Jack's P.O.V.
"Okay Jack, here we are." my mom said as we slowed to a stop in front of a
tall, 20th century-like, gray-ish black gate. The ride here was about 4 hours
and I hadn't been able to get any sleep from the worries, the loss of my first
real friends, and the anger at my mother for sending me here for the whole
summer.
But now, looking up out of my window and the tall, imprisoned, sky-
scraper, huge multiplex building behind the gate, made all my exhaustion go
south, I was no longer tired, just nauseous.
"Mom?" I asked quietly, leaning back into my seat and looking down at my
hands, the only way to hide how I really felt about this decision.
"Yeah?" my mom answered after she too, finished gazing up at the building
behind its gates.
"Why'd you even decide to send me here?" my mom sighed and I saw her
turn to me even though my head was still down, vaguely interested in my
hands.
"Jack, I'll admit, they talked me into it. it seems like a really good
opportunity for you and-"
"A good opportunity ? For what?" I asked, almost yelling, interrupting her.
I finally looked up at her confused, she shrugged her shoulders as she looked
at the steering wheel and I rolled my eyes.
"IT's a good opportunity for you to, you know, become a real man. I thought
it was a good opportunity because…"she stopped to look at me and then
down to her lap. "you don't have father figure in your life Jack." I was taken
aback by this, her reason.
All this I just thought she was trying to get rid of me for the summer, but
no. she was just feeling bad about being a single parent.
Now I felt even worse, knowing she was just looking out for me as usual.
But I do have a father-figure in my life, it's Rudy and he knows it.
"Mom," I turned to lay a hand on her shoulder. She turned to me and smiled,
showing that everything was okay, the same smile she gave me when I was
younger or when I cried. She soon laid her hand on top of mine.
These were the times I hated my dad the most. But I sucked up my anger and
decided to do this for my mom.
"Come on, drive in. I'm ready to go." I said, putting a smile of my own on.
We drove through the tall gates and entered the corridor where all the other
parents were dropping their kids off. When we came to a full stop, I hopped
out the passenger seat and opened the trunk. Soon I saw my mom by my
side, helping me with my three suitcases. We shut the trunk and headed to
the registration section of the building. While we stood in line I noticed
signs all over the building.
'Resistance is NEVER the KEY'
"YOU make boys AND girls. WE make MEN and WOMEN"
At least this isn't a boy's only school, I thought as I walked past the sign
after reading it. We finally made it to the desk and as soon as I walked up,
the lady who was sitting immediately took my hand and stamps it on the
back; I took my hand back and stared at it. It had a number on it in blue.
954
I stared at it weirdly until the lady explained it to me.
"The number tells you what room you'll be staying in. Say it's more like
your social code number in here." I nodded.
"Oh."
"Now, the visiting days are on the weekends only and holidays during the
summer. The hours are from day break to sun set. Jackson," the
administrator said looking at me. "Curfew is at 11:00, clear ?"
"Yes Ma'am." I nodded, smiling, trying to show that I wanted to be here.
I looked around at all the other kids, not a single one looked like they
wanted to be here.
My mother finished giving in all the information she had, and finished
singing all the papers that she had been given.
I grabbed my suitcases as we moved aside and let the others that were
behind us now go. This was where we would say our goodbyes since no
parents were allowed further beyond this point in the building.
"Okay Jack, this is it." I nodded, looking down at the floor, already missing
the sunshine outside, already missing my mom even though she wasn't even
gone yet. I didn't bother wasting any time saying goodbye. I just hugged her,
tightly instead. She immediately hugged me back and we didn't separate till
registration room was pretty much empty.
I grabbed my suitcases and passed through the screen door that led to the
rest of the kids, and I'd go on from there. I looked back one more time, and I
waved one last time to my mom, then turned, took a breath, and walked
forward.
I looked around the crowded room. Some kids knew each other and were
talking quietly and others, like me, were standing quietly by themselves
waiting. It was a huge room and that was it, there were no chairs or anything
like that, just a big podium at the front, where now a man stepped up and of
course it was Arthur's father.
"Okay settle down. I'm glad that all of you kids came today." his voice
boomed through the big room making it seem small. He seemed to wait for a
applause, but when he saw that one was never going to come, only a few
coughs and sneezes here and there, he continued. "Now, when you hear your
number that has been stamped on the back of your hand, please step forward
and receive all the things that you will need for your stay at your new
home." He finished off with a big small, but I felt as though his menacing
eyes were directed to me only when he finally found me in the crowd. As he
walked off the podium, another lady in a gray suit and short cut hair walked
up. She was shorter then Arthur's dad, but taller than me.
"Number 781" I saw a girl quickly pop up and walk towards the podium.
She was given a key to put around her neck and clothes, then she walked off
to where I now noticed guards were standing by, and then they led her into
another part of the building.
"Number 782" this time a boy walked up. I looked down at my number.
954
I wasn't going to be called for a while I realized. I took my biggest suitcase
and put it to stand, and then I sat and waited.
Kim's P.O.V.
"HIYAH!" I yelled, flipping Eddie over onto his back and winning my spar
match. Rudy had called the time, and then I helped Eddie back up onto his
feet.
Today at the dojo was a quiet one, no one was in the mood to laugh and goof
off like we do on a regular basis. It's been one day since Jack left and
already most of us were depressed by it, especially me. The last memory of
him and I was us kissing and imagining it every time someone says Jacks
name hurts me. But of course I can't tell anyone or show anyone how sad I
am, it'll only make me look weak.
The boys all sat against the wall, not bothering to hide how they felt and
Rudy wasn't even himself anymore, out of all of us, Jack was the closest to
him so now that he's gone, he feels lost somehow.
"Class dismissed." Rudy said quietly, there was no need to yell it as he
usually does because after all, we were all quiet, lost in our own thoughts of
Jack.
We all bowed but didn't have as much heart into it. I changed quickly and
then grabbed my karate bag and headed out to the door, I looked back at the
guys after Rudy had disappeared into his office with a faint sound of crying
coming from his office and constant flushing from his toilet or yelling at
Tip-Tip.
"Bye guys." I said quietly waving. They never said anything back to me,
they just all waved with half smiles, the only one who didn't smiled at all or
even wave was Jerry. Since Jack was his best friend, and they did almost
everything together, liked the same band even, Jack leaving must have hit
him harder than anyone else.
I sighed, and then walked out of dojo, faintly wondering what Jack could be
doing right now.
Jack's P.O.V.
I was sitting on my suitcase, looking around for what seemed like hours,
waiting for my number to be called.
"Number 954" I stood up from where I was sitting and leisurely brought
myself to the front. As I walked I could feel the eyes of all the kids who
were left waiting to be called staring at me, burning holes through my back.
I finally reached the front where the lady stood; I stood quietly as she hung
the necklace with the key that every child received, over my head. I stared
down at it and saw that it had my number engraved on it. The lady soon then
gave me a bundle of clothes that were neatly folded and before I even had a
chance to walk off entirely, she had called the next number.
I walked off towards the guards and as soon as I got close enough, they
opened the door with a wide creak but not before unlocking it first. Another
guard all dressed in black made himself presentable to me as I followed him
down the long hallway. It wasn't as brightly lit as the larger room was and
the walls felt damp and cold as I walked pass them. Soon we walked into a
larger that opened itself into a wide semi-circle. The guard I was told to
follow quickly walked up to one of the rooms on the right, we stood abruptly
at one particular one. All the doors had a number written on top in what
seemed to be steel and of course the one we stopped at had my number on
top. The guard turned to look down on me.
"Jackson Dare Anderson?" I nodded my head, his voice was deep and quite
menacing, but it didn't make me feel the way I did around Arthur's dad. He
reached into his pocket and took a slide of paper that was covered in plastic;
he slid it into the empty slot that was below the number plate.
It read: Jackson Dare Anderson.
Age; 14. Place of Origin; Seaford, California. Height; 5'8
Without further instructions, the guard stepped back and walked away. I
looked around and saw a few kids entering with their own guards, and others
who's had left and they were opening their rooms with the keys that we were
given. I grabbed hold of mine and unlocked the door, as soon as I stepped
inside a light flicked on over the door and one that was on the stand by the
bed. I dropped all my baggage and looked around, the walls were painted
gray of course with only a few stripes of black, there was a small window
with bars over it over the bed and a door to the far left. I walked over to the
door and peered inside. There was a toilet shower and sink, and also another
door showing that the bathroom was connected to whoever was on the other
side of me. I walked back over to the bed and laid the bunch of clothes that I
was given on the bed. I noticed a sheet of paper lying smack in the middle of
the bed; I sat on the bed and then read the note.
Jackson D. Anderson, 954.
After getting settled, change into the clothes that you were given, they
were made out to be your size and your shoes are by the foot of your
bed, also in your size. Leave all your belongings in your room including
your cellular device and be present in the Greeting Hall at once. No
delays. No excuses.
I huffed out a breath and set the paper down as I looked over at the clothes.
The pants were army green, no big surprise there, and the shirt was a black
vest. I quickly changed and then found the shoes, which were black combat
boots.
Then I quickly remembered something.
My phone! I still have my phone. I jumped up and practically ran to my bad
and rummaged through it, until I found my phone. I quickly turned it on and
saw that they were already 4 missing calls, all from Jerry, Kim, Eddie, and
Milton. I smiled, then it quickly faded remembering how much I missed
them hit me hard.
I called Jerry back, no answer.
I called Eddie back, voicemail.
I called Milton, it rang out.
Why is no one answering their phone? I thought puzzled. I had one hope
let, and that was Kim.
I called and it rang and rang, and when I was just about to hang up. I heard
her voice.
"Hello Jack?" I answered giddily.
"Kim!" I almost yelled in excitement.
"Oh my gosh Jack! I thought you wouldn't call me back. I didn't know they
let you keep your phone."
"Neither did I! I thought for sure they would take it." I said, my cheeks
already hurting from all the smiling.
"Jack everyone here already misses you. The guys aren't even the same
anymore including Rudy."
"Oh. I called them back but they didn't answer; only you did. I miss them so
much already." I said picking at the army pants.
"I miss you a lot Jack." Kim said after a moment of silence. I missed Kim so
much she wouldn't even understand, everything about her I already missed.
"Kim about the kiss…I just needed something to remember you by. I wanted
a good memory that would last." I said quietly. I could practically hear her
smile.
"It's fine Jack. I'm … I'm glad you did." I smiled, happy she was on board
with everything at hand.
"I didn't mean to just kiss you and then leave the day after. Milton said it
was bad, but I told them you would understand." I said rubbing the back of
my head, still a little embarrassed from the situation.
"It's okay, I know you didn't mean for all this to happen." I nodded, like she
could see, and it was quiet for a long time.
"Jack we all really think you're a hero. You're so brave for doing all this."
"It was nothing Kim; it's the right thing to do at least, for the people I love."
I said. A faint memory of my mom and what she had said this morning
popped into my head.
"Jack you really are my hero." Kim said in a soft voice, hearing her say this
pained my heart and I wanted to be right next to her, hugging her, maybe
even kissing her again.
I was about to say everything that just went through my head, but I didn't
have any more time. The paper had noted at the bottom that I needed to be in
attendance at 5pm, I looked at the clock on the far side of the room and saw
it was 4:56.
"Kim I have to go. Tell the guys I miss them a lot, okay? … and thanks, for
calling me your hero." I had to hurry up and hang up the phone before she
even replied and ran out my door, carelessly leaving my phone behind on
my bed, locking the door.