Out There (34 page)

“Oh, you can leave now. I just approved your dismissal.”

“But you need agreement from twenty citizens,” one member protested.

“Oh do I?” Mother turned to the huge group of girls. “Who here agrees?”

Everyone raised their hands.

“Then it's settled. Goodbye Margaret – and the rest of you too.”

The woman Mother referred to as Margaret came right up in her face. “We were only doing what was best for the community.”

“Yes, well I guess your judgment was off then. Have a nice day, ladies.”

One by one, the Council members all dumped their tablets on the ground and marched out of the door. Mother stood perfectly still and it suddenly hit me that she too had broken the Oath. In fact, in regards to being honest she was almost worse than the rest. I knew she was no saint yet there was something so sad in her eyes that comforted the nagging feeling I had that she wouldn't make any changes. Even though it was wrong for me not to move to remove her too, I knew that if anyone was going to completely reconstruct a Council, it would be Donna Hart.

I turned to Mother and asked, “But what are you going to do without a Council?”

“We'll figure something out. But now,” she said as she grabbed my hands, “what do you say we go find those boys?”

“Are you serious?” My hopes soared.

“I think it's about time for some change. You're right, we need to let go. This fixed mindset has made everyone lose sense of their principles a little.”

“Oh Mother!” I leapt into her arms.

She laughed. “Come on Ava, let's go.”

Epilogue

Ava, A Couple of Weeks Later

“Are you nervous?” Bri whispered to me as we sat side by side in the front row.

“What me? Nervous? Never.” I brushed it off.

“Then why are your hands shaking?”

I looked down and saw my palm shivering slightly on my chair. “Oh that's nothing.”

Bri squeezed my hand. “Don't worry. I'm sure they'll do great.”

“I hope so, Bri.”

Lexi leant over from Bri's other side and whispered, “I think Jade fell asleep. Are they starting soon?”

“They should be. And how on earth did she fall asleep?”

“It's Jade.”

“True, true.”

“Quiet, it's starting,” Bri said and pointed at the stage.

A tall regal woman with fabulous black hair glided on to the stage and held up the mic. “Welcome everyone. Today is a very important day for us all, and a significant point in our city's history, for we are welcoming not only new citizens, but also new friends, and a new perspective. I know that once our city fell into despair when judgment got clouded, even though we all believed we were doing what was right. But now I urge you all to see life with an open mind and keep our strong values and morals as our highest priority, even if they mean accepting something new or uncomfortable.

“Now I would like to thank all of you who helped us to see the light in our foolish ways, and we now know that sometimes those that have not seen the world as much as we have can act as a fresher pair of eyes. Thank you to all the un-graduates that stood up for what they believed in during our time of loss.

“Could Ava Hart, my beloved daughter and the founder of this great step in our city's development, please come forward to welcome our new citizens?”

“That's your cue,” Bri said and nudged me.

“Wish me luck.” I stood and walked out on to the stage as the crowd applauded.

Mother greeted me then continued, “Ava here marks the newly unveiled Integration Phase, which will take place along with the recently modified Repopulation Phase. She also marks the new Council Initiative Phase, which will redesign how the Council runs and how to include representatives from the school and local businesses to give feedback from their peers. The temporary Council is hard at work preparing all of this and our next Elections for Leaders of each subdivision will be taking place in a month's time. And to top all of that off, she marks the Re-Education Phase, which will work to teach an unbiased history and life skills lessons to all members of the community. Thank you to Ava for making all of this possible, for we wouldn't have all of this if she hadn't gone off and run into the forest when I specifically told her not to.”

There was laughter from the audience as Mother shook my hand. “Thank you Ava, and we all wish you the best of luck with your pregnancy. Now will you please help me to welcome our six new citizens.”

“My pleasure.”

I turned over my shoulder to see the boys all walk on to the stage proudly, some of them waving, others just smiling, and all wearing shirts.

The audience cheered as they came on and formed a line.

“Now give your citizen's Oath and we shall welcome you into our city.”

The boys all began in as best synchronisation as they could manage. “We, the people, promise that we will fulfil our duties to our community and support our Leader as long as he or she obeys their Oath. We will represent our city with honour. We will be fair, we will be honest, we will be thoughtful, we will be kind, and we will be true. We promise this in honour of our liberators, who fought to keep our race alive and to maintain unity. Long live the people of Emiscyra.”

The crowd cheered and I walked over to the end of the line and held Derron's hand as I announced, “I now present the new citizens of Emiscyra!”

“Well done up there, Ava.” A woman walked over and congratulated me.

“Oh thank you, but I owe it all to this guy here.” I put my arm around Derron.

“She's far too modest,” he said, smiling down at me.

“Well, congratulations to you too, young man,” said the woman and tapped him on the shoulder. “Oh, and on the baby of course!” She winked at us.

We both laughed and said, “Why, thank you.”

The woman walked off and I turned to Derron. “So I guess you're an official citizen now.”

“I guess I am,” he said and smiled as if just understanding it now. “Funny to think that only a couple weeks ago I was spearing fish and dangling off trees.”

“And look at you now! All clean and not a spot of dirt!”

“Very funny,” he said and wrapped his arms around my waist. “But I do recall you finding my muddy hair very…”

“Ava! Derron!” Mother waved to us from the other side of the room.

“Come on, you can tell me when we get home.” I held his hand and the two of us walked over to where Mother was standing.

“Hello darling, you were fabulous,” she said and pulled me into a hug. “And you too, Derron.” She hugged him as well.

“Thanks Mother,” he replied and grinned at me over her shoulder.

“So, any sign of Sylvia Carter?” I asked her.

“No, I'm afraid not. One minute she's all ‘I have to protect the city'; next thing she's gone and run off into the forest.”

“You really think she just ran away? You sure she's not hiding?”

“Where is there to hide? The city is tiny.”

“Well, as long as she's gone…”

“That's what I think,” said Mother with a smile.

I knew there probably wasn't much to worry about, but I was just having trouble believing Sylvia Carter was gone for good. I couldn't shake off the feeling that she was planning something. Something bad.

“Now you two go and enjoy the rest of the party and I'll see you at home.”

I shrugged it off. “OK, bye Mother.” As we walked over to the other boys I whispered to Derron, “I can't believe they still won't give us our own house.”

“It's OK, I think your mother's just worried.”

“About what?”

“Missing you,” he said and smiled.

I laughed. “How come you know everything?”

“That's why you love me.”

“Derron!” Owen came over and slapped him on the back. “Where'd you guys go?”

“Just socialising. Where's Cain?”

“Talking to his mother or something.”

“So Ava, we're actual citizens now!” Mason said excitedly.

“Yeah, you are. I never thought this day would come.” The whole thing still amazed me.

“Well, now that it has, what do you have to say?” Derron pulled me towards him.

I smiled. “Welcome home.”

About the Author

Simi Prasad is an American expat living in London. Currently, she attends an international independent school and lives with her parents and sister.

She wrote
Out There
at the age of fifteen.

It is her first novel.