"We're not property. Our bodies are not the property of the government."

AnAn Miller tapped her finger lightly on the mouse and stared at her work computer. Her choice to use the quote from a celebrity as the title of her next entertainment column, was risky. It was too political. It could get her fired.

But she couldn't just do nothing. The Building Families organization was getting way out of hand with all their new laws on mandatory marriage and childbearing, someone had to speak out. Her boss Thomas didn't read the entertainment column anyway, before it went to the editors. He called it 'fluff stuff' and didn't even seem to know AnAn's first name. Why would he? She was a girl temp who had to get married when she turned seventeen to help repopulate the world, so he probably didn't think she'd be around for long. But he was wrong.

"Happy Birthday!"

Joslyn's booming voice made AnAn jump and she almost clicked the send button for the article.

"What? How did you know it was my birthday?"

"I know everything." Joslyn handed over a deflated looking cupcake. It reminded AnAn of when she was a kid and bakeries were still open, before the war. Except this cupcake looked like it was made out of non-edible materials. "Did you make this yourself?"

"Nope!" Joslyn said, resting a hip against AnAn's small cubicle desk. For having birthed three kids, Joslyn looked amazing. AnAn envied her shapely hips and small waist. "You know I don't have time to cook." She rolled her eyes. AnAn knew she stayed at work late each night, until her kids went to bed. They probably didn't even know she was their mom. Having kids was mandatory but raising them wasn't.

AnAn set the cupcake aside. It smelled like household cleaner than a cupcake.

"Just think," Joslyn continued. "This time next year you'll be a pregnant mamma."

AnAn shuddered at the thought and knocked twice on her desk, a superstition she'd learned from her grandma before she'd disappeared. "They'll change the laws before my three years are up."

"Just bang one out and then you'll fulfilled your obligation, and they'll leave you alone. You don't even have to take care of it once you have the baby. You can give it to Building Families and government care."

"Sure...that's what I'll do," AnAn said sarcastically, wanting Joslyn to go away. She was the office gossip and stuck her nose into everyone's business.

"So who's the lucky guy? Did they give you a name or anything?"

"I'm marrying the same guy I've been dating since middle school," AnAn lied.

"You have definitely not been dating anyone." Joslyn shoved AnAn's papers aside and took a seat on her desk.

AnAn quickly shut off her computer screen, hoping Joslyn didn't make anything of it. If she discovered what AnAn was planning to post for this week's entertainment column, the news would reach Thomas before the article was published.

"Yes I have!"

"What's his name?"

"This isn't an investigative report, Joslyn."

"It is now that you're being so secretive."

AnAn rolled her eyes. "Fine, it's Jerry."

"Don't tell me you're marrying that clown."

"You don't know Jerry."

"Sure I do, he brought you your phone once. Yikes. No wonder you're not gushing about your upcoming marriage."

"I should get back to work."

"Alright," Joslyn straightened up. "Well, eat your cupcake before it melts."

AnAn glanced at the cupcake. Why would a cupcake even melt?

"Oh, and," Joslyn jumped off the desk. "I have it on good authority that Hear4U will be cancelling their upcoming concert."

This got AnAn's attention. That was impossible. The band had been planning this tour forever. So many fans were counting on it. Her heart began to leap into overdrive. She'd been saving all year for the concert. It couldn't be cancelled.

Joslyn narrowed her eyes at AnAn's blank computer screen. "If you get it into this week's column, you'd be the first to leak it."

"Thanks for the heads up." AnAn swiveled her chair in front of her computer to block Joslyn from turning it on. "I'll look into it."

"It's the scoop of the year. Find out why it's cancelled."

"What's cancelled?" Marcus poked his head out from his cubical.

"Nothing," AnAn and Joslyn said at the same time.

Joslyn leaned over to click AnAn's mouse. "Your computer's off."

"No, it's just..." AnAn shoved her away. "Shouldn't you get back to work? It's almost time to submit all our work."

"Listen, don't marry that boy if you don't love him," Joslyn said, suddenly serious.

"And you love yours?" AnAn snapped.

"My situation is different. He's gone all the time, which is great. But if I could do it again, I'd choose differently."

"I thought you didn't get to choose."

"I didn't, but I should have."

"Well, I've already chosen, so..." AnAn shrugged, wanting the conversation to end.

"Marriages of convenience don't work out."

"I'll be fine." AnAn got up. If Joslyn wasn't going to leave, then she would.

"I can help you get out of it," Joslyn whispered.

AnAn stopped. "How?"

Joslyn looked around then lowered her voice. "There are these sympathy doctors—"

"I'm not interested in medical procedures."

"You don't need them. You just need the doctor's note that you had them done already."

AnAn sighed. She knew what would happen if she got caught. It was the death penalty to interfere with the government's prime directive, to repopulate the country.

"Don't you think this is all so unfair?" AnAn said.

"Of course I do." Joslyn tilted her head to one side and studied AnAn. "But I think we have the power to do something about it."

Did she somehow know about AnAn's upcoming article?

"You're right," AnAn said. "Thanks for the cupcake."

Joslyn nodded then walked away.

"By the way, don't eat the cupcake," she said over her shoulder. "My five-year-old made it out of glue."