Consensus: Part 1 - Citizen

005

Rena didn't see the new student for the rest of the day, which she convinced herself was a good thing. After all the recent commotion, she needed her life to return to normal. Boring even. Fortunately, her communications and math classes provided just that. Then it was on to her elective.

Rena had opted for logistics at the beginning of the school year, because she couldn't picture herself in any other profession. To be honest, she couldn't picture herself in any profession, but studying logistics at least helped her understand what Marshall and Clarine did for a living and gave her something to talk about with her parents.

Dal was still acting weird when it was time for lunch, and Rena tried to smooth over the tension by making small talk. During the long, awkward periods of silence, she watched Kirti across the cafeteria as she interacted with her other friends. Her right hand was no longer confined to her pocket, but she kept her number facing away from her friends as she gestured or reached for food. It was fascinating to observe how she navigated her delicate social life, fitting in while keeping her 000 hidden from the other highrates.

After lunch, Rena almost fell asleep in science class as the teacher completed the section on rainwater processing systems. By the time she saw Dal again in social studies, the only class they shared, he seemed back to his normal, joking self. Which was a relief, because they walked home together every day after school, and Rena would have dreaded making the entire trip in awkward silence.

Marshall was home when Rena stepped through the front door. At a time when he should have been putting in more hours to make up for Rena's mistake, he'd taken some time off to watch Gareth and Suzanne so Clarine could take Rena to meet with Dr. Mallory. Which only added to Rena's feelings of guilt.

After a short walk to the transit station and a ten-minute ride toward the Center, Rena found herself on the third floor of a tall, glass building. She and Clarine sat in a small waiting room outside of Dr. Mallory's office. The entry room was kept separate from the exit room so outgoing patients had a private place to collect their thoughts after their session. And incoming patients didn't have the opportunity to make any judgments about the doctor's previous session.

Rena had already talked with her mom about school in transit, so there wasn't much else to do but wait. Clarine walked over to the Collective terminal and began skimming through various articles on psychological conditions and treatment. Rena stared out the window at the darkening city, mesmerized by the third-story view, which wasn't a common sight for her. She wondered if this was how Dal felt every day, being as tall as he was.

The office door finally opened.

Dr. Mallory hadn't changed at all. She still had the same shoulder-length, red hair that curled outward at the bottom. The same thin glasses. The same freckles on her nose and cheeks.

"Mrs. Waite."

"Hello, Dr. Mallory! Thanks again for agreeing to meet with us on such short notice."

"It's no trouble at all," she said before turning in Rena's direction. "Hi, Rena. It's good to see you again."

"Hi," Rena answered with a smile. She couldn't help but think that, technically speaking, it wasn't good for the doctor to see her again. But she kept the comment to herself.

"Both of you, please come in," Dr. Mallory said, stepping aside as she held open the door.

The office looked the same as the last time Rena had visited. In over eight years, the only thing that had changed was the couch where patients sat. It used to be gray. The new one was tan. Dr. Mallory was obviously trying to provide a consistent, non-threatening environment for the patients. But it just made Rena feel unsettled, as if the whole thing were fake.