Page 8 of The Order

Forest

“Canyouimagineeveryonestill driving on the roads like they used to?" I question, passing our father's car in the driveway.

When the resources for gasoline began to dwindle and emissions from the vehicles began impacting the air quality, the need and want for vehicles in New Haven slowly died out. Most material used for transportation vehicles was then utilized for building the trams. A few key personnel, like my father, were awarded the luxury of cars for their commutes to keep their affairs to themselves. For everyone else, vehicles aren’t needed as there’s nowhere a tram can't take you.

Unfortunates run all the trams, and, in return, they are occasionally housed for short periods in our section of New Haven.

Not that they deserve it.

"Did you know it was sort of a rite of passage for children to be given a car when they were sixteen? Imagine first years driving one of those things," Kai says with a small gasp. I try to picture Academy first year students behind the wheel of a car.

"I think anyone today would see it as nothing more than an Unfortunate's job. Even Dad has Unfortunates drive him in his car sometimes," I say. Kai lets out another laugh.

"You think you could drive it if you had to?"

I reflect on the intricate interior of our father's car, with buttons and controls that are all foreign to me.

"If I had a light sensor prod to my back, then maybe."

We both rub our arms, walking in an unspoken unison. Leaves line the street in piles. The trees have shifted from luscious green to the burnt oranges and yellows of fall. I hear crunching beneath my feet with each step. Despite all the fallen leaves, the street is clean and orderly. Not one crack can be found in the sidewalk's smooth, concrete surface.

"Was it weird today at breakfast, with Mom, I mean?" I question after a few moments of silence. The contents of our bags clink together as we walk. The air seems chiller, almost like the question lingering between us has only cooled our bodies more.

"Like Dad said, lines between the Unfortunates and the Untouchables blur at times because of her work," Kai says. His words echo like a voice box for my father. I sometimes wonder if he’s ever had an individual thought that wasn't meant to satisfy others.

"That's not what I asked, Kai."

My hands are shoved deep into my pockets. My fingers toy with a small thread for some sense of distraction. Once more, silence is all I hear.

"Yes, it was weird," he says, speaking like he is only now processing the abnormality of the situation.

"Blackburn!" a familiar voice yells in a sweet tone.

A pair of blonde twins wait at the tram stop, looking straight toward us. I see the other students linger by the stop in waves of black and gray. Each one wears their customary gray tie and bleak uniform. Raegan’s manicured pastel pink nails wave in the air toward us. Her long blonde hair is wound into a bun, and her uniform is in perfect condition, just like Kai's. I see her large bag bounce with each step toward us. Her hands clutch a thermos similar to Kai's. Her blue eyes lock onto mine with a scrunch.

I watch her brother's smile grow bigger the closer they get to us. Max’s taller stature and perfectly white teeth only add to his attractiveness and, given his athletic build, it's hard not to look at Max a little closer. His tie loosely hangs from his neck. His bag stays partially open. Both twins radiate an unshakable beauty neither my brother nor I can look past. My brother's eyes remain on Raegan like a moth to a flame.

Max and Raegan Vega have been with us for as long as I can remember. Their father got promoted around the same time my father did, and because of it, our housing has never been far apart. From childhood to now, they’ve been consistently in our lives. The twins are twenty and in their fifth year at New Foundation’s Academy. Kai is almost exactly a year older and in his sixth and final year at the Academy. It's bittersweet to see his last year finally approaching. I can already see him in a position like my father's, decorated with several awards for his academic merit. His Judgment Day will be something impossible for me to compete with. He and the Vega twins have years of accomplishments under their belt.

I have nothing.

"To think I almost thought you two were going to be late," Raegan says, her arms wrapping around my neck. I embrace the hug with a squeeze. Her lavender and vanilla perfume fills my nose with a sweet singe. I feel her soft hair press to the side of my face while her arms pull me close. Her thermos brushes over my hands. I can't help but shoot her a pleading look.

"Can I steal some?" I ask.

Before she can answer, Kai nabs the thermos, giving himself yet another opportunity to try his horrid flirting tactics on the girl he has been infatuated with for years.

The worst part is that she sees right past it.

"You still don't need the caffeine," Kai says with a shake of the thermos. I feel Raegan pull away, trying to grab her drink. My brother holds it high, watching as she jumps up to try and reach it and doing her best to get it away from him. Both of their smiles devour their faces the longer they mess around. I can see it now – Kai getting his cushy Official job and Raegan moving into the nursing program, living together in a perfect house, only a few blocks from the home we have now.

"Here," Max mutters from next to me. I feel him press his thermos in my hand, both of us turning away from the pair. I give him a slight side eye. His smirk pulls over his perfect teeth so casually.

"I won't tell if you won't."

I happily take three long swigs from his thermos. I’m relieved to feel the coffee run down my throat. I let it warm my stomach before handing Max back the much lighter thermos.

"Thank you."

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