Brave New World Chapter 19: Hierarchy👽

[Some time in the Past]

"I can't believe you actually said that." I exclaimed as we sat opposite to each other in high school cafeteria.

"Well, we did try your way first, ignore and move on. It didn't work on the Queen Bee. Anyways, it was about time she tasted her own medicine." Caroline shrugged as she sipped her juice.

"Still, her face was worth watching. She didn't expect anyone to actually stand up to her." I punched her shoulder across the table in encouragement. I was a proud of my best friend.

"I hope she realizes other people got opinions too and she is a student here same as the rest of us." Caroline had always been one for justice and equality and I loved her all the more for it.

#

[Present Time]

The mutual decision reached was, letting me rest in a proper bed, at least once before letting the dam open for the news. I was allowed to go to bed as I was hardly standing on my feet, while Mark, along with the rest, took responsibility to slowly break the news to everyone. Thus, secret for now, but not for long.

Hopefully sooner than, Matt, who would probably cause a havoc. I was told Mathew Cristian was a criminal before coming here. Any and everything illegal could be traced in his criminal record. From murder to human-trafficking and drugs. He was someone, most of the people avoided, just what I was told to do as well.

I thought I would sleep like a baby after the nights in jungle but my body hadn't yet registered the safety of friends and a closed bedroom. I kept tossing and turning, the bed seemed too wide for me now. I was missing my hammock. But the worst was my sub-conscious, it won't let me go into deep sleep. The habit of staying alert in case of possible predators was infused in me like my life depended on it.

My life had depended on it back in the jungle, but now I wasn't in the jungle anymore. Still, my mind wouldn't stop searching for signs of danger. It was getting annoying. I was back under fluffy covers, wearing clean clothes, after a nice meal, and still I was unable to have a proper rest. At some point, I shifted to the couch in the room, it's backrest doing partial job of the hammock hug I was used to.

When I woke up, Caroline had just hopped out of shower and was combing her short hair, "Good afternoon, sleeping beauty!" I raised myself from my couch and stretched cracking my back, surprisingly I felt more tired than when I had gone to sleep. I knew it would take me a while to get back to my life in the city. I asked yawning, "Afternoon? Does time work differently here?"

Caroline looked at me through the full-length mirror in the room, "Sweetie, time works just fine, you have been sleeping for nearly twenty hours."

I was still half-asleep so the reality of twenty hours didn't really settle with me until my stomach grumbled and I asked, "So, I missed dinner?"

She laughed at my expression, I probably looked like a mess but we had seen each other in worse conditions.

She turned to me, "Ana, you missed breakfast and lunch too." I just sat there, like I always did after waking up, still numb from sleep, trying to wrap my head around realities. Caroline came up to me and smiled, "How about you freshen up and then I can warm up some leftover lunch for you?"

I nodded and walked into the shower as I heard her say behind me, "You slept through your own welcoming gathering. Don't worry, we'll have it tonight."

I kept thinking, what had happened to my friend since she came here. She used to never care about hierarchy in school or college. Still, I showered and dressed and came out to see Caroline had already left the room. I guessed she might be in the kitchen so that's where I went.

And sure enough, there she was accompanied by Kiera. I joined them around the kitchen island and dug in my breakfast. Time flew as I got acquainted with Kiera who used to be some famous biochemist's intern. Caroline and I, reminisced in good old days and she told me how she got to the Arc.

"I used to love winter, didn't I?" Caroline laughed ironically shaking her head, "I got my fill of winter in the glacier to which I owe this missing pinky." She brought up her left hand where a small nub remained in place of the little finger.

I was stunned by what she was taking so normally. My heart ached for my best friend. Everyone who had managed to reach here had been through just as much as I had, if not more. No matter what they looked or acted like, they were all survivors of very tough conditions.

Soon it was dinner time, which I skipped and went to get some exercise done in the gym, surprising Caroline, as I used to be one of the laziest people. When I returned I was told it was time for my welcome gathering. I showered and Caroline picked some clothes for me. She was jittery and that was confusing for me, she was trying so hard and I had no idea why?

I went to the living area and nearly everyone was there. I sat in the middle, where a space was cleared for me and Caroline sat to my right. I noticed Xavier and Grant weren't there and Nora sat in the middle beside Mathew. I had no idea if he had told anyone anything but the lack of chaos so far was reassuring.

Nora started asking questions straight away, no pleasantries. I glanced at Caroline who seemed to have stopped breathing.

At first there were basic questions, my full name, education, family, general stuff. And then the questions became weird.

"If I say that kicking Caroline could get you out of here, would you do it?" Nora asked.

I asked confused, "I don't understand how that is relevant to my welcome-"

"Just answer the question, would you?" Mathew interrupted, as if he was bored of the proceedings.

I glanced at Caroline who nodded, "I'd let you kick m-"

"Did I ask you O'Conner?" Nora arrogantly interrupted and my ever-so-confident friend simply shook her head silently.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I got asked again, "We are still waiting for an answer." A girl from behind Nora spoke, as everyone looked at me expecting an answer. Some people in the far end of the room were looking sorry at me and I was finally understanding everything Kiera had told me.

"No." I answered firmly. I don't know where this confidence came from, but I had always hated bullies.

"No?" Nora was surprised as Mathew gave a laugh like had told a joke.

"You would rather stay stuck in a prison than take an easy way out?" He asked.

"Kicking a friend for freedom, isn't the easy way out." I glared at him.

"I've done worse." He boasted, Nora kissed his cheek as if appraising him.

"That's the difference between us then." I concluded and it seemed to fire him up.

Nora saw where this would go and changed the topic.

"Alright, then." She took a deep breath and smiled. I knew something not-so-good was brewing in her head and I was right when she spoke.

"Change of Scenario. If you and Caroline are the only ones left here and there are no provisions left. Would you kill and eat her or sacrifice yourself for your friend?"

Now I was getting angry, "Neither. We'd both find our way out or die trying. Together! What type of sick mind do you have?"

"No need to get all wound up about it." She just laughed and then suddenly turned serious, "And don't you dare talk to me like that every again, Newbie. Know. Your. Place!"

I crossed my arms, "And what exactly is my place according to you?"

By the looks of it, she was going to provide an elaborate answer but a commotion took everyone's attention.

There was an age grouping among them, everyone below nineteen was a junior, and everyone twenty and above was a senior. A couple of the juniors who weren't attending the gathering and were looking for a spot to let off some steam had stumbled upon a new door. They were terrified and had rushed to tell Mark, where Grant and Xavier were both present. The panicked juniors had then told some of their friends and thus began the panicked gossip which spread like wildfire.

Like everything that had been changing, this change alarmed Mathew the most. He was up in a second. The rest of us followed through the hallway, towards the storage room. But instead of the dead-end with 'The Ark' engravings and the symbol, there was a set of wide, double-doors, with WELCOME written on the doors intimidatingly.

Mark was already at the door and did the honors of opening it before Mathew could reach and stop them in-case it was our salvation and door to freedom. Looked like after his criminal record, he was very determined to avoid prison and was willing to keep everyone or even kill, to stay in the arc.

We could hear Mathew screaming at Mark something about, 'What if it was death trap?' And 'You've doomed us all!'

But once I reached to the front I saw, we are not in the basement anymore. This time there was the open air everybody had been craving for months. The doors opened to what looked like a hill-top. We could see tree tops in the distance as the hill descended. I was scared to step out, in case I turn back and the whole building gets swallowed again.

I saw Kiara with her wide opened arms and eyes closed, a soft smile emerging on her lips as she took a deep breath of fresh nature's air. Instead of the night time that we were feeling, there was Sun shining nicely between cotton white clouds. A light breeze full of flowery scent was blowing. It would've been a gorgeous day, if the circumstances were different. At this point I had stopped questioning every impossible thing that was somehow happening left and right. I too then stepped out on the freshly mowed grass and soaked in the fresh aroma of nature that brought me back to the months in the jungle.

Everything had taken the attention from me temporarily and I was grateful. It seemed like things were going to get ugly back there. I couldn't see Nora or Mathew or any of their lackeys. I walked a few more steps cautiously, some daring people were already out and about, just enjoying the sun and fresh breeze in months.