Yesterdays Gone: SEASON TWO (THE POST-APOCALYPTIC SERIAL THRILLER) (Yesterday's Gone)

boyfriend?”
    “Oh, heavens no,” Rebecca said, flushing. “I didn’t even know many boys before I came here. Mother home-schooled us.”
    “Us?” Paola asked.
    “Yeah, me and my older sister, Alexis. She was 15.”
    “Was? What happened to her?”
    “She vanished with everyone else,” Rebecca said, her voice becoming unstable.
    “I’m sorry.”
    “Don’t be. The Prophet says she’s in a better place, so maybe she’s the lucky one.”
    Paola wanted to ask Rebecca more about her sister, but the girl had turned silent again, now moving onto the silverware in the sink. Paola decided to bring the conversation back to boys.
    “Is there anyone here you like?” she asked.
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” Rebecca said, avoiding eye contact. Her flushed face, however, gave her away.
    Paola laughed, “Oh my God, you DO like someone, don’t you? Who is it? Who?!”
    “Shh,” Rebecca said, turning to Paola and putting her wet finger against her lips and shushing her. “Don’t be so loud!”
    “Who?” Paola whispered, barely able to hide her huge smile. Finally, something juicy to talk about!
    “Well, maybe there’s someone,” Rebecca said, eyes back on the dishes, trying to look as serious as possible.
    “I knew it!” Paola shouted.
    “Shhh!” Rebecca said again, “You don’t have to tell the world!”
    “Okay, okay,” Paola said, whispering again, “Who is it? Have I met him?”
    “Well, I’m sure you’ve met everyone here at mealtimes, but I don’t know if you’ve talked to him. His name is Carl, he’s the tall kid with dark curly hair and really pretty blue eyes.”
    “Oh, I had seen him,” Paola said with a smile. “He’s cute.”
    A flash of jealousy flushed Rebecca’s eyes, but she quickly turned back to the dishes.
    “So,” Paola asked, “What’s the deal?”
    “There is no deal . I just fancy him, is all.”
    “Has he asked you out?”
    “Oh no, The Prophet doesn’t allow courting.”
    “Doesn’t allow it? What is he? Some kind of King or something? It’s a free world, you can court whoever you want. I mean, maybe your mom can stop you, but that’s it. I wouldn’t let some ‘prophet’ tell me who I can and can’t date.”
    Rebecca turned to Paola, a serious look in her eyes. “You mustn’t say that to anyone else.”
    “What?” Paola asked. “Why not?”
    “I like you, so I won’t say anything. But some of the others here, they might tell on you, report you to one of the elders. And believe me, you don’t want that.”
    “Why not?” Paola asked, suddenly nervous.
    “Aren’t you girls done yet?” a voice said from behind, shocking them both. Paola nearly dropped the glass she was drying, then caught it just before it hit the ground. She turned to see Sarah standing behind them both.
    “Enough chit-chat, there’s work to be done,” Sarah said.
    “Yes, Mother,” Rebecca said, turning back to the dishes.
    As Sarah left the kitchen, Paola thought about the change in Rebecca’s mom. She’d been so timid and quiet when they’d met and in front of the others, but when speaking to her daughter, she wasn’t timid at all. She was almost mean.
    Paola wanted to continue the conversation, but could hear Sarah putting stuff away in the pantry room next to the kitchen, likely eavesdropping.  

    **

    Paola waited all day to continue the conversation. She finally got her chance at bedtime. She shared a room with Rebecca. While the men’s quarters were three beds to a room, less children in Sanctuary meant the kids were two beds instead. That gave the girls plenty of privacy to continue their conversation.
    But before Paola could get her first word out, Rebecca blurted a question that must’ve been prickling her mind for a while. “Is Luca your boyfriend?”
    Paola was taken by surprise, not only by the question, but how much at a loss of words she was to explain Luca to anyone. “He’s a friend,” she finally managed to say after a moment’s blankness, which was one way to put it.
    “I’ve seen the way he looks at you, though. And you, him. There’s something there, isn’t there?”
    “He’s too young,” Paola said.
    Rebecca looked confused. Apparently, word of Luca’s uniqueness had not yet spread to everyone at The Sanctuary, which was, perhaps, for the best. However, Paola didn’t see the harm in sharing the information with Rebecca.
    “He’s only eight years old!”
    “What? He looks like he’s twice that!”
    “I know, I