The VFMS Spark | Page 84

“You’re up! Good. Breakfast is downstairs, eat quickly and come up to wash and get

dressed.”

I headed downstairs in a bleary-eyed state and gobbled down the bacon and eggs. My mom was right, I should have eaten last night. I was starving. Full and completely awake now, I walked back up the stairs to fix myself up. I grabbed the pale blue button up shirt and black dress pants and went to take a shower. The water helped me clear my mind.

I thought to myself, “You have nothing to worry about, it’ll be fine. It always is. Just look at your parents, they’re happy enough.”

I tried to keep that in mind as I put on the outfit my mom planned for me. It was a lot fancier than what I usually wore and I couldn’t help but wonder what Joanna would think of it. Then again, it didn’t really matter, we’d already been paired. I brushed my hair with a sigh and after checking myself one more time in the mirror I went to help my mom and dad set up.

The dreaded hour of 12 arrived and my dad vigorously patted me on the back and whispered, “You got this Si,” just as we saw the Scotts approach. Joanna was in a royal blue dress that went down to her knees with lace around the dress that looked like leaves and her dirty-blonde hair was pulled back in a braided bun Upon seeing her, my dad whispered in my ear, “she’s a pretty one son,”and pulled away laughing before I could hit him.

I opened the door for them and stammered, “H-Hi Joanna, nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Scott.” Hands were shaken and food was served, I actually had a pretty good time and I made Joanna laugh a couple times.

After they left my mom gloated, “See Simon, nothing to worry about, that went perfectly.” I mumbled an agreement but before I could think of a comeback there was a knock on the front door.

“Go and answer, maybe they forgot something.”

I opened the door and started to say, “Hey Joanna, did you forget...,” but my voice died off when I realized the person standing in front of me wasn’t Joanna at all. A girl around my age looked back at me but I didn’t recognize her.

“Do I know you?” I asked.

“I’m sure you don’t because I come from the surface.”

My mind suddenly went blank and I stood frozen at the doorway.

My mom called to me, “Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine,” I reply.

The whole time the girl just stared at me with barely concealed impatience.

Who did she think she was?

I ushered her outside and I told my mom I was going for a walk before closing the door behind me.

“Come on,” I tell the girl, “You can’t be found here.”

After I’d taken her to the most secluded part of town I could find I turned to her and finally said what’d been on my mind the whole time.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“I’m Sierra."

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