Free The Institute by Kayla Howarth Page A

of town today, working our stall at the
weekend markets so I can finally have some time to myself. That’s
what I thought anyway until I hear a knock at the door.
    “Allira, your
boyfriend’s here,” I hear Shilah shout out. I want to punch him for
the boyfriend remark, Drew and I haven’t even had that
conversation, now he probably thinks I’ve been going around telling
everyone he’s my boyfriend. I go out and meet him at the door and
purposefully stomp on Shilah’s foot as I walk past him. As juvenile
as it is, it does make me feel better.
    “Hey, come in,”
I say, leading Drew to my bedroom so we don’t have to deal with
more of Shilah’s teasing. There is the slight chance he will hold
this over me, having a boy in my room. I don’t think he would tell
Dad though – at least he better not.
    I’ve only just
closed the door when Drew grabs me around the waist and is kissing
me. It feels amazing, his hand in my hair, the other around my back
pulling me closer to him.
    “I’ve missed
you, are you feeling better? I wanted to come over sooner but I
wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me,” he says as he pulls his face
away from mine but keeps his hands where they are so I cannot
escape him … not that I want to anyway.
    “I have wanted
to see you,” I say shyly. I feel incredibly guilty that he thinks I
needed time away from him, he’s one of the only good things in my
life right now and I don’t want to do anything to ruin that. I want
to tell him exactly that, but my heart is racing a million miles a
minute. It’s hard for me to talk about my feelings aloud, I think I
must have been a guy in a past life. “I just needed some time
alone. Ebbodine is my best friend and going from seeing her
basically every day and then not at all, it’s been a shock to my
system, but I am feeling a lot better now. I had a good talk with
my aunt and ended up staying overnight and have just been laying
low since. I haven’t been up for school though, the stares were
really getting to me.”
    “I thought
maybe I had done something wrong.”
    “You didn’t, I
promise.” I kiss him so I don’t have to talk about how much he
already means to me, I can show him instead. We make our way over
to my bed and lay down, our bodies intertwined as we kiss. Drew
keeps his hands in appropriate places this time and I immerse
myself in his embrace. This is more my pace.
    “It’s a shame
you have to come to school on Monday, if this is how I will be
greeted after not seeing you for a few days,” he says.
    “I was actually
hoping to help Dad a few more days, a week if he’ll let me,” I say
hopefully.
    “Are you
forgetting what Monday is? We have to go to the Institute.”
    My stomach
churns at Drew’s words. I can’t believe I forgot what date it is
and it’s that time of year again.
    I sit up,
suddenly uneasy and anxious. I look at the clock and even though
Dad won’t be back for at least another hour, I use it as an
excuse.
    “Oh crap! Dad
is going to be back any minute. I don’t think he will be very happy
if he found out you were here,” I say really unconvincingly. I grab
Drew’s hand and lead him back out to the front door.
    “Can I see you
tomorrow?” he asks.
    “I think Dad
wants help with the farm tomorrow, he’ll be at the markets so I
will have to do all of the farm work.” It’s not a complete
lie , I think to myself.
    I may be being
abrupt but I always dread this time of year, and I guess I have
just been too distracted lately to realise. Now that I have been
made aware of it, I just want to be left alone.
    Drew gives me a
brief kiss before leaving. I decide to get started on dinner early
so I can leave Dad’s and Shilah’s in the oven and take mine to my
room where I can be by myself.
    I must have
fallen asleep because I am startled by yelling, coming from the
kitchen.
    “Dad, that is
so unfair! She has much more freedom than I do, there is such a
double standard!” I hear Shilah