mark that would one day lead him to his soulmate and lives in a city focused on beginning relationships. But what happens when someone mistakes him as their perfect match? In...
