Savannah sat curled on the couch of the dome living room feeling stunned. She hadn't listened to introductions, though she had vaguely heard her name being announced and stood on wobbly legs as the computer said she would be doing herbalism. Her head was spinning with the possibilities and scenarios in her head. It was a bad joke. An experiment. Some new reality show.
A hand touched her shoulder and she looked up at the girl who was trying to smile down at her. "You ok?"
"No... No! This... this isn't real, is it?"
"They are trying to find out. Why don't you come sit with us? My name is Yvette."
"Savvy," she answered, still numb as the girl led her to a couch with two other girls who were huddled up and had been crying.
Yvette pulled her down to the couch and hugged her close, pulling the other two girls in as well. Savvy gave in to the overwhelming feelings and the commiseration and let herself break down and cry. Giving in felt like admitting this was real though, and that made her cry harder as the other girls clutched her and each other close.
She was aware when people came back into the room. She had no idea where they had been, but she still ignored them as she pressed her face in Yvette's shoulder to hide her weakness from the others.
"Ok, we looked around a little," a boy said softly. "I don't think there's a way out. When we tried to circle around and go back to that waystation, this... computer told us to stop or be punished. Nick kept going and he was... I don't know. Electrocuted I guess? He has a bad burn on his shoulder now and Peter has him laid out back closer to the dome. He can't move yet. I... I think this is all real. This place says there are no other people. Just us. Some of the others went back to their rooms to be alone. Uhh. There's some real live animals out there in that barn. I don't remember who is on that, but thought you should know. Uhhh... anyway. You guys need anything?"
She heard no one answer, just quiet snuffling and sobs. There were other people on the other couches now, she could hear them and sense them, but she didn't look. She didn't look at the pacing boy who had been speaking either.
They stayed huddled on the couch for another half hour before Yvette finally spoke softly. "Ok girls. We had a good cry, we can do this. We got this. Right? We are stronger than just shutting down. Come on. Let's go look at our rooms, maybe have a nice relaxing shower if we want, then we can come back out and have our own look at this place. Ok? Rhi? Savvy? Lexi?"
"Yeah," one of the girls answered, sitting up.
Savvy also sat up, scrubbing an arm across her face and nodding. "I don't know which room is mine?" she said, still a little out of it.
"You can actually talk to the computer," the boy who had spoken earlier said quickly. "It will answer questions. Computer, which room is hers?"
"You may call me Alpha," the voice said. "Define 'her'."
"Savvy," she said to the ceiling. "Savannah Hough."
"Your room is number four," she answered.
"That's creepy as fuck," one of the other girls said, looking around.
"I don't really want to be alone," the other girl said.
"Me either," Savvy agreed.
"Well let's go look together for now," Yvette said soothingly.
"Can I come?" another girl asked from the other couch.
"Me too?" the girl next to her asked quickly.
"Of course. I'm Yvette and this is Rhiannon, Lexi and Savannah."
"Cicily. Cici.
"Abby."
The girls went down the hall together, opening doors and peeking into the rooms, but not really going in. Yvette led them into her room, bright orange with black trim and they explored a little, looking at her bathroom and huge closet with her four large bags. They relaxed some and started pairing off to look at their own rooms more closely, none of them wanting to be completely alone yet.
Savannah was with the tall pretty girl named Lexi. She looked like a country girl with her jeans and boots and hoodie with a big buck head on it. Her long black hair hung loose down her back and her tan wasn't just from her hispanic background, she spent a lot of time in the sun. They went to Lexi's room first and the first thing she did was pull on a baseball hat with the same buck head as her hoodie on it. Her room was the same teal as her hoodie and the emblem on her hat.
Savvy looked around her own room done in a soft white with green trim, reminding her of her garden at home. It was soothing.
"I like this," Lexi said, looking around. "It's super peaceful and zen? That's the word, right?"
"Yeah," Savvy agreed with a smile.
"Were you ag? I can't remember," Lexi asked, looking in the closet.
"Herbalism."
"Right. I am livestock which is cool I guess. Did you leave someone behind? A boyfriend... or girlfriend?"
"Umm.. I was dating a boy but it wasn't really serious. We weren't official or anything."
"Oh. I just broke up with the girl I was sort of seeing."
Savvy looked up at her and she could see the hopeful and interested look. She offered a smile, but she felt awkward. "Sorry to hear that."
"Yeah," she said, looking around again. "I guess it was too much to ask that the prettiest girl here was also gay. Or at least bi."
"You really think I am pretty?" Savvy asked, surprised that the stunning girl had said that.
"You are beautiful! And so adorably short."
Savvy blushed, smiling. "Thanks. I think you are beautiful too."
Lexi smiled and kept looking away. "Thanks. Should we go see if the others are done?"
"Sure," Savvy answered, feeling the girl's discomfort.
They met up with the others in the living room and Savvy looked around more. There were several more people out there, most of them guys. She looked away quickly, not wanting to go there. She had talked to two of them in line, but it was small talk as they blushed and stammered and looked around, as awestruck as she had been. She had no interest in the boys trying to use her grief to hook up. She sat next to Yvette again as Lexi kicked back in a chair and swung a leg over the side.
The boy who had spoken earlier came around. "Hey. Levi was in his room asking questions and he found out about these," he said showing them a bracelet on his wrist. He touched the side and a display popped up. "They are in your rooms on the top desk drawer. They tell you everything you need to know about this place, I guess."
Savvy just looked down, uninterested in the tech. She had never been one to buy into the newest and latest tech. She had a phone, but it was only for getting in touch with her family and it was old. Her computer was an old desktop and she only used it for home-school and email. Sometimes for researching a plant or herbal remedy.
Some of the other girls got up and went to get theirs, but Savvy just curled up on the end of the couch with a sigh. Lexi got up and sat close to her, then laid down with her head on Savvy's hip. The other girls came in looking at their bracelets and the displays.
"Don't you two want yours?" the boy asked Savvy and Lexi.
"I'll look later," Lexi said.
Savvy said nothing.
They stayed there like that until a boy announced that food was ready. The last thing Savvy felt like doing was eating, but everyone else got up, including Lexi. Lexi offered a hand to help her up and she took it, walking in with the taller girl holding her hand.
When she sat, she looked around the table and was a little surprised to see so many of them smiling at each other and talking. Weren't they upset? Didn't all of this bother them? How were they ok with this now?
No. They weren't over it, they were pushing past it. Making the best of a bad situation and trying to forget what happened for the moment. Moving on by getting to know each other.
