smart?”
Lily frowned. “What’s that mean?”
The other girl’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry,
it was a joke.”
“Oh, um, okay.” Lily blushed. “Guess I’m not
so smart after all.”
Treya smiled again and tucked her hair
behind her ear. They all wore the same hairstyle now, with it cut
to a length that was just below their jaw. Lily let hers fall where
it wanted most of the time; she had better things to worry about
than how her hair looked. “Don’t worry, we’re all new here.
Besides, my family were fishermen; it’s not like I’ve got any room
to talk!”
Lily fell in beside her and tried to keep up
with the people waving and greeting her as she walked with Treya
towards her classroom. Their conversation was limited by
interruptions and when Lily arrived at her class, she realized they
hadn’t really said anything useful at all. Some talk about what
they liked and what the future might hold, but nothing about what
they’d left behind. She walked into her class and took her seat,
feeling like something was missing.
“Hey, Lil,” Trix greeted her from the seat
behind her.
“Hi,” Lily responded on autopilot.
“Uh oh, what’s wrong?”
Lily’s breath caught in her throat. She
glanced at the instructor who was waiting for class to start. She
couldn’t talk about her missing family and friends; they’d been
told repeatedly to look to the future of humanity, not to the past.
The past was where mistakes were made. “Just worried about Kami,”
she said instead of facing her own troubles. “I tried to catch her
in the hall but she ignored me and shut herself in her room.”
“Oh. Well, she’s been kind of feeling bad
lately. First, um, you know, what happened, and then she didn’t do
so good on her tests.”
“So? That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be
her friend,” Lily said.
Trix sighed. “You’re special, Lily.”
“Stop it! I am not.”
“Come on, Lil, look at what you did! You’re
like a genius or something.”
“No I’m not.”
“Then how did you do so good? I know you’re
hearing the same rumors I am—you’re rated the highest on the
station—on all the stations—because you’re only fourteen.”
“So what,” Lily argued. “A lot can
change.”
Trix ignored her protests. “How did you
learn all that stuff? Those tests were hard!”
“I don’t know. Krys’s mom made learning fun
for us. That and the rest of it I figured out. I didn’t get
everything right. I mean, there was a lot of stuff I guessed or
just didn’t know. Maybe I just got lucky?”
Trix rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure you did.
Lucky every time. I don’t think so.”
Lily slumped in her chair. “I don’t want to
be different.”
“Hey, even if you are a freak, it’s cool.
I’ll still be your friend.”
Lily snorted. “Great.”
“Hey!”
“No! I didn’t mean anything bad! I meant the
part about being a freak.”
“I was just teasing.”
Lily nodded and sighed. She opened her mouth
when the teacher, Instructor Doleen, signaled for the door to shut
and stood up to begin class. Lily spun around in her seat and
focused on the teacher. They’d only been in class a few days so far
but the lessons weren’t nearly as much fun as they had been with
Krys’s mom. Although having Krys there with her to help her take
her mind off things had helped, too.
“Young misses, before we begin I have a
request for Miss Lily Strain to head to the administration office
when class is over. Any questions?”
Lily sat upright and glanced around to see
everyone staring at her. She felt her cheeks warm.
“Miss Strain?”
“Sorry, ma’am,” Lily stammered. “No ma’am,
no questions.”
“Good, then let’s move on to where we left
off yesterday with advanced geometry.”
Lily sank back in her seat and let her mind
wander. Geometry was easy. Advanced geometry, according to
Instructor Doleen, was what Lily had learned a couple of years ago
while playing in the fields with her
Lily frowned. “What’s that mean?”
The other girl’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry,
it was a joke.”
“Oh, um, okay.” Lily blushed. “Guess I’m not
so smart after all.”
Treya smiled again and tucked her hair
behind her ear. They all wore the same hairstyle now, with it cut
to a length that was just below their jaw. Lily let hers fall where
it wanted most of the time; she had better things to worry about
than how her hair looked. “Don’t worry, we’re all new here.
Besides, my family were fishermen; it’s not like I’ve got any room
to talk!”
Lily fell in beside her and tried to keep up
with the people waving and greeting her as she walked with Treya
towards her classroom. Their conversation was limited by
interruptions and when Lily arrived at her class, she realized they
hadn’t really said anything useful at all. Some talk about what
they liked and what the future might hold, but nothing about what
they’d left behind. She walked into her class and took her seat,
feeling like something was missing.
“Hey, Lil,” Trix greeted her from the seat
behind her.
“Hi,” Lily responded on autopilot.
“Uh oh, what’s wrong?”
Lily’s breath caught in her throat. She
glanced at the instructor who was waiting for class to start. She
couldn’t talk about her missing family and friends; they’d been
told repeatedly to look to the future of humanity, not to the past.
The past was where mistakes were made. “Just worried about Kami,”
she said instead of facing her own troubles. “I tried to catch her
in the hall but she ignored me and shut herself in her room.”
“Oh. Well, she’s been kind of feeling bad
lately. First, um, you know, what happened, and then she didn’t do
so good on her tests.”
“So? That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be
her friend,” Lily said.
Trix sighed. “You’re special, Lily.”
“Stop it! I am not.”
“Come on, Lil, look at what you did! You’re
like a genius or something.”
“No I’m not.”
“Then how did you do so good? I know you’re
hearing the same rumors I am—you’re rated the highest on the
station—on all the stations—because you’re only fourteen.”
“So what,” Lily argued. “A lot can
change.”
Trix ignored her protests. “How did you
learn all that stuff? Those tests were hard!”
“I don’t know. Krys’s mom made learning fun
for us. That and the rest of it I figured out. I didn’t get
everything right. I mean, there was a lot of stuff I guessed or
just didn’t know. Maybe I just got lucky?”
Trix rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure you did.
Lucky every time. I don’t think so.”
Lily slumped in her chair. “I don’t want to
be different.”
“Hey, even if you are a freak, it’s cool.
I’ll still be your friend.”
Lily snorted. “Great.”
“Hey!”
“No! I didn’t mean anything bad! I meant the
part about being a freak.”
“I was just teasing.”
Lily nodded and sighed. She opened her mouth
when the teacher, Instructor Doleen, signaled for the door to shut
and stood up to begin class. Lily spun around in her seat and
focused on the teacher. They’d only been in class a few days so far
but the lessons weren’t nearly as much fun as they had been with
Krys’s mom. Although having Krys there with her to help her take
her mind off things had helped, too.
“Young misses, before we begin I have a
request for Miss Lily Strain to head to the administration office
when class is over. Any questions?”
Lily sat upright and glanced around to see
everyone staring at her. She felt her cheeks warm.
“Miss Strain?”
“Sorry, ma’am,” Lily stammered. “No ma’am,
no questions.”
“Good, then let’s move on to where we left
off yesterday with advanced geometry.”
Lily sank back in her seat and let her mind
wander. Geometry was easy. Advanced geometry, according to
Instructor Doleen, was what Lily had learned a couple of years ago
while playing in the fields with her
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