Book I: Never Tonight

“Be a Flower! Help your Match bloom!”

The words were in cherry-red lettering in an inviting, yet solid font across a digital rendering of the Flower Nurse in her pretty, crisp, white uniform. Galina stood dutifully and looked at it every day, as did the other students in her seventh-year class. Per their ritual after honoring the picture, they spoke the Never Tonight prayer in unison.

“Our world was broken, but now it is new,

The crimes of the earth are so far and few.

And from the depths of endless pain,

A beautiful harmony is all that remains.

Be a Flower, help your Match bloom!

Be there for them and save them from doom.

Make sure they are cared for, properly, and right,

And never shall you leave them, never tonight.”

After the prayer, the teacher broke the class into two groups. Some of them were allowed to sit where they wanted; others had to stay facing the projector lesson as they began to learn about the newest teachings of Irina Jansen and Tommy Newport.

The pair’s ideas to turn the Flowers into something governmental in nature had been ingenious and the students were to study the ways of Irina’s and Tommy’s minds.

The lessons were historical in nature and always began in the fall, reflecting when the Flowers were first created in 2013. Twenty years later, society had adapted and reformed under Sovpadeniye, the matching machine.

As each year went by, the details of the program became more in-depth revealing more eloquent intricacy at age appropriate times.

Galina sat at her desk and watched the presentation. She was following along on her handheld mini tablet, feeling bored. She lived this life which meant she didn’t need to study it but the school was forcing her. But she couldn’t blame it all on the school. Her mother was in on it too.

Anticipating another year of this before she could go to her official training brought forth an impatient sigh. The teacher stopped speaking for a moment and stared. Galina coughed to cover it up a feeling of anxiety hitting her stomach. Her mother would punish her greatly if Galina tainted their pristine family image.

Turning her thoughts to a more positive direction she began to fantasize about becoming a real Flower once and for all. Would she be taken to the Flower Institute on her thirteenth birthday or perhaps her mother could send her earlier? Earlier would be nice.

The only problem that crept inside her young mind was the idea of failure. Failing to be loyal and behave enough for her mother. The good news for her was that she’d finally find out who Sopvadeniye, the Matcher, had chosen for her. Her mystery Match was out there somewhere.

Galina periodically found herself meeting boys’ eyes, but she always averted her gaze. “Old world crushing” was forbidden. Her admiration and attention would be for her Match only, whoever he may be.

A half-smile crossed her rosy lips as she wondered what he would be like. Would he possess dashing handsome looks? Maybe he’d have a great sense of humor. Perhaps he’d even like playing Subdues on her Xander console with her. That would be perfect!

Galina’s cough had covered up her intense boredom, at least for now. The teacher’s glare had let up but the older woman continued to stare at Galina. Averting her eyes, Galina glanced around the classroom. Directly to her right, sat Devon Donnelly. Catching her looking, he gave her a small smile.

Why was he so out of control with his feelings?

He tried his absolute best to hide his interest in Galina, though his self control was limited. Often, from his inability to refrain, in punishment he was sent to a solitary classroom with a Titan teaching him–a type of robot created by Tommy and Irina.

Normally, Devon should have received a much harsher punishment for all his googly-eyed Chooser behavior, but Galina insisted that he be left alone.

Despite being the daughter to the Flower of Origin she didn’t want to bear witness again to Shame-Facing. In her gut, she felt that it was wrong, though she wouldn’t ever tell her mother that.

She had only seen people Shame-Faced twice in her life but that was enough. The guilty parties had to sit where they could be seen by their peers. In the two cases she was witness to, they were propped in front of the school.

The first was a girl named Jenny Daniels. There was a computer marquee sign hung around her neck stating what she had done. It was also broadcast throughout the hallways and in each classroom; she had openly crushed and attempted to kiss one of her boy classmates.

As penance she had to sit for several hours outside as students came and went from the campus. Her crying was uncontrollable and audible even behind the thick cement walls. Only when the rain began to come down in sheets was she allowed back inside.

The boy shared the same fate, sat directly across from her on the side where the buses dropped students off. People mocked the two bringing the boy to tears, as well. Both nearly brought Galina to tears herself.

Thinking about it sent a shiver through her body bringing her into a more disciplined state of mind with Devon. After shaking her head at him in the most assertive way possible, he promptly ducked his head down, held his tablet closely, and began typing notes attempting to immerse himself in the material. His eyes remained off her for the rest of the day.

That afternoon after school, Galina was walking more slowly than usual, admiring the foliage in the late fall weather. She smiled at the different decorations around the neighborhood.

Her birthday was coming up and she absolutely loved Halloween. It was one of the only Old World holidays that had remained since 2013.

Quickly, she spied a jack-o-lantern that had been carved into an intricately detailed witch. As she marveled at it, the flame of the candle flickering, a younger girl came over to the cement steps. Galina waved to her and let her know that she liked the design on the pumpkin. The girl smiled proudly.

It was a compliment, after all, to gain the attention of the only daughter of Irina. Galina sometimes wished for a more humble, secluded existence so she could lose herself in her books and cater to her introversion.

If only she could be anonymous for a day.

Galina said goodbye to the girl and rounded the corner to her house when suddenly she heard someone coming up behind her. She stopped for a moment, thinking it may be one of her brothers, but instead it was Devon.

When he was told not to stare or talk to her in class, he dealt with his irrepressible feelings by following her home. What made matters worse was they lived closely to one another, giving him an excuse to take the same path she did.

“Galina!” the obsessed one called to her. She clutched her book bag closely to her, then squeezed her cheek against her shoulder to catch a look. Upon seeing his eager face with a plastered grin she began to run.

“Wait!” he called to her. She rounded another corner on the sidewalk nearly tripping. Her sneakers scuffed along the acorns that had fallen from the oak trees.

“Come … back ... here!” he was yelling while huffing and puffing.

“No! Leave me alone! I am not getting Shame-Faced!”

“But you’re Irina Jansen’s daughter! You’re so cute. And famous!”

“You’re acting like a Chooser!” Galina could hear his sneaker treads desperately grinding into the cement sidewalk. As he got closer, she could feel his dirty fingers brushing against the flowing straps causing a shriek to erupt from her lips. She picked up her pace running so rapidly that she could feel her sneakers kicking her back side.

When she hit the final stretch, she was sure that Devon was going to catch her. She was losing stamina and she still had several meters to get to her front door. Perhaps today was going to be the day he caught up and when he did, she was certain he’d plant a kiss on her, causing her to not only be Shame-Faced but punished severely by her mother.

Maybe she’d even be sent to the Outer.

She could feel the energy leaving her legs as her thigh muscles began to tense up and burn. It would only be another few seconds before she had to stop.

Praying that her Titans Phobos and Deimos would show up she expended the last bits of stamina she had. Just as she was about to give up, to her surprise another boy came out from behind one of the larger maple trees close to Galina’s house.

“Hey,” he said to Devon quietly with an air of confidence. Without another word, he grabbed Devon with finesse, calmly but deliberate. Galina felt her eyes widen and then she choked out from surprise and exhaustion, the air in her lungs seemingly useless.

Her head was confused from the adrenaline, and she wasn’t sure if the new boy was friend or foe. She ran to her door and then she heard a scuffle.

“Mate, you don’t wanna do that,” the stranger said. Though she couldn’t quite make out who he was due to her frightened state, she knew his voice.

Galina gasped trying desperately to find her key card as she turned around to see what was happening. When she did, she could see the taller boy, holding down Devon.

“I’ve got him,” he said to her gallantly. “No worries.” Now she knew who he was. He was Tommy Newport’s son! And boy was he cute... oh no!