Chapter Nine: Iris

Hunter and I went back to our barracks after we ate. We held hands the entire way back and even kissed a few times. Once we got back we both went into the bathrooms to take showers before bed. I got out first and laid down on one of the beds to wait for Hunter. My mind started to wander again. I didn't really know what I was doing anymore. Before this whole thing happened I actually had a plan for my future. My plan was to study to become a doctor after I turned eighteen. That wasn't all I wanted to do though. I always had a passion for anything creative. I loved painting pictures of things I had seen in the Pine Forest, trees so beautiful they took your breath away, birds so colorful they could blind you, even the small creeks that ran through the entire forest. I also loved to write, it was just another way I could be creative. One thing that I planned to do when I got older was to write down my experiences as one of the Gifted, and hopefully shed light on some of the misunderstandings that come with being one. Something else that I was sure of was, that I wasn't going to have any kids. I couldn't possibly burden a child with the life of the Gifted. But none of that mattered now. I was officially a known fugitive and I knew that the Recruiters would not stop until they found me. My future was even more uncertain now than ever before.

* * *

Hunter and I slept in the same bed. it was different than I was normally used to. we woke up at around 6 in the morning in order to make it to breakfast on time. We sat down at the tables in the mess hall and ate a breakfast of scrambled eggs, a side of fruit, and orange juice. Hunter finished early so he made his way back to the Barracks and let me finish my food in peace. I was about to finish when all of a sudden Calvin sat down next to me.

"Oh, hey Calvin."

"Hey, Iris. Listen I need to talk to you about something." His hands were fidgeting and he looked really nervous. "Ok. What is it?" He looked away for a second and then said, "Not here. Follow me. We need to go somewhere more private." I was really confused, "Why can't we talk here." He struggled to answer for a moment and then said, "Just trust me okay. Come on, let's go." He took my hand and led me out of the mess hall. We walked past all of the Barracks and headed into the dense forest that surrounded the camp.

We kept walking deeper into the forest for about another five minutes before arriving on the shore of a small creek. It was bordered by boulders and Calvin headed straight for them. We sat on a boulder that stood high above the ground, providing a nice view. I looked at Calvin, about to ask him what we were doing here, but I stopped mid-sentence because when I looked at him, he was staring right at me. Almost like he was staring deep into my soul. Before I knew it, he leaned in and placed his lips on mine.

I was too stunned to move, too stunned to react in any way. Instead, I just sat there in shock, wondering what exactly was happening. After what seemed like a millennia, he pulled away and we both took a deep breath. He did that thing again, where he stared straight into my soul. I started to panic. There were so many thoughts and worries floating through my mind that I couldn't make sense of any of them. I started to shake my head violently, in the vain hope that it would clear my head. Eventually, I was able to decipher one question, "Wh...why?"

Calvin kissed me again and said, "Because I love you." My mind exploded right then and there, "What?" He took both of my hands in his, "I know you and Hunter are together, but you can't deny the fact that there's something between us. I know you noticed what happened on that hovercraft. It wasn't just me. We belong together. I don't care how long it takes you to realize that. Because I'll wait for you, as long as it takes." And with that final terrifying sentence, he disappeared in a flurry of snow.