is convenient for them at a pace that works with their learning." She looked at him, hands poised to type.
He shook his head, his elbows on the table. He put his face in his hands, trying to think of a response. "Okay," he said finally.
Eri stared at him, feeling sadness and frustration emanate from him. What did he know that burdened him so much?
Bodhi cleared his throat. "Have you ever read Lord of the Flies?"
Eri paused to think. "Yes, last year. I think we are all required to read it."
Bodhi blinked thoughtfully, choosing his words carefully. "Can you remind me what happens?"
She humored him. "Um, they kind of lose their minds with all the freedoms they encounter upon being shipwrecked and end up killing someone. They grow more violent as the book goes on and then they get rescued. Right?"
Bodhi nodded. "What do you think is the most important thing about the story?"
Eri scratched her forehead absently. "That within our society is the capability for great destruction. Therefore, we need a political structure in place to prevent us from self-destructing."
Bodhi took a slow breath. "And how does it end?"
"Umâ¦jeez, is this a quiz? Okay, I think I remember. They end up on the beach where there is a British officer and then they fight him, not wanting to leave. They laugh when he gets hurt. A group of men finally sedate the boys and take them back to civilization, where they all learn to be civilized once again. How did I do?" Eri was impressed with herself.
Bodhi sighed. "You did great, Eri. You remember things you are taught pretty accurately."
"So, why the quiz?" she asked.
"I don't know, I was just thinking about that book. Maybe we can talk more about it later." He sat back in his chair, putting his hands on the table. He looked up at her from under his dark eyelashes and she wondered what he worried about.
"Okay," she said, reaching out and touching his hand absently.
He looked at his hand, covered partially by hers. She withdrew her hand slowly, uncertain if she had broken protocol.
"You're right," he whispered. "It is different."
They stared at each other in silence for a moment before going back to taking notes. They stood when class ended, walking out together without speaking.
He turned towards her, shoving his hands in his pockets. She looked up at him, squinting at the sunshine coming through the tips of his messy hair.
"Later then?" he asked, his words weighted.
"Later." She nodded as she turned to go. She fought the urge to look back at him, giving in and glancing over her shoulder. She was not surprised to find him still staring in her direction.
Chapter 8
Sickness
Eri untangled herself from the simulator, her stomach gurgling. She had spent extra time after class with her literature teacher trying to figure out what was expected out of their first literary analysis.
Eri emerged from the basement, looking around at the dim, warm dining room. Her mother dug through a cupboard. Eri could hear her muttering something to herself about fresh ingredients. Eri looked into the living room and saw her dad staring vacantly at the TV. He caught her eye and gave her a half-hearted wave.
She walked over to her mom and leaned back against the counter, arms crossed in front of her chest. "Mom?"
"Hmmmm?" her mom answered her, not looking away from the cupboard she continued to peer into. Her dull brown hair was tied back at the nape of her neck, and her bulky, grey work uniform hung on her thin body. Eri didn't think her mom was pretty, necessarily, but wondered maybe if she could be if she were more joyful.
"When you went to schoolâ¦did you use the Sims machines, too? The whole time?"
Her mother looked at her, letting go of the cupboard and turning her body. Eri tried not to shrink under the weight of her mother's scrutiny.
"Yes. Why?" She pursed her lips.
"I am doing a report on the history of education and I was trying to figure out how many generations ago it was that we switched from
He shook his head, his elbows on the table. He put his face in his hands, trying to think of a response. "Okay," he said finally.
Eri stared at him, feeling sadness and frustration emanate from him. What did he know that burdened him so much?
Bodhi cleared his throat. "Have you ever read Lord of the Flies?"
Eri paused to think. "Yes, last year. I think we are all required to read it."
Bodhi blinked thoughtfully, choosing his words carefully. "Can you remind me what happens?"
She humored him. "Um, they kind of lose their minds with all the freedoms they encounter upon being shipwrecked and end up killing someone. They grow more violent as the book goes on and then they get rescued. Right?"
Bodhi nodded. "What do you think is the most important thing about the story?"
Eri scratched her forehead absently. "That within our society is the capability for great destruction. Therefore, we need a political structure in place to prevent us from self-destructing."
Bodhi took a slow breath. "And how does it end?"
"Umâ¦jeez, is this a quiz? Okay, I think I remember. They end up on the beach where there is a British officer and then they fight him, not wanting to leave. They laugh when he gets hurt. A group of men finally sedate the boys and take them back to civilization, where they all learn to be civilized once again. How did I do?" Eri was impressed with herself.
Bodhi sighed. "You did great, Eri. You remember things you are taught pretty accurately."
"So, why the quiz?" she asked.
"I don't know, I was just thinking about that book. Maybe we can talk more about it later." He sat back in his chair, putting his hands on the table. He looked up at her from under his dark eyelashes and she wondered what he worried about.
"Okay," she said, reaching out and touching his hand absently.
He looked at his hand, covered partially by hers. She withdrew her hand slowly, uncertain if she had broken protocol.
"You're right," he whispered. "It is different."
They stared at each other in silence for a moment before going back to taking notes. They stood when class ended, walking out together without speaking.
He turned towards her, shoving his hands in his pockets. She looked up at him, squinting at the sunshine coming through the tips of his messy hair.
"Later then?" he asked, his words weighted.
"Later." She nodded as she turned to go. She fought the urge to look back at him, giving in and glancing over her shoulder. She was not surprised to find him still staring in her direction.
Chapter 8
Sickness
Eri untangled herself from the simulator, her stomach gurgling. She had spent extra time after class with her literature teacher trying to figure out what was expected out of their first literary analysis.
Eri emerged from the basement, looking around at the dim, warm dining room. Her mother dug through a cupboard. Eri could hear her muttering something to herself about fresh ingredients. Eri looked into the living room and saw her dad staring vacantly at the TV. He caught her eye and gave her a half-hearted wave.
She walked over to her mom and leaned back against the counter, arms crossed in front of her chest. "Mom?"
"Hmmmm?" her mom answered her, not looking away from the cupboard she continued to peer into. Her dull brown hair was tied back at the nape of her neck, and her bulky, grey work uniform hung on her thin body. Eri didn't think her mom was pretty, necessarily, but wondered maybe if she could be if she were more joyful.
"When you went to schoolâ¦did you use the Sims machines, too? The whole time?"
Her mother looked at her, letting go of the cupboard and turning her body. Eri tried not to shrink under the weight of her mother's scrutiny.
"Yes. Why?" She pursed her lips.
"I am doing a report on the history of education and I was trying to figure out how many generations ago it was that we switched from
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