Late Night Rendezvous

The outside world had gone into quarantine for the second time in 15 years. Work and school was changed to virtual, and by order of armed soldiers, people were forced to stay indoors and only allotted special times to purchase food and other items. This lockdown was even more strict than the 2020 lockdown was and with very little information available to the public, mass panic has ensued. 

Organized militia called The Messengers of Truth were slowly taking over grocery stores and places of business, driving the military out by force. Their next target was the hospital where Misa worked. They demanded answers and with the government providing none, they thought they would go directly to the source. Info had been leaked about Commander Redding, so they knew exactly where to find him and intended to question anyone with access to information. As the militia readied themselves for a raid, Misa's younger sister Mila prepared for a rebellious act of her own.

Mila, like Simon, was  highly intelligent, but she was often misjudged due to her rebellious nature. If someone asked her to write a paper or take a test that she thought was a waste of time or stupid, no matter how easy it would be for her to ace the task, Mila often refused or made a mockery of the whole assignment. She was the kind that fought the establishment by violating rules as a sign of protest. For instance,  it was against school dress code to dye your hair an unnatural color, so the very next day after that policy became live, Mila showed up to school with vibrant blue hair. To this day, Mila's hair has remained that shade of blue, though now it was long and luscious. 

Mila was gorgeous. Her body, slender and athletic, made her popular among both girls and boys at school. Paired with her tall stature, Mila looked better than the average model. Her delicate features made her seem much more feminine than Mila was comfortable admitting, and her light brown were the icing on top of her exceptional beauty. Her rebellious nature also made her irresistible to many her own age. Despite all that she had going for her, Mila had never dated anyone. Many had asked, but she always declined saying, “I'm not interested in a committed relationship right now, I would prefer if we stayed as friends.”

The truth was though, that Mila just hadn't found any of the people who asked her out all that attractive. Men or women, Mila only fell for people she had an emotional attachment to. The person that she actually had a crush on happened to be her best friend, Max, short for Maxine. It was mainly for this reason that she had decided to go along with her friend's plan to escape after curfew and meet at the school to create some rebellious artwork.

The tricky part was going to be getting out of her house, but once she was out, Mila had memorized the patrol routes and timing so it would be much easier to dodge those government drones that called themselves soldiers. Though she didn't always get along with her older sister, Misa was a true soldier and Mila looked up to her for that. These low ranking losers had nothing on her big sis, so she was certain even if she encountered one by accident she could take them. Afterall, Mila was a master of martial arts and had practiced hand to hand combat with Misa for years. 

She texted Max early in the day and the pair had worked out the perfect time for each of them to leave their homes,  and  had decided on their rendezvous location. At exactly 1053 pm Max would leave her house and at 11pm on the dot Mila would leave hers. They would meet at the old groundskeeper's shed on the westside of the high school campus. 

At 1052, Max shot Mila a text that she had successfully made it out of the house. Mila sat on her bedroom window sill waiting for the next set of soldiers to pass. Everything was going according to plan until her annoying little brother barged in. 

Simon adjusted his glasses and folded his arms in his sister's doorway. He had that snobby, goody-two-shoes, annoying little brother expression on his face which annoyed the hell out of Misa. He moved his curly hair from his eyes, and asked Mila, “Where ya going in such a hurry sis? Last I checked, curfew was at 9pm.”

Mila let out an exaggerated groan, “Look Simon, I don't have time to explain. What do you want?”

Simon smirked, he loved to annoy Mila. “I'll take those candy bars you have stashed in the shoe box under your bed. And also tell me where you are going please in case you get into trouble. Misa actually sounded very scared the last time she called, and if she's nervous, we should be prepared for anything.”

Mila rolled her eyes, Simon was right and it irritated her. “Ok you little shit! Have the damn candy! I'm going to meet Max at the high school. We are going to do some street art and come back home.”

Simon smiled widely, “Oooooooh, ‘street art’ ? You sure you aren't playing kiss and tell?”

Mila's face turned red. She wished. “You punkass, just shut-up. Keep the soldier at the house off my tail ok? I'll be home before 1am.” Before Simon could reply, Mila jumped off the roof onto the tree branch that hung a few feet away from the rooftop.  She skillfully dropped to the ground. This was not her first time sneaking out like this. After a couple close calls with some armed soldiers, Mila made it to the estate keeper's shed where a stylishly dressed Max was already waiting for her. 

Max was a bit older at 18 years old, but was also a senior. The two had been friends since middle school and spent most of their time together despite Mila's newfound popularity. Max was cool and casual with her button up flannel shirt, beanie, and ripped jeans. She was almost as tall as Mila, and had shoulder length brown hair. Her eyes were a pale blue whose contrast made her hair appear darker than it actually was. She casually leaned against the shed waiting for Mila. The two greeted each other with an awkward wave and side hug. 

Mila wasn't the only one who had a crush on her best friend. That much was obvious with the awkwardness that existed between the two of them. They got so easily embarrassed by each other that just that small hug sent both girls into a panic and their faces flushed. Max was afraid of telling Mila how she felt because of the way she rejected everyone who confessed to her. Mila was afraid of confessing to anyone, and was worried about destroying their friendship. 

Tonight, Max planned to tell Mila how she felt, because in this quarantine, she realized just how much she needed and wanted Mila. Max's heart was racing as she handed the bag of spray cans to Mila. She thought to herself, “When should I do it? Will I be able to tell her how I feel if I wait for us to get to the mural? Argh, I'm so nervous.” 

Mila held out her hand to Max, “Shall we go? I'm itching to piss off some government drones.”

In an uncertain tone, Max responded, “Sure, uh, let's get going?”

The pair walked to the Eastend of the high school which was where the auditorium stood.  It had a red ladder in a cage that served as the emergency fire escape and the teen’s only way up to the mural. The side of the adjacent building was flat and had a giant painting of an Eagle on it. The 12 ft tall bird of prey was the school mascot, and a symbol of all things patriotic. The perfect target for some rebellious graffiti. The pair went to work with their spray cans, and after 15 minutes they painted in big black letters across the base of the mural, “Down with the oppressors and up with the oppressed.”

They admired their work and hung their legs off the side of the building, sitting close enough that their knees were touching. Max put her head on Mila's shoulder, and looked up at her crush. “Mila, after we haven't been able to see each other,  I've realized that I,... I have feelings for you. Like I, like you more than a friend. What do you say? Wanna try being girlfriends instead?”

Before Mila could answer, there was a loud bang on the side of the building that sent both girls running for cover behind the ventilation ducts that adorned the rooftop.