“She wants me to kill them. Of course she does; who am I kidding? She’s an evil witch!” 

After the conversation with One, I left the meeting in a not-so-pleasant mood. I had intended to go straight to my dorm and sleep, but instead I ran into Alec. According to him, I looked more stressed than usual, and after some back and forth, he dragged me to a small park on the outskirts of the sector to ‘relax.’ If by relax he meant yelling about how horrible rank one is and how much I hate my life, then I’m definitely the most tranquil I’ve ever been. 

The boy in front of me picks at his nails, humming in agreement to my name-calling. He doesn’t look interested in my story, but I know he is. Alec always presents himself as an unbothered and uncaring individual, regardless of the situation. It can be useful, but it can also get him in trouble. For example, at the former rank Four’s funeral, from before I got promoted. I honestly thought he was going to get throttled that day. 

His chocolate eyes glaze over, something serious passing through them. 

“You know you can’t say no, right? If you do, especially after arguing with One to get the mission in the first place, you’ll definitely get demoted. After working so hard to get where you are, you shouldn’t risk everything like that. Not to mention, if you get demoted, it’s not likely you’ll ever make it back to where you are now.” 

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I want to go! This is my first time being deployed, and they’re already asking things of me that I didn’t want to deal with so early on, if ever.”
He snorts at my words, shaking his head. 

“Maddy, you do realize you’re rank Four. Typically, when someone reaches a high level in the ranks, it’s because they’ve provided an important service to their sector, usually during a mission. And you know what happens on missions? ‘Taking care’ of our enemies. You just got lucky.” 

I hang my head—he’s right, and I hate it. Our sector is one of the more active ones in our area, so it was always a chance that I would be sent out to do something like this. After I got promoted, that chance tripled. My eyes well up as I continue to speak, all prior humor gone. 

“I know. I just really wish I didn’t have to do this. I never wanted to join the ranks; I never wanted to be put in a sector. I don’t want to be here, Alec.”
His face softens as he pulls me in for a hug, my head resting on his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry, Maddy.” 

We sit like that until my eyes stop watering, which takes a while. As I finally gain my bearings back, I move myself away from Alec, sitting down in a crisscrossed manner. I flash a small smile to him, and he responds with a nod. Alec has been my best friend since we were both in school, even though I was a grade above him. We were both smart, although he definitely beat me when it came to base academics. I, however, was much more of a social creature than he was, as I had befriended nearly everyone in the school. Even so, he was always my first pick when it came to hangouts. He may not be the funniest person, but he always knows the exact thing to say when I’m sad, and he always shows up for me. That counts for more than jokes ever could. 

I tug at the grass beneath me, steeling myself. Alec just watches quietly. Neither of us says a word, a comfortable silence filling the space between us. Only when the setting sun paints the park in a golden hue do I stand up, offering a hand to the black-haired boy in front of me. He takes it, pulling himself off the ground before letting go. We both begin walking to where the dorms are, unrushed. The smell of freshly cut grass fills the air as we stroll, causing me to smile. I’ve always liked the smell. It’s dark when we reach the dorm building, a soft silence enveloping us. I stop him at the door to the building, pulling him into a quick hug. He startles but quickly follows in kind. We sit there for a moment longer than necessary before he finally pulls back, a small smile on his face that mirrors my own. 

“Thank you.” My voice is a whisper, as if scared to break the night’s spell. 

“Anytime.”
I grin at him before walking down the hall to my room, unlocking the door, and stepping in. With a sigh, I plop onto my bed, falling into a dreamless sleep.