Camp NaNo: The Church and Its Orbs - Chapter 2
I'm rewriting my Gemma story, which is tentatively titled The Church and Its Orbs. This is the second chapter. The previous chapters are linked below.
Prologue | 1
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“Did you hear?” my best friend Lila whispers to me across our table in the cafeteria.
“Did I hear what?” I mutter. I’m not particularly in the mood to gossip right now. My head is still filled with Wren’s strange words from my Literature class.
I even spot her across the cafeteria, sitting with an older boy named Kai. I know who he is because everybody knows who he is -- Kai always gets the lead in any school plays.
“Isn’t he gorgeous?” Lila says, propping her chin in her hands.
“Who is what?” I say. I have no idea what she’s talking about.
“Kai,” she mutters, gesturing at Wren’s friend. “Isn’t he gorgeous?”
She seems to have forgotten about whatever juicy piece of gossip she was going to tell me. I examine Kai again in order to answer Lila’s question, since she’s staring at me so insistently. I note Kai’s slightly tanned skin, short blond hair and his bright blue eyes, which all seem nice enough. His clothes are a bit...dressier than the average student’s, except for the odd rainbow scarf he’s wearing. I suppose he is gorgeous, though I wouldn’t particularly want a Sweetheart Flower from him.
“He’s -- nice looking,” I murmur, shrugging.
Lila raises her eyebrow. “Only ‘nice looking?’ Really?” she says.
Apparently my reply wasn’t enthusiastic enough for her. “He’s not my type, I guess,” I murmur.
“So what kind of guy is your type, then?” she asks, still with that insistent stare.
I blink, having no idea how to answer. Being a good Church girl, I don’t spend time dwelling on my “type” of guy -- we’re supposed to avoid impure thoughts, after all. True, girls our age should think of pairing off, but...we’re not supposed to do too much beyond dreaming of our ideal marriage partner. I guess that would involve having a type, but -- why do I need a type right now? This is very silly.
“Uh...someone who would be -- a good husband,” I say, avoiding Lila’s eyes. I look down at my tray of food, none of which I’ve eaten. I’m not very hungry right now.
Lila actually rolls her eyes. “Of course you want a guy who would be a good husband, but what kind of guy?” she says.
I glare at her. “Isn’t wanting a guy who would be a good husband enough? Why should I pick a ‘type’ right now? It’s not like choosing your ideal mate is the same as picking your favorite flavor of ice cream,” I mutter.
Her brown eyes, a bit lighter than Wren’s, sparkle. “The guys are much tastier,” she says.
I feel my cheeks burn -- I must be turning red. “Lila,” I gasp. “Don’t say such things. It’s not very Churchly of you.”
“I’m not actually going to do anything with a guy. But how bad can it be to think about it?” she asks, her eyes still sparkling. “What, do the gods really have a telescope pointed directly into my brain or something?”
I look around, to make sure nobody heard us. If someone caught Lila openly saying she was thinking about that, who knows what they would do? We’re not even supposed to imagine more than chaste kissing -- I certainly never have. Since Lila is my best friend, I won’t tell anybody about her thoughts, but she shouldn’t be having them.
“The gods see all and know all,” I tell her, trying to impress upon her how serious this is.
She laughs. “At least I’m not a sed, you know. All my thoughts are about guys,” she says.
Her mention of seds makes me think of that fairy tale, and how Wren questioned it. I glance over at Wren and Kai again -- they’re laughing about something, evidently having a good time.
Lila points a finger at me, her grin being way too large. “You do think Kai is gorgeous. That’s why you keep looking over at him,” she says.
“Sure,” I mutter. It’s easier just to let her think that.
“So, anyway, as I was saying -- you know Hazel Abbott and Trixie Hill? Those two Year Twelve girls who lead the Popular Prayer Club?” she says. She’s bouncing in her seat.
I nod. “What about them?” I say. I’m aware of those two, and, judging by the way Lila is bouncing, they did something scandalous. It’s easier to talk about this than it is to have my best friend annoy me about what kind of guy I like.
“They were caught,” Lila breathes.
I raise an eyebrow. “Caught doing what?” I ask.
“Caught together,” she says, leaning forward.
“You mean -- they were? But they’re the leaders of the Popular Prayer Club,” I say. I blink, trying to process it. The girls are both purple orbs, which let them lead the club. How can they be sexual deviants?
“How the mighty have fallen, right?” she mutters. “They were kissing in some supply closet during a weekend prayer retreat at the school, when the weekend janitor needed a mop and caught them.” Lila shudders. “How gross -- but Hazel was transferred out of this school. And, from what I heard, she and Trixie both have to go to Proper Love Reform Centers. Different ones, obviously.”
I take a sip of my water. My throat is a bit dry. Lila doesn’t seem like she’s done by the way she keep bouncing.
She’s not done. “You know the wildest part?”
“I don’t,” I say, shaking my head.
“They didn’t want to go to the Proper Love Reform Centers. Trixie even said they weren’t doing anything wrong. Can you imagine it? A student leader saying something like that?” she mutters, her eyes wide as she shakes her head. Her long light golden brown hair flips back and forth, catching the light.
“What?” I manage, though my mind doesn’t seem to be working right now.
“Those girls didn’t think anything was wrong with being seds,” she says. “Some say Hazel even punched out her mom when she was dragged away. Violent and deviant. And a leader. Not only a leader, a purple orb. And you know what happens to purple orbs if they screw up too badly, right? She better hope that Center sets her straight. What is wrong with people, huh?”
“A lot is wrong with people,” I murmur. I take another sip of my water. It’s the only thing I can actually make myself drink right now -- I’m still not hungry.
Purple orbs, having the strongest souls, are held to higher standards than the rest of us. If they fall too far, they end up in oblivion. As wrong as Hazel obviously was to punch her mother, I almost -- almost empathize with her. My feelings shock me, but I’ve wanted to punch my mother, who insists on treating me like I’m lesser for some reason I don’t get. It’s only gotten worse since Ruby was made a purple orb. I wouldn’t behave like Hazel, but I can almost understand it.
Despite slight empathy for a deviant girl, I know I have to behave properly. I can’t let a strange sense of identification with her cloud my judgement. Who knows what would befall me if that happened? I won’t let it happen.
next chapter
Prologue | 1
---------
“Did you hear?” my best friend Lila whispers to me across our table in the cafeteria.
“Did I hear what?” I mutter. I’m not particularly in the mood to gossip right now. My head is still filled with Wren’s strange words from my Literature class.
I even spot her across the cafeteria, sitting with an older boy named Kai. I know who he is because everybody knows who he is -- Kai always gets the lead in any school plays.
“Isn’t he gorgeous?” Lila says, propping her chin in her hands.
“Who is what?” I say. I have no idea what she’s talking about.
“Kai,” she mutters, gesturing at Wren’s friend. “Isn’t he gorgeous?”
She seems to have forgotten about whatever juicy piece of gossip she was going to tell me. I examine Kai again in order to answer Lila’s question, since she’s staring at me so insistently. I note Kai’s slightly tanned skin, short blond hair and his bright blue eyes, which all seem nice enough. His clothes are a bit...dressier than the average student’s, except for the odd rainbow scarf he’s wearing. I suppose he is gorgeous, though I wouldn’t particularly want a Sweetheart Flower from him.
“He’s -- nice looking,” I murmur, shrugging.
Lila raises her eyebrow. “Only ‘nice looking?’ Really?” she says.
Apparently my reply wasn’t enthusiastic enough for her. “He’s not my type, I guess,” I murmur.
“So what kind of guy is your type, then?” she asks, still with that insistent stare.
I blink, having no idea how to answer. Being a good Church girl, I don’t spend time dwelling on my “type” of guy -- we’re supposed to avoid impure thoughts, after all. True, girls our age should think of pairing off, but...we’re not supposed to do too much beyond dreaming of our ideal marriage partner. I guess that would involve having a type, but -- why do I need a type right now? This is very silly.
“Uh...someone who would be -- a good husband,” I say, avoiding Lila’s eyes. I look down at my tray of food, none of which I’ve eaten. I’m not very hungry right now.
Lila actually rolls her eyes. “Of course you want a guy who would be a good husband, but what kind of guy?” she says.
I glare at her. “Isn’t wanting a guy who would be a good husband enough? Why should I pick a ‘type’ right now? It’s not like choosing your ideal mate is the same as picking your favorite flavor of ice cream,” I mutter.
Her brown eyes, a bit lighter than Wren’s, sparkle. “The guys are much tastier,” she says.
I feel my cheeks burn -- I must be turning red. “Lila,” I gasp. “Don’t say such things. It’s not very Churchly of you.”
“I’m not actually going to do anything with a guy. But how bad can it be to think about it?” she asks, her eyes still sparkling. “What, do the gods really have a telescope pointed directly into my brain or something?”
I look around, to make sure nobody heard us. If someone caught Lila openly saying she was thinking about that, who knows what they would do? We’re not even supposed to imagine more than chaste kissing -- I certainly never have. Since Lila is my best friend, I won’t tell anybody about her thoughts, but she shouldn’t be having them.
“The gods see all and know all,” I tell her, trying to impress upon her how serious this is.
She laughs. “At least I’m not a sed, you know. All my thoughts are about guys,” she says.
Her mention of seds makes me think of that fairy tale, and how Wren questioned it. I glance over at Wren and Kai again -- they’re laughing about something, evidently having a good time.
Lila points a finger at me, her grin being way too large. “You do think Kai is gorgeous. That’s why you keep looking over at him,” she says.
“Sure,” I mutter. It’s easier just to let her think that.
“So, anyway, as I was saying -- you know Hazel Abbott and Trixie Hill? Those two Year Twelve girls who lead the Popular Prayer Club?” she says. She’s bouncing in her seat.
I nod. “What about them?” I say. I’m aware of those two, and, judging by the way Lila is bouncing, they did something scandalous. It’s easier to talk about this than it is to have my best friend annoy me about what kind of guy I like.
“They were caught,” Lila breathes.
I raise an eyebrow. “Caught doing what?” I ask.
“Caught together,” she says, leaning forward.
“You mean -- they were? But they’re the leaders of the Popular Prayer Club,” I say. I blink, trying to process it. The girls are both purple orbs, which let them lead the club. How can they be sexual deviants?
“How the mighty have fallen, right?” she mutters. “They were kissing in some supply closet during a weekend prayer retreat at the school, when the weekend janitor needed a mop and caught them.” Lila shudders. “How gross -- but Hazel was transferred out of this school. And, from what I heard, she and Trixie both have to go to Proper Love Reform Centers. Different ones, obviously.”
I take a sip of my water. My throat is a bit dry. Lila doesn’t seem like she’s done by the way she keep bouncing.
She’s not done. “You know the wildest part?”
“I don’t,” I say, shaking my head.
“They didn’t want to go to the Proper Love Reform Centers. Trixie even said they weren’t doing anything wrong. Can you imagine it? A student leader saying something like that?” she mutters, her eyes wide as she shakes her head. Her long light golden brown hair flips back and forth, catching the light.
“What?” I manage, though my mind doesn’t seem to be working right now.
“Those girls didn’t think anything was wrong with being seds,” she says. “Some say Hazel even punched out her mom when she was dragged away. Violent and deviant. And a leader. Not only a leader, a purple orb. And you know what happens to purple orbs if they screw up too badly, right? She better hope that Center sets her straight. What is wrong with people, huh?”
“A lot is wrong with people,” I murmur. I take another sip of my water. It’s the only thing I can actually make myself drink right now -- I’m still not hungry.
Purple orbs, having the strongest souls, are held to higher standards than the rest of us. If they fall too far, they end up in oblivion. As wrong as Hazel obviously was to punch her mother, I almost -- almost empathize with her. My feelings shock me, but I’ve wanted to punch my mother, who insists on treating me like I’m lesser for some reason I don’t get. It’s only gotten worse since Ruby was made a purple orb. I wouldn’t behave like Hazel, but I can almost understand it.
Despite slight empathy for a deviant girl, I know I have to behave properly. I can’t let a strange sense of identification with her cloud my judgement. Who knows what would befall me if that happened? I won’t let it happen.
next chapter