Gated (6 page)

I was thirteen when I found out that Will and I would get married someday. Will had just celebrated his fourteenth birthday the month before, and Jessica, the youngest kid in the Community, had just turned twelve. Now no one was under what Pioneer called “the age of accountability.” We were all finally old enough to know who the Brethren meant for us to pair with, and the Community was abuzz about it.

I was all knocking knees and shivery insides as I walked the other girls to the clubhouse. Pioneer was planning to announce our Intendeds before that night’s movie and just after dinner. We were dressed up for the occasion, something we rarely ever did. Pioneer had our moms order us new dresses and our very first high heels. They were all exactly the same, right down to their colors, because we bought them in bulk just like everything else, but it didn’t really matter—at least not to me. I loved the staccato click my heels made as I walked toward the
clubhouse. Our parents, along with the boys, were waiting for us there.

When we entered the dining room, the boys stood up. They were equally dressy in shirts, ties, and black pants. They seemed to stand straighter in them, grow older before our eyes. These weren’t the dusty-faced boys we’d just played baseball with the other day. They were suddenly strange and far more serious. Grown-up, or at least trying to appear that way.

I fiddled with my hair, which was curly like Marie’s for once. I tried to fluff it up. My mom had rag-rolled it the night before, and while the curls had been tight and springy when she first undid them, now they were already starting to droop and go straight. Silently I cursed my stubborn, straight hair.

Marie swatted at my hand. “Leave it or it’ll just get straighter.”

Together we looked up and down the row of boys. We’d spent the last few weeks obsessing over who we’d be paired with. Marie was hoping for James, the oldest boy in the Community and also the most handsome. Most of the other girls were hoping for him as well, and he knew it. I watched as he preened at the front of the line. His arrogance annoyed me. He was the one boy I most definitely did not want.

Actually, there was only one boy I hoped for. Will. He was my best friend and felt like family already. I looked for him. He was standing midway down the line with Brian.
I smiled at them both and Will smiled back. I knew he wished for me too and it gave me hope that maybe that made us destined to be Intendeds. I crossed my fingers and willed it to happen.

Marie nudged me and tilted her head toward Brian. He saw her and his face reddened, making it look like a giant tomato. Back then Brian was short and sort of pudgy, the exact opposite of what he is now. His good looks were still hibernating.

“Let’s hope neither of us gets stuck with Extra Beefy,” she whispered. I stifled a giggle just as Pioneer—formal in a pair of black pants and a blue tie—walked to the front of the room, his hands clasped behind his back, and we were ushered to our seats.

Pioneer had a speech prepared. He droned on and on. I’m not even sure what he talked about. I can’t remember. I just know that every p K threderson in the room was distracted and fidgety, even our parents. We were all trying to see past that moment and into the next one, when we would know. When Pioneer finally finished lecturing and started calling our names in pairs, everyone seemed to let out a breath at the same time.

“A tiny bit nerve-racking, right?” Pioneer asked, wiping at his brow dramatically. Several people chuckled.

Each couple rose together and went to stand at the front of the room when they were called. Parents congratulated each other when their child’s Intended was named. Moms dabbed their eyes with tissues. Most everyone
looked pleased with their pairing, if a little embarrassed. Pioneer went down each row of girls. It wasn’t long before his eyes met mine.

“Little Owl,” he said, smiling widely, “your Intended will be … Will.”

I felt my whole face smile, a big, goofy relieved one. I would’ve hugged Pioneer if he hadn’t been too far away. Marie squeezed my hand as I stood up. I went to stand by Will. We were both grinning like idiots. For the first time, he took my hand in his. It was work calloused but warm, already comfortable.

Marie was next. I widened my eyes at her and she put her hands together palm to palm as if in prayer.

“Marie, your Intended will be … Brian,” Pioneer said loudly.

Marie’s face fell. She hesitated and I could see that she was having trouble standing up, but finally she managed and walked toward Brian on stiff legs. He was even redder now. Marie stood next to him without managing to seem near him at all. Her eyes traveled across the room to where James still sat waiting for his Intended. He never even looked her way.

Afterwa
rd, we ate cake and then gathered in the meeting room for the movie. Will and I sat together. It didn’t feel awkward or strange. It felt like it always had since the day we’d first met. Right.

I’m in bed for no more than five minutes that night when I hear something hit my window. Actually, a lot of somethings—pebbles from our garden. I look out into the backyard. It’s dark, but I can see movement, shadows rearranging themselves in the bushes just below my window. My heart squeezes in my chest and I press my face to the glass to try to see better. For one wild moment, I hope it’s Cody. Maybe he’s found a way to come back and see me … 
but no, that would be impossible
.

A flashlight blinks on long enough for me to see Marie’s grinning face; it seems to be more skull than skin in the yellow light. She waves for me to come outside. I have no idea why she’s here, but I slip on some shorts and shoes anyway and hurry down the stairs, being careful to avoid the creaky spots.

What is she up to?
Being out after curfew is a huge no-no.

I head out into the yard. Marie’s in the far corner by the rosebushes. She has a blanket thrown over one arm and a CD player hanging on the other.

“Full moon’s tonight, remember?” she whispers, her face bright with excitement.

I’d completely forgotten. We’ve been planning this after-hours trip outside the development for the past month.

“Brian and Will are waiting by the wall in my yard,” Marie says. “We have to hurry.”

“After what happened today—those guys showing up—you still think that tonight’s a good night to sneak out? Are you crazy?” I whisper. “Pioneer and all the other adults are probably on extra alert right now. There’s gotta be twice the amount of people guarding the Community tonight.”

“It’s the
perfect
time for this. They’re preoccupied,” Marie says as she pulls me further into the shadows and out of my backyard. “Brian already scoped out who’s on guard duty tonight. It’s Mrs. Brown, so you know she’ll be more concerned with her knitting than with keeping watch. Everyone else is asleep. Who’s gonna know? We’ll only be an hour or two. Come on! Just go for a little while. If you’re still freaked out once we get there, we’ll come right back. I promise.”

In theory, this is the safest possible time to break the rules, because most of the Community is asleep. And no one’s ever attempted it before now. The development’s
wall is high enough to make scaling it risky, and the only other way out is through the front gate, which is guarded 24/7. Plus, there’re always at least two other adults roaming around inside the development, making sure that curfew is enforced. Once our parents check to see if we’re in bed and our lights are out, they can usually feel pretty confident that we’ll stay put. Their overconfidence is to our advantage.

I drag my feet as we leave my yard and head into Mr. Whitcomb’s. Marie’s yard is two more over. “Marie …,” I begin.

“Aw, come on, Lyla! This is probably our only chance for something resembling a date with the guys. You know, that ritual the rest of the world enjoys but we don’t?”

I shoot her a look and try to ignore the flash I have of Cody’s face. Marie grilled me for details once he was gone, but I brushed her off. I can’t talk about him. I’m afraid that she’ll figure out that I thought he was cute and tease me about it. And besides, what does it matter? I’m not supposed to see him again. I need to put him out of my mind.

“Don’t you want to hang out with Will when someone isn’t watching your every move?” Marie throws up her hands in exasperation.

“I have hung out with him alone, lots of times. We had dishwashing duty together just the other day,” I say. I know what she means, but I can’t help giving her a rough time about it.

Marie’s mouth sets itself into a thin line. “Whatever.
Forget it. I don’t know why I even try. How can you be all nonchalant about disobeying when you’re shooting—when actual
lives
are at stake—but be so high-strung over this?”

“Ouch.”

Marie walks a little ahead, then stops and turns around. “I’m sorry, just … please, Lyla. Just this once. Please.” She gives me her best puppy-dog eyes.

I glance back at my house, at the windows. There are no lights on inside. My parents have been asleep for hours, and the Sour"justy haven’t checked on me in the middle of the night since I was ten. If I’m ever going to sneak out, this is as good a night as any—maybe even better. Smart, almost. No one would ever expect it.

“One hour,” I say. “That’s it.”

Marie hugs me so hard I cough. “Yesss! Thank you.”

“Can’t breathe,” I groan, and she lets go and laughs.

Brian and Will are waiting for us when we get to Marie’s yard—the absolute best place to attempt a sneak-out. Her parents hate to garden, so her backyard is completely overgrown, probably more jungle-like than an actual jungle. There are lots of places to hide.

Will is over by the wall, holding the makeshift ladder he built special for tonight. When he sees us, he smiles and props it up against the bricks. It’s a thick piece of plywood we smuggled out of the wood shop, with various bits of scrap wood nailed to it to make the rungs.

“Ready for this?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I say, and try to look excited. I’m
supposed to be excited.
This
is the date I should be looking forward to. This is the boy who should be stealing my breath and making my heart race. Cody was just … someone new, and that’s the only reason I can’t stop thinking about him. Maybe this is the perfect thing for me to be doing right now, a way of refocusing.

“Heard you had to give a tour today,” Will says as if he’s reading my mind. “Smart of Pioneer to send you to do it—not that I’m glad he did, but I’m sure it made it hard for that guy to see anything around here besides you.”

“You’re crazy.” My cheeks flush.

“No, just honest,” he says, and kisses my blush-heated cheek. “By the way, nice bed-head.”

“Shut up.” I punch him in the stomach and he grunts.