Chapter 5

I was standing amongst a large crowd, in the Group D section, watching as my big brother, Jeremiah, jousted with one of the other bigger boys from Group C. I cheered him on as he advanced toward his opponent. But the other boy touched him with his sword and shouted "Touché!" This ended the joust tournament, and the Royal Assembly.

I watched as my brothers hugged each other, only thing now remained. I wanted to go to them, but I was so small in the huge crowd.

"Michael!" I shouted, getting up on a big chair as I tried to see over the adults. "Jeremiah!"

"Miss Faith!" Miss Bertrum scolded, taking me by the arm and pulling me down. "Stop that nonsense at once!"

She shook me as she said this. I nodded vigorously, her scowl sent chills down my spine. The blood shot painfully through my arm as she released it.

"Now," said Mr. Sanders, a teacher from Group A. "If all the participants would please come and stand on the platform, here."

Twenty participants went and stood in front of the school board. Mr. Sanders went on to explain the final rules, and how fifteen students would be bumped into the graduating class. I watched my brothers in anguish as they all lowered their heads.

"The participants from Group D have done their best," Mr. Sanders went on, motioning to my five brothers. "Yet, it saddens me to say that it was not enough. They will not be graduating."

"No!" I said, covering my eyes with my hands as I began to cry. "No!"

"Miss Faith!" came Miss Bertrum's scolding again. "That is enough!"

"But they are my only family!" I cried, pulling my hands away.

I looked just in time to see them being led to a big van. No sooner had the door been shut, the van sped away towards the far west part of the gigantic school property.

"It will be okay," said a blonde boy who was standing next to me. "You will see them again."

"You think so?" I asked, wiping my nose on the back of my hand.

"I know so," the boy smiled and patted my shoulder. "My name's Lukan, what's yours?"

"Faith."

Lukan took my hand and we ran to the tables to get something to eat.

I woke up crying, sweating buckets all over, and my breathing had increased. I turned on the bedside lamp and hugged my knees.

"Faith?"

I looked up; Joshua was standing in the doorway. He came and sat on the bed beside me.

"The dream?" he asked, rubbing my knee comfortingly.

I nodded with a sob and hid my face in my knees. I felt Joshua move closer and pull me into his side.

"My brothers," I said in between sobs. "They were standing in front of the school board.... They were being told that they were not graduating."

"Faith, it's alright," Joshua said soothingly. "It's okay."

I hid my face in his chest, crying deeper sobs. I had forgotten what my brothers looked like, since I never had a photograph to look at. I hadn't realized how much I missed them.

Joshua stayed hugging me until I was calm again. Having him near me made it easier to forget the dream.

"Better?" he asked, rubbing my shoulder.

I nodded, "Thank you," I replied, wiping my nose on my sleeve. "What were you doing up? Did I wake you?"

"I couldn't sleep," he said, "remember? It takes me a week to get used to a new environment."

"Oh, yeah."

There was a long silence. Downstairs the old grandfather clock gonged five times.

"No one will be coming to get us up."

"Yay," I said, leaning my head against the headboard. "I'm so glad that Group D is getting closed. The remaining students will have a better chance at life."

"Yeah, I can't believe Miss Bertrum could be so cruel. All those children... I can't imagine what she tells their families."

"Most of them are orphans," I settled down into the soft blankets. "The others are there because their parents either couldn't care for them, or they didn't want to bother about them anymore."

"That's...." Joshua shook his head. "OK, I know this is still a sore subject, but I gotta ask. Were you close to your brothers?"

I didn't reply right away, but I did want to talk about them.

"We were close enough," I explained with a yawn. "I only knew them a few years of my life, but I knew I could go to them for anything."

"Do you remember the order of their ages, their names?" Joshua asked, leaning against the headboard.

"Let me see," I replied, "the oldest were Mark and Matthew. They were twins. Then came Jeremiah, Luke, and Michael. I'm... I was the youngest."

"Hmm.... Well, I should go and at least get a few minutes of sleep. "Don't want to be falling asleep standing up."

Joshua got off the bed and walked towards the door.

"Joshua does not need any further instruction," said Joel, one of the music instructors. "He is a natural on guitar."

"I know!" exclaimed Joy, who was playing the piano along with Joshua.

We had been working with Joel and Joy for five hours. Joshua had a spark of recognition and remembered everything he knew about the guitar. In addition, as it turned out, I had a nice voice, according to Joel and Joy's experience.

"I can just hear it," Joy said as she stopped playing the piano. "Joshua starts singing to soft piano. Then, when least expected, Faith comes out and sings the chorus in harmony."

"Maybe she could be the one playing the piano," Joel said with a thoughtful expression. "Then at the bridge, she stands for the high note."

"Whoa!" I said, standing up between them. You two are already planning stage presentation, and I am still trying to learn the song lyrics."

"Oh, you will pick them right up," Joy said, assuring me. "You are, in fact, a very fast learner."

I bit my bottom lip and sat back down. I looked at the paper I held in my hand; I did know the lyrics almost right from the start. What I was trying to master were the parts in the song where I would hit a high note. Okay, maybe there was one place where I went up an octave.

I am a nervous wreck, I thought to myself.

Joshua must have noticed my worried expression, because he stopped playing the guitar and put it aside.

"Faith," he said, making me look at him. "Why are you so worried? You're going to be great!"

"What if I mess up?" I asked slowly. "What if I get us kicked out of the events? We will not be going to the other groups; we will be sent to where the losers go. I don't even know if any of them still live."

"Then we will just have to wait and find out. However, there is plenty of time to work on the rough edges."

"Exactly," chimed Joy, putting her hand on my arm. "You will be fantastic."

I half smiled; it was starting to become a habit. A very good habit. Grace, Joel and Joy were always smiling, Joshua was too.

"Excuse me," said Grace as she entered the room. "Miss Faith, you have a letter here. It is from your headmistress."

I stood and went towards her. She handed me a long, white envelope. Whatever could have caused Big B to send me a letter? Only a day after I left the Group D section. She had to be going insane.

"Thank you, Grace," I said politely as I opened the envelope.

Six squares fell to the floor as I pulled out the letter. As I bent down to pick them up, I gasped. They were pictures. Pictures of my brothers, and of Lukan, when they were each ten years old. I had to sit on the floor to absorb what I was seeing. I had never seen these pictures before. My brothers and Lukan were all smiling. No one in Group D ever smiled when taking the yearly growth photo. I started to read the letter; it did not make any sense. I could almost hear Miss Bertrum's harsh voice, as if she were standing over me.

Miss Faith,
I have sent you this letter to inform you of a matter. A matter, of which, I have kept from you for a good while. You will not take lightly what I tell you, but you must not let it break you. Weeping shows weakness.
The matter I wish to inform you of is this: the woman whom is your mother has passed away, nearly thirteen years ago. She died shortly after sending you to Group D.
I have enclosed six photographs, one of each your brothers, and that boy you were so fond of. Notice they are smiling. These photographs are to remind you of what I tell you.
Headmaster Clarkson may be "training" you for the Royal Assembly; however, you still take your commands from me. When it comes time for you to perform in the Assembly, you will not do anything that will show your skill level. You will do exactly the opposite of what the headmaster wishes of you.
Moreover, remember, whatever questions you are asked, you shall give no reply. If you do not heed what I tell you, Master Joshua shall suffer the same fate as Lukan and your brothers. In addition, he shall be forced to smile for a picture that will remind you that you were the cause. You will also suffer this fate, as an example to the other children. They will not be moved to the other groups; I will assure the fate of Group D to remain the same as always.
Destroy this letter once you have finished reading it.

I could not believe it, then again, why I was not surprised, I did not know. My face was scrunched up in anger as I tore the letter without thinking. Joel, Joy and Joshua all looked at me with surprise. Feeling sobs building in my chest, I took the photos and ran out of the room. I ran upstairs and into my room, collapsing on the bed.

"Why!" I shouted in the pillow. "Why is she so cruel? Why does she look to gain at the expense of others?"

Miss Bertrum wanted me to lose the Assembly. If I didn't, my friends would suffer.

"What do I do?" I whispered, but then I knew the answer.

I slid off the bed, onto my knees, and began to pray.