Fasha's light snoring awakes me and I am suddenly aware that it's 8:36 and announcements aren't on. I sit up groggily and rub the sleep out of my eyes. Propping myself up on one elbow, I look around the room. Ms. Hillary and the other girls are still asleep. Normally at 8:30 announcements are on and Fran is telling us how we should respect each other and have a fabulous day. Instead, the only noise is the girls' snoring and every once and a while the ruffle of sheets.
I stand and tiptoe to the door. Only turning to make sure I didn't wake anybody, I slip out the door, shutting it quietly behind me. The halls are suspiciously empty. The only other time I can remember when the halls were empty at 8:30 in the morning is when I was 12 and there was an emergency lockdown. But even then there was a shrill of a siren and Fran's frantic voice over the speakers.
I look back one more time, before I walk to the cafeteria. Completely empty. Thar's so weird. I make my way to the office. This is where officers keep paperwork for newborns and new deaths. It's also where food, and clothes are ordered. It's supposed to have someone working there 24-7. It was like walking into a ghost town.
"Hello?" I call into the empty room from behind the counter, hoping someone will hear me. No such luck.
There's only one other place I can think of that could have people, guaranteed. The boy's compound. Your NOT allowed to go there. A voice from the back of my mind reminds me. I shake off the thought and push through the doors. Crossing the court yard I start to think: What would Hillary think of this? I come to a complete stop. She would be so disappointed in me that I'm breaking one of the biggest rules. Her opinion of me is the only one I care about.
I take a good, long look at the Compound I'm standing in front of. From the outside, it looks identical to the girl's compound. A three story, white brick building with big glass doors on the front.
I take one, two, three steps forward, shaking off the feeling of disloyalty. I stop in front of the front door, take a deep breath, and enter. It looks completely the same on the inside too. The office is on the right with signs plastered on the door. Newborns-10;First story-left, 11-14;Second story-Straight, 15-17;Third story-Right. Exactly the same.
The sound of voices coming down the hall causes me to panic. Frantically, I look around the room, searching for something to hide behind. I spot a trash can and fling myself behind it, just in time for the owners of the voices to emerge from the 15-17 staircase.
There's a towering man with thin blonde hair. "Frank, I'm sure how I feel about him. He's so different. And the fact that he was transferred here? You don't find that the least bit suspicious?" Frank, a short balding man with a pudgy stomach, says, "Shhh! He'll here you. He will back any minute now. Just act cool." The second the words escaped his lips, Cole emerges.
The worry on the first man's face disappears and is replaced with a fake warm smile. "Mr. Summers. I'm glad you could rejoin us." Cole's face remains nonchalant. "I only went to the bathroom." The first man's smile wavers at Cole's rudeness. "Indeed."
Awkward silence fills the air. I'm don't dare even breathe in fear that these men will hear me. What will happen if they catch me? My mind begins to wonder. Will they cut out my tongue? Will they kill me? Well I guess that one isn't so bad, considering I'll be dead by my 22nd birthday anyway.
I shift ever so slightly so I can get a better view, but my tennis shoes squeak due to the freshly polished floor. Cole locks eyes with me and for a terrible moment I think he's going to turn me in."What was that?" The first man asks looking around. Cole turns back to the men, face neutral. "Nothing. Probably just one of the younger kids wondering around. Maybe you should go check on it." With only a nod Frank and the unnamed man walks down the hall.
After a second of silence Cole calls "You can come out now I'm not going to turn you in." With a shaky breath I stand revealing myself to him.