"Gooooood morning, Terras Three! It is currently 0600 on the third day of the lunar cycle. Or, using Old Earth terms, it's a Saturday. The Capitol building is reading 70°, with the Skywatchers reporting 0% cloudiness. I'm stuck in here as a radio DJ, so y'all should get out there and enjoy the sun while you can. This is Robert White coming to you from AXYZ, the only FM station at the top of the world. As always, thanks for listening, and stay tuned for round 100 of today's Top Twelve."
The radio announcer came as he always did; with a bright cheery voice that would echo across the households of millions of Capitol citizens. Many would stir from their slumber to start a new day. Many more would ignore it or hook up the stream to playout systems aboard their ships or cars to listen on their commutes. One of the stirrers, a young boy, slaps at a button on top of a radio. An unfamiliar voice to him is cut off. The boy knew the sounds of Pink Floyd, the more pop-y tunes of Michael Jackson and Carly Rae, and a few alternative bands in between. Yet, the boy could not keep up with the constant deluge of new Old Earth artists playing on the radio. He found the catalog of Old Earth music to be both massive and diverse.
Like the artists of old, the boy loves music. Posters of old and new artists and their albums line the room. When alone, he would spend hours picking out each small detail of album artwork he sees as surreal. He often holds up Pink Floyd's album, Animals as an example of art that stands out to him. He has never seen factories, nor the dark smoke they belch. The Capitol is clean. The Capitol does not bother with such pollutants. He knows this to be unfalteringly true.
A quick glance out of the curtains show a street that is kept clean and smooth. Compact four seater cars line the designated parallel parking lanes. An unfamiliar car silently passes by the window, only to stop and pull into an empty spot. The boy could not see who it was through the tinted windows. The cars were all the same to him, with their tinted windows, their similar lights, and even the sizes of their wheels. Uniformity for a highly personal thing such as a car always made him feel a bit saddened.
Slowly, Josh turns himself away and trudges through the messy room. He opens a drawer near the closet drawer and picks out the first shirt he both sees and likes. A black lizard-like creature is trudging through a city on fire. Explosives fly through the air from primitive looking flying machines the boy can't seem to recognize. He admires the artwork on the shirt before quickly changing out of his pajamas. He puts the shirt on and gets a pair of jeans before heading back to the window. He places his hands down on the windowsill, casting his gaze back outside as he often does in the morning.
A gentle humming sound breaks the stillness of the air around him. His gaze snaps to the source of the sound. Buried under a thin layer of toys in the back right corner of the room, a circular device turns on. Its blue light accents the blue light filtering in from the curtains. Emanating from the topside of the device are two holographic people he recognizes as their parents. They are casted in an easily-adjustable blue light that nearly matches the blue and black wallpaper on his wall. A smile and a wave in his peripheral vision attracts the boy's gaze and physical presence over. Upon getting close, his brown eyes fall on the two, signaling the projector to begin playing the message.
"Hello, dear Joshua," The woman says. "Happy fifteenth birthday! We wouldn't forget the birthday of our only son, now would we? The cruise is going well." She looks to the left at something off camera. "Yes, we will be quick, don't worry. Er..."
The man shakes his head at his wife, amused that someone would barge in on them. "Yes, I'll take over, dear. There is a present in the back left corner that we had delivered by your caretaker. Open it whenever you wish. I have also sent a hundred dollars your way. I hear that the day is going to be nice out, so spend it with Carol. I don't want you to be cooped up inside all day."
"Besides, I know that you two like to hang out," His wife adds. "Especially on your birthday. I hope you have a great day, and I wish we were there to see you grow. We'll be back in a few weeks. We love you." There, the message ends. The hologram disappears as the hum fades and the device shuts off. Before Joshua could even look at the specified corner, the chime of a doorbell brings his gaze to his door. With a sigh, he heads out of his room and into the hallway.
Lining the hallway walls are pictures of Josh and the family. His mother, a short woman with hair the same color as his eyes, has an arm wrapped around her taller husband. Joshua's gaze falls on the husband. The man's white hair is kept well groomed, not unlike Joshua's own hair. Josh wished he took his father's grey eyes as well. He is in the center of the picture between the two parents. Both parents are wearing more formal wear that works well with the blue background. He breaks his gaze from the images and continues down the hall. Joshua is not too interested in the other pics revolving around his parent's home worlds. His mother did not speak of them when she was home all that much. Most of the knowledge Joshua gained was from his father.
"No, I don't want to talk about it, Josh. Maybe when you are older" His mother's words ring in his ears when he steps up to the front door. The white paint has long since chipped, revealing the old wood underneath it. The boy reaches for the knob before he stops and peers through the lens in the door. He recognizes the tall blond haired woman as one of his favorite general education instructors and lets her in.
"Thank you," She nods at Josh, stepping onto the wood flooring after Josh steps aside. The woman is wearing casual clothing, much unlike the mandated uniforms from the Capitol's education division. She takes a look around at the living room she stepped into. Two couches line the walls. One faces towards a large flat-screen television, and the other faces toward the kitchen to the woman's right. A table in front of the latter couch has a vase of tall purple flowers. The stems are thick and dark green, leading up to purple petals that curve down from the pollen in the center. Each white tipped petal ends a third of the way down the stem.
What draws the woman's eye is not the flowers, but the vase they are held in. Blue stained glass panes ring the base then fan out with the vase's curve. Laying between the blue pieces of stained glass are purple pieces. Moving up the vase, the two colors criss-cross in a diamond pattern before it ends with a purple band on the lip of the vase. The teacher walks over to the table and takes a closer look at both the vase and the flowers.
"Crysanthian flowers, right?" The teacher runs a finger down one of the petals. She picks up on a vague mint scent crossed with a touch of vanilla. Joshua remains where he stands, giving her a quick nod at the question.
"The Jungle Dandelion, they call it," Joshua says. "Cliffside clearings are full of 'em. Dad said he used to brew the leaves to make a tea specific to that world." Joshua never tried it himself, as he feels that tea is too strong for him. His dad always told him that it left the taste of vanilla beans in his mouth. As always, he believed his father's words. The boy is not sure what other parts of the flower are useful. He looks on as the teacher licks at her finger, as if to confirm his words. She gives the flower a quizzical look before she looks over at Josh.
"Interesting taste," His teacher says. "Would be good as an alternative vanilla extract." She glances over at the plant, then looks over at Joshua with a sad smile. "Enough fawning over flora I won't see in my lifetime. Let's have a seat and talk about you." She sits in the nearby couch and motions for him to sit with her. He does after a moment of thought.
Joshua was not sure what all of this was about. To him, the third and fourth days should be for rest. The other days in the lunar cycle should be for work and school. To come in on the third day just to do school work, he presumed, is a violation of the truths he knew of the world. The week was nine days, so two were reserved for the self. He knows this to be unfalteringly true.
Is she here for praise? Is she here to criticize my work? Maybe she is here for my- no. No, that does not make sense. She would have asked for them. He becomes increasingly nervous. He picks up a pen by the vase and starts to click the button on the back end, stopping only when his teacher shoots him a stare of annoyance. He sets the pen down and sighs. If he wasn't going to tackle these emotions through physical means, he had to speak up about them. He started out with the most obvious question in his mind: "Why are you here?"
The teacher did not ask why he took so long to ask that. She flashes him a soft smile. He didn't know and she knew that. "I am here to give you an option. Shall we say a choice in what you want to go for when you grow up." The confusion in Joshua's eyes causes her to sigh internally. "Surely, you must know that Capitol citizens get special perks, right?"
Perks? Yes? His brow furrows in confusion. But why bring it up here? Protection from the outside, a monthly stipend, and the police here don't warrant a visit.
"Then I suppose I have to explain things. It's not a problem at all. They keep it mostly quiet for a reason. This is your fifteenth birthday, correct?" She asks, looking at him.
Joshua nods. "Yes ma'am, it is my fifteenth."
"Good. I don't wish to blindside you with sudden new information, but this is where we are in the current state of affairs. Generally, fifteen year olds are supposed to know what path they want to take in life. Some may become journalists, some may fall into the Capitol orchestras, like your mother. When you were young, you were likely asked what you wanted to be when you grew up. What was your response to that?"
"I... don't know, ma'am. I was never asked that. My parents didn't want to set me up for failure on that part, or so they said." Joshua clicks the pen a few times to stave off feelings of nervousness.
"A bit of childhood imagination wouldn't have hurt in that regard though."
"I had plenty of things to imagine and fantasize about. From my dad's stories to my mom's violin filling my ears. The images on the walls as well." Joshua motions to jungle wildlife paintings and white Crysanthian cliffs on the walls. "You care about my development, I know. Keep going. I'm fifteen, so what?"
"Sixteen years is when the mandatory schooling period is over, Josh." The teacher searches for his reaction and finds no shock there. His first day of school was a gentle reminder that they had one year to go. "A sixteenth birthday is a day of reckoning for students here in the Capitol. Why it is only here, I do not know. I am not here to question the Empire's education decisions nor their intent. I am merely here as a messenger. Starting today, you have one year to pick your path. Either you continue schooling with us, or you turn to the Empire and find work with them."
Joshua's mouth runs dry and his shoulders slump as if a great weight has been placed down on it. This decision should have been a slam dunk in his head. When he was younger, he had a desire to write, to create poetry and plays. His parents were a huge influence there. Now, he isn't sure why this is so hard for him. He knew what he was going to do, so why is he feeling this right now. Josh's negative reaction casts doubt over his teacher as well. She too, was expecting him to answer immediately.
"What's wrong, Joshua?" She asks. Her voice is initially shaky until she pulls it together.
"I thought I knew what I was going to do? Could be the threat of permanence as well."
"Keep in mind that you have a year. That should be enough to sort out whatever is going in your mind." She stands up. "I wish you the best of luck, Joshua." She then departs the house. She gets into her car and drives off, leaving Josh sitting in the room confused.
What... what do I do? He runs a hand through his hair gently. Without thinking, he puts on his shoes and runs out of the house. The unseasonably cool weather makes him slow down when he approaches the street. The sun was the only warm thing on his head and back. Joshua crosses the street, then pulls out his phone and starts a call.
A semi-soft female voice is on the other end of the line. "Hello?"
"Hi Carol, it's Josh again. Let's meet up in our usual spot? It's my birthday and I wish to spend it with you."
"I was going to call you and plan a meet up. Glad you beat me to the punch. I'll be on my way in fifteen." She hangs up.
Pocketing his phone, Josh takes a left onto a smaller side street. A sign with a park bench icon nailed onto a lamp post points in the direction he travels. Surprising to him, there aren't too many people outside. He walks past a mother pushing two kids in a stroller. He gives her a nod as he passes by, though he doesn't move his gaze to meet her own. Joshua would always stare at the sidewalk to amuse him. Even here, there were cracks in it. Along the way to the park, he passes by a number of apartment complexes spanning fifty to seventy-five floors.
So many people live in there, it's scary. He thinks. Josh breaks his gaze from the sidewalk and turns it to the giant beige buildings. You can't do much without distracting people. Joshua knew that at least half of the people in those buildings work for the government. Free rent with a government job was often cited as the reason normal civilians would even take a job like that.
I can't even begin imagining that. Mom's violin playing could be too loud, Joshua's mind continues. She would have to practice in the park. At least the park is closer? I guess so. Dad would be fine, I guess. I would be okay too. It's mom I'm concerned about. His gaze runs over the windows. Most had their blinds drawn down. He picks up snippets of conversations from a few open windows near the bottom floor.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for-" A male voice quips from a window near a bottom corner of the building.
"Billy needs to be picked up from the daycare..." A woman says, a floor above the man. She spots Joshua staring and shuts the window. The boy shifts a bit in place, uncomfortable that he has been spotted. The glimpses into the lives of others ends when Josh disappears past the next building. He turns his focus on the sidewalk ahead of him.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Look at me, being a fool on my own birthday, Josh thinks. He chuckles bitterly, angry and embarrassed that he was caught. He clears his head with a heavy sigh. Joshua's footsteps quicken on the concrete. The boy was itching to get to the park.
The sounds of children giggling and screaming draws his gaze to the park merry-go-round. Seeing the flash of the metal bars and the children's hair blowing in the wind brings comfort to his mind. Joshua quickly crosses the street and breaks into a jog. He passes by the merry-go-round, the swingset, and a series of slides before settling down on a park bench. He rests his hands on his legs and watches the children play.
A group of children by the slides huddle up for a moment, then break apart and scatter in different directions. The smallest child, a girl, starts chasing after one of the boys. Josh lets out a chuckle as she dives toward the boy and misses.
It's like an extreme game of tag, He thinks. God, I don't want to go back to those times. He shuts out the nostalgia before it could distract him from his birthday. The children were enough for him.
The girl gets up, then continues to chase the boys. A few clamber onto the jungle gym, dangling out of the reach of the girl. Josh watches her circle around it a few times. She swipes at legs whenever she gets close. A leap from her surprises one of the boys. She ends up tagging the boy on the ankle. She lands and giggles, then sprints away.
Movement in his peripheral vision attracts his gaze over. A somewhat tall, slim woman is walking up to him. Over her usually casual clothing, she is wearing a jacket with a few pockets in the front and sides. This stuck Josh as a bit odd, but he shrugs it off. Her black hair blows a bit with a gust of the wind, the purple highlights blowing with it. She smiles warmly and waves. She walks over to his bench and looks down at him.
"So, Josh, what's it feel like being a year older?" She asks, smiling happy at him.
Josh meets her smile with a soft one of his own. "Like any normal day, kind of." He was pretty happy Carol was here. It was a short fifteen minutes.
"But, you get to go out with me for a little while," Carol giggles softly. Joshua smiles and gives her a nod. "So, where do we go-" She pauses, suddenly remembering that she was forgetting something. She reaches into one of her front pockets and pulls out a small box. The wrapping on it is free of wrinkles and other defects, much unlike the presents his parents would wrap up for him. Written on the front is his name, in her characteristic fancy handwriting Joshua recognizes almost right away. Carol offers it up to him and Josh takes it. He looks up at her quizzically.
"Want to open it up now?" She asks with a smile. Joshua nods and carefully takes apart the wrapping paper and opens the box. Inside it is a silver necklace with a face of a silver wolf attached to it. Laying next to it is a smartwatch he hasn't really seen before. Unlike every other watch, it is brandless, and there is no port on the side for charging.
Custom made? He thinks. He puts the watch and the necklace on rather quickly. He pulls out his phone and connects it to the watch. He taps through a set of prompts asking to install apps onto the phone and watch. When he does so, the wolf eyes start to glow red and he hugs Carol.
"It's a special occasion. Why wouldn't I?" She hugs him tightly. "The app and that necklace charge off of kinetic energy quite efficiently. You won't run out of battery."
Hence the lack of charging port. Kinetic energy though? He racks his brain for any mentions of that energy source. AC power was struck off as relatively primitive, even though the power distribution systems were dependent on it. He then thought of the much more advanced Capitol and regional power generation systems. How the...? Nah, it's Carol. She... tends to defy explanation. If I asked, I would be even more perplexed.
Josh clears his mind. "You always give me really nice gifts," He says. "Let's walk." He nods at her.
"I always do, because that's all I know to give," She responds with a giggle. She follows him as he walks toward a nearby sidewalk. He heads down it, his gaze locks on small houses and apartments.
"I saw my favorite teacher today. It's... Saturday, you now," He says.
Carol falls silent for a moment in thought. "Why's that?"
"She came to me with an offer." Josh kicks a rock down the sidewalk, the sound of it calming his mind. "I'm... fifteen, so I was given a year to figure out if I wanted to specialize in civilian work or work in the public sector. At least, that's what I have extrapolated from her words. Either I work with the Empire, or stay in school."
Carol pauses a bit. "H-huh... and? Have you made any decisions?" She asks. Josh finds the question a bit absurd.
"It hasn't even been an hour. No, not yet," He says. Obviously. He inwardly sighs. "My parents want me to keep going to school. Even though I love my teachers, what they teach me isn't useful." He shakes his head slightly as he walks. Mostly not useful. The writing courses are... useful.
"School is rather boring. I'd know. I spent less time in school and more with my friends the older I got."
"It's more useless than it is boring. What do you suggest I do?" Josh looks over at her. He hoped she had an answer for him.
"If I were you, I'd specialize. What kind of work would be the most fun for you?"
Joshua shrugs, having never thought about the question. "Oh, I don't know."
Carol also shrugs. "Maybe coding? It's fun, always in demand, and the pay is good too."
Joshua shakes his head and sighs. He looks at the watch, admitting internally that the design and programming behind it is impressive. If she did it herself, it must have taken her a fair amount of time. Or, none at all. He could never be sure. "I have no interest in that." He says.
She hums a bit in thought. "What do you have an interest in?"
"Maybe film," He says after a few seconds. This earns him a smile from her.
"That would be interesting," She agrees. "At least it isn't the military."
"True, I guess. I have a year to think it over. I'll be... good." Josh frowns a bit.
Carol nods. "Let's go get some cake." The sudden shift in conversation throws him off slightly.
"Lead the way!"
Carol takes the lead and takes a right at the next intersection onto a more major street. As cars pass by, Josh glances at the tinted windows. He wondered what was inside those vehicles. Carol drops down her hand, offering it to him, but he does not see that. Her hand moves to his shoulder and rubs it gently.
"Why are your parents away anyways?" Carol asks. She knew they were away. He told her that a few days ago.
"They are still on the cruise," Joshua says.
"Ah... alright. They are taking a while."
"Well, they're going to one of the outer spirals," He quips. "Of course it'd take a while. I have three weeks to myself."
"Oh nice. Longest I ever got as a kid was three days."
Josh glances over at her. "When was that?"
"When I was eighteen in July."
Josh chuckles a bit. "Well, that must have been a million years ago."
"Eh, maybe a thousand or so," Carol giggles.
"You're old," Josh comments. His age felt insignificant compared to her own.
"Do I look old?" She looks over at him.
"No, but you're still old." Joshua pokes and prods at her arm.
"At least it isn't a million!" She giggles.
"Well, that'd be super old, then."
"I still feel like I'm 19."
"You're 19, but also a billion."
"I do not want to be that old." Carol says, watching as Josh kicks a larger rock down the sidewalk. His gaze turns back to the fancier buildings. Stores and shops lined the street. Between them lie nice houses for the owners. Two-story shops containing the store and the owner's house are scattered here and there. Carol's gaze is locked towards a semi small restaurant in the distance. Though small, it was one of her most favorite places in the Capitol. A few cars were parked out in the small parking lot next to the restaurant. Most were in reserved spaces.
"I don't see you enough," Her voice breaks the silence in the air. "We should get together more often. It's fun."
Joshua quickly thinks through all the times he is free. A few pop into his mind. "After school on Fridays?" He asks. He would prefer using the lunar calendar, but he wanted to make it easier for her to understand. He is surprised when she nods.
"Sounds good with me," She says.
Josh nods and looks ahead. "How close are we to cake?" He asks.
She motions to the restaurant. "Almost there."
His gaze falls on the restaurant she indicated. "I've never been here. At least, I think," He comments. The two fall into silence as they finish up the last hundred feet or so. Carol stops in front of the entrance.
"Best cake in the city," Carol comments.
"Then I have definitely not been here," He quips.
"Let's go in, then. I made a reservation yesterday," She giggles.
"You thought ahead."
"I did. Why wouldn't I?"
Joshua shrugs as he heads in. Carol walks in next to him and stops at the front. "I'm here for a reservation. Carolina Tatsu." The person behind the counter checks a list in front of her, then leads them to a table near a back corner. She leaves menus for them, then leaves.
Joshua sits down in the inside chair. Carol sits across from him and peers down at the menu. "Do you want normal food here?" She asks.
"Just cake," Joshua says with a smile. He turns the menu's pages over until he sees the cake section. The options of layering, frosting, and the base of the cake overwhelms him at first.
"Pick whichever one you want the most," Carol says, smiling back at him.
Joshua scans through the options, takes a deep breath, then hones in on what he wants. A single layer cake sounds good to him. He wanted to keep the stress low for the bakers that had to fulfill their order. His gaze falls on the most popular option on the menu: Chocolate.
Makes sense to me. He licks his lips. "Chocolate," He says. "A chocolate cake, please."
"No drink?" Carol asks.
"No drink."
"Alright, sounds good to me," Carol closes the menu. Josh mimics her and leans back in his chair. He was running out of things to talk about.
Well, this is certainly nice, He thinks. Am here with my most favorite person, besides my parents. What am I doing, but not holding discussions with her? What do I have to say? Hm...
"School is... okay," He says, suddenly breaking the silence. "My writing and painting classes are going well. I'd show my mom what I made if they allowed me to. They don't."
"Why don't they?" Carol asks after a bit of thought.
"If only I could answer that myself," Joshua sighs. "They are so strict in that regard. I don't like it. I could rebel, but that could ruin my chances to advance."
Carol remains silent. She figures he has more to say.
"My writing class is exempt from that for some reason. I like that one better. We're between projects at the moment."
She looks over at him. "Oh?"
"One set of short stories," Joshua says. "I turned that in on... Earth Wednesday? They'll have it graded by the following Wednesday. The next is a set of poems. I have been told that the grading is going to be stricter. I don't know what that is going to be about, to be honest. I think dad is looking forward to reading it."
"He reads your work?" She asks.
"Of course," Josh smiles. "I'm his kid. Why wouldn't he? Besides, writers look to others for inspiration. Or, so I'm told. I haven't taken his criticisms into account yet."
Carol tilts her head a little bit. "What does he... tell you?"
"Well, he says it's the work of a 14 year old boy. He wasn't expecting a masterpiece. He pointed out a few... easy spelling errors as well." Josh says. "Generally, it's light criticism. I think he knows how bad it can get."
His caretaker nods, flagging down a passing waitress. "We're ready to order. A layer of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting." She says. The waitress writes it down, then walks away.
Joshua frowns a bit. "Wasn't that... rude?"
"I wouldn't do it if it was rude. The servers here are a lot more casual than the ones closer to the Capitol building." Carol explains. She motions around the restaurant.
Joshua takes her suggestion and looks around. He is somewhat surprised to see that the restaurant is pretty much empty, besides the waitstaff. "What, you reserve the whole place?" He asks. "Looks like it to me."
"Nope," She giggles. "I know when to make a reservation here. We should get our cake in 20 minutes or so. Maybe 15 from how simple you made it." Carol pats at his head.
"I'm no dog," He chuckles.
"I know!" Carol giggles with him. She relaxes further into her seat.
Josh falls into silence. He wasn't sure what he should say next. Internally, he's happy he is here. Looking ahead, he is not sure what he will do next. Nervous feelings creep back into him a bit. Gently, he shakes his head.
"What's wrong?" Carol asks.
Drat. She saw the headshake. He grimaces, then sighs. "It's nothing."
Carol sighs as well, not willing to let him go like that. She keeps looking at him.
"Fine. I'm worrying about the decision I am going to make in the future." Josh relents.
"Don't. It's your birthday, Josh." She gives him a reassuring smile. She pats his shoulder gently. Josh's nervousness fades away when she lifts her hand for the last time, as if it took the feelings with it.
"I should... relax. It's my special day," He sighs softly. "You're right."
"Don't apologize either. It's not your fault." Carol rubs at his head, then closes her eyes and relaxes further.
"I don't want you falling asleep on me," Joshua chuckles. "That would be bad."
She reopens her eyes and giggles. "I know!"
The two then fall silent once more, retreating into their own thoughts. Carol had very few, while Josh kept his restrained. They snap out of it when a chocolate cake is set in front of them. The waitress places plates, silverware, and a large knife in front of them.
"If you need anything, feel free to ask," She gives the two a nod, before walking away.
"Birthday boy gets first slice," Carol giggles.
"Birthday boy cuts the cake," Joshua quips. He divides the cake into mostly equal eighths. The inconsistency is spotted by Carol, yet she does not comment on it.
Joshua takes the slice closest to him and puts it on his plate. Carol takes the smallest, then nods at him. Josh tries a small chunk of the cake. The chocolate taste is almost too rich for him. The sugar cut into it enough to tone it down. Carol happily digs into her slice. To him, she doesn't look bothered by it.
Good on her for being used to it, He thinks. He takes a bigger chunk out of his slice and eats it. The boy regrets that he didn't ask for water. As the inside of his mouth was drying up, Carol was slowly eating her slice. She made sure she savored each and every bite. Josh starts cutting his cake into smaller chunks, then starts eating those chunks.
Ten minutes pass without many words spoken between the two. Half of the cake is gone, and Josh doesn't feel like he could continue. He asks a waitress for a container to put the cake in, then chuckles. "Sorry to cut this short, Carol. I don't want to... have it all on one sitting. You can come over and split it with me."
"Split it with your parents," She says, smiling. "Don't worry about me coming over to get some. This is your day."
"You sure about that?" He asks.
Carol nods. The waitress comes back with a clear top for the cake and a bill. She slides it on, leaves more than enough money on the table, then picks up the plate and leaves. The hostess at the front waves at them as they step outside.
"Well, Joshua, what next?" She asks. Joshua looks at the time on his new watch and shrugs.
"I should head back," He admits. "Unless..." He rubs his shoulder gently, sighing. "Unless I get bored again. If I do, would you come over?"
"Certainly. How about I walk you back?" She smiles, a bit disappointed that he had to cut the meeting so short. She understood why he would do it though. Carol starts to head back the way she came.
"Thank you, really," Joshua follows her, drawing up to her side and keeping pace with her. They take it slowly, savoring every moment they spend on the sidewalk.
Joshua's gaze turns toward the buildings he passed by not even an hour earlier. He liked the variety of the restaurants and shops here. He knew his parents went further out, possibly for the discounts the Capitol all-in-one stores give the family. He never went to the stores while he was on vacation. He knew Carol was more important to him than some store in a district he has never been in.
I vowed to explore places, He thinks, remembering that his parents wouldn't allow him out of certain districts on his thirteenth birthday. In response, he told himself that he would step foot in every district, including the Queen's Court in the northern central district. He knew it was a large task to finish. Sub-districts within the center of the city was often locked off to normal Capitol citizens, even when the Queen allows visitors into her chambers.
White Pine, Central Square, Mattiston, that's all, He rubs at his chin. His gaze flicks away from a battered sign that states the shop sells alcohol. He speeds up a bit, uncomfortable by the presence of the shop. Why didn't I see that earlier? He grunts in annoyance, then slows down until Carol is beside him. Her hand pats his shoulder gently. It comforts him. He nods at her in thanks.
Twenty minutes pass quickly for the two. Josh kept himself busy kicking rocks and looking at the Capitol citizens they share the sidewalk with. The boy would wave, but only get stares back. The boy never read into the stares too much, otherwise, it would bother him even more. He is much more concerned with those in his age group.
His gaze flicks from the sidewalk to the small white house Josh calls home. Right there and then, he feels as if he doesn't want to go back. As always, he turns away from the deepest desires of his heart and enters the confines of his home. Carol gives Josh one last wave before disappearing behind an alleyway, leaving the street as quiet and empty as it was when the sun rose.