Project us, p.6
Project US, page 6
"You do know you're fifteen right?" I questioned, taking a big gulp of my drink.
"I think I know how old I am."
"You're too mature at times," I started, but she sighed. "So how are your stories?"
She raised an eyebrow swallowing the food she was chewing on. Putting her hand over her mouth once the food was gone she answered.
"You remember that?" she asked another question instead of answering the original question.
"Yeah, you were the reason we got more essays in seventh grade, how could I forget?"
She gazed down with her cheeks turning pink. "Yeah sorry about that, but yeah I'm still working on a few things."
"What I stole from you in eighth grade was actually pretty good."
She laughed. "Yeah, still can't believe you stole one of my stories, and read it!"
I chuckled. "I'm not much of a reader, but if I was going to steal your stuff it was the least I could do."
"You're one of the few people who have ever read any of my manuscripts…" She sighed.
"You want to get them published?" I continued, thinking back to her artistic words from a girl I knew who was usually quiet.
"Um," she replied, stammering as she shifted her sitting position. "I would love more than anything to be able to have my words on paper for others to read one day. Even if only one person reads my words I'll know that I had impacted one person."
"Interesting," I took in what she said was true passion, but she was definitely holding back. "So are you dating any guy that I should know about? I mean I am your husband after all.”
"Ha!" Rachel laughed dryly. "I've never even been on a date! How about you?"
"Well, I'm personally not dating any guy, just not my style, but I'm seeing Amanda." I took my eyes off her and to the TV screen remembering the girl with short black hair that I've been dating.
Rachel and I shouldn't have almost kissed the night before. Amanda would kill us both if she found out. Silence took over the two of us. Then a thought dawned on me.
"Wait, if you never had a date before does that mean last night would have been your first kiss…" the words came out slowly, afraid of the answer, but knowing it anyway.
She just nodded her head, poking at her ketchup with a fry.
"Good thing we didn't kiss then if you're with Amanda," Rachel’s voice was timid as her hair started fall forward to shield her face.
"Yeah," I whispered, unable to look at her, I ran my fingers through my hair pushing the strands to the side.
An explosion on the TV was the only sound that filled the room.
"So…" Rachel started before pausing. "We're leaving tomorrow."
"Yup, that should be fun. Another long car ride."
She gave a weak smile.
"I know my siblings will totally be ready for making up for the last few days of not being able to bother me."
She laughed. "Sibling love?"
"I really need to bring you to the March household." I chuckled as the tension in the air eased.
"With this project we might have to meet outside of school," she pointed out.
I interrupted her, "Just whatever you do, don't take my brothers seriously, they'll eat you alive if you do."
Her eyes widened.
"Not used to a big family?" I questioned her because of the gleam of nerves in her eyes.
"No, small, quiet family…"
I grinned. "Oh you have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
"Seems to be a trend of mine." She locked eyes with me as we both grinned.
The following morning I woke up facing the wall that was keeping Rachel away from me. Yet she did wake up in a better mood than the day before which did help our day of packing and getting ready to go back home to New Jersey. Late afternoon I put our bags with everyone's luggage while she went onto the bus to save us a couple of seats. When I got onto the bus I saw her lips spread ear to ear as she was leaning over seats talking to a girl with short reddish brown hair. They both were giggling as I got closer. Rachel's eyes were sparkling at me causing me to smile.
The entire bus ride to Jersey, I had to deal with the girlie chit-chat between Rachel and her friend Holly. Holly's guy Micah, who I was pretty sure had been in my Science class the last three years had headphones in his ears, ignoring it all. After some time when it had started to grow dark Rachel started to drift to sleep a little causing her to lean her head onto my shoulder. I could not think of someone doing such a gesture before or trusting me in that kind of manner. I wrapped an arm around her while I rested my own head against hers. My eyes grew heavy before everything went black
With a hard thrust Rachel and I were jerked forward, waking us up abruptly. Our eyes were both wide open. We had arrived at the school with a parking lot filled with cars, but no parents were out and about waiting for their child with open arms after not seeing them for a few days. I couldn't remember who had the challenge of picking me up from the trip. The jerk of a bus driver caused me to hit my forehead once more. I rubbed it looking out of the window. We were ordered to get off the bus and get our things before heading out to the gym.
We passed the auditorium on the way to the gym and I noticed the doors were open and the room was filled with our parents. Scrunching my face I tried to gaze into the room to get a better look. One of the cops standing by the door noticed my attention causing the doors to the auditorium to be slammed shut. All of the students jumped.
"Nick," Rachel’s voice started to falter.
I took her hand in mine, interlacing our fingers tightly as we squished each other’s hands. "Rachel, stay close to me."
We walked side by side, so close that our arms were touching. The bleachers weren't out as we all made our way into the gym, being told to go all the way to the other side in poor attempts of forming rows. Sitting down, the bag was loose on my shoulder as Rachel's hand was still in mine. Whatever the reason they had us in this room was not going to be good news. The principal walked into the room.
"During the trip you all were told you were doing a marriage project. What all of you seemed to have missed is that was a real judge marrying you all for real in my brother's hotel. Even the paper work you students filled out was true. The state has decided to do an experiment with marriages. Between the divorce rates, what is the definition of marriage in today's society, the government has decided to test out marriage on a younger generation. You all will be living separately to be observed and so that they can keep tabs on you guys. So everyone I would like to introduce you to your spouses!" High-pitched laughter came from Principal O'Doherty.
I had never heard such silence within a room of teenagers before and by the looks of the chaperones I would bet money that they would agree with that statement. Was he insane? What was wrong with our government for wanting to use us as lab rats for marriage? Let alone that they chose to test this on sophomores in high school.
"Jesus Christ," I whispered under my breath, my eyes still on Principal O'Doherty.
Rachel's and my hands slipped away from each other, I wasn't even sure who had unlinked our fingers, might have been the both of us.
"We're giving out the keys to your new homes," informed Principal O'Doherty, with this big smile on his face. "Go over to Ms. Dixon and Mr. M. Those with the last names A-M go to Ms. Dixon while the rest go to Mr. M."
I looked over at Rachel whose eyes seemed just as confused as I was sure mine were. Everyone stood up around us as we did so ourselves before we could be trampled.
"I guess I'm an M now…" Rachel said in a hushed tone.
Rachel was a March now.
"I guess so."
Rachel March…
We got in line for the A-M's as Rachel kept quiet stood in line. Her bag was unstable on her shoulder as she crossed her arms over her chest. Kids around us were asking if this was some kind of joke. Was there going to be a person from MTV popping out saying we were on a new reality show, we fell for it? There were outraged voices all around us and all the while Rachel and I were unable to look at each other. Some of the students were rushing over to teachers and started to argue with them. I kept glancing over at her just to see her turning her head away from me. We reached the front of the line as Ms. Dixon stood there with a box, a packet of papers, and a highlighter. She yawned as her dark eyes rolled over to me.
"Nick March," Ms. Dixon spoke with the 'ch' coming out forced, spat out as her eyes went to the paper, violently scratching out my name.
Ms. Dixon bent down, the sound of metal clanking about. Keeping my gaze down I saw a box of keys attached to the little white circles with numbers on them. She grabbed one of them before standing back up.
"Here is the key to your new home Mr. and Mrs. March," Ms. Dixon started. "Good luck, Rachel, you'll need it with this one."
Ms. Dixon dropped the keys into my palm which closed tightly around the metal. I dropped the key into one of my jeans pockets as Rachel and I dragged our feet over to the side of the room with the rest of our peers as loud yells were heard down the hall. Rachel jumped. My brothers and I had no problem screaming at each other, mostly we just cursed it off, but these voices were furious. Names of some of the students in my grade were echoing in the halls, doors were slammed locking us in the school's gym as the voices only increased in volume outside. Curses were spoken along with our Principal's name in the adult voices. A couple of the teachers stood in front of the now closed doors, putting the locks down so that they couldn't be opened from the outside. Rachel and I were pressed against the wall as students shoved each other to get to the doors; I held her limp hand in mine. I kept glancing at the clock seeing the minute hand spin around, all the while keeping Rachel close to me. Slowly the voices outside dimmed down outside before the halls seemed to quiet.
The entire grade filed out of the school out of another door. We made our way out of the school and into the cold November night, noticing a now empty parking lot. I wondered how our parents were reacting about the news that their children that were supposed to be on a simple school trip returned back to their hometowns as married couples, not just their children. They must be saying more than just the mumbled tones we heard. I was the youngest of four, still in high school and I was married first. We were going to be in the same town as our families, but not live with them. I don't know how the government was going to control us from just going back to our parents.
We crossed the street as a herd of helpless, speechless, students whose worlds have been just turned upside down. We were as vulnerable as little children who didn't really get why we were getting punished when we didn't do anything wrong. Why our grade instead of the year before us? Who thought to even marry off the students in the first place? The young voters really couldn’t have voted for this. There had to be many layers of officials who agreed to this. We hiked into the neighborhood across from the school that had been under construction except now there was a tall, black fence around the homes that had spiked tops going in both directions so that no one could climb over I'm sure.
"Looks like a prison," I mumbled under my breath.
Rachel opened up her mouth only to shut her lips. Her eyes scanned up the scale of the fence having to tilt her head to do so. The moon shined off her hair and the bars around the small town of itself helping the prison feel. I watched as she took a deep breath letting it out bit by bit.
We trudged through what seemed to be the main gate of the 'neighborhood' that had guards at what seemed to be a post. The ground we walked on was striped from the gate with the full moon acting as a spotlight going through each bar. It definitely had the prison effect.
As a huge group we moved through the new area and saw that there were rows upon rows of small cottages with just enough yard so that the houses wouldn't be touching each other. The homes themselves were not anywhere near big themselves maybe the size of an apartment with a roof over it. We got to a residence with the number eighteen on the door which didn't take long at all in the first row. Rachel and I were pushed inside with the door slammed behind us.
Rachel and I did not move from the doorway, taking in what had just happened to us. First we were in the dark in a strange place. Not only was it a home, this was my new home. Correction this was our new home. I was to live here with Rachel even though we're still in high school and my family was living a few streets from there. I looked over to see that there was a table near the door, where we will eat eventually. There were two plain rings just laying there. I assumed they were supposed to be our wedding bands, for us reflecting in from the moonlight shining through the small window. This was all for me and my wife, Rachel Hertz. She was now Rachel March, tying us together legally. The girl I grew up with, and now she was my wife, Mrs. Nick March.
5
Rachel
"Rachel?" Nick asked, and I turned to look at him.
I pushed my hair behind my ear. Glancing around the small room I didn't know what to say. There was so much to take in, so much to be questioned that I didn't know where to start.
"I really don't know what to say, or…I don't know," I tripped over the words, feeling flustered. "We're married?"
Nick's eyes went to the window.
"I guess we really are, it was one thing when it was a project, but now…" his voice died down as we stared at each other. "Rachel, how about we get some sleep and figure this out in the morning?"
"Easier said than done," I mumbled, knowing sleep was not going to take me over tonight.
We took a few steps through the living area which was in front of a small back area which held a bedroom on the left, then a miniature bathroom, then another tiny bedroom on the right. The doors for all three were open, so we leered into the two not decorated rooms. Feeling exhausted, I just stepped into the room on the right, not in the mood to argue who took what room. I shut the door then changed into the pajamas that I had packed for the trip. I gazed down at the mattress that was on the floor that appeared to have sheets. Sitting on the mattress I attempted to sleep on the unfamiliar bedding. The room was so impersonal, not a home. The sheets felt stiff and rough against my skin. My eyes wouldn't close as I lay on my back, eyes glued to the ceiling. I realized I never heard the other bedroom door close. Pushing aside the sheets and opening my door, I tiptoed out of my room. There on the couch, I saw Nick's silhouette.
I leaned against the entryway between the bedrooms and the rest of the house. He hadn't noticed me yet, but I did not want to scare him. Nick was hunched over with his fingers in his brown hair.
"Hey," I finally spoke up, my fingers still touching the wall.
Nick glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, I thought you went to bed," Nick responded, his lips in a weak smile.
Taking a couple of steps I sat next to Nick on the couch, bringing my knees to my chest.
"I couldn't sleep," I answered, as my fingers ran across the corduroy fabric of the couch. This had to have been a used couch.
I looked around the room I was in which was my new home, well I guess our new home. There was a window that was on the opposite side of the room. There was a TV probably from the eighties near the window and a small fireplace on the third wall. Even in the dark I could tell that the whole rug in the room was some shade of pink that appeared extremely cheap. There was a small table and two chairs made of a light color wood right next to the door on the other side. A lot of this stuff, if not all of it, seemed like they would be found in a thrift store or some type of donation center, or even from the random pieces of furniture people leave at street corners.
There was another entryway off to the side. There in that vicinity was a small kitchen that had room for all of the cooking, but nothing else. It appeared like something my mother would call 'charming'. Scanning the room, my eyes locked with Nick's blue ones.
"This almost seems like a dream," I finally spoke.
Nick sighed. "A little."
"We'll be watching our spouses grow up," I continued, the words just spilling out of my mouth causing Nick to raise an eyebrow.
"We aren't children Rachel, we are almost adults."
"We aren't children, we aren't adults," I responded, resting my head against my knees facing him. "I knew something was wrong about the trip, I just didn't expect this. I wonder how they picked who was married to whom. That’s a big deal. Why did they pick our school out of all the schools in the country?"
Whoever thought this up couldn't have just woken up one day wanting to marry off students. There had to have been a plan. If I had to be paired up with anyone in our grade, I was lucky it was with Nick. I actually trusted him compared to the other guys. He and I can actually talk, and have done so even if it was only in school. There were a lot of people in my grade and with our last names it couldn't have been done alphabetically.
"Let's just get some sleep and talk about this tomorrow," Nick whispered, pushing aside some of my hair.
I just nodded as we parted our separate ways to different bedrooms to try to fall asleep in the eerily silent room.
The clattering of dishes woke me up. Scrunching my face I got out of bed and began dragging my feet towards the sound. There stood Nick going through cabinets holding a bowl and a box of cereal. I started to rub my head, squinting at him.
"What are you doing?" I questioned, hearing the morning hoarseness to my tone.
"Breakfast," Nick responded, raising up the bowl and box.
I grinned at him. He was wearing pajama pants and a sweatshirt, with his hair unruly, sticking out in every which direction. A lopsided grin finished his appearance.
"Do you want some?" Nick offered, while he chewed on a mouthful of what looked like frosted flakes.
I giggled. "Sure," I answered, walking closer.
While he was chewing on another spoonful of cereal he turned, grabbing me a bowl.
"Thank you." I smiled.
He gave a closed mouth smile with his cheeks filled with sugary flakes. We ate standing up without really saying anything. Yesterday's news started to come back to us as the sleep drifted away and the food felt like rocks in my stomach. My eyes observed the new room seeing an old cord phone that seemed stretched out with a packet of paper next to it. Moving over to the paper while I ate I noticed that it was columns. One column was an 'x' then a number and the second column was lists of names, almost as if it was a sad phonebook of the new town. As I read each name on the list I felt pressure on the top of my head. Nick was resting his head on top of mine.
