The day passed by slowly. We stay in the same room all day, sitting in the order our lockers are in and we only leave for lunch. So I sat by Christian all day. He kept glancing at me and smiling hesitantly. I didn’t smile back. I mean, Christian was very good looking. It was just weird knowing I'll have to marry him eventually. I get that I have no choice, unless I want to be miserable my whole life. Or if one day I refuse to be with him then the Enforcers send me to the Unregistered.
I know I lecture Liz about following the rules all the time. And I talk about how dangerous the Unregistered are but I have a secret. I don't mean any of it. I love the thought of the Unregistered. They aren't disgusting. They're out of the ordinary. They live the life people did before Birthmarks, Enforcers and Soulmates even existed.
To be honest I hate everything about living outside the Border. I hate how Enforcers and President Coyle control what we wear, what we eat, who we love, and where we live.
I know a lot of people that do but keep it hidden. Like when my mother's sister got married. She wanted to have blue lace on her dress but the Enforcers refused her request. She cried for weeks but never said anything.
When we get married the bride picks out the dress. All the dresses are white with different designs. The bride doesn't get where any other color. Everyone who attends can wear whatever they color they want. Except for red.
Absolutely nobody is allowed to wear red. President Coyle believe red is a sign for danger and death and bloodshed. There's a story about how the Enforcers once tried to make the Unregistered wear red. It didn't work. The Unregistered put a fight and eventually the Enforcers gave up.
I've always been fascinated by the color red. At funerals the caskets are a deep red because of death. At funerals I always stare at the forbidden color of the casket. I would end up dazed and enchanted at the color, thinking of all the wonderful things that could be red.
"Miss Logan!" My teacher, Mrs. Ross yelled.
I jumped and blinked. "Yes?”
Mrs. Ross adjusted her light purple work dress. "The lunch bell rang."
I looked around and the room was empty. "Oh. I'm sorry," I said grabbing my book and hurrying out of the door.
I went straight to the lunchroom and grabbed a tray. I spotted Liz sitting in the back of the lunchroom. I took the seat across from her. "Hi."
Liz broke the crust off her sandwich. "Why the hell are you so late?"
“I was daydreaming and didn’t hear the bell.” I said, poking my sandwich. Ew. Tuna.
Liz threw a bag of chips at me. “I know you hate tuna so I swiped this from the kitchen after I told them I needed water instead of milk. You’re welcome.”
I rolled my eyes and ripped open the bag. “Thanks. You’re good for some things.”
"Can I sit here?" A voice next to me asked. I looked up to see Christian, standing awkwardly next to me.
"Why do you want to sit with us?" Liz asked, looking at the inside of her sandwich.
Christian took the seat next to me, without permission. "Because I want to sit with my Soulmate."
Liz paused, looked at Christian's Birthmark, then she glared at me.
"Surprise?" I smiled sheepishly.
Liz threw bread crust at me. "Why didn't tell me?"
"Oh well, excuse me! I just down!” I replied, throwing a chip at her.
Christian smiled at Liz. "Hi. I'm Christian Omega. It's nice to meet you."
Liz turned to him and grinned. "Such a gentleman. I'm Elizabeth Natalie Hayes. Winter's best friend and savior."
I scoffed. "You wish! And your middle name is not Natalie."
Liz threw more bread crust at me. "Well it should be! In fact, in honor of this moment I'm going to name my daughter Natalie."
I smiled wickedly. "You mean, you and Jesse's daughter?"
Liz's brown eyes narrowed. "Just for that you're walking home alone."
I tilted my head. “Oh please! You’re not gonna walk home alone. Especially since Jesse would gladly tag along. I know he’d love a long walk home with his Soulmate.”
"Oh barf," Liz said. Then to change the subject she glared at Christian. “You better not make me a third wheel or else your ass will be kicked so hard you won’t be able to sit until you and Winter get married.”
“Maybe if you'd be nicer to Jesse then you wouldn't be," I said before he could respond.
Liz made a noise of disgust. "Then I’ll gladly be the third wheel."
"Well if you want baby Natalie, you'll have to be nice," I said, wiping bread crumbs off the table.
Liz rolled her eyes. "I don't have to have sex with him to have his baby."
"Really?” I raised my eyebrows. “Do I really need to explain this to you? When a man and woman want to have a baby he sticks his-" I began but Liz interrupted me.
"Ew! Ew, gross! I don't wanna have this conversation again!" Liz said covering her ears.
"Well I'm just saying. To have a baby Jesse needs to shoot his-" I started saying but Liz interrupted me again.
"Oh my gosh, Winter! I know what needs to happen!" Liz said, loudly.
"I'm just saying you have to have sex for a baby," I said, smiling. Liz always had a dirty mind but when it comes to talking about the real thing she was always embarrassed.
Liz groaned. "Ew! I have to have sex with that grease bucket!" Then she grinned at me. “And you and Christian have to have sex.”
I glared at my best friend. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Christian, who was silent during the whole conversation, shrug.
“What’s the big deal? I’m actually looking forward to it.” Christian said, polishing off his sandwich. Liz and I looked at him stunned. He looked up as if just realizing what he said and his face turned bright red. “Um…I…uh. I’ll throw your tray away, Winter.” He managed to get out before grabbing both of our trays and walked off.
Liz and I stared at each other for a moment and then busted out laughing. We laughed so hard that tears fell down our faces. I wiped away a tear as I gasped for air. Christian came back sitting by me silently, his face still red. I bit down a giggle.
“So, Christian,” Liz said, after she composed herself. “I’ve never seen you around here. Where’d you come from?”
“My family got transferred here for some reason.” Christian said. He surprised me by taking my hand. “I think it was because both me and my sister’s Soulmates live here. My sister found her Soulmate the second day we were here.”
“Of course, they did it because your Soulmates,” Liz said. “They only do things for stupid reasons!”
“Liz!” I said, just as the bell rang. She rolled her eyes and grabbed her tray.
“I’ll see you after school,” She said, winking at me. I sighed and turned to my Soulmate.
“Ignore her. She’s…something special.” I told him. “That’s the nicest way I can describe my best friend.”
Christian nodded and led me back to our class, where Mrs. Ross started talking about the history of the Birthmarked and how we started getting Birthmarked. Then she put on the movie about Birthmarked history.
But by then I was already long lost in my own thoughts. I had to tell my family that I found my Soulmate in three hours. I already know how my parents are going to act when they hear about Christian. My mother will cry and probably want celebrate. My father will get overprotective like all fathers do.
I don't even want to imagine my grandmother's reaction. You see, my grandmother has been trying to find my Soulmate since I was four. Growing up, I spent most of my time with my grandmother. Her Soulmate, my grandfather, died a year before I was born. Everyone says when my grandmother first held me it was the first time she smiled in a year.
Since then I've been her favorite person in the world. Don’t get me wrong, she loves Caroline too, but Caroline prefers our mother's parents.
I don't think I'll tell my grandmother about Christian until after we go to the village by the Border. It'll break her heart if I don't go.
The final bell rang and everyone basically ran out of the room. I grabbed my book and school book before getting up and going to my locker.
Christian was already there with his school bag casually thrown over his shoulder. He smiled as I grabbed my bag out of my locker.
"So I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” Christian asked smiling gently.
I grabbed my bag and smiled back at him. "Yeah, tomorrow.”
461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9h2BSZJXZ
Hii. This is Author's Note. I don't know if we're supposed to make them or not but I just wanted to say that I know I need to work on this chapter.461Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUI8XFIZJa
