Forbidden Love

Chapter 1

I had just finished performing what seemed like my 1000th show at the North Star restaurant and bar. It couldn't have been though. I only started working here when I was 15. I'm only 16 now. My dad was friends with the manager. He sold him some art pieces, a couple of which were hanging in the restaurant. He was able to help me get the job. I performed here 4 nights a week while my mother went and performed for higher castes at parties. It seemed to become a part of my regular routine and it felt the same every night, until tonight.

After the show I was relaxing at a table in the bar and I saw a young man from across the way. He had dark blonde hair and deep brown eyes. He was handsome and I could tell that he was coming over to talk to me. He sat down in my booth and said "So were you telling your story or someone else's?"

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"Your music. Your songs? Are they yours or someone else's?"

"Oh. It's a mix. I wrote a couple but they are mostly my mom's." I paused for minute, trying to think of something else to say to keep the conversation going. "Why do you ask?"

"Well I was kinda hoping to... to get to know you" he said.

"What do you wanna know?"

"What's your story?"

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." I replied, wanting to make a small joke.

"Do I have to if I buy you a drink?"

"Okay, then I'll start." I said. He ordered us two drinks and we started talking. "I'm America. Singer. I come from a family of artists. My mom and I are singers while my dad and sister and older brother make art. My oldest sister married a Four so she no longer works in the arts. I love to sing. I also play piano and violin but I prefer to sing. Now your turn. Do you have a name?"

"I do. It's Max"

"That's it? That's all I get"

"It's what you asked for."

"No family?"

"They don't really like to support me so I just go off and do my own thing anyways." He kinda laughed at that. I still didn't understand what he meant.

"You don't like your parents?"

"No, I like my parents. And they like me, but they don't like that I have a mind of my own. They planned my whole like out for me before I even had a chance to have a say and I don't like it, so I'm going and trying things out for myself."

I never heard of someone doing that before. Everyone I knew stayed within their caste and just accepted it. Even though it bothered them, they never went out to actively change it. This was the fist time I had seen someone doing what they said they were gonna do.

"So what are you planning to do?"

"I wanna be a photographer. I just love taking photos." Max said. "But it's not a very stable profession, I won't be able to consistently make money."

"I think anything in the arts in an unstable profession," I laughed. "The royals kinda screwed us Fives over from the start, uh."

"Yeah" Max's expression dropped a little. He looked at the clock. "Hey I have to get going but," he grabbed a pen and a napkin and started writing, "here's my phone number. Cal me sometime. I'd love to talk more"

"Okay." I took the napkin and he stood up to leave.

"Till next time...America" He leaned down and kissed the top of my hand and walked out of the building. 

A/N: Hi, everyone. I know that it's been a long time. I got locked out of my account and was just now able to get back into it. I have more time on my hands now and I am working on getting more chapters of this book out. They have been sitting on my laptop for over a year and will be out there for you all to read soon. I am planning on releasing two chapters a week and in the meantime I will be writing my third book. If you guys have any suggestions, I will happily take them. I truly appreciate your patience in this out my control situation, but I am back, and this story will be updated in the very, very near future. 

-BM