It was the seventeenth period when Cami, still holding her smile inside, arrived at the apartment building in which her family lived. As the building did not have an implant reader, Cami had to enter the proper codes herself and was soon on the floor on which the family resided. Entering their apartment Cami saw that her sisters Koral, aged twelve and Kinna, aged ten were already home and were absorbed in a show they both enjoyed on the holo display. Brother Damma, just seven, was sitting at the dinner table, fiddling with the comm unit. Neither her parents nor her two older brothers, Dar, seventeen, or Tremma, fifteen had arrived yet.

Looking around as she removed her cloak and hat, Cami saw with some surprise that her sisters had hung up their hats and cloaks. Damma, however had not.

“Damma,” she called to her brother, “Your hat and cloak.” Damma continued his play on the comm. “Damma!” At the sharper tone he looked up. “Your hat and cloak.” The youngest member of the family had not fully adsorbed his lessons and went back to what he was doing.

With a sigh, Cami walked to where Damma was sitting. Looking at the comm unit, an older model, Cami saw that the battery was almost completely discharged. Reaching down she took it from her brother and entered the ‘off’ command. This brought on a predictable response.

“Why did you do that?” Damma whined.

“If the comm isn’t fully charged by the time mum and dad get home, it will be your problem,” Cami replied in a calm voice, “and you know what that means.” Damma scowled, it looked amusing on his childish face. “Also if Tremma can’t use the comm, he will be upset!”

The young boy stiffened, part of his training asserted itself. “I will speak to him then.” He said and stalked, or tried to, of to the boys room, picking up his hat and cloak along the way. The three girls looked at each other and raised an eyebrow. Without saying a word, they all gave an inward smile; little brother was learning and would uphold the family’s status.

*********

It was a full period later, almost the eighteenth, when Tremma sis Nep walked through the door. Stocky and considered by some of Camis friends to be good looking, he took after their mother’s side of the family. His school, The Libus Re Trade School for Boys, was located across the city so Tremma had to catch three different conveyances. In his second to last school years and training as a chef, he was happy in both his assessment and his choice of occupation. Recently he had been informed that he was being considered for further training in a specialised school. This had made the family very proud, of course they had been very careful in their display of their pride. He and Cami were close and she considered Tremma her best ‘boyfriend’.

“How’s my big sister?” Tremma actually smiled when he saw Cami. “And what’s the big news?” he asked as he hung up his cloak and hat. Cami’s smile, she could and did often smile at her brother, changed to a sharp look.

“That’s right, you are a friend of Cliea’s brother, Killy.” She said slowly, mentioning a girl that she knew at school. They were not close.

The two younger sisters had perked up at Tremma’s comment, attending a different school, they were unaware of Cami’s news. “What happened?” Koral asked. Kinna was also listening, their interest showing clearly.

Pulling of his boots, Tremma put his stocking foot down in a dry area of the floor. “Cami got a call to the counsellors today. Big secret, she didn’t even tell Leda and Ava!”

Cami’s cheeks flamed. “Was that sneak Cliea listening in on a private conversation? I will report her if she did!” Tremma’s smile faded, conversations were private and listening to another’s conversation was considered a serious matter. But reporting someone for eavesdropping was also serious and could rebound against the reporter.

“There was no overhearing or listening in, Cami.” Tremma soothed his oldest sister. “The call to the counsellors’ office was an open broadcast and Cliea simply said that if you did tell Leda and Ava why, then they were the best actors in the school.” He smiled reassuringly. “It was clear to everyone that you were showing self-control in a proper Ti Lepus manner.”

The two younger sisters watched with interest, but knew better than to get involved. Besides, they were on Cami’s side in this instance.

Somewhat mollified, Cami walked back into the kitchen where she was preparing the evening meal for the family. Their parents and their older brother, Dar, would eat later, when they returned home from work. She also resolved to talk to her second oldest brother quietly and privately. The matter of Killy and Cliea was not fully resolved in her opinion.

“I have to tell mum and dad first.” Cami then changed the subject. “Evening tide is ready.” Like the breakfast meal, the name for the evening meal was local and old, so old that no one knew its origins but there was much speculation. “Tremma, Damma is in the boys’ room.” On Ti Lepus, girls did not go into the boys’ room and the boys did not go into the girls’ room.

The five siblings were soon standing around the dining table. Following tradition, as he was the oldest present, Tremma stood at the head of the table while Cami as she was the oldest of the girls, stood at the other end. With bows to the table and each other, they took their seats and began to eat.

The supper was simple, mostly locally grown vegetables, purchased from local growers. Only a little meat was served as it was expensive. Libus Re was in a fairly rural area, and consisted of a number of smaller communities around a larger urban and city area. Total population in the area hovered around one million. Being in a semi-rural area, Cami’s family was able to eat if not well, at least adequately. No one in the family went to bed hungry. Others were not so lucky.

The meal finished, the younger siblings cleared the table, Damma putting the dishes in the dish cleaner while Koral washed the pot used and Kinna cleaned the table and the counters.

Once they were finished, Cami announced, “Tremma and I will talk.” This formal way of announcing a serious discussion caused all the others to freeze for a fraction. Cami, still sitting at her spot at the foot of the table looked straight ahead at Tremma, still at the head.

After a brief fraction, Tremma nodded at the other three who quietly went to their respective rooms. Damma opened his mouth to complain but was quelled by a look form his brother and a hush from Koral. Looking rebellious, he went to the boy’s room as Koral and Kinna went into the room they shared with Cami.

*********

“Why is she so serious?” Kinna asked her older sister, as the door closed behind them. Similar in appearance to Cami, Koral had darker hair and hadn’t quite begun puberty yet. Kinna, although younger was actually considered potentially the prettiest of the three with similar features to Cami’s and wavy brown hair.

“Wouldn’t you be upset if someone was listening in on your private conversation?” was the distracted reply from Koral as she dropped onto the lower bunk. Rather than climbing onto her bed, which was the top bunk, Kinna leaned on the support at the foot of the bed and looked at Koral.

“I don’t think that is the real problem though. She got told about a contract I bet and she is afraid that it’s going to be messed up by Cliea.” Koral muttered. “As if our perfect sister would be dropped in the sea[1]!”

Kinna stared, then smiled. “You’re upset that Cami has an assessment coming and you don’t! That’s it isn’t it!” Kinna didn’t laugh, both her training and an awareness that Koral, who wasn’t answering the question, would get angry at her rather than Cami stopped her. But she couldn’t resist a dig or two.

“Hey, if Cami gets a contract with a salon, won’t she have to get more clothes?”

Koral glared at her younger sister. “More hand me downs for you from both of us than!” she ground out.

Kinna faked looking off into the distance. “Maybe she will share her makeup with me and get me an introduction as well.” This, spoken as it was in a dreamy tone, annoyed Koral even more.

“If you haven’t got anything sensible to say,” Koral was working hard to retain her temper, “just get up into your bunk and stop bothering me.” Turning over onto her stomach she got up onto her elbows and turned on her reader which she had brought with her.

Still hiding her smile, Kinna climbed up to her bed and laid down on her back, hands behind her head. She closed her eyes, dreaming of the day that she would get her own contract.

*********

Tremma sat back in his chair waiting for his sister to open the talk. While Cami was usually a quiet and compliant girl, Tremma was aware that she could also be stubborn and when angered, sometimes blind to the consequences of her actions. He knew that he may have to talk her down.

“So brother, you think that I should just let Cliea’s talking about me just slide?” It was in a flat tone that Cami spoke, revealing that she was still angry.

“Yes, and all the rest as well.” Tremma calmly replied.

“What, what rest?” Cami came up out of her chair and leant across the table.

“Well ...” Her brother rubbed his hand across his well-defined jaw and mused. “I would guess about half the school and their parents as well.”

Cami sat down with a thump, staring at her brother. Not normally caught at a loss, she did not know what to say. Gathering her wits she narrowed her eyes and spoke. “What do you mean, half the school and their parents?” she asked, the skepticism clear in her voice.

“Cami, you are the prettiest girl in the school and you hasn’t been given an assessment,” Tremma began, “and half of those who did get an assessment, didn’t get a contract. Now your friend Leda has although Ava hasn’t.” He stopped, got up and went into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of water. “Do you want one?” He said to Cami. She nodded. They would not make tea without their parents present.

Returning with two cups, Tremma sat at the same end of the table as his sister. Passing one cup to Cami, he continued.

“I have been getting some discrete comments about you not getting ‘The call’ for some time now, everyone has been waiting for today.” He smiled, “Even some of the boys!”

“What, boys!” Cami blushed. “What do they want?” She asked, the blush deepening.

“Well, if you have to ask, you better pay attention in sex class.” Was the smiling reply, then the smile vanished. “I have had requests for introductions from several of my friends and some who aren’t as well. All very discreet of course.” Tremma shook his head. “I simply told everyone who asked that you were too young to consider any introductions.” Cami was by now, openly showing shock.

“You were right of course, I won’t even be fourteen for two months, what were those … boys thinking!” A touch of fear replaced the blush on her face. “You didn’t tell mum or dad did you?”

“No, mum and dad don’t know. They have enough problems without adding that to the list.” Tremma looked at his oldest sister. ‘She really don’t know what effect she has on men or boys’ he thought. He continued out loud, “What I am trying to say is, I think that someone has had their eye on you for a while. A club that has enough power to block any other club from getting to you first.” He smiled at the look on Cami’s face, one that showed how accurate his guess was.

Cami slumped back in her chair, shaking her head to clear it. Surprised at how perceptive her brother was, she decided to get back to her current bone of contention. “Cliea?” she asked her brother.

“Forget her. People will talk and lower their own status without you doing anything at all.” He continued after a fraction. “On the other hand, if you try to make an issue of it, that could affect your own status and us all.” The look on Camis showed her understanding. He decided to make his last point. “It could also affect your assessment.”

Tremma hid a smile as his sisters eyes opened wide and the impact of Tremma’s last words sank in. ‘Cami is smart,’ he thought, ‘now that she is over her anger, she will understand.’ “Anyway, father, mother and Dar will be home soon, and we have to get ready for them. Let’s set the table and finish getting the meal ready.” They stood, looking at each other. Tremma moved and gave his sister a rare hug. “You will be great.” He whispered. Cami smiled and went to get her sisters.

As Cami turned away, Tremma called to her, “I bet that the Dark Lord Himself would do just about anything you wanted!”

Cami stopped and turned back, her face had a look of horror. “Don’t mention His name, you know that is bad luck!” She hissed. Tremma just laughed.

[1] Ti Lepus saying that means the same as ‘Fed to the wolves.’