Shards

Angel's Flashback

Aurora's fingers tap the armrest of her hoverchair. She gazes down the shadowy hill. She's gone down it a couple of times but bored of it quickly. Soaring or rolling down a hill alone is silly. Doing it with someone else makes it less silly and much more entertaining.

Where is Octavia? She said she would come.

Contemplating going down the hill another time, Aurora hears a rustling in the short trees and tall bushes behind her. Her face lights up.

"Tay! It's about ti-"

The glare from Gen. Rhinehart blasting through branches sucks the rest of the words and breath from Aurora.

"Mom..." Aurora says with the little breath she has left.

"You stupid child," Gen. Rhinehart hisses. Weeds flatten under her feet. "You know how late it is. How far past curfew it is. And you've been dragging your sister out here with you to play some stupid games in the middle of a park. Is this the kind of delinquent your father and I raised?"

Gen. Rhinehart grabs the back of Aurora's hoverchair. She can feel her mother's hand shaking while she holds it. Gen. Rhinehart spins Aurora around to face her.

Aurora and Octavia have been sneaking out here for years. The sisters had always been good at sneaking out when their parents were asleep or in all-nighter meetings that would take all of their focus and attention for hours. The girls had also been diligent during the day to spot out all the security cameras and take paths to where there were no cameras or only a shoe or piece of hair would be in shot - nothing identifiable. They used to joke they were camera hoppers until they realized what bad things camera hoppers tend to do. But then there were people who did it for sport, too, like Xander who was the best of them at it.

However, Aurora knows she must've messed up big time and have a camera catch her because Octavia would never rat her out to her parents. Aurora has been in trouble before, but she can't imagine what punishment will be this time.

She will definitely get berated and yelled at. That's the least of Aurora's worries. What else will happen, though? Will she be denied Net access? Will she have her tablets and projectors taken away, again? Will her mom beat her, again? Will she be locked in her room for a long time, again?

Seeing the look in her mom's eyes tells her a combination of all of those must be coming. She knows she deserves it, too. She has been breaking the law. Curfew is one of the most serious laws. Will her mom send her to jail or force her into a volunteer program like other law breakers? Volunteering probably wouldn't be so bad since it helps people.

But what about Octavia? Octavia go down with her since she accidentally called her name.

"No. I'm not a delinquent. I got bored. I just came out here tonight for the first time. And Octavia isn't a part of this." Aurora stares at her lap. She squeezes the armrests to her hoverchair. "I invited her but she said she wasn't sure and probably wouldn't come. I won't come back out here, again. I promise."

Gen. Rhinehart smacks Aurora across the face. Pointing a finger inches away from Aurora's nose, Gen. Rhinehart grabs Aurora's wrist in her other hand. She pulls her close. Aurora can feel her mom's hot, angry breaths.

"Now you lie to me to my face? Do you really think your father and I didn't know about you and Octavia's little escapades to out here?" Gen. Rhinehart says. "How did you become such a screwup compared to your sister?" Gen. Rhinehart sucks in a breath. Her eyes water like they are about to cry but dry up. "I guess your father and I chose a good time to do this before you became an even worse influence on Octavia. Come on."

Gen. Rhinehart drags Aurora in her hoverchair. Aurora buries her shame in her arms and hair.

Occasionally, Aurora peeks. She's taken to a long, armored jeep just outside of the park where a few other Squad members wait outside it for them. She's lifted out of her hoverchair into the back of the jeep where her father sits. He buckles her in. His eyes are red, cheeks are flushed, and hair is disheveled.