Aligned (13 page)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

As it turns out, it did get worse, much worse. I stare in the full length mirror. After Aspen spent half a day getting me ready for my party, I was amazed when I saw the outcome. Now I don’t know what I am, but amazed I am not; closer to horrified, maybe. Looking at my reflection in the mirror I see a young looking sixty-year-old woman.

My hair has been colored, cut, teased, puffed, sprayed and who knows what else. I am wearing a tweed jacket with a very itchy matching skirt. I have no clue what this color is called; it’s a mix of beige, rose, and olive green. It looks about as attractive as it sounds. Itchy seems to be the theme because the nylons I have on feel like they are filled with ants. My shoes are the chunkiest things I’ve ever seen, and I’m not even picky when it comes to shoes. I’m pretty sure Aspen would die if she saw this outfit.

I knew Clarisse had it in for me, and if her attitude didn’t reflect that, this little makeover only proves it. I don’t look like a mature young adult; I look like a little girl playing dress up. If I was uncomfortable with the idea of speaking to so many people before this, my new look has done nothing to build my confidence. I take a deep breath and turn to face the firing squad…I mean Cassandra and her helpers.

“Thank you so much for all your hard work, ladies. I know it took you half a day and I do appreciate all the time and effort you spent. However, I don’t think this look is really me.”

There, I said it as nice as I could.

“Nonsense,” Cassandra says while waving my comment away with her hand. “This is exactly the look the Council had in mind for you.”

Yep, this is for sure a set up. Cassandra has impeccable taste in her own clothes, there’s no way she thinks this looks good. I smile, thank Cassandra, and run out of there as fast as I can. I didn’t realize how late it was until I notice everyone in the office has gone home. I get my stuff and head for home.

Everyone is in the dining room already eating when I walk into the house. As soon as they spot me the noise and chatter instantly halts, and the only sound is Wes’s fork hitting his plate. Dex’s eyes look like they’re going to bug out of his head and Molly must blink at least fifty times. Of course Molly is the first to recover and also the first to speak.

“What on earth happened to you?”

I decide to play along. “I had my makeover, don’t you like it?” I say, feigning as much innocence as I can muster.

Molly bursts out laughing and Dex clears his throat.

“Um, yes, well then, it looks…nice, doesn’t it, Molly?” Dex asks, shooting her a pointed look.

She is trying to suppress her laughter. Wes, on the other hand, never one to get subtle hints, is flabbergasted.

“You have got to be kidding me. Nice? She doesn’t look nice, she looks horrible!” He stands up and starts to pace. “They ruined you, Roz! Ruined! You don’t look like you at all; please tell me you aren’t going to keep this horrible look! No! No, no this won’t do, this won’t do at all.” Wes looks at me with pleading eyes while he paces back and forth.

“I don’t think I have a choice, Wes. It was the Council’s decision; they don’t like my look.”

Wes turns his icy glare on Dex, charging him like a bull. “This is your fault, you fix it! This is not Roz, she looks like an imposter, and there is no way anyone is going to take her seriously. FIX. IT. DEXTER!”

Wes abruptly spins on his heel and stalks out of the room.

“That wasn’t overreacting at all,” Dexter mumbles sarcastically.

“You know Wes doesn’t like change, Dex. And he’s right, I don’t look anything like me. I can’t go in front of the whole country looking like I’m trying to be someone I’m not. This isn’t a small wardrobe change.”

“All right, I’ll deal with the Council. Make sure you look somewhat presentable, and you can lose the grandma garb.”

I give him a big smile. “Thanks, Dex. Don’t worry, I’m going to have Natasha come over and fix me. I’m afraid if I call Aspen she might never recover.”

Molly laughs at that, knowing Aspen all too well.

The next day all of us spend time together. Natasha, Masters, Andi, and Jeff come over and we share stories about Green, then play games, cook together, and watch movies. It’s nice to remember our friend and spend quality time together. It also helps keep my mind from wandering to tomorrow’s events. Once everyone has left and I have a promise from Natasha to be back early with everything I need to look “non-old-lady-like,” I pour myself into bed and fall instantly to sleep.

***

“Shhh, Roz, it’s okay. Roz wake up! It’s only a dream. Come on, wake up.”

My eyes shoot open and I look into the worried eyes of my best friend.

“Bad dream?” he asks.

I can’t talk so I just nod. I am sweating horribly, and I apparently tore the covers and sheets off of my bed. Wes doesn’t say anything; he just climbs into bed with me. I know I must have been screaming pretty loudly because my throat feels raw and sore. I take a drink of water that’s on the nightstand next to the bed and I lay back down, crying silently. Wes wipes my tears away with his thumb and rubs my back. It’s been like this ever since the shooting. Days are bad enough, and nights I can’t turn it off. The shooting replays itself over and over in my mind: the blood, the coughing, Green’s lifeless eyes.

“It’s okay, I’m here, and it was only a bad dream. I’ll stay with you and you can go back to sleep.”

“I don’t want to close my eyes again…I can’t see it again.”

“Green?”

Again I can only nod.

“Remember when I was little and I used to have those really bad dreams that I killed my mom over and over again?”

How could I forget? It was horrible. Wes would wake up screaming and shaking, screaming that he killed her. It would take hours to calm him down and I’m pretty sure that was when his not sleeping pattern started.

“Do you remember what you did? You told me that nightmares feed off of the person’s fears and couldn’t happen if someone was with you. You weren’t afraid of anything so you told me to come to your room anytime I had a nightmare, and they didn’t come back when I was with you. So I’ll stay with you tonight and they won’t come back. Close your eyes, Roz.”

I start crying again, this time not from fear but with love for my best friend. We have been through so much together and he is always there for me no matter what, just as I am for him. I close my eyes, listening to him hum.

“I love you, Wes. You’re the best friend anyone could ever have.”

“Back atcha. Now go to sleep so you don’t have ugly bags under your eyes for the whole country to see.”

Leave it to him to ruin a perfectly good moment. He was right, though; I would look horrible in the morning. Right now, however, I had a hard time trying to care.

I must have drifted off to sleep at some point because I woke up with Wes shaking my shoulder.

“Come on, sleepyhead, up and at ‘em. Natasha is here and she said to take a quick shower.”

I mumble something incoherent into my pillow.

“Come on, Roz, this is an important day.”

That did it. I feel totally unprepared, which shoots me up out of bed, glassy eyed and puffy.

“Yikes, I’d take that shower if I were you.”

“How sweet you are, thank you, Wesley,” I say, rolling my swollen eyes.

“Want me to bring you chocolate milk?”

I shake my head, which causes him to raise an eyebrow.

“Coffee please, lots of cream, a ton of sugar.”

If I thought he was surprised by the no chocolate milk, he looks downright floored by the coffee request. He stands there staring at me for a minute, then frowns slightly and turns to go to the kitchen.

I put the shower on as hot as I can stand it and then get in and try to scrub the nightmares away. When I have my robe on I look in the mirror and realize there is nothing Natasha can do to make me look presentable. As if I summoned her with my thoughts, she appears in the doorway holding a cup of coffee.

“Wes said you had a rough night. Are you okay?”

I can feel the tears filling my eyes and I shake my head, afraid to say anything. Tash looks at me with understanding and comes over, handing me the coffee.

“Drink this and then we’ll get started. I brought my bag of tricks and this isn’t any worse than I look every morning,” she says with a smile, but I can see the worry behind her eyes.

When I am done drinking the coffee she sits me on a chair in my room and tells me to lean my head back. She puts something freezing on my eyes, making me yelp in surprise.

“Sorry, I know they are cold. They are frozen cucumbers. They’ll help take the puffiness away. Leave them on until I finish with your hair.”

Once she finishes my hair she starts on my makeup and is done within minutes. She’s either amazing or I totally spaced out…probably both. She hands me a bag and tells me to go change. I open the bag and find the cutest outfit I’ve ever seen. It’s sleek and mature, but in a younger way. It’s a fitted black knee length dress with a short yellow fitted jacket that goes with it. She also has matching yellow pumps in my size.

I put it on and am shocked at the image that looks back at me. I look sophisticated, yet still my age. She’s worked a miracle on my face which bears no signs of my night horrors. My hair is artfully done up in some type of a twist. I look classy, confident, and more ready than I feel inside.

“Well, what do you think?” Tash is standing in the doorway to the bathroom.

“I think you are a miracle worker and my guardian angel,” I say seriously.

“It helps to have such a beautiful subject,” she grins, “and I must say you do look amazing.”

I hug her. “Thanks so much, Tash, really. I couldn’t have gone in there with any confidence at all with how they made me look.”

She smirks. “Yes, I got an earful from Wes all about it. I must say though, I do like the highlights they added to your hair.”

I nod in agreement. Now that it isn’t in that horrid old lady style the highlights do bring softness to my look.

“Well, times a’wasting. Masters is already downstairs waiting for us.”

I follow her down the stairs and find my own personal entourage.

Molly squeals about how wonderful I look and Wes heaves an obvious sigh of relief. Dex smiles and Masters offers his arm to escort me. We all walk to the Ministry together and instead of going our separate ways as usual, they follow me into the conference room where there is only a cameraman and a few I.T. guys.

I look at Masters in surprise. “Where is everyone else?”

“This is it, you and the camera, safe and efficient.” Masters says this as if he hasn’t just lifted the weight I have been carrying around.

I embrace him warmly. “Thank you, Masters.”

He only nods. Wes must have told more than Natasha about my nightmare last night. Even though Masters decided a live feed would be better, we were still planning to have an audience present made up of cleared Ministry staff. This way, though, makes me feel so much more relaxed.

“Are you ready?” he whispers.

“As ready as I will ever be. Are you guys staying or leaving?”

“I’m staying right here. It’s up to you if you want them to stay or leave. Dexter offered to do the speech with you if you’d like.”

“No, I’ll do it alone. They are welcome to stay though. I’m ready.”

Everyone takes a seat. I walk over to where the podium is set up and cue the cameraman.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I take the speech the Council approved and toss it in the trash can under the podium. If I’m going to do this, I want to be sincere and totally me.

“Good morning, United America. I’m President Rosaline Thatcher. As most of you know, I was chosen at the age of sixteen to become president. I know many of you are about to turn sixteen soon and will be getting your assigned career. It was a very exciting and scary time. I remember the feeling well, and on top of all those emotions I was told I was going to be running a country. After the nerves and the shock subsided I knew I was chosen for a reason and I have fully embraced my new position. I have gotten to know all of the Ministry staff, and especially the Career Department. I can say I am so impressed with the way the department is run and with the quality of staff we have. Our country has been running smoothly for a hundred years. While I have always been proud to be a United American, I’m even more proud than I ever thought possible since working with everyone who makes our country so amazing.”

“With every up side there is always a down. And as with every other country, ours has its flaws. However, we have been able to keep crime, suicides, hunger, and abuse at a low level. Most of the reason is because of our monitoring and the Career Department, which go hand in hand. More people are happy because they are placed in a job best suited for them. Everyone works and everyone gives back to each other; it’s what makes our country so wonderful and thriving. When I took this position, I was enlightened about many things about which most people aren’t aware. I am risking much by coming to you with this information.”

I look directly into the camera and pause for a minute.

“One man has already lost his life in my attempt to bring this to light, but I am more convinced than ever you need to know the truth, so I am going to give it to you. I want to be completely honest with our people because I would expect no less. I don’t want anyone ever to feel they didn’t have a choice or a say in their own life.”

I glance at Dex and can see the worry in his eyes. I’m not supposed to mention anything regarding Green, but I feel it needs to be said.

“Everyone knows there is someone who places them in the job best suited to them. This has never been a secret and everyone has accepted it as common knowledge. What isn’t common knowledge, however, is that from the moment you are born until you are sixteen you have a person who is constantly monitoring you at all times. Every journal entry you write, those mandated and not, are going directly to that person so that they may select the best job possible for you. I know this sounds invasive, but I honestly believe it is the best way to keep our country running the best it can.”

“Some of our citizens didn’t agree with this and other rules of the Ministry and decided they wanted to live outside of the Ministry. They made a compound and have been living there for many years. It’s a hard life. They are cut off from the Ministry rules like they want, however, they are also cut off from the benefits. Protection, food, shelter, clothing—all of these things must be provided by the people themselves. I lived among them for a month and worked beside them. Again, while it’s a hard life, it can be rich and fulfilling.”

“After much discussion and deliberation, we have decided to be completely open with our citizens and let you decide for yourself if you want to live under the Ministry’s protection and rules, or if you want to go to a Free Zone. Keep in mind, you will have to build and work the land yourself. You will be starting from the ground up and will be completely on your own. At each town hall there are maps, diagrams, and people from both the Ministry and the Free Zone to answer any questions you may have.”

“As leader of this country, my hope is you trust us enough to know we are doing what is right for our people and you would bring any and all concerns to me so I may try to better the country as a whole. I also understand, however, that some people need to be free. I support that decision completely and will stand by you one hundred percent. I will not only stand beside you, I will also work beside you to help build your compound.”

“We will give you one week to think this over and the representatives will be there every night until the end of the week. There will be a signup sheet in the town hall. If you chose to go to a Free Zone, you must sign up, and we will get in touch with those who choose to do so. Thank you all for your trust in me and this country. It is my goal to make it the absolute best it can be. Have a wonderful week.”

I nod to the cameraman then leave the podium.

Before I even make it a few steps, Dex is rounding on me, looking angry.

“Work beside them? What do you mean you will work beside them? This was not discussed. Roz, you never cleared that with the Council.”

He has every right to be mad because I
didn’t
clear it with the Council. I didn’t bother because I knew it would never be cleared. Masters is lurking slightly behind Dex, looking just as mad although more in control of his emotions.

“Let me guess, it’s one of those ‘easier to ask forgiveness than permission situations’?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. It looks like he has me figured out but I refuse to incriminate myself so I remain silent.

“You do realize we don’t have the manpower for this, Roz? I won’t be able to spare that many men to act as security. The people are supposed to know going into this that the Ministry is hands off.”

“I’m aware of this, Masters. I won’t be asking for security, I am going as a citizen, not the president. I need to work beside them, help build this country up with my own two hands. I will not let my title make me lose touch with reality, and the best way to know what is going on in your country is to live it firsthand. It would be easy for me to hole up here in the Ministry and give orders while everyone else does all the hard work, but that isn’t any way for a country to thrive.”

He stares at me for a moment, then nods. “I’m pretty sure Adams can be spared to help you…as a citizen of course,” he says with a smirk.

This of course only upsets Dexter more. “So that’s it then. You’re going to just do whatever you want? And you are going to go be with him?”

I roll my eyes. It’s hard enough dealing with Dexter the Council member, and now I’m dealing with his jealous evil twin as well.

“Dex, this has nothing to do with Jeff Adams or you or me. It’s bigger than all of us. I’m sorry I didn’t ask the Council’s permission, but in a week I am going to be working beside those people for at least a few months. We will iron out the details and if the Council doesn’t like it they can replace me.”

I walk out of the room. I’m sure I’m going to be summoned to the Council at some point in the near future, but I have way too much on my plate to deal with them before I need to.

As soon as I reach my office Judy comes towards me. “The Council wants to meet with you, Miss Roz.”

I sigh. “Of course they do.”

She places her hand on my arm and smiles down at me with pride. “It’s a good thing you are doing, miss. Your speech was very good and so many people are going to admire you for working with the people who choose to leave the Ministry protection.”

“Thank you, Judy. It’s time to face the music.” When I pass Aspen’s office on my way to the Council meeting she shouts out, “You go, girl!”

I scan myself in and as soon as I walk in I put my hand up to stop any comments.

“I know you’re all mad with my decision, and as Dex already pointed out, it was wrong of me to announce that without talking to you first. I didn’t want another argument and my mind is made up. I’m sorry this upsets you, and if you want you can replace me. Nothing you say will change my mind.”

Samuel gives me an annoyed look. “Are you done?”

I take a seat.

“Well, as nice as that little rant was, you’re right. We
are
pissed, although not for the reasons you think. We happen to admire you wanting to work with the people, and we would have approved it. However, what we will never approve is going off half-cocked and doing whatever you please.”

“We are appointed to the Council for a reason, Rosaline, and there is a Foundation Council for a good reason. You can’t go around doing whatever you please because you think it’s best. Your age has a lot to do with this, but you will learn to start following procedure or you’re right—we will replace you in a heartbeat. That kind of autonomous behavior can be just as dangerous as pride.”

I’m instantly shamed. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

Annabelle touches my hand affectionately. “Your passion is one of your best qualities, Roz, but you need to remember to keep it in check at times.”

“Are you going to replace me?” I can’t believe they are thinking about it. I am so embarrassed because part of me knows they won’t, which is what made me brave enough to announce it without permission. I
am
replaceable and I need to remember that.

“It’s going to a vote,” Dex says, looking angry.

If it’s serious enough to go to a vote there’s a good chance I will be replaced.

“We will vote and let you know what decision we come to. Until then you need to run everything by us before making any announcements, Roz,” Seamus says. “We have been more than understanding with you, and right now you are on thin ice. You may leave.” He dismisses me just like that. Usually someone comes to my defense; today nobody does. I quickly stand and leave.