The time had come for the conclusion of Incorporation. All things came to an end at some point, didn’t they? Year One had somehow morphed into Year Twelve… twelve years of Training Tech; it was hard to believe it was over. Incorporation seemed to pass by so fast. It was like one of Stone’s bubbles – blow up one cheek, move the air to the other, and then blow out the breath. The six months had simply blown by. But it wasn’t really that long of a time frame. It amounted to a twenty-fourth of my time at school. Such a tiny fraction, but it held so many new experiences, new memories, and new friends that I would cherish forever.
Get up, Bluebell… Get up, Bluebell… Get up, Bluebell! The room alarm beeped at me.
Lily groaned in the bunk below mine.
“It’s the last day,” I whispered.
“I almost can’t believe it,” Lily responded, sounding surprisingly awake.
“I can’t believe you aren’t hiding under the covers trying to squeeze in those last five minutes of sleep.”
“I wasn’t able to get much sleep. I think I got maybe three hours the whole night.”
“I heard you tossing around all over that bunk.”
Lily sighed. “It’s over. I mean, tomorrow we’ll be waking up in a bed, in a room, in our parents’ house.”
I absorbed her statement. It was almost too much to think about. Living with my father and Aspen… it was hard to imagine. I leaned over the edge of my bed and stared at her. She was wide-awake, no covers pulled over her head. “Lily, what am I going to do without you?”
She pulled my hair and smiled. “I’m going to miss you too, Blue. We’re going to be friends forever, silly. I’m still going to be there. Maybe not in your bedroom, but I’ll always be just a video chat away. And our parents don’t live that far from each other. Mother told me at the last Visitation Day that I could walk to your house in under ten minutes. That’s not too far at all.”
I rolled back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. “But Aspen…”
“It’ll be fine, Blue. It’ll be fun. It’ll be an adventure. Now get up, get ready, and let’s get going. I can’t wait to see if I ended up in Armory.”
“You are entirely too enthusiastic. It’s freaking me out a little bit,” I grumbled, sat up, and then climbed down the ladder from the top bunk. I grabbed her shoulders once I was standing next to her. “I think you’ve forgotten about the whole branding thing.”
“No. I haven’t. But we know what to expect now, don’t we? It’ll be fine.”
“It’ll be fine,” I mimicked her voice.
Lily shook her head at me. “I’m not sure if I like grumpy Blue.”
“I’m not sure if I like… Ugh, I’m going to the bathroom.” I turned and opened the door to our room.
Our Guardian was two doors down; performing her morning duties. “Time to wake up, girls,” she trilled into the other room. “It’s the last day of Incorporation.”
I hurried down the hall, avoiding her gaze.
End of Incorporation: Final Brand: Day of Departure – scrolled along the wall calendar. The words were too brilliant in the dimly lit hall.
As soon as I reached the bathroom, the lights came up to their full brightness. I put my hands up over my eyes, trying to block out the glow. I knew what was ahead of me, breakfast and then branding. I wasn’t ready.