e i g h t e e n : royal blue

Kara's POV:

Okay. It's a new day. Sure, my circumstances have not changed--this hasn't been a normal summer since the beginning. I'm fine, though. I'm fine.

Time to go to work and do normal teenage girl things.

I pull on my red uniform shirt and hat, then I head out.

I'm so dumb for picking this shift. This place is like crickets in the morning. Why am I complaining because of less work? At least I would be doing something. Staring straight at the front door with an awkward look on my face is more agonizing than actual work.

I need entertainment.

I need...

Just before I can finish my thought, Shawn walks in.

"You literally have the easiest job", he says. "It's empty in here", he gestures to all the vacant seats.

"I know", I reply. "But this is worse than a crowd. I feel so out of place", I add. "You never told me when the meeting was".

"It's in a couple hours", he shrugs. "Do you have a change of clothes?", he asks.

"Uh, yeah", I shrug, "Nothing blue, though", I finish.

"You'll stick out like a sore thumb", he runs his hands through his blonde waves. Thanks. "You can borrow something of mine", he finishes.

"I have blue clothes", I reply, "I just didn't bring any with me".

"No", he snaps, "We can't risk your parents getting suspicious". He's right. "She will definitely be tipped off", he finishes.

"I'm just not sure about borrowing any more of your clothes", I laugh.

"I'll put it on your tab", he chuckles. And it's a genuine laugh.

He turns to leave, and before my social anxiety kicks in I say, "Don't go", there goes my foot-in-mouth syndrome. I sound so needy... I'm bored, okay. "I'm just bored as hell. But if you have something else to do", I point to the door.

"I can hang around. In fact, I feel a little crazy today, so I'm going to order something", he says sarcastically.

I tilt my head with a look saying I'm done with you.

"What would you like?", I ask in my employee voice.

"The usual", he replies with a smile. What usual?

"I'm sorry what?", I ask.

"My usual order", he repeats.

I must look confused, "From the other day", he re-emphasizes. Oh?

"Do you really think I remember each order I place?!", I ask in disbelief. It's true: employees do not remember every single customer or every single order.

"Either you remember or I leave", he crosses his arms, challenging me. I don't care--I'm not that desperate. I look around the vacant ice cream shop, and I realize I lied.

"Uhh", I snap my fingers frantically, "You ordered", I stretch the sounds, buying myself more time. I swear I can see it in my head. It's close... almost there. He's just looking straight at me with this smug half smile. You won't win.

"Umm", I continue.

"Tik tok, tik tok", he makes a clicking noise.

"It was chocolate so... CHOCOLATE CHUNK", I scream, then I slap my hand over my mouth. That was so loud.

He just smiles with that rare genuine smile. I feel so triumphant.

"The things you'll do to spend time with me", he says. Please. Spare me.

"2 scoops on a sugar cone, right?", I ask back in my employee voice.

"Yep", he gets his money out.

I exchange his money for a fresh cone, and we sit down at a nearby booth.

"So this meeting starts at 12?", I ask.

"Yeah, about 12", he replies while licking his cone.

Shawn's POV:

I lick my ice cream cone and look down because she's staring and it's making me feel awkward.

"See something you like?", I ask with a smirk.

"I don't like chocolate ice cream, so no", she says flatly. Ouch.

I'm still extremely cautious about involving her in this. This isn't anything to fuck around with. She might think that this is something to spend her summer on, or maybe to write her college essay on, but it's much more than that.

If she blows the whole thing, I'll be at fault, and the probabilities of us reversing this mess of a world will shrink to zero.

Even if Kara herself isn't a firm believer in the New World, her mother is an intelligent and qualified White House employee who is. She will see through Kara's personal change easily. I can't risk that. So as of now, Kara thinks she's a part of the rebellion until I feel secure about it.

She's really jittery. I wonder what she's thinking. How did her talk with Jack go? No--No, No, No. I told myself I wouldn't get involved in her relationship.

And before I know what I'm saying, "How did your private talk with Jack go?", I ask, trying to seem disinterested--this is just casual conversation.

She looks up with a soft look in her eyes, "It's private, hence the name 'private talk'", she emphasizes. No shit, sherlock--but I want to know. Sad to admit it, but I do want to know.

"Hey, I'm just checking in", I raise my hands in defense, "I don't want breakup drama clouding your judgement on any particular serious situations".

She rolls her eyes.

"He wanted me back, and I said no", she says plainly. Oh. Well that doesn't sound too dramatic... good.

"Umm okay", I pat the table.

I don't know what to do but lick this damn ice cream. Aren't I supposed to be saving her from this agonizing job?

I decide to knock on the table.

"Knock, knock", I say in a lighter tone. I feel so stupid right now.

She looks up and rolls her eyes. Hey, this is the best I can do on short notice. What am I Bozzo the clown?

"Who's there?", she replies reluctantly. Hmm what to say, what to say.

"Orange!", I boom. Wait for it.

"Orange who?", she asks, sounding disinterested and fed up. I threaten to get up and leave by quickly jumping up and turning around, but she grabs me by the arm. More desperate than I thought, huh.

"Orange you glad to see me", I say with a sly smile. It's not the best joke. Hell, it's barely a joke, but she smiled. I can tell that she has some personal stuff to unpack internally. Her friends are all just the opposite of me. Bright, preppy, party-going motherfuckers--I mean, I party, but I party hard. I don't go to school dances, and I don't obsess over dates.

I wonder how she could even stand to be around me, based on who she hangs around.

Her mom was probably thinking What the hell's my daughter doing with him?--changing the world.

I can tell that our activities stimulate her much more than anything she's done with her boring friends; and hopefully if she's serious, it doesn't have to stop. We can actually do this.

We most sit in silence except for a few mumbles here and there, until it's time to go.

She goes to the back to change into regular clothes, but I mentally remind myself that we have to stop by my house. She'll just draw attention in anything other than royal blue.

I reluctantly stray from my usual black whenever there's a meeting.

She comes out in a jean skirt and crop top, ice cream hat in hand.

"Ready?", I ask seriously.

"As much as I'll ever be", she replies reluctantly. Does not sound promising.

She's still jittery, but I can see a little determination in her eyes.

I pull up to my house, and a frown forms. I suddenly remember the details of yesterday's trip. I felt so fucking embarrassed. The thing I feared the most, someone finding out about my family life, happened. I've never introduced mom to friends, and the girls who come by periodically barely catch a glimpse of her. So imagine my surprise when Kara barges in and sees me in that position.

I've been so afraid of someone making jokes about her--or me. In actuality, she saved me. When I was given up for adoption about 7 years ago, she took me in, even though I was frail and dirty. She took me in as if I came out of her own womb. She saw a child in need, and I was in desperate need.

So having Kara see a not so pretty version of her kind of hurt because she's more than that.

As we get to the front door, I unlock it and enter, dropping my keys on the end table by the door.

A few seconds pass, and I realize she's not inside.

She's standing outside, just before the door frame, like it's some forbidden threshold.

I see: PTSD from yesterday.

"Coast's clear, you can come in", I say. She very slowly takes step after step, and I'm fed up. I lift her up and carry her into the living room. There: faster.

"Arghhh", she says but it's muffled into my shoulder. "All you had to do was tell me to move faster!", she starts kicking like a toddler.

I set her down on the couch and lock the front door. I almost feel like a kidnapper and I'm tempted to unlock the door, but safety (from real kidnappers) first.

"This was easier", I reply with a shrug. "Alright, let's make this quick. Should I carry you upstairs, too?", I ask sarcastically.

"No", she crosses her arms.

Once we reach my room, I rummage through my closet to find some gender-neutral blue clothes for her to wear. Hoodies, basketball shorts (I'm not a jock--they're just comfortable), over-sized t-shirts--yeah, I'm just gonna let her pick for herself.

"Uh, pick from these", I point, sitting down at the foot of my bed.

She walks over and thumbs through the selections I've set aside. Once she chooses what to put on, I point to the bathroom for her to change.

I'm bored so I scroll through my messages, hoping to find something interesting.

Mary - 4 messages

Isabel - 6 messages

Rochel - 12 messages

Rochel seems a little eager...

I'll call her later.

Rochel's tricky because she's a friend of my cousin's, but she's hot as hell. Just thinking about her is making me hard.

It's been so long since we've hooked up. Mental note: call Rochel.

As I'm making my mental note, Kara walks out in my hoodie and my basketball shorts.

She's frowning with her arms crossed: like a child.

"I look so stupid", she grumbles.

"You're right", I shrug.

She raises her hand to punch me again, but lowers it slowly. She's learned her lesson.

"Come on, we're gonna be late", I say.

It takes 20 minutes for us to reach the apartment building.

I look over to her for confirmation of her willingness to continue. She seems ready. The makeshift outfit she selected looks janky, but next time she'll be prepared.

As we head in, the lights are on and everyone's dispersed all around the room. People have brought their children. Elderly members are conversing. Mr. Grayson and his right-hand-man Greg are discussing something in a corner.

Kara looks so awkward, so I decide to introduce her to my friends.

"Want to meet some of my friends?", I ask.

She nods and then looks confused. "I never thought you'd have friends", she raises an eyebrow.

Hey, I may seem a little loner-ish at school, but my social life outside of the monotony is very much alive.

"Some of them even you know", I say with a smirk.

"Why the emphasis on 'you'?", she airquotes.

"Because all your friends are weird, preppy stereotypes", I blurt.

If she didn't know before, she needs to know now.

She thinks for a second, "You're probably right".

"I know", I smile.

"So why am I tolerable to you?", she asks.

I don't know.

"Uh, you're not", I say flatly. Then she frowns. "Let's go", I grab her arm.

I drag her over to a group of guys I know.

I tap the shoulder of a familiar face at our school.

"Hey Andrew", I call, "meet Kara". Of course I know they know each other... it's just more dramatic this way.

Her mouth forms an O... reminds me of something Rochel's good at.

"A-Andrew?", she asks, surprised.

He turns around, forming a look with the same level of surprise.

"Kara?", he asks with a crucial tone, "What are you doing here?".

"What are you doing here?", she repeats. We get it--both of you are shocked, baffled.

"Both of you are here for the same thing", I answer them both, "societal change".

"I just never expected you of all people to be here", Andrew points at her.

"Likewise", she says, crossing her arms.

"What are you wearing?", he exclaims.

"My clothes", I answer smugly.

"Reluctantly", she interjects.

And we're in a vicious staring match when Mr. Grayson gathers everyone to the center.

It's beginning.