Page 20 of The Order

“Well, today I was supposed to be scanning the Unfortunate sector for contraband. Instead, I got to weasel my way into a conversation with you simply because of how awkward you looked pressed against this wall.”

“Is that humor I am sensing in your tone?” I question, nearly laughing at his expression of offense.

“You seriously said that as if I am incapable of humor,” the man mutters, shaking his head at me in disbelief.

“You're the one who only speaks to me because of how awkward I look,” I say, quoting him in a deeper voice, making him laugh.

“There might have been other motivating factors….”

He winces as his voice trails off, a few of his comrades motioning him over. The school's upper leadership stands shoulder to shoulder on stage, directing the wave of bodies to take a seat as groups dissipate. The man moves to follow his companion's waves. I grab his sleeve, stopping him from getting too far.

“What's your name?” I question, watching his eyes fill with sudden amusement.

“Xavier,” he mutters, smiling as I lower my hand.

“My name is Forest-”

“I know,” is all he says before pulling away.

I stand baffled, still absorbing the interaction with a wide grin I can't seem to shake. Raegan’s cold palm closes around my wrist, dragging me along with her as she mumbles about an exuberant amount of useless information she had just learned while speaking to upper leadership.

Xavier moves onto the stage, joining the other Officials with small, playful shoves. His eyes land on mine, giving me a wink before pulling his gaze in the direction of the wall of maroon-colored pant suits clinging to each upper leadership member. Without wanting to, I force my head to look back to the Unfortunates, expecting to see Fallan’s hate-filled eyes still on me. Instead, he’s looking toward the front, keeping his eyes on the wave of figures moving on and off the stage. The blonde woman continues pestering him. His hand holds her leg, preventing her from getting herself halfway strung across his front. Raegan pulls me down in a seat next to her. Kai quickly follows, seizing Max’s opportunity to sit beside me.

“Can all of the students please take a seat?” Mr. Pavlecheck, the school's headmaster, politely gestures to each of us. He stands in the center of the group on stage. Unlike all the others, a streak of gold coats his uniform, signifying his place in New Haven’s government. Gold is stitched onto some part of each higher-up's clothing. Even the Officials have cuffs stitched with gold thread.

“Why is dad here?” Kai questions.

My father's familiar figure makes his way onto the stage, clasping hands with Mr. Pavlecheck while acknowledging all of the Officials. Xavier shakes my dad's hand, smiling ear to ear as the man cracks a silent joke. In this lighting, I now see what Xavier truly looks like. His hair is a wild frame around his face. His eyes are blue like the streams that once coated the ground of the Earth.

“He oversees most of the Official’s day-to-day tasks. I’m assuming that has something to do with it,” Max responds, looking more interested.

Mr. Pavlecheck claps his hands, silencing the whispers spreading around the room. Something itches at me to turn to face Fallan’s angry stare again. Still, I ignore the feeling.

“As you all know by now, we would like to recognize those amongst you reaching their final year here at the Academy, but we also need to address more serious matters plaguing our community.” He pauses. Extending his arm behind him, “Andrew, I think you should take it from here.”

My father walks up to the mic, clearing his throat with a few grunts. I look to Xavier, who is already raising his shoulders at my confused expression. Even he seems lost.

“Over the past few months, we have begun to see an influx of Unfortunate crimes rising in our community. Theft, burglaries, and battery are only a few ways thesedeviantshave managed to wreck the tranquility of our community. That being said, we have brought it upon ourselves to begin upping security measures. That includes more severe de-regulation tactics than just light sensor prods alone-”

My dad's body tenses up, losing his relaxed posture almost immediately. His hand clutches the mic, his lungs taking shallow breaths that do him no good. I lean forward, readying myself to stand. He swallows slowly, pulling his attention toward the back of the room and then back to the audience.

“We will begin implementing on-site punishments for crimes committed inside this sector. This includes more extreme shows of force if any Unfortunate chooses to resist punishment.” My father pulls out a leather scourge from behind him. “These are generally only utilized within the Unfortunate sector but are now permitted within the Untouchable sector of New Haven. For every crime committed, 20 lashings are permitted at any time by any Official, regardless of rank. This has been decided,” my father finishes, staring back at the crowd with lowered eyes.

My mind flashes to the countless scars coating Fallan’s lower back.

“We did that?” I whisper silently to myself, finally allowing my head to turn to observe the raven-haired man.

I never expected to see where his gaze had landed.

He stares down my father, gripping the armrests of his seat as his blonde friend keeps his leg down, stopping him from getting up. My father's stare was not just at anyone earlier, as his eyes swept the back of the room, it was toward Fallan, and he was dishing it right back. The two men hold each other's eyes, each look filled with something more profound than what is lingering on the surface. Fallan looks livid, only turning his head slightly once he notices me staring at him.

“For the glory and grace of the New World Order!” a rambunctious student advocate yells, cheering on my dad's speech with a reiteration of our community’s saying.

Just like the mind-numbing voices of the devices in our home, those around me repeat the saying, each smiling ear to ear. I hold my tongue, letting Fallan maintain eye contact, hoping the question in my gaze is obvious. His hate quickly returns, backed up by a nasty expression from his blonde friend, now joining his hateful stare toward me. I turn away, meeting Kai’s confused look at my utter silence.

“Why didn’t you say it? You always love that part?” he starts, scrunching his brows with confusion.

I pull away from the chair, watching the other students begin to file away as the upper leadership leaves the stage. I weave down the row Rae had dragged me down, feeling that familiar pressure on my chest I get each time Fallan stares at me with that hate. My body works past others, almost crashing into an Official holding out their light sensor prod at the end of the row. People meander, conversing quietly, reluctantly moving back to their last classes of the day.

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