Chapter 1: I Get Kissed By A Pretty Girl

The lava below me bubbles and pops as I fall. I guess you wanted to know what led to this? Well, you asked for it.
* * *
Five years ago to the day I had arrived at Safe Place. It had a real name,
Tutum, and that’s what I called it. I can’t call it Safe Place anymore because that’s what Mother had called it but she was… Somewhere. Where? I didn’t know. But Somewhere.

“Hey, Peck-Face get out here! You’re gonna be late for Battle Class!” came from outside my door.

“It’s open Pugna! Come in!”

He ducked under the doorway and shook off the water from his scrappy leather jacket and sat in the chair positioned towards the fireplace.

“Nice joke dude. We have rest days on Primis.” I said, slightly annoyed. If you don’t already know, Primis is the first day of the week in Tutum.

“Lighten up Pecks. It’s just a harmless joke.” Pugna said, reacting to the bitter tone.

The room was dimly lit as no natural sunlight came in so Pugna flicked the top of the candle, lighting it. It was a trick taught to all non-mags so they would seem as if they were magical. That way, if they were ever caught they could maybe wiggle out of a Sentence.

I had kept writing down things in my journal trying to keep track of my mind’s wild thoughts.

As I glanced out the window I noticed a man carrying a lot of brown boxes, his back arched backward from the weight. I stood up quickly. Pugna didn’t even look up from his book. He just said, “You’re gonna want a hat.”

I grabbed my rain hat and jacket then hustled out to help him. He gratefully placed the heavy boxes in my arms and gave me directions to his home. He pointed to the third cabin from us. I carried the boxes easily to the front door and then asked him if he needed any more help. He said no so I walked back to my place. On my way, I bumped into Amare. She had stunning features like a goddess and every boy wanted a piece of her, and I just then realized I was one of those boys. Her beautiful blond hair flowed behind her as she blushed, turned, and walked quickly away. I couldn’t take my eyes off her but I had managed to say,

“Amare? You okay?”

I just stood there in the rain watching her walk away. I remembered that I probably shouldn’t be outside in the rain for this long, so I walked back towards home.

Pugna was in the kitchen.

“You were gone for a while. I was worried about you.” He said frowning at his eggs.

“Mhm…”

“What’s up with you?”

“I bumped into Amare.”

“Oh really? She’s okay, I guess.”

“Eh, but it was strange she like turned red and walked fast away from me”

“Someone’s gotta Lil’ girlfriend.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, loser.”

I sat down at my desk and tried to write again but my brain hurt so I just stared down the street hoping to maybe see Amare come outside again. Which was unlikely because it was
Raining outside
She was probably embarrassed
She was probably studying for the Hero Exams

The Hero Exams are when you have to answer questions (ten pages of them) about the village history and what the guardsmen themselves stand for. The second half is beating your partner in a sparring match. The winners are allowed to become guardsmen and wear special uniforms.

I hadn’t stand a chance. I hadn’t trained for anything since…

I went into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of fortis milk, while Pugna ate crackers and read.

“Flowers for Lady Moon?” I said laughing. “The romance novel about the creepy old dude and the moon?”

Pugna flushed with embarrassment and scratched his head.

“I mean it’s not a bad book if you wanna read it.” He said closing it.

I walked to my bedroom and went to lie down on my bed when…

“Hi, Tuna.”

“AAH!” I screamed, startled at the face in my window.

“Sorry about earlier I was pretty um… tired,” Amare said.

“Yea. I get it. C’mon in. You’re soaked!”

She gracefully jumped up onto the ledge of the window and then stepped down inside.
She hugged me quickly and sat down on my unmade bed. I walked to the other side of the room and sat in my ‘Conversation Chair’ as Pugna called it.

“So… uhm are you ready for the uh Hero Exams?” She turned and looked out the open window.

“I’m not a big fan of becoming a guardsman,” I said, looking around the threadbare room. The wooden walls reached about ten feet and the mismatched red floorboard always creaked and groaned when you stepped on it.

“Why not?”

“Well, there’s my father...” I didn’t want to meet her eyes. I hated it when people pitied me and when Amare did it, it was even worse.

“Oh, I’m so sorry I completely forgot.”

“Please don’t apologize.”

“Oh.”

“That was harsh. I didn’t mean-”

“I know. I know. I understand.”

I waited for something to break the silence.

“Ack!” Pugna cried.

I ran into the kitchen.

“What happened?”

“I burned myself.”

“You had us-”

“Us?!?”

“I just misspoke.”

“Lemme guess. Amare is in there,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah” I scratched the back of my head.

“You know we can get in serious trouble if a GIRL is in OUR cabin after 4 o’clock.”

“I know. But she won’t get caught.”

“She better not.”

He walked off to the fireplace and went back to reading.

I closed the door slowly behind me and turned to Amare.

“So why’d you come over here.”

“Why not?”

“I mean why not go to like, Deck’s house?”

“Deck’s not like you. You’re… special.”

“What kind of special?”

She flushed a bright pink.

“I mean you’re special too,” I said, trying to make this conversation less awkward.

“Not like you.”

“Whaddya mean? You’re pretty, strong, tough, kind, amaz-”

“You can keep naming things.” She walked over to me and sat down.

“Nah. I’d sound like a creep.”

“You’ll never be a creep to me.” She leaned her head on my shoulder. I’m 99.99% sure I should’ve blacked out because of my vasovagal syncope. But I luckily didn’t.

“Uh, thanks?”

“That was weird, sorry.” She picked her head up.

“It’s okay.”

Silence.

“Hey uh-”

She kissed me.

Right then and there.
It was amazing. The world was spinning around us. I just wanted to stay like this forever. It was like magic. I pulled in closer and she smiled. She smelled like blueberries and syrup and her jacket was soft and her delicate fingers brushed along my arms.

“You got some nice muscles.” She said, smiling.

Then, she hopped out the window and disappeared down the street.

I sat back in my chair and marveled at the fact that I just kissed a GIRL! It was the most amazing feeling in the world.

“Wow.”

Then everything went black.

I woke up to the grinning face of Pugna standing over top of me.

“You blacked out.”

“Yeah so?” I snapped back, viciously.

“You got pretty excited huh? You know you can’t get too excited because of your vasovagal syncope.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“She kissed you, didn’t she?”

“I-” I was going to protest but I thought better of it and just nodded.

“Woah. I’m proud of you!”

“Seriously?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

I looked out at the setting sun and how beautiful it was. But for some reason, I always felt… better at night. I know, I know it’s weird but I just felt comfortable and confident when the moon came out.

Nevertheless, I sat down on the bed and just stared out the open window until sleep took over me.