Chase The Skies

*BEEP*

The soft luminous lights throughout an underground city come to life. Refurbished homes all around coming to life as it's entrapped citizens begin the new day.

Despite its unfortunate location underground it was still the beautifully lit remnants of the old capital of Lux.

Driven underground during the war between nations the Jaran refugees who once called Lux home were sentenced to an eternity of cloudless days and starless nights.

Working together they made the best of their situation and created a beautifully illuminated town with old buildings converted to places for markets, learning, research facilities, homes and everything else people would need for a society.

A somewhat unwanted acceptance to their fate was the norm as previous attempts at escape had proven fatal for some.

The quiet hum of the city coming alive may as well have been an industrial strength drill piercing through the ears of one particular teen who's still foggy half asleep brain was suddenly swamped with a feeling of dread at the realization of what today was.

"Why's it day 1 again" a still tired teenager said to no one in particular. "Guess I gotta get up" he continued as the dim colorful lights from outside his window begun to shine off his brown skin and illuminate his hazel eyes.

As if on cue he sees an envelope being slipped under his door. He rises to his feet and retrieves the familiar parcel.

Inside is a sum of money with a letter attached which reads:

"To Mr. Kosi Blue. Please find the attached sum of 100 Bells as your assigned financial aid by the states orphan fund for the week. Please use responsibly and enjoy."

Kosi folded the letter up into a paper airplane and poorly attempted to shoot it into his bin. "Ah well" he shrugs as he sees it nosedive a few millimeters off its target and land on the floor.

After preparing and hounding down his breakfast Kosi set out to do his self assigned exercise routine. Scribbled out in a hard to read handwriting he proceeded to complete the tiresome exercise before looking up to the caverns that covered his town. "One day" he said with a smirk.

After showering and brushing his teeth he did his best to tidy up his hair, wincing at the comb getting caught up in the knots.

Dressed in his finest baggy sweats he proceeded to head out not before backtracking to retrieve his breathing mask. Putting it on he heads out on the busy street heading to school.

Walking down the roads illuminated by the streetlights and luminous signs on route to school he was startled by a sharp point poking him in the back. His startled awkward jolt was met with a familiar and playful snicker as he turned to see the beautiful yet mischievous smile of his best friend Rue looking back up at him.

"Hey doll face" she said pulling his mask down to look at his face flushed with embarrassment. "There that's better. You're cuter when you're not hiding" she says with a hint of longing, walking up next to him holding the book she used to probe him with.

"Yeah yeah hey" he replied pulling his mask down below his chin looking visibly embarrassed and actively trying to hide his joy at seeing her.

"Aww grumpy this morning are we" she said teasing him. Rising to her toes to get right up to his face she continued "who am I supposed to poke? Hmm maybe I'll let you start poke me" she said into his ear in a successful attempt to fluster him.

Feeling his face warm up Kosi just focused on attempting to change the topic. "So what are you doing after school?" he said clearly panicked, his face getting warmer.

"Smooth diversion there bro" Rue said adjusting her short black hair. "Well probably just finishing this book I got on the surface world" she continued.

"Again?" Kosi remarked. "No genius, it's a different one". "But u always reading about the surface world what could u possibly still have to learn about it?" they said back and forth.

"Well here look at this!" Rue said as she held the book open in front of Kosi's face completely ignoring the growing crowd around them. In it was a sketch of a rainbow. "What's that?" Kosi said visibly unimpressed.

"Remember when I explained what rain was and how it worked?" Rue said visibly excited. "Oh yeah water out of the sky, what about it".

"Well this is what happens when that stops" she said pointing to the sketch of the crescent shape of the rainbow over a hill.

"I dont get it they're just stripes aren't they?" He said confused.

"Man you just don't read huh? Anyway they're called a rainbow and those aren't random stripes they're all different colors" she responded pointing at the picture.

"Isn't the sky already blue, how does it get the other colors" he said now curious. "We gotta get to school I'll tell u later, ok?" She looked up at him now surrounded by others heading into school.

"It's a deal" he says raising his hand extending his pinky finger. Rue was visibly moved. "You hated doing this when we were kids" she says intertwining her pinky finger with his amidst the growing crowd heading towards the building.

"Do you have to remind me every time we do this now" he says coyly. "Who's gonna bully you if I don't" she says scrunching her delicate features in a toothy smile.

"Trust me people got that covered" he says smiling in an even more obnoxious way. "Difference is I'd kiss your cheek better after I smack you" she says leaning in slowly. He freezes looking at her button nose and full lips before melting at seeing the glint in her beautiful brown eyes as she boops him on the nose.

"Boop, button nose" she says as she walks off into the school. "Put your mask back on K can't have u dying on me" she continued before disappearing into the crowd.

In a mixture of fluster and confusion he let out a cough before putting his breathing mask on and remembering what he now has to endure inside the otherwise delicately lit lively building.