"Have you finished packing yet?" my mom asked from the doorway.

"Yes mother." I replied, hoisting two boxes into the air.

"Lukkas is outside waiting."

I nodded and walked downstairs, bending backwards and leaning boxes against me. In one was my clothing, a few sets of standard issue guard uniforms. The other had my certificates of graduation, my id and my computer.

It had been a few days since I was Matched and it was time for everyone to move districts for training.

I carried my two boxes outside to where Lukkas was waiting in a buggy. He hopped out.

"Morning Rain," he said.

"Morning Lukkas." I muttered, strapping my boxes next till his in the back. "Ready?" I asked.

"Yep," he responded, walking around to the passenger's side.

I swung myself into the driver's seat and strapped a seat belt around my waist. I had driven one of these yesterday. Couples always moved together, and everyone was Matched before we moved for training. I hadn't seen Hudd since our argument, which didn't matter because I didn't like him. Right.

I swiped my arm over the dusty steering wheel and shifted the buggy into drive.

"Bye Rain!" Robin yelled over the engine.

"By Robin," I laughed. "I'll see you in a few months!"

The buggy started heading forwards and I steered it towards the Gates, following the row of the other orange buggys.

We headed through the Gate, a looming shadow falling over us. I'd was the first time I'd been out of the housing district.

I leaned out of my window as we approched a man waving people every which way.

"Where are you headed?" he asked. "And who is being dropped off first?"

"We're both headed to the defense district." I answered.

"Ah! What a great couple! You'll head down the road here and turn right after you pass the second milestone." he instructed.

"Thank you sir." we replied.

After a while of driving Lukkas' whiny voice spoke up.

"Are we there yet?" he grinned.

"No. We just passed the first milestone." I said guesturing as a large sign flew past.

"How about now?" he asked again after a few minutes.

"I will pull this buggy over right now Lukkas." I threatened.

"Okay, okay." he paused. " When are we arriving?"

I rolled my eyes and kept driving.

After an hour of driving, squinting, and shielding our eyes from dust particles, I pulled into a new pair of Gates.

"We're here Lukkas. Lukkas?" I looked over to see him snoring next to me.

"Lukkas! Come on!" I said shaking him.

"What? What happened?" he said, waking up.

"We got here. To the defense district I mean." I guestured outside. There was a huge Pentagon shaped building that had a glass dome on top.
I drove our buggy forwards, behind a few others.

"Hello new defense opratives!" a cheerful voice said making me jump.

"In Zotilia, but people call me Zoe." A girl popped her head in the buggy. She had high cheek bones and tan skin.

"I'm Rainia, my friends call me Rain."

"Lukkaski, friends call me Lukkas."

We exited the buggy and shook hands with Zoe.

"Nice to meet you all. I will be your dorm manager. We are in the Echo group. I hope we get to know each other well these next years!" she smiled.

"Grab your stuff and follow me in please! Your group mates are already settled in."

"How many other people are there?" Lukkas asked as we all strode towards the huge building.

"Four. Two other girls, two other guys. We always split groups like this." she said, walking backwards to continue talking.

We reached the building and the door split, sliding open from the middle. We followed Zoe and took a left down into a deep hallway. On the left side there were around twenty doors, each with a word labled above. Zoe lead us to the fifth one down, which read 'Echo'.

"Ready to meet your group mates?" Zoe asked, ready to twist the door knob.

"I guess so," I replied while Lukkas shrugged.

"In you go!" she said, pulling the door wide.

We stumbled in. On the left side of the room we're three bunk beds, all with orange sheets and the Defense symbol on it.

Four teenagers looked up at us from a table where they were playing cards.

"Hello." Lukkas stuttered.

They all got up and walked towards us. It bugged me that they had already met, but I'm sure it wouldn't matter.

"I'm Skyn, my friends call me Sky."

"I'm Gibbison, my friends all call me Gib."

"My names is Chadist, my friends call me Chad."

"I'm H-hollister, m-my friends call me H-holly."

I was overwhelmed by the handshakes and names to remember, but I'd bee seeing a lot of them so I supposed I could get a better look later.

"Nice to meet you all." Lukkas and I replied together. We looked at each other and laughed.

Everyone eyes us nervously.

"Oh, it's okay. We've been Matched." Lukkas explained, pulling up his sleeve as I did the same.

"Thank goodness, though we had a couple of rule breakers here." Chad laughed.

"Don't be rude," Sky said, Holly agreeing. Gib nodded, not looking at anyone.

"Well, I still have a little to show you guys. You two can get packed after I give you a tour." Zoe said from the doorway.

"Alright." I put my two boxes down at the door of a bed, Lukkas stacking his next to mine.

We walked outside of the Echo bedroom and headed back through the hall we came. It opened into a large cafeteria that had small tables.

We walked towards one of them that had an 'E' in the center.

"This is our table, where you eat breakfast and dinner. Breakfast starts at 5:00 and goes to 5:30. Dinner is from 8:00 to 8:30."

"What about lunch?" Chad said confused.

"We don't have lunch here." Zoe said simply. "Don't worry, you get used to it and the meals are big."

He nodded not completely convinced.

Zoe lead us out the cafeteria and into another hallway. This one had rooms on either side that had glass walls so we could see in. Most had punching bags or other exercise equipment.

"This is the Training Room. You can come here during free time, which is one hour before and after meals."

We walked down the long hall and turned left, which opened into a foyer with a door. Zoe motioned us closer.

"This is an infirmary. Now I know you aren't used to getting hurt, but sometimes people do. This is where they go to get better." she explained.

We walked back past the Training Room hall, turning right this time.

"That door is the Arena room, all the others here are classes. There's a track and pool outside that you may also use for training.

"Pool?" Sky asked. I glanced at her, thinking that she must be pretty outgoing with that tone. "What's a pool?"

"It's like a big bath tub. You'll see later this week."

We all walked back to the careteria, finding that it was filling up with students.

"Go grab some dinner and meet me at our table." Zoe instructed as we left.

"This place is huge," Lukkas mumbled as we got in line, holding plastic trays.

"Yeah and she said a lot of weird things. Like pool. That sounds crazy to me." Lukkas nodded in agreement.

We slid our trays down and a Good Distributor placed five small cans on my tray.

"I'm sorry sir, but how do I eat this?" I asked.

"No need to be sorry," he huffed. "Take an opener down and the end and hook it onto your can. Crank the handle then make sure to step back when it opens." he said with a wink.

Wondering what on earth that meant I grabbed the small opener. Sitting down with the others I attached it and slowly started cranking.

I hesitated at the end, when there was just a smidge left. What did he mean stand back? I shrugged and cranked it one last time.

The lid poppoped off and shot into the air, followed by two tomato and a mango. I yelped in surprise. Looking around I saw that others were noticing the same thing.

I glanced up and saw Zoe laughing.

"Hey! You didn't tell us on purpose!" I accused.

"Lighten up kid." she replied. " Tell me that it wasn't a little fun."

"Well it was cool." I admitted, starting to crank the next can.

After each can had exploded, I looked at all the food in front of me. I had two tomatoes, a mango, a slice of bread, crackers (Zoe called them saltines), a cucumber, a carton of milk, and a handful of cashews. It was an odd little lunch, but I liked most of it, especially mangos.

After I had eaten most of it I looked over at Lukkas, who had barely eaten at all.

"Why haven't you eaten Lukaks?" I asked.

"I'm not used to this much food." he muttered.

"What? Everyone gets the same amount?"

Lukkas just shrugged and kept eating.

After he finished we got up, leaving our trays, and headed back to our dorm. Zoe showed us an old game that was popular here called poker.

I was okay, but Holly won most. For some reason Gib was doing awful, coming up with a pile of 'junk' often. When I asked he shrugged. Lukkas probably liked this guy. They could be I-don't-want-to-answer-this-question-so-I'll-shrug-instead buddies!

We finally turned on and took turns showering and getting dressed in our two bathrooms.

We cared under our cover at 10:00 precisely.

"Goodnight Chad." Someone called out.

"Night Lukkas," Chad said in return.

"Good night Holly." I heard Lukkas murmer above me."

"Night G-Gib." Holly whispered.

"Goonight Rain." Gib said.

"Goodnight Sky." I finished the circle. I loved my group.

For once, everything seemed perfect.

Okay, calm down I know the ending to that chapter was cliche and I know I said I'd stop, but you don't know where I live most likely so I'm good.

Hope you like the new character, and I'm not hinting or anything, but I wouldn't get too attatched.

Kidding, kidding. Pleas get attached. It'll hurt you more when I kill them.