Disclaimer: As I said in the other chapters, I don't own The Tribe.
A/N: I hope you're enjoying this. Please Review!!!
~*Ellie's POV*~
I was still mad at Jack as I entered the office two days later. All my employees were worried. They had never seen Jack and I mad at each other before, now we were barely speaking. /Serves him right!/
When I reached my desk, Jack crossed our office to talk to me. "Ellie, look, I'm."
I cut him off. "This is not the place to discus this." I didn't want to hear what he had to say. Some people think that I was overreacting, but /he/ had no right to discuss my feelings with Luke.
"No. This is the perfect place. You won't accept my calls. You won't even look at me in the office. Just let me say this and then you can hate me for the rest of my life."
When I didn't say anything, he continued. "I'm truly sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, but you know I could never hold my tongue when I was around him. Plus, he deserved that look he got on his face when I told him how much he hurt you.
"Ellie, you are my best friend, and I wouldn't want to jeopardize that, but sometimes I'll say things that you don't want to hear."
Jack started to walk back to his desk when I said, "I hate it when you do that."
"What?"
"Make me feel like I'm the guilty one." We both started to laugh and the tension around the office melted. In hopes of changing the topic I asked Jack about the next edition of "The Amulet."
As Jack talked, my mind wouldn't focus. All its attention was on what Jack just said and on Luke. Jack was right; Luke did deserve that shocked look, not to mention the guilt that crossed through his deep eyes. Eyes that I use to love getting lost in. Eyes that always showed such compassion, so much love.
Wait a minute. What am I thinking? After just seeing him two times, I've turned back into that simpering school girl. I'll just have to make sure that he's no where near Salene when I visit.
~*Luke's POV*~
School started without a hitch. Teachers were not allowed to mention what happened in the years following the virus until freshman year. The adults were too worried about the affects it would have on the children, so on the second day of school, I began my lesson.
"Today we will begin our lesson on what happened after the virus. How about we go around the room and if you know anything, share it."
At first, no one wanted to say anything. I believe it was fear, but soon they seemed to warm up. Many rumors and exaggerated stories were circulating and I tried to get the class to see what truth was and what fiction was.
It wasn't until we reached Bitsy, that I realized that I might have chosen the wrong year to teach history. "There was this fanatical tribe called the Chosen that made everyone in this city a slave. Sometime if those 'slaves' didn't follow the 'word of Zoot', the Guardian or his lieutenant," she said as she gave me a pointed look, "would have them killed."
Of course Jack would make me seem like the bad guy. All the students had seen the look Bitsy had given me, and were wondering what was going on. "The Chosen are the perfect tribe to begin our discussion on post-virus. Let's pick up with them tomorrow." As the bell rang, I said, "Class dismissed."
I sat down behind my desk and put my face in my hands. This was going to be a long year. As I sat there rubbing my eyes, I heard a subtle knock at the door. Looking up, I saw Salene. "Come in."
"Looks like you're ready to run," she said with her typical smile on her face. Salene had changed too. No longer was she a frighten and naïve girl. She had become a mother hen who would fight to the death if anyone even tried to threaten her chicks.
"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to return to the city. Maybe I shouldn't be teaching freshman history. Ellie's right in asking what I'm doing here." Turning to Salene, I asked, "What am I doing here?"
"That's a question only you can answer. But if you asked me, I don't think they could have chosen a better history teacher. These kids have only heard the horrors of what the Chosen and the Technos have done. They don't know that these tribes also had good and caring people who fought for the good of everybody. You will be able to show that."
"You heard what Bitsy said, huh?" At Salene's nod, I sent her a smile. "Maybe I can do this." Salene left and I began to gather my things to take home.
I would have to find the perfect way of teaching these kids. Salene was right; they needed to know that not everyone meant harm. Sometimes people had to join the enemy to get what was good for the well-beings of everybody.
I would also have to decide the true reason why I came back, but on some level I already knew. It was all because of a blonde girl that never left this man's heart.
A/N: I hope you're enjoying this. Please Review!!!
~*Ellie's POV*~
I was still mad at Jack as I entered the office two days later. All my employees were worried. They had never seen Jack and I mad at each other before, now we were barely speaking. /Serves him right!/
When I reached my desk, Jack crossed our office to talk to me. "Ellie, look, I'm."
I cut him off. "This is not the place to discus this." I didn't want to hear what he had to say. Some people think that I was overreacting, but /he/ had no right to discuss my feelings with Luke.
"No. This is the perfect place. You won't accept my calls. You won't even look at me in the office. Just let me say this and then you can hate me for the rest of my life."
When I didn't say anything, he continued. "I'm truly sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, but you know I could never hold my tongue when I was around him. Plus, he deserved that look he got on his face when I told him how much he hurt you.
"Ellie, you are my best friend, and I wouldn't want to jeopardize that, but sometimes I'll say things that you don't want to hear."
Jack started to walk back to his desk when I said, "I hate it when you do that."
"What?"
"Make me feel like I'm the guilty one." We both started to laugh and the tension around the office melted. In hopes of changing the topic I asked Jack about the next edition of "The Amulet."
As Jack talked, my mind wouldn't focus. All its attention was on what Jack just said and on Luke. Jack was right; Luke did deserve that shocked look, not to mention the guilt that crossed through his deep eyes. Eyes that I use to love getting lost in. Eyes that always showed such compassion, so much love.
Wait a minute. What am I thinking? After just seeing him two times, I've turned back into that simpering school girl. I'll just have to make sure that he's no where near Salene when I visit.
~*Luke's POV*~
School started without a hitch. Teachers were not allowed to mention what happened in the years following the virus until freshman year. The adults were too worried about the affects it would have on the children, so on the second day of school, I began my lesson.
"Today we will begin our lesson on what happened after the virus. How about we go around the room and if you know anything, share it."
At first, no one wanted to say anything. I believe it was fear, but soon they seemed to warm up. Many rumors and exaggerated stories were circulating and I tried to get the class to see what truth was and what fiction was.
It wasn't until we reached Bitsy, that I realized that I might have chosen the wrong year to teach history. "There was this fanatical tribe called the Chosen that made everyone in this city a slave. Sometime if those 'slaves' didn't follow the 'word of Zoot', the Guardian or his lieutenant," she said as she gave me a pointed look, "would have them killed."
Of course Jack would make me seem like the bad guy. All the students had seen the look Bitsy had given me, and were wondering what was going on. "The Chosen are the perfect tribe to begin our discussion on post-virus. Let's pick up with them tomorrow." As the bell rang, I said, "Class dismissed."
I sat down behind my desk and put my face in my hands. This was going to be a long year. As I sat there rubbing my eyes, I heard a subtle knock at the door. Looking up, I saw Salene. "Come in."
"Looks like you're ready to run," she said with her typical smile on her face. Salene had changed too. No longer was she a frighten and naïve girl. She had become a mother hen who would fight to the death if anyone even tried to threaten her chicks.
"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to return to the city. Maybe I shouldn't be teaching freshman history. Ellie's right in asking what I'm doing here." Turning to Salene, I asked, "What am I doing here?"
"That's a question only you can answer. But if you asked me, I don't think they could have chosen a better history teacher. These kids have only heard the horrors of what the Chosen and the Technos have done. They don't know that these tribes also had good and caring people who fought for the good of everybody. You will be able to show that."
"You heard what Bitsy said, huh?" At Salene's nod, I sent her a smile. "Maybe I can do this." Salene left and I began to gather my things to take home.
I would have to find the perfect way of teaching these kids. Salene was right; they needed to know that not everyone meant harm. Sometimes people had to join the enemy to get what was good for the well-beings of everybody.
I would also have to decide the true reason why I came back, but on some level I already knew. It was all because of a blonde girl that never left this man's heart.
