Author: Kate Leslie
Category: Other
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/kate-leslie/page,17,561377-the_project_project_2080_book_1.html
“I was waiting for you. I thought you’d come directly after dinner. I waited for a while before I thought you changed your mind. Then Becka came by because she felt like chatting. I no longer expected you.”
Mia looked at the door, which made Max change position so as to block her escape. “So what was that talk about all my books being loaned out?” He lifted her chin so she could not avoid his gaze.
To her, the books represented something else. She had to smile. She had been referring to his feelings. His feelings, which were spoken for by Becka. The thought upset her. Her expression turned serious.
“Finally, a smile, if only for a brief moment.” Max was smiling too now, though unlike hers, his remained in place. “Yesterday, I promised I’d cheer you up,” he said in a distinctly cheerful tone. “It still seems you could use a little entertainment. So, I have an idea.”
His good mood was contagious. “What idea would that be? Don’t tell me you want to show me your books again?” Mia had a hard time maintaining a serious expression, her eyes betrayed something else.
Max laughed. “Sounds tempting, but I actually wanted to talk you into going on a trip with me.”
“Where?” What could he show her here? By now she knew her way around, a guided tour was no longer necessary.
“You’ll see. Quickly go and grab a jacket. I’ll meet you on the top level.” Max turned to the door.
"You mean a trip outside?” Mia asked excitedly.
Max turned back to her. “You already know this room; I figure it’s time for something new.” He winked at her.
“When?” Mia wanted to know.
“Right now.”
Mia glanced at her watch. Her eyes darkened. “But I have to do my chores. I’m already late as it is.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll excuse you.” Max ran his hand over her arm and turned back to the door.
“Okay,” Mia said, “I’ll meet you up top. I won’t be long.”
43
Ben
After morning assembly, Ben and his classmates were on their way to breakfast when Daniel approached him. “I didn’t want to say it in front of everyone,” Daniel began. “We are friends, but that doesn’t mean you have special privileges.”
Ben froze. He could think of only one thing Daniel was referring to, his nocturnal excursions. He tried to appear impassive.
When Ben did not reply, Daniel continued, “You left our room last night,” he said reproachfully.
“I wasn’t feeling well.” The excuse came automatically. In his mind, Ben had practiced it hundreds of times.
“That isn’t true. You seemed perfectly fine last night.”
“Unfortunately, that changed during the night.” Ben put on a gloomy face to hide his shock.
“Don’t lie to me!” Daniel grew loud. He glanced over his shoulder and continued in a lowered voice; “You have to give me a good reason why I shouldn’t report you.”
Ben felt like a trapped animal. Under no circumstances could he tell Daniel the truth. That fact was the most hurtful aspect of the situation. Once they had been best friends. Now they barely talked to one another. But not only that, nowadays, they no longer trusted each other. He needed to convince Daniel. It should be something Daniel could relate to. “I met a girl.” The sentence was out before Ben thought it through.
“Clara?” Daniel wanted to know.
Ben wished he could take back his words. The last thing he wanted was to get Clara into trouble. He shook his head. “It’s one of the girls from another school. I don’t want to give you her name.”
Daniel studied him. “A boy can run after a girl for only so long,” he allowed, but still sounded uncertain. It seems he didn’t truly believe Ben. Finally, he said, “I don’t mind you having fun and considering our friendship, I’m willing to overlook it. But don’t let it happen again. Understand?”
Ben nodded. Daniel only had to keep quiet until tomorrow. By that time, Clara and Ben would be far away from here.
44
Mia
“What are you doing here? Don’t you have chores to do? I still have mine to do later. I really don’t feel like it.” Mia was greeted by Vi as she entered their room.
“No,” Mia answered excitedly. “Max invited me to go on a trip.”
Vi sat up straight. “A date?”
“Not a date. A trip,” Mia clarified.
Vi obviously had a different opinion. “When a handsome boy goes on a trip with a pretty girl, it’s called a date. So, where are you going?”
“I have no idea,” Mia admitted.
Vi sighed. “How romantic.”
Vi had her mind set on a date, a romantic one at that. Mia decided to leave it alone. She grabbed her jacket. “See you later.”
“You’re not going like that, are you? In those clothes?” Vi asked, horrified.
Mia peered down at herself. She was wearing a T-shirt and jeans. “What’s wrong with my clothes? It’s what I wear.”
“In essence.” Vi sighed. “Don’t you know you get dolled up for a date?”
Vi and her date. Mia considered setting her straight but seeing Vi’s resolute look made her decide against it. “What do you suggest? Unfortunately, my wardrobe is pretty much all the same.”
Vi stood and rummaged through her clothes. She picked several tops. “You can wear your jeans. It’s a good fit.” She held out her selection. “Try these on.”
Mia tried on one item at a time. Vi tilted her head to one side and hemmed and hawed, then tilted her head to the other side and demanded she turn. Once Mia put on each item, Vi sat again. “I think you should go with the white blouse you tried on first.”
“That’s too tight on me,” Mia protested.
“Yes, your chest is a bit fuller than mine. But that’s not a drawback. Just open another button.” Vi looked at her, satisfied.
Mia considered protesting, but Max was waiting. She did not want to make him wait even longer. “Okay, fine.” She put on the blouse.
Vi came to her and undid another button. “There, that’s better. Like it was made for you.”
“Thanks, Vi.” Mia went to the door.
“You’ll have to give me a detailed report when you return,” Vi called after her.
There probably would not be much to tell, but Mia didn’t want to spoil Vi’s fun. “I will. See you later.”
Up top, Mia was expected by Max. His eyes wandered over her body. Then he turned away. “I have yet to understand what you girls mean by ‘I won’t be long’.”
Mia thought it better not to tell him what Vi thought about their trip. What would he think? “I changed clothes.”
Max led the way and glanced over his shoulder. “I can see that. It looks good.”
It made Mia smile. She lowered her eyes to hide it and followed him.
It was a warm day. Sunrays were breaking through the tree foliage. Mia relished the warmth on her skin. She stopped, lifting her face to the sky and closed her eyes. She just stood there inhaling deeply. It felt good to fill her lungs with fresh air. Max had also stopped. She no longer heard his footsteps.
When she opened her eyes, he was facing her. A smile played at the corner of his mouth. “You’ve been cooped up for too long. You really should get out more.” He turned away and continued walking. “Just let me know when you need to get out. I don’t mind taking you along.”
They had covered the short distance to the barn where the vehicles were parked.
Max handed Mia a helmet and put his on. Mia turned the helmet in her hand. “Do you always travel by motorcycle?”
He halted his movements. “Yes. It gives me a sense of freedom that I don’t experience when driving a car.”
She raised her face and looked him in the eyes. “You care a lot about freedom.”
His deep blue eyes were intense and reflected passion. “Every person should be free. Free to choose how they want to live. No one shou
ld be oppressed. It should be the foundation of every society.”
Now they were traveling down a country road. It was a dirt road. They left a dust cloud behind them. Mia was sitting behind Max. She had both arms wrapped around his midriff. When they came to a bumpy area, he told her to hold on tight. She moved closer and leaned against him. She was so close, their bodies formed one unit. His warmth and heartbeat made her feel good.
No, she shouldn’t think about that. It would only lead to more disappointment. She had learned her lesson yesterday. She put a little distance between them again. They were only friends.
When they stopped, she felt slightly disappointed. She would have liked to continue their journey. She sighed.
“What?” He misinterpreted her sigh. When she did not reply, he made a sweeping gesture with his arm at the surrounding cabins. “Don’t you like it here? This is where we once lived.” Both took off their jackets and left them on the bike seat.
Mia took in her surroundings. To one side was a row of log cabins, farther back were farm buildings, and on the left were fields. “It looks nice.” She let her gaze wander again. “And it’s so quiet.”
He gave a wry smile. “You should have seen it when everyone lived here.”
“Yes, I can imagine. I’m sure I would have liked it. Out here, it’s so spacious. I only know city life. Our cramped street. The oppressive air. It was difficult to breathe.” She looked up at him.
“I would like to...” he began and stopped. Then he turned and asked her to follow him. “Let me show you where we lived.”
He led her into one of the log cabins. It appeared much bigger on the inside than one expected when standing in front of it. They were in a large living-dining area. Small dust particles danced in the air in front of their eyes. A spider web occupied the corner next to the door. It was obvious no one had lived here for quite some time. Still, the place had its charm and it was cozy. Mia could imagine the family sitting here together, talking and laughing. The house would be ideal for a family with children. “Why don’t you have any siblings?”
“You would have to ask my parents.” Max laughed. “I guess I was enough to handle for them. They didn’t need another one like me.” She joined his laughter. Then he grew serious again. “You know how it is. You have to be able to support the family. I wish I would have had a brother or sister. A sister like you, maybe.” He winked. “Um, nah, that might have been scary.”
She patted him on the arm. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m not scary.”
He looked her in the eye. “No, you are not. But if you were my sister, I might have become scary. I prefer that we are not related.”
Mia shook her head. “I’d like to see your room.” She changed the subject.
He laughed. “You can’t imagine how glad I am to hear you say that.”
Max went to a door and opened it. “Ta-da! Please come in, dear lady.” He let her enter first and stood in the doorway.
Mia scanned the room. There was a bed, a dresser, a cupboard, a table and chair, and a few shelves. Nothing out of the ordinary, yet it gave off a homey vibe. “Very nice. Not as cramped as my room.” She turned to face him.
Still leaning in the doorway, Max was studying her with an inscrutable look. Then something flashed in his eyes. “It would have made me even happier if you had said you could imagine having shared this room with me.” He grinned at her.
“Hilarious. What would your parents have said?” She took a few steps toward him.
The grin disappeared from his face.
“It wouldn’t have been accepted all that well.” Mia felt disappointment, though she knew his parents did not have the best opinion of her. They considered her a troublemaker.
“No, no. I’m sure they would have been happy.” Max went outside. “I already told you that members of our community were arrested. They also searched for us. And turned everything upside down. In there...” he motioned with his head toward his house, “it looked completely different. Everything was a mess, lots of broken things. I couldn’t stand it. So, whenever I had time, I came here and cleaned up.” He continued walking. She followed him.
They reached a bench in the shade under a tree. Mia sat. Max stood, looking thoughtful like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words. He stretched and reached for a branch above his head, plucked off a leaf and twirled the stem between his fingers. Finally, he joined Mia on the bench. After a while, he started to tell her about the life they had led here and before that when they still lived in the city.
Mia knew that they had led a simple life here like earlier generations without all that technology. They had left the city because Erik, his father, had lost his job. As it happened to many, he had been replaced by a machine. It was said they were more meticulous in their work and cost-effective. Erik had taken on a part-time job. But his and his wife’s paychecks were not enough to provide for a family. Max quitting school to take a job was absolutely out of the question for his parents. They wanted him to graduate. They had also found the old motorcycle here, which his father overhauled so Max could attend school every day.
“All this,” he made a sweeping gesture with his arm at the buildings, “was already here when we arrived. We didn’t build anything ourselves. People had lived here. Probably in a way we did. Up there were solar panels for electricity,” he pointed to a roof, “and running water, which I assume was pumped from a nearby well and rainwater tanks, but not many other mechanical devices.”
They sat side by side in silence and watched the shadows grow longer. “I had a favorite place where I spent lots of time. You want to see it?” Max asked.
Mia looked at him expectantly. “I’d like that.”
They stood and strolled a few steps together.
“It’s right behind the barn.” Max pointed in the direction. “Let’s see who gets there first. I’ll even give you a head start. I’ll count to 10.”
“You shouldn’t underestimate me.” Mia got ready.
“Okay, 20 it is.” Max grinned mischievously.
“Very funny.” Mia started running.
Max began counting slowly to 10. As the distance widened, he counted faster and started running. As she was turning the rear corner of the barn, he caught up with her, grabbed her and tried to pull her behind him. They stumbled. At the last moment, Max managed to turn so that he cushioned her fall. Then he groaned.
“Sorry.” Mia made an effort to roll off him, but he held her tight.
“Better this way than me landing on top of you.” He laughed and let her go. Mia rose and held out her hands to help him up. Once they were on their feet, they knocked off their dusty clothes.
In front of them was a small river, more like a stream, and at a wider spot, there was a dock that Max was nodding his head toward. He limped slightly as they headed in that direction.
“You don’t expect me to feel sorry for you, do you?” Mia asked. “You tried to cheat.”
Max laughed. “You’re right. I didn’t expect you to be so fast.”
They reached the dock and sat on it. Max removed his shoes and dangled his feet in the water. Mia followed suit. The water was still warm from the sun. Mia slowly moved her feet back and forth.
Max lay back and slapped the place next to him, indicating for her to do the same. “I’m glad you came along.” He turned his face to her. When no answer came, he rolled onto his stomach and rose up on his elbows. He reached for a daisy that grew wild here and twirled it by its stem between his fingers. “We really should do this more often. I like spending time with you.”
Mia would like to spend time with him. Like today. Only the two of them. Unfortunately, it was impossible. There was someone who was decidedly against it. Mia didn’t want to think about her. Not now. But the thought occupied her head. “What about Becka?” she asked softly.
“Becka? What does she have...?” His expression showed understanding. “Aha, that’s
it!” He faced her. Still propped up on his elbows, he looked down at her. “Becka and I have known each other forever. Our parents were friends before we were born. We are not too far apart age-wise. But she’s only a friend, that’s it.” He was silent and stared off into the distance. Then his eyes focused on hers again. “A few months ago, Becka’s father was considered an insurgent and arrested.” Mia had believed Becka no longer had a father. He continued, “Don’t think we never rebelled against the abuses and life conditions that were forced on us. We simply used other means. My dad was trying for diplomacy. He tried to get a dialogue going. But then riots started in other areas and we were also considered insurgents. Becka’s father was invited to talk to the mayor and was arrested. That’s when the rest of us went into hiding. We have not heard from him since. We also have no idea if he’s even still alive. It’s not easy for Becka. She needs someone to talk to other than her mother. That’s when she comes and sees me.”
So that is what she was intruding on. Becka merely sought comfort from him and she had completely misinterpreted it.
He started to speak again, “And so, since we still have no idea whatsoever about Becka’s father, my dad wants us to lie low. He does not want to chance making his situation worse.”
Mia felt guilty. But had she known; would she actually have acted differently? She wasn’t sure. “And here we broadcasted our message.”
“Don’t worry. As I said, I don’t believe they connected you to us. I agree with you. You cannot simply hide away. You also have to be prepared to start the fight. Eventually, my dad and the others will see that too.”
Considering his view, maybe she should tell him about her new plan. She didn’t want to act behind his back again. He would be disappointed as soon as he found out. But she could not speak openly without first discussing it with Vi and Phil. Phil would be against it, definitely. But she was not sure how Vi would regard it. Then again, would he even find out? Probably not.