Quiet: Chapter One

"Holy shit, Am!" Jaden said, jumping out of her skin when I materialized in front of her. "Could you not do that, please? It's extremely lovely you have awesome powers and whatnot, but could you spare me the heart palpitations? I'd prefer to live until I turn fifty, thank you very much." She rolled her eyes, but I could tell she wasn't at all irritated.

 

"You're no fun, J! Wouldn't you like to learn? It's very helpful, especially when you're trying to outrun bad guys."

 

She quirked her eyebrow. "Since when do you have bad guys chasing you? Last time I checked, the worst thing to befall you was Isaac attempting to look up your skirt. Speaking of Isaac, care to explain his...uh, sketchy behavior? It's creeping even me out, and we used to date." She shivered, but from whether that was to prove her point or because she was genuinely freaked out, I couldn't discern.

 

"Yeah, about that..." I scratched my head, trying to figure out how to say what I wanted to. "Um...well, he's been four years into his puberty--maybe the testosterone is finally catching up to him?"

 

Jaden cringed and then her face split into a wide grin. "It took him long enough. Would you believe all I ever got from him was a peck on the cheek? The wimp!"

 

I playfully punched her arm and said, "Come on. The City of Loud requests our presence, and you know how cranky they get when we don't show up right on time."

 

"Yeah, what's up with that, anyway? They are so crazy insane about timeliness! Don't they realize us kids have things to do and places to go? You'd think they'd have once upon a time had a childhood, but apparently not. How sad."

 

I cast her a sideways glance and said softly, "Perhaps. But I like to think they just appreciate good manners. After all, how would you like it if someone you'd took the effort to invite to your party or wedding or whatever showed up five hours late? You'd be pissed, wouldn't you?"

 

Jaden grimaced but she couldn't argue with my logic. "Whatever," she grumbled, kicking rocks across the pavement with her boots as we continued down the sidewalk to the Community City of Loud Center. "But might I just say that I get there five minutes late, not five hours!"

 

I saw her reasoning but I also saw through the Ministry of Loud's thought processes. It wasn't fair to the Behaving if they always obeyed and then they had renegade City citizens doing the exact opposite.

 

But like a good friend (and a smart one at that, mind you) I didn't say anything else, just walking side by side with her in tense silence.

 

 

YOU DIDN'T EVER TELL me what the heck this 'event' was going to be, my friend," Jaden fumed, her look absolutely murderous. Just to be on the safe side I stepped a couple feet away from her, in case she chose to use her Powers to zap me into a five-hour darkness, something I was not anxious to experience.

 

I had no idea," I lied, hoping my voice wasn't quavering. Maybe because I was truly a terrible liar. But whether or not that was a good thing...well, I suppose it remained to be determined.

 

"Amethyst, darling!" said my parents, otherwise known as Shelly and Anthony. In the City of Loud, it was encouraged--well, enforced, honestly--to call your parents by their first names, as well as all other adults living in that particular district.

 

"Hi, Shelly, hi, Anthony," I said, looking down at my scuffed, old flats in awkwardness. My parents, luckily, didn't seem to notice.

 

"I suppose today's activity is a party for the City of Loud's Behaving...not sure what, exactly, we're doing, but I'm sure we'll soon find out, eh?" said Anthony, nudging me. I gave him a weak smile which I'm sure turned out a lot more like a wince.

 

Story of my life.

 

"I saw Isaac around here somewhere, Amethyst," my mother--ahem, Shelly--said, casting a quick glance around the banquet hall.

 

"Okay, then. Well I'll go track him down...thanks. See you later?"

 

"Of course, sweetie pie," my mother--ARGGHH! Shelly!--said, giving me a fake, City of Loud-enforced smile.

 

One thing I especially hated about the City of Loud was their moral code. For example, it was forbidden to be silent for longer than two minutes during the day, and at night, while you were asleep, you were required to have a Thought Dream every other hour. Now, for your average Talkaholic, this would be no problem. But for me, on the other hand...well, I'm different. I'm not outgoing, but I'm not entirely shy, either. So what does it make me? I don't know.

 

I've been trying to find myself for a long, long, long time. And I'll be darned if I ever do. Good thing I haven't subjected myself to believing in it.

 

The City of Loud lives by vivacious, talkative, energetic and friendly people, and if and only if 99.9% percent of the population fall under that category does the City thrive. Unfortunately, for the .1% percent who either choose not to or physically can't be that type of citizen you almost always 'disappear.'

 

Not much is known about 'disappearing,' as we all know and choose not to discuss it. Why? It's simply an unpleasant topic. Basically--if you really want to know--people fall off the grid, presumably being taken to the City of Loud's 'Center for Missing Persons' which is a disclosed location. I.e. a place where no one will ever be able to access without proper authorization.

 

Although you ask me--and almost any other civilian for that matter--it's probably better off that way. Those who 'disappear' don't just 'disappear'...they get killed or are drowned in the Sea of Noise, an utterly disgusting thought. And dwelling on such a thing could quite literally be the death of you. So I don't recommend it.

 

Just as I was drowning in my own thoughts, a tap on my shoulder jolted me out of the prison bars of my own mind. "Hello, gorgeous!"

 

I gritted my teeth and shook Isaac's hand off my shoulders. "Thank you and get off," I said, in my low tone of voice. "Now that you've said hi, mind going somewhere else?"

 

"What? Have a problem with me, Amethyst?"

 

"Yeah. Actually, I do. Since when did you stop being a guy friend and move into 'horny, potentially boyfriend' territory? I want my six year-old guy friend Isaac back."

 

Isaac stepped back and gave me a long, hard look. "Care to tell me what's on your mind, Am? I know it's much more than just my 'transformation,' as you so kindly call my guy phase. Come on. Out with the explanations!"

 

I sighed and rubbed my eyes, trying desperately to ward off an impending migraine, but I could already tell it was fruitless, so I dropped my hands and they fell limply by my side. "Why do you have to know me so fricking well?!" I demanded, more to myself than to him. Damn him for knowing everything about me! ARGGHH!!!

 

"I'm just-"

 

Isaac looked at me with a knowing grin on his face. "Ah. Is it that time of month again? I thought your PMS-ing was over. Wasn't it? 'Cause I can't take another week of crying and temper tantrums and whining and-"

 

"Oh shut up!!" I yelled, giving him an actual punch to his chest. "Why don't you just leave me alone? That way you don't have to deal with me when I start 'PMS-ing.' You should be grateful I'm so fricking nice, Icky."

 

"Oh come on, now, Am! You're not still hung up on the Mysterious Globules Incident are you?" he peered at me and saw the answer. "Dear God! I swear, Amethyst, sometimes you're not worth the trouble."

 

"Great! Well if that's how you feel, how about this? Leave. Me. Alone."

 

I didn't wait for a response. I turned on my heel and strode out of the Community City of Loud Center, not stopping or glancing back when I heard Isaac's remorseful "AMETHYST!" calling me from behind.

 

And just like that, I knew what I was going to do.

 

I was going to the City of Silence, and hope that things there would be better. How or even if I could do it, I didn't know. But I think it was worth trying. Things couldn't get worse than they already were.

 

The way I saw it, improvement was the only available option.

 

I took in a deep, shuddering breath and slowly walked past the City of Loud's gates.