Shake Hands with The Rebel

The next day after school I meet Kat behind the warehouse where they hand out the food for the city, it’s not the fourth of the month no one is here.

Kat has her chestnut hair is down and it stops at her shoulder blades. She is wearing a black coat zipped up to her chin and thick wool gloves.

“Hello, earth to A*****e.” She says having her glove clad hand in front of my face.

I snap back into reality, what is wrong with me. I know that I have a crush on her, slightly but I didn’t know it was that noticeable.

“I wish you would stop calling me that, I’m joining your side now.” I lean in whispering in her ear.

“Fine, Hunter.” She sneers “Can I have the papers or are you going to staring at the wall all day, it’s starting to get cold.”

I pull out the envelope from my jacket and hand it to her.

“Can I ask you something?” I ask,

“You just did.” She points out grabbing the yellow envelope.

I ignore the comment.

“If it becomes public that I am part of B.E.F.A, can you and I talk in public and act like we are getting along?” I ask.

“I‘m getting along with you right now.” She replies tucking the envelope under her arm “Once you get into B.E.F.A we will talk about what happens next.”

I step closer toward her.

“You called me adorable than left me hanging. What was that about?” I ask again.

She sighs “I’m going to honest with you Hunter. At first I thought you were a stupid a*s pretty boy who will kill me once you get into The Higher Power but after I punched you out then when you started to ask questions I hater you even more for trying to weasel into my mind.” She pauses and inhales then exhales “I probably wanted you to join B.E.F.A more than my brother did. I like you in a good way. They just teach us that we are enemies but seeing you finally stepping up and following your heart makes you seem more like a human than anything.”

She wraps her long arms around my shoulders.

I lean down a little and kiss her forehead.

“Will you make sure that you protect my siblings?” I ask.

She nods in a yes.

“Good.” I respond.

She looks up at me with those blue eyes “You really care about those two kids.”

“Yes, I’m willing to die so they don’t have to live this segregation.” I nod.

“My brother was the same way, still is but now I‘m older he is trying to get B.E.F.A to win, he isn‘t the over protective brother that started B.E.F.A with a few of his buddies, he is a true so called “rebel“ now, sometimes I miss the old Kendall.” She sighs.

“I’ll protect you as well, I guess.” I smile.

“I can fend for myself, don’t you worry.” She softly smiles.

“Well it’s ok if you need a protector.” I joke flexing my muscles through my jacket.

She hits my arm “Once you get into B.E.F.A you are going to need my protection. There are gonna be some name calling like what I do. You also can’t slack, you got to be on the front lines.”

A wisp of wind rips through the air causing Kat to shiver. I wrap my arms around her.

“Thanks.” She shivers.

“No problem, we’re supposed to help each other, right?” I say rubbing her back.

If we lived in original Toronto, without the war, the pain, the division of people you could’ve been together, like a normal couple.

She looks up at me and places a small hand over my heart “As much as I want to stay, my brother will get worried. You will get a letter in a week or less because it‘s you.”

“What does that mean?” I ask with an arched eyebrow.

“You’re key to this group, you join us everyone will start agreeing with us because the next president wants nothing to do with his family.” She replies.

I loosen my grip and she scurries off through the alley ways east of where we were.”

I rests my back against the metal building and look up and sigh. I am in love with Kat Sheppard and I’m willing to risk it all just to keep myself and the twins safe.

I only hope it will get better.