Da Vinci Code

The next few weeks went by and you found yourself adjusting to your new life. You had no choice but to move on and you did so by diving into your tutoring and home schooling. Your social life was still not like before, not being able to leave the house, but more of your friends were slowly being allowed over sparsely
.
Only Joshua was a regular in your life like always. He would come over a few evenings a week and the two of you would work on homework and assignments as he filled you in on your old friends and teachers.
“The new math teacher isn’t very good at explaining things. She seems new to being a teacher”
“Let me see what you are learning. Maybe I can help” you asked reaching out for his textbook.
“You can help by making this headache go away” he joked.
“I can try” you said scooting next to him on your bed and rubbing your thumbs over his temples, something that always helped you when you had a headache.
“That does feel better” he said with his eyes closed.
“Don’t get too comfortable, we have pre-calculus to go over” you said removing your hands from the sides of his face.
“I almost forgot” he said sarcastically, grabbing his textbook again and looking it over with you.
The weekend ahead meant a girls night with your best friend. She hadn’t seen you since you left school and you had only given her a brief run down via text of what had transpired and caused you to move. Not being a family of secret keepers, she was not allowed to know you genetic status; none of your friends ever were. You were mentally preparing yourself to tell the story you made up of what had happened all over again when she arrived, which she did right after school on Friday.
“Hey!” you said excitedly as you opened the door before she was even able to knock.
“This place is huge. Look at the yard you have!” she said entering and walking across the foyer and looking out a large window next to the grand staircase.
“It has to be amazing because I am stuck here” you said standing next to her and looking out not so fondly at the yard she was still admiring. Suddenly she turned to you and reached out, grabbing ahold of your hands and squeezing them.
“I am so sorry what happened. Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.
“It’s alright- wait- how do you know?” you began to ask, not having given her any details as of yet.
“Joshua told me. He made sure I had the rundown of why you weren’t in school anymore. Who knew a house like this wasn’t in our school zone” she said letting go of your hands and giving you a hug.
“Um, right” you agreed. So that was what Joshua had told people who questioned why you didn’t go to school anymore. He being the child of secret keepers meant he too had to keep things, well, secret.
“Who else has he told that I moved? And why?” you questioned your friend as you walked with her to the stairs to head to your room. You wanted to make sure you and he stuck to the same story, but he could have warned you first or made sure you knew what he had been giving people as an excuse.
“Everyone is asking where you are. Joshua just keeps saying that you moved and your new house isn’t in the same school zone. Which is why you are being homeschooled. He said nothing else except to me about, you know, your parents.” there was a brief awkward silence between you two and you had learned to change the subject when this familiar awkward silence happened.
“Well, I am glad he is taking it over. My phone had been blowing up for a few days after the move and I just ignored it. Sorry about that.” you apologized realizing during those days you had ignored your best friend as well.
“I understand. It was probably a lot to take in. Wow! Your room is huge!” she said walking through the bedroom door and once more over to the window and gazing out on the front lawn.
“Now that you are here. Fill me in! Oh my gosh, I feel like I have missed so much!” you said pouncing on your bed and getting comfortable. She turned to face you and had the gleam of gossip in her eye before she walked over and took a spot next to you grabbing your pillow. She began to gladly fill you in on everything you had missed.
“So then they broke up when he made out with that new freshman cheerleader. What about you, any cute tutors?” she asked you after she had finished telling you about the woes of your former fellow students.
“Not at all. They are all older and married or very stern old ladies. For the most part it is me and George here.” you shrugged at how mundane your life had become, not having much to fill her in on at all.
“And Joshua” she looked sideways at you cheekily. You nudged her and looked away hiding your blush.
“You guys have been friends for so long, just ask him out already”
"Oh yes, that would be fun. ‘Hey Joshua want to go out with me, oh wait I can’t go anywhere except my bedroom’” you mocked.
“That would make for an interesting first date…” she said and you slapped her knee. Just then George walked in.
“Evening ladies. I came to get an order for dinner?” he asked.
“Can’t we just go meet some friends at the Dairy Queen? It is right around the corner.” your friend asked. You knew it wasn’t going to work but waited for George to say no.
“Unfortunately, Ms. Y/L/N isn’t able to leave the house. I will be bringing your dinner once I return from the store.”
“Wait, like at all? You were that serious about not leaving? Not even down the street?” she asked turning to you. You nodded looking unamused at her surprise.
“Like at all.” George mimicked your friend’s voice making you smile. She looked back at George and sighed before answering.
“I guess we will just order pizza then” she said. George nodded and left.
“And when he is gone we can just head to wherever our friends decided to hang out.”
“No way. I am not sneaking out. George would have a heart attack” you said sitting up on your bed.
“I don’t even know the reason why you have to be stuck here” she said and laid back on your bed.
“If you want to go you can. I won’t be mad, I promise. You shouldn’t have to be stuck here too” you admitted, and not wanting her to ask again why you had to be confined to your home lot and nowhere else.
“This is no way to spend your junior year!” she sat back up and looked at you pleadingly.
“I don’t really have a choice”
“Of course you do! There is no one making you stay here; it is just a silly rule.” she said, walking to where she had sat her shoes by the door and began putting them on.
"Let’s go! You have never misbehaved in your life and everyone will be so happy to see you.”
“Well…” you were beginning to feel resentful to the people that had forced you to live here without your consent. You understood their reasoning for the most part, but this was no way to be forced to live. You had almost no friends anymore and you seemed to do nothing but school work and wander your yard mindlessly for exercise. Looking back at your friend skeptically, you sighed.
“Ok. I’ll go. But I am leaving a note for George about where I have went.” you gave in, and she jumped and cheered.
“Yay! Let me text some people and see where everyone is at” she said pulling out her phone while you wrote out a note explaining where you were. Placing it on your pillow, where anyone looking in your room would see it. In the pit of your stomach, you felt awful about what you were about to do to George, but you hadn’t been allowed out in months. Reluctantly resolute you turned and faced your friend, waiting for her to tell you where you two were heading that evening.
“Everyone is at dairy queen, like I said. Let’s get going before George comes back” she said grabbing your hand and walking with you down the stairs and into the foyer. The two of your tip toed even though there was no reason to, no one was home. It made the guilty feeling in your stomach grow with every step you were taking.
She walked to the front door and opened it, glancing out both ways.
“Coast still clear” she said pulling you through the door.
“I really feel bad about this”
“You shouldn’t. Saying you can’t even go down the street is awful. It is like you are a prisoner or something”
“Or something” you said under your breath.
Dairy Queen wasn’t far at all; it was only a 15 minute walk. By the time you had gotten down the street your nerves had subsided and a rebellious feeling you had never felt took over.
“I am so hungry!” you said as Dairy Queen appeared in your view, causing you and your friend to pick up speed.
When you walked into the restaurant, the familiar sound of people laughing caught your ears. You looked around and spotted your old friends right away, making you smile.
“Whoa! Look who decided to show up!” a boy you used to be close with shouted and walked over giving you a big hug. The other friends you hadn’t seen in a while sprang up and ran over, all embracing you and asking where you have been.
“Okay, don’t crowd her” Joshua said walking over. You and your friend walked to the table where everyone was sitting and began sharing fries that someone had handed you.
The whole night people wanted to know where you were and you stuck to the story of moving and being out of the school zone. It was only a matter of time before someone asked why you moved.
“I can get why you don’t go to our school but why did your parents make you move in the first place?” someone asked. You quickly looked to Joshua who took over for you.
“Her parents didn’t. They actually passed away, and so Y/N inherited this house” he cleared up for you. You discreetly squeezed his hand under the table in thanks. He smiled sweetly at you as everyone gave you their apologies.
“It is fine guys, really. Let’s just treat this night like old times please?” you asked, and your friends obliged.
“I can’t believe George let you leave like this.” Joshua said quietly between the two of you.
“Um- yes- I know! right” you said not wanting to admit you were badly breaking rules set in place for your safety.
“You are bad at lying” Joshua said. If he was going to lecture you, he had to wait. You jumped right into the conversation that was emanating around the table, so he didn’t have a second to interject.
After about two hours people were beginning to head home. Joshua decided to walk back with you and your friend to the house. The three of you walked in the dark reminiscing about the changes you had seen in people. As you rounded the last corner your house was in view, and you suddenly felt nervous.
“What’s wrong y/n?” your friend asked as her and Joshua noticed you had stopped.
“I suddenly feel really bad about sneaking out”
“George would have called or gotten you picked up if he knew you were gone right?” your friend responded.
“That doesn’t change the fact that what I did was wrong” you said picking up speed as you headed home.
Sneaking through the front door, the three of you glanced around and headed quietly up the stairs. You opened the door to your room and noticed that the note was still there. You let out a sigh of relief that quickly caught in your throat as you heard a stern voice behind you.
“Have a fun evening?” George said from the doorway behind you.
“Geez, you scared me” your friend said to George as she clutched her chest.
“You aren’t the only one given a fright tonight. Maybe you should head home” George said to your friend. She opened her mouth to argue but George held up a hand letting everyone in the room know he wasn’t in any mood to listen.
“That isn’t even fair!” you argued, despite George not wanting to hear it.
“What isn’t fair is you two sneaking out thinking I wouldn’t notice.” you suddenly felt guilty and knew you were wrong in the first place.
“George is right. Just head home” you said to your friend and Joshua who had been standing there in silence. You felt deflated as your friend grabbed her bag and knew there was no point in arguing or hanging around. She gave you one last meek wave from the doorway as she showed herself out.
“Joshua, perhaps you would like to call your parents?” George asked as Joshua nodded, knowing even he wasn’t welcome at the moment.
“We will talk about this when Joshua leaves” George said to you.
“There is nothing to talk about. I was wrong and in know it. I will just be settled with being a prisoner here forever” you said sitting on your bed and grabbing your pillow.
“It is for your own safety” George tried reasoning.
“No! It’s not. It is so the Council can sleep easier at night” you said not looking at George. Joshua walked over and sat next to you as George took a deep breath wanting to say more, but thought against it and left.
“I had no idea you snuck out tonight” Joshua said breaking the silence.
“Would you have talked me out of it?” you asked.
“I’m not sure. I know you aren’t supposed to leave, but it does seem unfair making you stay here forever”
“Are you insinuating it was alright that I broke the rules?” you asked Joshua as he looked unsure as he thought for a moment, but eventually nodded.
“I am shocked! Mr. never-breaks-any-rules” you teased.
“You used to never break rules too” he teased you back.
“I hope your parents take forever to pick you up. I am not looking forward to this scolding I am going to get.” you said and you sat on your bed and Joshua joined you, rubbing his temples.
“Do you have a headache? Want me to rub it?” you asked reaching out.
“Yes please. That always helps” he said as you ran your thumbs in small circles over his temples making his headache go away.
“I am really going to miss you when we all graduate.” you said voicing a fear that had been growing as your junior year was coming to a close.
“Maybe by then the Council will have lightened up a bit” Joshua sounded hopeful.
“Yeah, right. They won’t lighten up until I have children of my own” you ceased rubbing his temples and flung yourself onto your bed in frustration.
“They can’t force you to have kids, y/n.” Joshua said, though he sounded doubtful.
“Can they?” you asked as you both chuckled at the thought.
“Joshua, your parents are here.” George said from the doorway. He said good bye to you as George walked him out. To avoid confrontation, you changed hastily into your pajamas, turned off the light and got in bed. You were hoping this would signal to George that you did not want to talk about this.
The remainder of your junior year you concentrated on studies. Your friend was allowed to come over again, and you learned your lesson to not sneak out. Joshua would come over often as well, and you swore he was getting cuter each time you saw him.
“There is a banquet this weekend, remember? You need to pick out a dress. It might be nice for you to invite your friend, whatshername, over to help you pick one out” George said, not hiding the fact that he didn’t know your friends name even after all these years. You groaned in response.
“You know you never have a choice. Your parents hosted this banquet every year, and that task now falls to you.” George informed you, knowing you were not looking forward to being there one bit.
“I’ll call my friend and see about a dress, but I am not going to be happy about any of It.” you said pulling out your phone and texted her. George nodded and left the room, knowing he wasn’t going to get any enthusiasm out of you about the situation.
Your friend soon responded saying she would gladly help you pick out a dress and she would even bring a few over that you could look through. Knowing her slightly more scandalous taste than yours, a scheme was unfolding in your mind.
-Bring that black one with the cut out back please- you texted her thinking things over in your mind.
-That one?! But it might be really tight. wont your parents friends not approve of that?- she texted back knowing how conservative your parents were when it came to what you wore, and assuming their friends were equally as conservative. She assumed correctly.
-Exactly- you laid out your plan for her.
She arrived about an hour later with an armful of dresses, just in case the plan you had in your mind fell through, or just in case you chickened out.
“Do you have-”
“The skanky black one? Sure do!” she said as you took half of the dresses she was carrying and began walking up the stairs towards your room excitedly.
“Joshua and his parents will be over later, girls. They have to help me with a seating chart. Perhaps he will be able to give a man’s opinion on whichever dress you choose” George shouted after you two as you booked it up the stairs to play dress up. Your friend looked at you and smirked.
“I know exactly which one we need to try on first” she said cheekily. George heard her and opened his mouth to say something, but you and your friend were already down the hall and almost to your room and he knew you wouldn’t hear him. He shook his head, worried about what the mischievous gleam in your eye meant.
“Get to getting naked and get some dresses on, lady!” your friend said to you enthusiastically as soon as the door to your room was closed, anxious to try dresses on and pick one out with you.
“You have to start with the black one you asked me to bring” she said digging through the pile of dresses and finding it. Long, black, with a plunging back that stopped just above your bottom. She held it up and smiled as you exchanged glances.
“Hand it over” you said as you stripped and hastily got into the dress. It fit you like a glove. You felt immediately beautiful and sexy in it. It definitely wasn’t what you would normally wear for this occasion, which made it even more perfect.
“Wont this be a bit scandalous for your parent’s party?” she asked again as you looked at yourself in a mirror deciding if you wanted to wear your hair up or down.
“It sure will. But I don’t care” you said having that rebellious feeling return like you did the night when you snuck out. Just then there was a knock at the door, and Joshua asked if he could come in.
“George said you were trying on dresses. Can I come in?” he asked
“Geez Joshua, why not just ask to see us naked.” your friend teased him as she walked over and opened the door.
“That isn’t what I meant. I wanted to make sure if I opened the door-”
“We know what you meant. Relax” you said seeing his bright red face in the mirror behind you as he entered the room after your friend. He saw you in the dress and froze.
“You aren’t wearing that, are you?” he asked composing himself and taking a seat on the bed next to your friend.
“Why not? Does it not look nice?” you asked suddenly feeling nervous about the dress you had been dead set on wearing a few moments ago.
“I mean it does, but it looks…” he trailed off not knowing what to say. His eyes grazed over your curves as he thought of what to say next.
“You rendered him speechless! You have to wear this dress now!” your friend said. Joshua’s face glowed red once more as he glanced at her and then back at you.
“It just looks a bit provocative for an event like this, don’t you think?” he asked composing himself once more.
“I don’t care. I think it looks great” you said turning away from the mirror to face your two friends.
“I agree!” your friend said jumping up and walking next to you in the mirror as she discussed make up ideas and hair ideas with you. Joshua’s face had returned to its normal color, but he still looked apprehensive.
Once you settled on the details of pulling your look together, your friend had to leave. This left you and Joshua in your room. You went to your bathroom to change into everyday clothes and joined Joshua on your bed. You hid the dress in the back of your closet so George wouldn’t see it, and make you pick something else.
“What is wrong?” you asked as you felt something was still off with him.
“You know how our parent’s friends are. They won’t be happy with you wearing something so…”
“Sexy?” you finished for him.
“Yes” he said smiling, and surprisingly not blushing for once.
“I guess I just don’t care what they think anymore. I don’t know. Maybe I just resent all of them” you admitted out loud for the first time.
“I can understand that, but just make sure this isn’t too much” he said as he took out some textbooks and the two of you began working on homework.
The morning of the banquet, George let you sleep in. You woke up feeling well rested, having stayed up the night before facetiming with your friend about how to do your hair and makeup again.
“Have a dress picked out a ready?” George asked, hoping he got to see what it was and give his seal of approval. He was nervous about leaving you and your friend to pick one out on your own, and regretted telling you to invite her over.
“Yes. It looks great” you said, not daring to let him see it until it was too late for you to change knowing he would not approve.
“Tonight isn’t about looking great. It is about rubbing shoulders with people-”
“Who have confined me to this house until me die.” you finished for him. He smiled and half nodded at your bitter truth.
“Can I invite…” you went to add when he cut you off.
“Joshua? Yes. Anyone else? No.” he answered, knowing you were going to ask about inviting your best friend. You groaned and pulled the covers over your head as George told you what was for breakfast.
“I don’t want to schmooze with old fogies all night” you said from under your blanket force field.
“Then don’t. Stand there in silence and look a fool, but you must be there.” George told you, after he had opened the curtains that were draped over your window. He headed back towards the door leaving you sulking under the covers, annoyed.
“Just make sure you are downstairs by seven, please” he added right before he closed the door behind himself leaving you alone in your room and still under your cozy blankets.
Every year, your parents would invite all the Secret Keepers and Council members over to celebrate something or another; you never paid attention and usually counted the moments until you could return to your room. The whole night consisted of you having the same conversation: of how much you had grown, how school was, how they had a son or a nephew who would be perfect for you. It would be quite a notch in their belt if a nephew or son wound up marrying you.
You spent the day diving into your studies like always, to distract yourself and not think about the dreadful night ahead. When you had finished with your last assignment, it was time to get ready. You showered and did your hair, making sure it was exactly how you liked it. Then came your make up which you took your time with. The only thing left was the dress, which you had kept hidden in your closet until the very last moment.
George was downstairs greeting people when you appeared at the top of the steps. He turned and looked in your direction smiling, only to have it falter slightly when he saw what you had chosen to wear. You smiled knowing he would not have approved if he had been given a peek beforehand.
“I knew I shouldn’t have left you two girls alone” he said when he greeted you at the bottom of the stairs to escort you into the party.
“You didn’t. Joshua was there too” you reasoned as you took George’s extended hand and walked the remaining of the way down the stairs escorted by him. The people in the large foyer had begun to look up at you, noticing you had arrived.
“Forgive me for putting my trust in a hormone filled boy your own age” he whispered to you. You smiled at him as he excused himself to stand at the door and let more people in.
You stood at the bottom of the stairs a moment and looked around. There were a few faces you recognized but had no intention of talking to. A few of the older couples were looking at you and had begun whispering to each other. You walked over to the large window at the end of the foyer that was open, letting in a nice night time breeze when someone walked over and stood next to you.
“Evening” Joshua said as he stood next to you and hugged you, lightly placing his hand softly on your bare back, barely touching your skin.
“Having fun yet?” you asked as you and him turned to face the room that was suddenly all looking at the two of you and smiling.
“Loads” he said with no tone of truth, as the smiling faces turned away from you two and back to gossiping amongst themselves.
“You look nice” you said admiring him in his nicely fitting suit. It fitted him perfectly, and you couldn’t help but let your eyes linger on his shoulders, and his chest, and the way he tucked his hand in his pocket, casually. You gulped and forced your gaze to return to his face.
“Thank you.” he said looking you up and down in your dress.
“Dinner is being served.” George called from the formal dining room before you and Joshua could talk anymore. The two of you looked at each other as you rolled your eyes, knowing the night was only going to get worse as it progressed.
You walked into the dining room and took your spot at the head of the table where your parents had sat last year. You were stuck sitting next to two older couples on either side, with the conservative wives right at your elbows. You were very unhappy with this arrangement. They were miserably uptight and immediately dug into you and your choice in wardrobe.
“My goodness. Leaving it all out like that you won’t have trouble giving us another child in the lineage to care after” she said disapprovingly and pursed her lips.
“Think of the kind of husband you will be attracting in that thing” the other lady on your other side said. They looked to each other and nodded. Your eyes widened as you looked down the table a few seats to Joshua.
“Help me” you mouthed to him, knowing there was nothing you could do until the night was over.
The conversation continued with the ladies talking about how you had grown and how it was unfortunate that your parents weren’t here.
“Although I don’t think your father would have wanted to see you in that dress. Sensible man, he always was.” the old lady on your right said.
“But your mother always had that wild streak. We were hoping private school would take that right out of her and make her more agreeable. More sensible like your father.” the lady on your left added as they both nodded in agreement with one another. You had nothing to say, knowing whatever you did say would make no difference.
“Speaking of husbands, dear, it is about time you found one for yourself” they continued.
“I’m not even 18 yet” you said, assuming they had just forgotten how young you were.
“Start looking for one now and by the time you are 18 you will have found one to marry. Provided we approve of course” she said letting you know you needed the approval of the council before you married. You weren’t aware of this previously.
“I’m sorry?” you asked suddenly giving the conversation your full attention for the first time.
“We have already started compiling a list of eligible men that you will be able to choose from” the other lady added.
“I wasn’t aware I wouldn’t have a say in who I married” you added feeling irritated at this new found information.
“Of course you can choose, there are nearly twenty names on the list for you to choose from! All come from good families within our circle so you won’t be disappointed.” the old lady on your right said and patted your hand as the other lady smiled and nodded her approval.
“If you ladies will excuse me please. I have to shit” you said making sure to give them a shock at your foul language. You didn’t care. You were feeling more irate by the moment. You walked into the foyer and straight into the back yard where you began pacing around the yard to have some of your anger subside.
“Nice night for a walk:” George said catching up to you almost right away.
“Did you know? That they would choose a husband for me?” you asked, wanting the truth and not beating around the issue that was annoying you.
“They did for your mother. And her mother before her. It is a tradition that goes back centuries. I assumed you already knew or I would have warned you.” George said walking next to you and keeping pace with your angered and quick footsteps.
“But this young?” you asked.
“Yes” George added. You had no more to say on the matter, and neither did he. You walked a few more laps around the yard in silence. An arranged marriage had worked out for your parents; they had always been deeply in love, and passionate. You could only hope you would find this love with someone on their god forsaken list.
“I have to be getting back inside. Feel free to walk off that anger as long as you need.” George said knowing you wanted to be left alone when you didn’t continue conversing with him as the two of you had walked.
A few more rounds of the yard and your anger had not waned. You found a bench that was under a large tree casting a dark shadow where you could hide from anyone wondering where you had went. You saw Joshua walk out of the house and into the yard. He strained his eyes in the dark and barely saw you sitting under the tree, hidden even from the moonlight. He walked over and sat down.
“Why did you run off? Were they that bad?” he asked picking up on the tension.
“Worse. How did you find me?”
“George told me. He said you weren’t having a very good time. They didn’t like the dress?” he asked trying to lighten the mood.
“Not one bit. ‘Think of the husband you will find in that outfit’” you faked an elderly woman’s voice as best as you could and Joshua laughed.
“Good thing you don’t have to worry about that” he said looking towards the house and letting his gaze wander over the people inside.
“You would be surprised” you added.
“But everyone here is old. There is no one even close to being-” he began thinking of all the guests he had seen that night, wondering what you meant.
“I don’t have to worry about finding a husband because those old biddies are finding one for me” you filled him in.
“I don’t understand.” Joshua said.
“They have a list made up and everything. Everyone in my family has had arranged marriages, and apparently now it is my turn. It’s barbaric!” you said fuming once more.
“Calm down. There has to be something that George-”
“He already said that was how things are done. I get to turn 18 and then pick a husband off a damn list. What about college? What about traveling?” the questions you had spilled from your mouth.
“Find a husband that will do those things with you” Joshua reasoned.
“I hope I can even meet them first” you said, feeling a bit calmer having voiced your concerns to Joshua. Worry took over instead of anger. Joshua scooted closer to you and wrapped his arm around you.
“Either way, I’m sure your future husband will be very happy he even gets to be called your husband” Joshua said supportively. You smiled and finally felt calm after the disaster the night had been.
“Thank you” you said resting your head on his shoulder. The two of you sat and stared at the stars for a bit longer. You wanted to put off going back inside as long as you could.
“We should get back inside. People have to be wondering where you are”
“You better stay by my side the rest of the night so I don’t snap on someone. Again” you added.
“Again?” Joshua asked cautiously.
“I cursed earlier and it made them flinch like you wouldn’t believe” Joshua laughed and covered his mouth.
“You didn’t!”
“Swear I did!” you said as the two of you stood. Like any gentleman would, he offered you his arm to take and escort you inside.
The rest of the night you and him stayed side by side and tackled the awful remainder of the night together, and even had a few laughs under your breath at the silly old people around you.

Notes