"Where to then, boss?" I asked Amir, smiling.

"I believe you need to be initiated into a squad. I'll take you back to the briefing room and they should be there along with Rachel."

My heart did a little flutter at her name and the prospect of seeing her again but my brain reminded me of last night. She blew me off after the most amazing kiss of my life. Was trying again an option? Was it not an option?

"Verity? Verity?"

I looked up to see a concerned expression crossing Amir's face.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I replied, "let's do this."

I smiled confidently at him and attempted to push Rachel to the back of my mind.

Then I set off I the direction of the briefing room.

"You are getting to know the place," Amir observed as we walked.

I nodded, still a little preoccupied.

"The compound seems a lot smaller on the second day," he said with a hint of knowing.

I was astonished to realise that this was true; the cafeteria was only actually straight down the left tunnel along with storage and the dorms were over to my right with offices branching off over there. Wow, I was adapting really fast.

At the corner before the briefing room, I saw a flash of black, glossy hair flick in front of me. The scar was familiar but the expression was not. There was physical pain in her eyes but something else too... Definitely guilt. I didn't get it, well I mean, I did. She should have felt guilty due to her actions last night but why did she stop? Why did she feel guilty because she stopped? And if you feel guilty for stopping something then why stop it in the first place?

She was also walking weirdly too, almost limping. Obviously, it was an act. I couldn't believe that she would be seeking sympathy from me?! What did she want? She hurt me and now she thought a limp was going to solve all her problems?

No, I shouldn't be doing this. I refused to let a girl get in my head this much. I could worry about that later if I really had to. My biggest priority at the minute was initiation. Wasn't it?

"Are you sure you're okay?" Amir asked. I sensed his concern was growing to an uncontrollable level.

"You really shouldn't be worrying about me this much," I reassure him.

Apparently, it just made things worse.

"Verity, I get that I seem to be hovering and normally I wouldn't crowd you this much but things need to go smoothly here. If you are a risk... the rebellion... you get it don't you?"

"What are you saying, Amir?" I pushed. I felt my face getting hotter but this time it most certainly wasn't embarrassment.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm not saying you are a risk; I just seem to have a bad track record with the people I trust."

"You mean Elyse?" I sniggered.

"No," he replied defensively, "but... I guess I deserved that. Tensions are just running high at the moment, you know?"

Suddenly, the doors began to creak and started opening. Time for initiation.

"Are we okay then?" Amir pleaded.

I nodded and faced the absence of the huge, metal blast doors leading to the briefing room. Without hesitation, I headed towards my fate.

The doors opened and my eyes tried to adjust to the light. I guess you got used to the gloom of the tunnels pretty quickly too. My eyes darted round the amphitheatre in search of Rachel just in case but to my disappointment she wasn't there. I guess we weren't an option then....

"Verity!" Lucas greeted me brightly.

I swear I couldn't keep up with this guy. His mood swings were even worse than Alex's on the first day I met him and that was saying something.

I opened my eyes again and focused on a group of figures on the centre stage. Lucas advanced towards me, a friendly hand outstretched. He led me down to the stage where I saw two people I didn't recognise and ... oh Terra, Elyse? It seemed my good day so far had just turned sour.

Elyse scrunched her face up in disgust; I was almost convinced that she was going to spit at me too.

"Her?" She grimaced.

"Verity, meet Elyse, your new squad leader," Lucas announced, "although I believe you have already been briefly acquainted?"

He chuckled. Not funny.

And I had to take orders from her? She was my leader? This day could not have gotten worse.

"This is also Jackson and Samantha, your crew," Lucas continued.

Jackson nodded in acknowledgment and Samantha stepped forward.

"Sam," they corrected.

"Sam," I agreed.

"Don't mind him," Sam said, nodding at Jackson, "he likes to play the silent and mysterious, brooding type."

I could appreciate Jackson and I liked Sam already.

"Well then, I'll leave you all to sort yourselves out. Verity, you have classes in fifteen minutes," Lucas said.

"Classes?"

"Education is the most powerful tool in igniting a rebellion," Elyse quoted with a smirk towards Jackson.

"We learn the truth and not the propaganda the Higher Authority has been spoon-feeding us," Same explained.

"Makes sense, I guess."

Lucas left.

Elyse didn't hesitate to assert her dominance.

"I have three rules, Walker," Elyse said to me.

"One, you follow my orders. Cross the 't', dot the 'i'.
Two, you stop acting like the world has done you a great hardship. We are all here because we know the government is unjust. I myself have been to a facility and for thirteen years too. You are one of us now and I don't want to hear it.
And three, you will not suck up. Flattery does not get you anywhere with me and it won't get you anywhere with Lucas or Rachel either. You even think about going over my head and I with make you wish you never joined us. Are we clear?"

"Yes," I muttered through gritted teeth.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, sir."

Jackson and Sam were silent. You could cut the tension with a LaserKnife. Never one to back down, I stared at Elyse, right in her eyes. I would not roll over and die.

I hated how I noticed again that everyone around here seemed to be really attractive. Obviously, I had been starved of these possibilities for so long, my mind was set into overdrive. Oh sorry, Elyse forbade me to talk about my life before the Resistance, didn't she? Precious little Elyse.

But still, the way her light hazel eyes marked the ferocity behind them, it sent shivers down my spine.

It turned out, time passed very slowly when locked in an unblinking contest so I was glad to see a figure come in and interrupt us.

"Hi Amir," I welcomed.

Instantly, Elyse's body language took a turn for the worst. She strutted right up to me and in my face whispered: "don't be such a wh*re."

Just like that, any appreciation I had for her appearance was immediately vanquished.

I matched her intensity in my reply:

"I'll do whatever I want. But if you're worried about your little relationship then you can rest assured that my gay a$$ won't be troubling you."

Then I strolled right on out of that room but not before I finished with: "and if you're concerned, you're not my type."

And with that I was done.

Outside, I waited for the squad, doubling up in laughter as joy swept through my body. Same came out first, laughing themselves and I noticed really how pretty they were. At least I had other options.

"You really shook her, Verity. But you probably shouldn't talk to the leader like that. You can be rest assured that she'll make you pay."

"I don't doubt that she will," I replied, still howling, "come on, let's get to class."