Illegally in Love, Chapter 1

Chapter One

My name’s Luca, I’m 15 years old, and I am a runner. Everyday is the same routine, pick up a trade item, run it to it’s new owner retrieve their trade item and run it back to where I came. We runners are valuable to the outer sectors, because we are the only way,other than hiring a flyer, to get supplies, and trade items. Our job is to go into the inner sectors and retrieve the goods the theifs obtained and bring them to outer sectors. It is dangerous, though, because if the watchers catch us we’re doomed to a life in confinement or even worse, elimination. Though, I’ve never been caught because I’m the best of the best. Except, there has been a couple times that I lost something due to almost being caught, but if there is something we need I’m called upon to go get it.

My partner name’s Alexa, she’s a thief, the best I know actually. Usually if I’m called upon it’s because she’s got something to run home. Her job’s even harder than mine because she has to sneak into storage facilities and houses, and if she’s not careful, she’ll be eliminated, so I’m constantly worrying about her if she’s late for a delivery because I can’t stand the thought of her being dead. We’re kinda in an illegal relationship,but the Civilization doesn’t care because we’re from the outer sectors. If we were caught by the people in the inner sectors, they’d probably eliminate us or put us in rehab just because we’re the same gender, but I’d rather be caught and killed with her than anyone else. The Civilization can suck it.

Though anyway, that’s not how my story starts. It was a normal day, I just woke up and I was getting dressed while waiting for the meal I ordered, from the deliverers and chefs. Then I heard a loud knock on my door as I was walking to the dining area. I turn around and walk to the door and answer it. I blinked, uncertain if I was really seeing an officer on my porch, officers don’t go to the outer sectors, most of them think we’re all dead.

“Are you Luca?”the officer asked.

“Yes. What do you want with me?” I reply.

“You must to report to The Grand Hall on Friday, November 18th, for your pairing ritual,” he replied, “that will be all.”

Oh god, oh god, oh god this can’t possibly be right, the people of the outer sectors never get paired. This can’t be possible, I can’t be paired with a boy! I’m with Alexa, and I can’t be separated from her, I’ll die. I’m not even vaguely attracted to boys, I’m only attracted to girls, specifically Alexa. Wait, what if she’s being paired too or what if she isn’t and she’ll spend all her days wondering if I got killed or had a job change, or even worse what if she thinks I suddenly forgot about her and moved on. I just can’t take this, maybe I’ll just not go, wait that won’t work, they’ll just drag me there by force. Maybe, I’ll just kill myself, nope, not doing that, Alexa would be so broken up and probably kill herself too, at least we’d be together.

That night I decide to go on a run and talk to Alexa. I run thru trees and thorns to the meeting place at inner sector 3. I stand there at the abandoned warehouse and wait. I watch as a shadow crosses of the wall and there in a pool of light coming through a window is Alexa. She stands there for a moment and smiles, her golden blonde braid of hair, swaying in a gentle draft behind her. Her eyes shine, a bright blue, as she looks for me hidden in the dark.

“Luca! Luca!” she calls out, her voice like an angel calling into the darkness of the ware house.

“Over here!” I call back and take a slight step into the light.

“Oh, you silly you’re always hiding in the dark and worrying me like that. You always worry me. Maybe you could actual--” I cut her off kissing her passionately on the lips, she kisses me back, and like everything other time we kiss the world disappears from around us and there is no longer anything to worry about. Though, when the kiss ends, I return to the shock of reality, and try to kiss her again, but she pushes me away, the reassuring way she does it, pretty much telling me there is plenty more kisses to come on later.

“Ok, let’s get down to business. I didn’t get you to come here so I could receive a delivery, there is something much more serious I have to tell you,”I say.

“I know,and I have something to talk about to you too. Besides, I didn’t even bring something. But, yeah, we have some serious talking to do,” She replies, “You go first.”

“ I, uh, I have a problem. I’m scheduled to get paired soon and I don’t know what to do. All of my options would end with someone killed or someone heart broken. So, I’m not sure if I really have any options any more,” I say.

“ Uhh, that’s kinda what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m getting paired too and I was worried about you. I guess we’re in this together and we’ll obey the civilization, but we can always run off to continue our relationship,” Alexa replies, nervously.

“I guess we could do that, though do you really want to be stuck with someone you’ll never love for the rest of your life. We could run away from here or commit suicide together and just get away from this cruel world together,” I reply, shocked at what she said.

“No. You gotta trust me on this one. I know more about the Civilization than you and I know that no matter what we do they’ve made it impossible for us escape,” she says and pulls out a map, she moves her finger around the borders of the outer sectors, “ Buried beneath the borders is an electric boundary, it’s strong enough to stun us until officers come and carry us to confinement. On top of that they’ve already made sure we can’t kill ourselves. Have you ever noticed the lack of ropes, hooks, sharp knives, guns, and other things that can be used to commit suicide, it’s because they don’t want any of us dieing because we want to. They treat us people from the outer sectors like criminals and outcasts. We can’t get out and no one wants to get in. We gotta keep playing their game until the time is right.”

“Alexa? How do you know all this?” I ask.

“You’ll find out when the time is right. Now let’s leave before we are caught,” she answers and briefly kisses my cheek before darting off into the unknown.