***
In the days that followed my release from Training Tech, I couldn’t stop thinking about it… my new Citizen Brand. I’d spent countless minutes tracing the five circles with my finger. For some reason I was actually worried about somehow ruining the Brand. I barely touched the surface of my skin; I just let my finger skim across each of the circles. Why did I have to be different? What did it mean to be Lush?
We’d been given seven days time to adjust to our new home environment, after which we were expected to report to the Career Education Center each morning to complete our studies. I’d finally get to see Lily again… and Stone, and Fisher, and all of my other friends. We’d find out what our career paths would be. Our Brand, combined with our career path, determined our future. For once in my life, I had no idea what was expected of me. I didn’t have a clue how this multiple circle, flowered, starred Brand thing would affect my future. And it scared me.
I wished my father hadn’t been called away on Council business five hours after I’d arrived at this unfamiliar home. I wished that Aspen was easier to talk to. Actually, I wished that I had the desire to talk to Aspen at all. She flitted around the house; she never stayed in one room for very long. In fact, she never stayed in the house for very long. She hadn’t spent more than five minutes by my side since my father had been called away. I really wanted to talk to somebody about this unfamiliar mark on my wrist, but Aspen wasn’t the person I wanted anyway.
I wanted Lily.
I was beyond bored in an empty, unfamiliar house, and I wanted my best friend.
The chime at the door sounded. Aspen had left the house for another one of her important meetings, so I got up off of my bed and ran down the stairs. I cracked the door open, and saw a delivery car backing out of our driveway. I waved at the driver, confused as to why he was driving away. The sign on the car said DELIVERY, so why hadn’t he delivered something? I shrugged at him. He pointed toward my feet. I looked down to find a package on the mat outside.
There was a notecard on the box with my father’s small precise handwriting on the front of it – BLUEBELL. I grabbed the package and retreated back to the comfort of my new bedroom. I would open it there.
I pulled at the blue ribbon, untying the pretty bow, and lifted the lid off of the box. Under layers of blue and lavender flowered paper I found a shiny new tablet. My old one had been surrendered before vacating Training Tech. We’d all had to do it; the tablets were registered to the school. I couldn’t read, listen to music, or watch a video in private without one, so I’d really been missing mine. Aspen liked to keep the wall-screens tuned to the Concord News and Events channel. There was only so much of that I could take.
I lifted the tablet from the box and smiled with glee, happy to have my own personal source of entertainment again. When I switched it on, I found an even better surprise. Lily’s parents’ contact information was right there on the home screen, waiting for me. My father had programed it.
I pushed the icon by their name.
“Do you want to send a message?” the tablet asked.
“No. I want to talk to my friend,” I grumbled.
“Do you want to video chat?”
“Why, yes. I do want to video chat!” I answered.
“Calling Denver and Cheyenne 3.29.”
The screen blipped and the tablet beeped, and I waited patiently to connect with my friend.
Lily’s mother’s face appeared on the screen. “Bluebell. How nice,” she smiled. “I see you have a new tablet of your own… give me a second… there. I’ve saved your contact information. Have you enjoyed your first couple of days? Have you been busy with your parents?”
“It’s been fine, I guess. Father was called away, and Aspen is very, ah, active. It’s actually been really quiet over here.”
“Oh? Well I’m sure it has been a peaceful change for you. Lily will be happy to see you. She’s just changing into a new dress,” Cheyenne winked at me. “We’ve been shopping.”
“It fits perfectly, Mother.” I heard Lily’s voice say. “Did I just hear you talking to someone?”
Cheyenne’s head turned away from the screen.
“You look lovely, sweet girl. Come here. It’s Bluebell. Come say hello to your friend.”
She moved to the side, making room for her daughter.
Lily’s face filled the screen; smiling widely and looking as beautiful as ever, with newly styled hair and sparkly make-up adorning her eyes.
I waved at her image. “Oh, Lil, you look great!”
“Thanks. Mother and I have been to see her tailor and her beautician… and have you any idea how many different styles of shoes there are to choose from? My goodness! I have five new pairs,” she beamed.
“Sounds fun,” I smiled. Even though I didn’t doubt Lily had been enjoying her time with her mother, my insides cringed at the thought of spending a full day out with Aspen. “Are you up for a walk? We could meet in the middle. There’s a park my father told me about.”
“Good idea,” Lily smiled. “I know exactly where it is. My father took me there yesterday.”
“I’ll take my tablet,” I said. “It’ll guide me.”
“Hold on.” Lily put a finger up and turned her head to the side. “Mother, you don’t mind if I walk to the park and meet Blue, do you?”
“I do not mind at all. That sounds like a wonderful idea.” I heard her say.
“Thank you,” she said to her mother, then turned her face back to me. “I’ll leave here in five minutes. I need to change out of this dress. Sound good?
“Yes.”
“Meet me at the benches in the middle.”
“Great,” I sighed.
“See you.” Lily waved at me before the screen blipped and she disappeared.
I pressed the home button on the tablet and then pressed the maps icon. Once I found the park, and highlighted the route, I slipped on my shoes and left through the front door.
Outside, I was surrounded by perfectly groomed landscapes and clean, clear walkways. Everything was as pristine in my parents’ neighborhood as it was at Training Tech, more so, even. As I walked down the pathway that corresponded to the one highlighted on my tablet, I saw a street sweeper ahead. The man pushed a long handled, thin, wide broom and whistled a tune as he worked his way down the walkway, clearing away any fallen leaves, dust, and debris.
He paused, mid-sweep, as I neared, and tipped his head. “Beautiful day, Miss.”
“Yes, it is,” I smiled at him.
He was older than my father, maybe even older than Alpha. His hair caught my attention. It was totally grey at the temples and a perfect sprinkled mixture of black and grey everywhere else on his head; something I’d never seen before. There were wrinkles around his eyes and by the corners of his mouth - that deepened as he smiled. “Just released, were you?”
“From Training Tech?” I asked. “Yes.”
He looked down at my left wrist and blinked when he saw the mark that was there. “You been drawing on your Brand? They won’t like that, Miss. They won’t like it one bit. I’d wash that off quick, if I was you. Don’t mess with The Council’s plans. No good can come of that,” He shook his head at me and then walked on. He resumed his whistled tune and continued pushing his broom across the walkway.
My right hand immediately gravitated toward my Brand, covering it tightly. I looked at his arm as he passed by me. The black X was there, as I knew it would be.
“I didn’t draw it,” I mumbled as I moved forward.
A cluster of trees told me that the park was just up ahead, so I quickened my pace. Lily had said the benches in the middle, so I kept walking toward what I figured would be the center of the park. When I came upon two sets of wooden benches, I sat down on one and waited.
Sprinkles of rain started to fall from the sky. I looked up and then considered darting under a tree for shelter but Lily was walking toward me. She popped open an umbrella, ran to my side, and held it over my head. I la
ughed and then flung my arms around her, hugging her tightly.
“The first time I leave the house and it rains,” I frowned.
“Concord Reigns,” Lily smirked.
“That it does,” I laughed. “Now what should we do?”
Lily grabbed my hand and started walking, tugging me with her. “Back to my house. Mother was making some more carrot cookies, with a lemon glaze. This batch is probably finished by now.”
“My favorite,” I smiled, swinging her hand.
“I know,” Lily winked.
The sprinkles never turned into a full rain, so our feet were barely damp when we arrived at Lily’s house. She shook out the umbrella and opened the door.
“Open catchall,” she said out loud.
A drawer popped open from the wall. We slipped out of our shoes and placed them inside, along with the wet umbrella. After the drawer retreated back into the wall, we followed the aroma of the freshly baked cookies. Lily’s mother was busy glazing them as we entered the kitchen.
I inhaled deeply. “That smells divine.”
Cheyenne looked up and smiled at me. “They’re my favorite.”
“They are Blue’s favorite too,” Lily chimed. “At least the school ones were. Once she tastes yours she’ll realize that they were just mediocre. Yours are beyond amazing, Mother!”
“It’s how finely I grate the carrots,” Cheyenne stated. “And my sweet lemon glaze. Lily ate the first batch a little too quickly, Blue. I agreed to make another batch, but this is going to consume most of my sugar ration for the month,” she winked at me. “It’s a good thing I always have a bit left over.”
“I can’t believe you bake your own cookies. Aspen said that nobody cooks for themselves anymore and that everybody has a chef,” I said.
Cheyenne laughed. “I guess many people do have a chef. I use one for dinner parties and special occasions. But I find that I enjoy cooking, and baking is very therapeutic for me at times. I used to help my mother when I was very little and then she taught me her recipes after I left Training Tech.”
“Do you think you could teach me?” I asked. “I doubt I’ll get the chance to learn at my house.”
“I’m sure we could arrange a cooking day with you and Lily. That would be fun. Now here,” she said, handing us each a cookie. “I’m sure you want to talk alone. So take these and go up to Lily’s room.”
“Thank you,” I smiled.
“You’re very welcome, dear girl.”
I followed Lily up the stairs and into her bedroom. She shut the door behind us, plopped down on her bed, and leaned back into the pile of purple satin pillows.
“Weird, huh,” Lily said, pointing to the pillows behind her head. “Purple satin.”
“Not that weird. Didn’t you tell her about the dream and ask for some?”
“Yes, but they are almost the exact shape, size, and shade from my dream.”
“Okay, kind of weird,” I agreed. “Not as weird as this.” I looked down at my wrist.
“I’d rather be weird than doomed,” Lily sighed, looking down at her own wrist.
“You are not doomed!” I said a little too loudly. “I bet you’ll still be assigned to Armory, your father will help secure a good Marriage Contract, and everything will be roses.”
“I guess. But my roses will have to come from someone else’s garden.”
“I know. I’m sorry Lil. It’ll be fine. It’ll be good. You’ll see.”
“That’s what Mother and Father keep trying to tell me. Half of the girls in our class got the same mark, so I guess I’m not alone,” she shrugged.
Alone. I stared at my Citizen Brand. That was exactly the word for me. I was the lone, single oddity, and I’d been alone with my questions for days. There had been no one to talk to about it. My father had been called away, and Aspen had almost blatantly avoided looking below my shoulders since the day I was marked as Lush.
I looked up at Lily to find her staring at my wrist. She patted the bed beside her. “Let’s see it up close. Come here.”
I sat down and scooted back, so I was leaning on the pillows with her. I draped my left arm across her lap, palm up, brand exposed, and turned my head. I shoved the carrot cookie I was still holding into my mouth, whole, and chewed.
“It’s weird,” I said.
“Don’t talk with food in your mouth,” Lily scolded. “You’ll choke.”
I whipped my head around and smirked at her, raising my eyebrows.
“It’s pretty weird, Bluebell. But it’s also pretty amazing. I wonder what it means.”
“I’ve done nothing but ask myself that, since Dr. Odessa cut the bandage away.”
“You’ll get some answers at the CEC.”
“Maybe my father will be able to tell me something about it when he gets back,” I said.
Lily traced the circles, one by one. “He is Council. He has to know about this. They know about everything, right?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “I guess.”
“When’s he getting back?”
“Tonight.”
“See,” Lily smiled. “You’ll have some answers soon.”
I sighed and leaned my head on her shoulder. “I hope so.”
“You want to see my new clothes?” Lily asked.
“Absolutely. Dazzle me with your stylish new looks,” I said. “You can make anything look good, you know?”
“Yay! You are in for a treat. My mother has excellent taste, and so do I, it seems. At least that is what her dressmaker told me.”
“As long as there’s not a pink and brown tie involved in the outfit,” I grimaced at the thought. I never wanted to wear a pink and brown tie again, ever, for the rest of my life. “I cut mine to shreds the first night.”
“Blue, you didn’t.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I did.”
A few hours, and six outfits later, Lily walked with me back to the park. We parted ways, with a huge hug goodbye and a promise to video chat the next day. When I arrived back at the house, I found Aspen and my father in the dining room, waiting for me.
“Bluebell, there you are. We were just about to eat dinner. Come and have a seat,” my father smiled. “Did you have a nice visit with Lily?” he asked.
“How’d you… Oh, yes,” I said, looking down at the new tablet I was carrying.
My father nodded his head. “Of course. Make sure you always have it with you, Blue. That way we will always be in contact, and we will always know where you are.”
“Mine is in my bag at all times,” Aspen smiled.
“I carry a small one in my pocket,” my father said. “Yours has been recorded in the Registrar’s Office. Every tablet produced must be recorded.”
“Sit down, Bluebell,” Aspen repeated my father’s request. “Dallas will be serving dinner in just a moment. I had him make your father’s favorite.”
“Yes. Sit down.” My father motioned to the chair beside him. “We have much to discuss.”
I placed my tablet on the table and sat down.
“Your father has just been telling me the exciting news.”
I looked from Aspen to my father. “What exciting news?”
“You are to be an ambassador! After you’ve received some mandatory training at the Career Education Center of course,” Aspen smiled with excitement. Her smooth face barely registered the emotion.
“Ambassador?” I asked, confused.
Dallas, our chef, walked into the dining room carrying a silver tray. He placed a plate of food, and then a glass of juice, in front of each of us. “Your meal this evening consists of roasted baby potatoes, grilled white fish, and steamed green beans; all with my special spice blend. There is fresh acidic grapefruit juice enhanced with vitamins and digestive supplements to refresh you. Your breakfast shakes and your lunches are in the cooler drawers ready for your consumption tomorrow. I’ll be back at three o’clock tomorrow afternoon, as usual. Do you have any requests for your protein for tomorrow’s even
ing meal?” he asked, looking at Aspen.
“Yes. Marinated soy tofu,” Aspen answered. “The spicier marinade though, not the one you used last time. That one was too bland.”
“I’ll see to it,” Dallas nodded. “Enjoy your meal.”
Dallas walked out of the dining room. As soon as the door swung closed behind him I looked directly at Aspen. “Ambassador?” I repeated.
“Why, yes. Your good fortune is proof that when a family fully embraces the goodness of Concord, they will be rewarded. Your father and I always made sure you were promptly seen and immunized by your doctors as an infant. We carefully monitored your eating and exercise habits as a toddler. We stressed the importance of obedience. And in return, you are of exceptional health and have always shown the upmost in good behavior. You consistently received extraordinarily high marks while in Training Tech. You were never given a demerit against you for behavior, attitude, or even breaking a minor rule,” Aspen explained. “Our daughter is unmarred in every way.”
My father continued. “The Council feels that all of this compliance and attention to your proper upbringing must be a major factor in your distinctive Citizen Brand. Being Lush makes you special. Your attractive appearance and pleasant disposition would be quite appealing on a nationwide level. You will travel and make public appearances, perform in several informative videos, and give the people hope that they too could produce a child who is Lush.”
“We’ve already been contacted by some very influential families that would like to talk about the possibility of a Marriage Contract,” Aspen added. Pride rang out in her voice.
“Marriage! What?” I gasped.
My father reached out and placed his hand over mine. “There is no rush for that, my dear girl. No one expects you to choose a life mate before the age of eighteen. I wouldn’t complain if you waited until you were nineteen or twenty even,” he winked at me.
It was June. I would be eighteen in October. That was just four months away. I wondered how many people really expected me to choose the person that I would be willing to spend the rest of my life with sometime within the next four months.
“The later the better,” I sighed.
“She’s right,” Aspen said.
I blinked. She was actually agreeing with me.
“We should take as much time as we can. That way we can weed out the unfortunate candidates and choose the very best one,” she continued. “I think there is a 1.10 that is around twenty-four years old and a 1.08 that is only twenty-one. I’ll have to look at my files to read up on all of their personal details. Although, either of those boys would expect Bluebell to join their family. Whose family would her offspring belong to? No, that wouldn’t do. Maybe it is better to stay away from anyone with claims to the original twenty. 1.15 is such a prestigious family. A good quality boy from a lesser family could be a strong addition to our numbers, as you were, Jackson,” Aspen rattled on.
Her mind was spinning away. I could see the wheels turning as she planned out the rest of my life for me. It seems that I would have my future all set up and I wouldn’t have a say in it. I just sat there, dumbfounded.
I took my fork and flaked off a piece of the whitefish, placed it on a slice of baby potato, and then put the bite in my mouth. I chewed, not really tasting, just eating.
Was my life decided for me already? Did it really matter if it was Aspen planning it out, or my father, or The Council? I had expected to enter the CEC, receive my career placement, and then enter into my training. I knew that those things were chosen already, but I had thought that I’d be able to discover my destiny on my own. I had hoped to find a mate on my own as well. But it seemed that my father and Aspen were shoving me toward my destiny instead.
I shrugged my shoulders and took another bite of my meal. I guess it didn’t really matter how I got on the path. There really was only one path for me to walk. It was my duty to Concur with Concord. And I knew I would do my duty. I always did. I always would.
Being singled out as Lush seemed to bring with it the weight of added responsibility.