"You still look pretty sick."

"The doctor said I'd be fine." Sonnet insisted.

"That was on Saturday."

"I was worse on Saturday."

"One day of school isn't worth it," I chided.

"No. I'm going. Now, get out of my room."

She looked deathly pale when she joined me at the bottom of the staircase. She had a thermos (not called a thermos because it was some high-tech thing) that she took sips of.

"What's even in there?"

"Soup. Engineered to have more vitamin soup and help strengthen the immune system."

"Why do you need that if you're not sick?"

"Oh, I am sick. Just not sick enough to miss school."

"And how sick is sick enough to miss school?" I asked.

"You have to be pretty sick. You have to be actively throwing up, unable to do work, or super contagious."

"But wouldn't it be better to rest and to be less sick later?"

Sonnet chuckled. "You're so oblivious, aren't you?"

"Oblivious about what?"

"How the world works. Everything, really."

"That's not hurtful at all."

Sonnet shrugged. The train slid to a stop.

I ran to catch up to her. "Oh, also, when you're feeling better, Mr. McShane would like you to come in."

She turned to look at me. "Why? I wasn't there during the attack. Plus, I thought they had moved past the investigation into it."

"No, it's not about the attack. Well, it is about the attack, but not in that way. They want to talk to you about safety."

"Why? I'm safe enough. Plus, we have our own... Oh." She laughed without any trace of amusement. "You think I might be a target."

"Yes." I said carefully.

"There have always been rebellion attacks. I don't understand what makes this one so special."

"It happened on government soil. That doesn't happen."

"Oh. Well, yeah, when I'm feeling better we will definitely go in."

She squeezed my hand. She was clammy. Despite being bundled up, her hands felt downright burning.

"You are not healthy. You feel like you have a fever."

"Rob, I'm fine."

I nodded. She parted ways.

I made my way over to Ted. "You're girlfriend looks bad, man."

"She says she's fine."

"You're probably scaring her with all your rebellion alarm stuff."

"You think?" I asked. I hadn't been trying to. I didn't even think I'd been that focused on it.

"It's been six days since it's happened. Everyone's pretty much over it." Zander jumped in.

"Oh. Well, it is a big thing."

"Of course, it is, buddy. You just have to understand that most of us aren't being groomed for great things." Zander explained.

"'I know I'm being groomed for mediocracy. If I was being prepped for greatness, I know at least half of you wouldn't be here." Ted sighed.

"Thanks for the confidence."

The group disassembled lazily. We went through the day. By lunch, the group officially banned rebellion activity as a talking point. I hadn't even brought it up.

"You were thinking it. You got this really dumb look on your face," Ted stated.

I just rolled my eyes.

I was doing better in my classes. History was still abysmal, but I got an A no matter what. Mr. McShane had really come through on that aspect.

Sonnet looked better on the train. I was glad.

"You want to play a board game or something?"

"Oh, I need to take a little nap when we get home. Maybe some other time."

Sonnet closed her eyes and leaned back. She opened one eye and looked at me.

I smiled. I had a girlfriend. A real girlfriend.

She slipped away when we got back to the manor, but it was forgivable because she left a Nelumbo Cake to atone for her absence.

✰ ✰ ✰

I slipped away from Rob. He wouldn't drop the fever conversation. He wouldn't drop the rebellion.

I felt my forehead. It wasn't that hot. I rushed down to the floors below the basement. I tried to be discreet and careful.

I heard footsteps at the bottom of the steps.

"Tyena?"

"Here."

"You're supposed to be in bed."

"I'm going to go insane if you keep me cooped up much longer."

I turned the corner. She smiled at me. "Hey."

I crossed the room. "Hey." I wrapped my arms around her.

"It's not like I'm doing a workout down here or anything."

I kissed the top of her head. "No, I guess it's not."

She looked up at me. "I don't really want to go. I know they say I'll recover faster in a rebellion base, but I don't want to go."

"You can't live in my basement forever."

"It's not your basement. I'm living in Mr. Jim's basement."

"I missed you."

Before she could respond, our attention was drawn away by a man in one of the many doorways of the secret bottom floor of Ifine Manor.

"Tyena, time for your meds."

She nodded. "Hold my hand?"

I looked down at her. "Of course."

She noticeably gulped. The man got a needle out of his lab coat.

"This just has vitamin C until you can get some sun, some supplements since your diet hasn't been the best, and some regenerative enzymes to speed up the healing. Especially for that limp."

T squeezed my hand. The man pulled the needle out.

"We'll be done with the needles when we can move you. We have more resources at the lab."

T nodded. "When is it scheduled for?"

"Wednesday, the 18th."

"Okay."

"Again, we're better equipped at base. You'll recover in no time. We just need to wait until things settle down a little bit."

"I have a feeling that things won't settle down for a while." She whispered. The room fell eerily silent.