Tempus

That night we had dinner in a small conference room. They did not want to integrate us just yet due to the shock some trainees get after switching, usually life chips not processing information cause this type of shock. The life chips are sensitive, sometimes even deadly.
Oliver talked with Jacob quietly as Leo and Kay started to talk. I was left to my own devices. If Sally were here we’d talk about what a drag Kay is and how Oliver is less than a foot across from me at the table but I haven’t thought much of Sally. She was probably injecting someone with a sedative or taking on brain surgery.
“Mer,” Oliver said to me in a low voice. “Are you alright?”
I looked at the scar above his eye, the way he stared at me and I could only shrug.
“Come on,” he nodded toward the door. We both got up and disposed of our food trays.
“Where are you going?” Leo asked us.
Oliver looked toward him and spoke confidently, “Back to the dorms.”
Leo eyed us but turned away. “Remember, no canoodling between trainees!” Taylor said loudly.
We both smiled and I blushed. We couldn’t go anywhere alone during training, we had to have a buddy walking with us at all times until we were familiar with the grounds. That could take months because it was so big and there were so many twists and turns.
Oliver led me back to the dorms and he placed his hand on the door, it opened and he made it seem effortless.
He led me up the stairs and we both sat on the ledge of the window facing each other.
“You know, I never thought you’d stay,” he told me. “you didn’t belong.”
He looked at me and smiled.
“What do you mean?” I blurted out.
“You were always a fighter,” he smiled at me. “Do you remember when we were in second grade and Azia Berkley took Sally’s lunch and you threatened to make her pay?” he asked and then he started to laugh. “You punched her.”
He had himself in a fit of laughter. “I got a letter sent home and Azia switched classes,” I told him grinning.
“I’m afraid,” I told him and he leaned toward me.
“It will be okay,” he assured. “We can get through training together,” he put his hand on mine and I felt all the heat rush into my stomach.
“They can’t be that bad,” I told him. “Well, that Kay girl is…” I trailed off as the door opened. Taylor came walking in with the rest of the group behind her.
“Sorry, lovebirds,” Taylor chirped. “Curfew.”
Leo stood there and stared at us as Peter went up to the boys dorm and Taylor, with Kay in tow, walked up to the girls dorm.
“Let’s go,” Leo said.
Oliver gave my hand a light squeeze that made my stomach do a flip and he smiled at me. It couldn’t be that bad if he was here.
Oliver walked up the stairs and Leo didn’t break his gaze from me.
“Goodnight,” I said to him quietly.
“Goodnight, Meredith,” he said to me as I walked up the stairs and the door opened automatically.
Kay was singing to herself as she got a pair of thick wool pajamas The Hunters gave to all of their trainees. We didn’t get to have normal Hunter clothes until we passed training. Then we could buy stuff from the designated shops.
“So, how long have you been together?” Taylor asked me.
I blushed. “We aren’t.”
“No hiding that you like him,” Kay scoffed from the other side of the room. “You turn as red as a tomato when he is here.”
Taylor rolled her eyes and looked at me. “Be careful,” she whispered. “Affection doesn’t go over well here, especially not during training. We are hunters, we are supposed to be mute about our feelings,” she said jokingly, “as for,” she looked at Kay, “ignore it.”
I smiled at her feeling a sense of comfort and she smiled back at me.
“Alright, ladies, good night. Training starts early so rest up,” she told us as she put her hand on the door and walked out.
Kay started to strip down in front of me and I looked away.
“We are both girls,” she said to me. “Don’t be such a prude.”
I ignored her comment and walked into the bathroom and turned the faucet on. My cheeks were flushed but my eyes were bright blue. I was still plain, I was still Meredith, I am now a hunter, and tomorrow I’d learn to put meaning behind that word.
Sally would probably think it is so silly. I didn’t want to think of Sally, she was doing exactly what she wanted and she had an idea of her life.
My mom would have the answer; she had an answer for everything. I wouldn’t be able to see her until after my training when I decided to stay or go. Parents are not allowed to cloud their child’s judgment on what they want and what the Tempus needs. The Tempus would be evaluating everyone after training to make sure we fit perfectly. They sometimes hand picked certain trainees to work for government designated jobs.
I couldn’t wrap my head around tomorrow and what it’d be like.

~*~

Sleep wasn’t happening anytime soon and I felt myself needing to get up. I walked to the door and put my hand on it, praying it’d open quietly and it did. I sat on the window ledge where Oliver and I sat just a few hours ago. The Center was still lit up but clouds covered the illumination.
“Meredith?”
I looked up, almost panicked, at Leo in a plain white t-shirt and shorts.
“Hi,” I said shyly.
“Couldn’t sleep?” He asked leaning against the ledge.
I shook my head and chewed on the inside of my cheek. He looked out of the window for a few minutes and we didn’t say anything.
“It feels so stuffy in this place,” I told him and regretted it the moment it came out and he laughed.
“I get it,” he said to me, “It can be hard to escape.”
He was a leader and he was talking about escape.
“I miss my bed,” I told him honestly. “Does it get easier?” I asked him and he smiled.
“Maybe, sometimes after your life chip gets checked so much you lose your sense of what your home is to you anymore and this,” he looked around, “becomes more normal to you.”
“We had lots of windows,” I murmured.
“There are some nice spots around here I can show you sometime,” he told me. The word sometime stuck with me. “but you need to get some rest. Tomorrow will be tough.”
“I won’t,” I gulped, “have to kill anyone?”
A laugh escaped his lips and he said, “Tomorrow will be about defense.”
I took a deep breath even though he didn’t answer my question.
“Why are you awake?” I asked him.
He looked at me and his eyes stood out in the moonlight, “You ask a lot of questions for someone who is supposed to know a lot of the answers.”
I looked at him and it clicked, “I’m not medical, my parents are,” I told him as I hopped off the ledge and he grabbed my hand to help me. There wasn’t a spark, just a lot of blood flowing to my arm. When he let go, I felt the pressure of his hand still in my palm.
“You are a Hunter,” he said reassuring, “I will see you tomorrow,” he smiled at me as I walked up the stairs and back into my room.