Page 9 of The Order

He smiles, raising his hand to wipe the minuscule drops of coffee that linger on my lips. I feel my face fluster at the motion. His hands dip back into his pockets like the touch never happened.

Max has done something like that before. Over the years, he’s gotten braver than Kai when showcasing his crush. Sadly, as hard as I try, I can never reciprocate whatever feelings he has.

"To hide the evidence," he shrugs, justifying the action. I nudge his arm with a smile listening to Rae's small grunts. Her hand is on Kai's face, forcing him to lower her drink with a pinch on his nose. Like an obedient dog, he lowers his arm. Rae's face is blanketed with a look of pure satisfaction while she pats my gentle giant of a brother on the head.

"Good boy," she mutters, her twin crossing his arms. Max and I can't help but laugh at Kai's look of utter defeat.

The group of students lingering around the tram stop begin to murmur. The gaggle, once fully dispersed, now becomes condensed. Students stand shoulder to shoulder. It resembles that of a wall. My laughter dies down as I process the scene unfolding before me. Students whisper, their faces changing from curiosity to disgust. Two boys in my year, Colton Stark and Josh Seal, gravitate toward the group with sinister grins. If there is one thing those two are good at, it's causing problems. This year alone, Josh has had four meetings for the number of violations he has gotten. The only reason he’s avoided community time is because of his dad's position on the Council. Being a seat below the Commander can get you away with many things.

Josh's brown hair is pulled back into a loose bun on his head. His olive skin and golden eyes only add to his popularity amongst the women at school. He stands a foot or so shorter than Kai. He does many athletics with Max and, as a result, has an ego higher than even the stuffiest Untouchable. His counterpart, Colton, is no better. Although considerably less eye-catching with his straight red hair and pale skin, his friendship with Josh has only aided his sociability. The two of them together is nothing short of maniacal.

I move past Kai and Rae in the wake of the growing tensions amongst the group. Spit begins to physically leave the student's mouths. I can’t see what they're staring at. Max stays close to me. His face contorts as he processes an escalating situation. Rae and Kai hesitantly follow behind us. They are more worried about jeopardizing their positions on the Student Council and their involvement in radical affairs rather than the gravity of a situation an angry crowd like this might create. I grasp Max's sleeve the closer we get to the group. Nudging a few students out of his path, the clearing finally opens up for us to observe what's happening.

Her tattered clothes and work-worn hands embrace her like a beautiful mosaic. The veins in her hands and brown spots on her skin show her age and the maltreatment of her already frail figure. Dirt-ridden shoes and shaky hands support the older woman's figure, her hands grasping a cane for dear life. Her body is almost concealed entirely by her sorry excuse for a robe. Straggly threads and patchy holes coat the clothing from head to toe. Her skin is dark, partially because of genetics but also from her time in the sun. Her hair is nothing but a gray mess atop her head. Dirt clings beneath her broken nails. Max feels rigid beneath my touch. Colton and Josh pull away from the group, beginning a taunt toward the woman.

"Why is she so far from her sector's tram stop?" I question, observing the situation with a pit in my stomach.

"You're a long way from your people's pigsty of a sector," Josh beckons with a casual walk toward the woman. The woman's head remains down, her foot tapping in a way I know is meant to ease her own anxiety. I look around for any sign of why she may be standing here. Her frail arm holds a bag filled with nearly rotten fruit. Her eyes squint, masking her line of vision from the two students towering over her. Her legs shake beneath her weight out of pure adrenaline. I move a little more past Max, letting my grasp fall away from him until my body now stands within the group's inner circle. Kai has already managed to shove his way to the front as well. I feel Max's hands linger on my back, ready to drag me back at any moment.

"I-" the woman begins, reaching in her bag, quickly regretting the decision to defend herself with words.

I have to stop my body from physically recoiling as Josh's hand strikes the woman across her feeble face. She lets out a gasp, her palms colliding with the concrete. Her soot-filled cane rolls away several feet from her. Josh and Colton smile. Both men are filled with nothing but happiness at the sight in front of them.

"You were not permitted to speak to me," Josh hisses. His foot drives down on the woman's cane, shattering it instantly. Once more, I feel my stomach drop the moment her scuffed hands begin to paint the ground with streaks of red. With two steps, I am backed into Max, letting my shaky hands press to his forearm that has found its way around my front.

"It's just an Unfortunate. Look away if you need to," Max whispers coldly.

An Unfortunate who has done nothing out of regulation.

The woman's head stays lowered. Her hand covers her mouth in an attempt to hide her sobs. The other students laugh, mocking her with varying wailing tones. Her bag of fruit is sprawled on the ground. Understanding why she is in our sector doesn't take a genius.

I pull away from Max's grasp, feeling clarity wash over me. The fruits are older, meaning she picked them up from the Untouchable market before they were tossed in the garbage. Sometimes Unfortunate business owners come into town to collect what we discard and then utilize it in their sector. The hand-crafted logo for her bakery is stitched into the front of her apron, now streaked with her blood. Colton walks around the woman, resembling a crow stalking its prey before it dives.

"Should I kick her again to remind her why we don't let Unfortunates into our sector?" Colton asks Josh. Colton is just another one of Josh's henchmen doing his bidding because he’s too self-obsessed with the look of his own hands to deliver another blow.

Josh nods, signaling Colton to raise his foot.

My hands nudge the front of Colton without thinking. The soft material of his uniform meets my fingertips with a gentle touch. My push turns into a full-blown shove the deeper I lean into the movement. Colton has nothing to grab onto, falling backward with the instability of his one leg. The other was already in the air, ready to deliver a blow I knew the woman couldn't take. Colton's red hair sprawls on the ground. Josh's hand raises, readying himself to give me his next slap. He pauses once he notices who is standing in front of him. People whisper, signaling Kai to make his way next to me. Max's hand now rests on my lower back, his eyes dead set on Josh.

"Cute gesture, Blackburn. Now get out of my way," Josh says, paying little attention to his friend angrily pulling himself off the ground.

"She owns a business over there. This was part of her produce route," I begin, lowering myself to the woman. Her eyes are away from my own as I look her over. I grab the small paper poking from her pocket. The Unfortunate's market logo is displayed on the slip in a black stamp. I hold it up to Josh, ignoring the sound of her small groans behind me. "She was trying to tell you about her voucher for this sector." My hand presses the slip to his chest and his eyes narrow more.

"You beat an Unfortunate and nearly hit me just to feed that extremely big ego of yours," I finish. His narrow look becomes a full-fledged scowl. He steps toward me, ready to drag me down like the Unfortunate woman.

"Lay a hand on her, Josh, and I will make sure you pay for it during combat class," Max says with a snap. Josh backs down, moving away from Colton's flustered figure out of annoyance.

"I didn't realize you were a dirty, Unfortunate lover," Josh spits. I shake my head at him, pressing my finger into his chest.

"I hate every part of their existence. What I don't like is you delaying the tram because you don't know when to piss off and leave an Unfortunate alone," I spit back. Although I can't see him, I can feel Max's smile rise on his face. Rae looks flustered in the back of the crowd. Everyone around is staying silently neutral. The tram is at a standstill at the stop. Minutes have passed, waiting for someone to enter its open doors.

"The school's Officials would not like to hear you threatened an Unfortunate and delayed a good portion of students from getting to class on time just for your own amusement. I suggest you choose your next words wisely and get on the tram," Kai finally says. His large hand grasps Josh's shoulder. Josh swipes away Kai’s hand. All of his anger surrounds him like a wild animal with no restraints.

“Your authority only extends to picking a theme for the Academy's Social, not out here, Kai. Remember that."

Josh wipes his mouth, backing away, leaving his words for all of us to take in. The bus driver's head is lowered in the same fashion as the women's.

Slowly but surely, Josh and Colton's lead in entering the tram causes more to follow. One by one, students make their way through the wide doors. The bus driver can't help but glance at his fellow Unfortunate with a look of hurt. The driver doesn’t voice his concerns. He remains planted in his seat, not once getting up to help the woman. Regulations say he must stay at his posted job. Her knees are pulled into her chest, her painful cries still prominent. Our group is the last left outside before filing onto the cramped tram. My touch pulls away from Max the farther he moves up the steps of the tram. I allow all my companions to file on, taking a step back to give them some space.

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