The rains, which fell at least twice a week, often more, were violent and pounding, with driving winds that howled for hours. These torrents usually arrived without warning, and Theo and his friends had been caught in them many times and forced to run for shelter. Theo, though not a fan of being caught in one of these downpours, found that huddling in the penthouse or under a pavilion off the boardwalk was refreshingly peaceful. He especially enjoyed spending those periods of forced shelter with Kylee.
He remained wary of his emotions toward Kylee, still refusing to commit with one hundred percent confidence to the idea that his feelings were natural and not tied to the extreme circumstances of the past few months. Even so, he had no doubt that he wanted her- her body, her hair, and all her mannerisms, even the toss of her hair had grown on him. Theo joked that given enough time his bangs would be long like hers and he promised to imitate her habit of tossing them back. This usually earned him a playful punch in the arm.
He knew, too, that he cherished his time with her. Kylee was funny, smart, and a curious mix of serious concern and a devil-may-care attitude. Their conversations went on for hours and he could trust that she could brighten his mood and set him to fits of hysterical laughter when he least expected it. He couldn’t figure out what she possibly saw in him, and the doubting voice in the back of his mind assured him that their relationship could only exist in this situation where there weren’t many other options.
There were other teenagers around Atlantic Island, but the monotony of post-Event life had served to shrink the groups (as evidenced by how much time Theo’s group spent as couples) rather than combine them. They met others their own age occasionally, but had yet to spend any significant time with any of them.
There was one cluster of teenagers that Theo had noticed several times. Three boys and a girl all covered in tattoos. Every time he saw them from a distance, they seemed to be doing something obnoxious. Sometimes they pushed past others in line, sometimes one would distract a stranger while his buddy would steal some of the stranger’s rations. Theo marked these incidents in the back of his mind. He knew trouble when he saw it and the same part of him that felt compelled to assume responsibility for the well being of his friends continued to bark “warning!” at him every time he saw the thuggish teens even from a distance.
Flyers distributed at ration stations explained the various jobs available for signup. Theo and his friends were surprised to learn that barring any improvement in their present situation a school would be opening in the fall. “I guess teachers were visiting the shore too,” said Kylee.
Theo was disappointed. Not because he didn’t want to go back to school, though he certainly couldn’t say the thought excited him, but because he found the job signups refreshing. He liked the idea that he could sign up for whatever seemed like a good job and then switch to a different path if he wasn’t happy. Fortunately, those of school age were still going to be able to contribute to the various jobs for the remainder of the summer and then on weekends once school began.
On the day of the signups, Theo and the other teens fell into various lines in accordance with the work they wanted to try. Theo noticed that many people seemed to be in pleasant, positive spirits. He guessed that people were happy to have something purposeful to do.
Theo and Bill got in line for the construction squad. Theo thought at the very least he’d have a chance to spend some of his time with his friend. Bill wasn’t happy about having to spend less time at the hospital with Mark. Theo thought Bill also wasn’t happy to be away from Jamie.
Ryan signed up for the science committee; a group that Theo thought had a vague description. It seemed a good fit for Ryan, who was excited at the chance to sit in front of a computer again. Part of the job was to do some kind of secretive work concerned with making contact with the outside world. That was an admirable goal, Theo thought.
Kylee did indeed sign up for the Security Force. Theo felt relieved to see at least a few other women joining the ranks, but he just could not get comfortable with Kylee putting herself in a risky situation, not to mention that the Security Force was under control of Deputy Mayor Tiberius. Theo still couldn’t explain why he didn’t like Tiberius. The man was responsible for restoring order on the island, after all. Still… something just didn’t sit right.
Michelle and Jamie signed up for “Records.” Theo wasn’t entirely sure what that department was all about. He hoped that all his friends would be happy with their new positions. Still, though he understood the necessity of this effort, it was an acceptance of their predicament that Theo couldn’t completely support. There was not one day or night where he didn’t think about his family, his home, and the possibility of a return to the life through which he had once muddled, this time with Kylee.
Work began the next day. Theo and Bill received the same job assignment and after breakfast with their friends they walked down to what had once been the Margate town line. The foreman, a gruff, short man, set them to work dismantling a house. The work was slow and risky. Very little construction equipment was available, so most of the demolition was done by hand. The department bosses wanted to preserve, recycle and reuse as much material as possible. Theo and Bill spent the first half of their first day on the job emptying the house of its former owner’s belongings, and then stripping the drywall while carefully preserving the wooden studs that had not started to rot from water damage.
It didn’t take long for Theo to wish he had been assigned to dismantle a store or a restaurant. As he removed summer clothes from a pink room belonging to a little girl named Sarah, he imagined having to explain to Sarah and her parents why their beloved shore house no longer existed. Would they understand that the Atlantic Islanders needed the land to grow food? Would they know that it was only for survival that Theo was tearing apart their memories?
He had been excited to work with Bill but the two friends worked mostly in silence. Bill had his own demons, but surely he was also haunted by the same thoughts as Theo. The work became a little easier once the personal items were out of the house and it began to look more like a construction site and less like a home.
During lunch break the second day of work, Theo heard shouting from down the street. He, Bill and several other workers ran out to the street to eavesdrop on the commotion. A man was pleading with the foreman of a different crew. “This is my home! You can’t take away my home! I have rights!”
The man continued to shout. Theo couldn’t hear the counter-argument, though he could venture a guess what it might be. Before long the crowd of workers around the streets had grown. A small band of police moved in and seemed to resolve the conflict. The angry man shook his fist at the gathered crew as he stormed off. Theo turned to Bill. As he expected, Bill was looking frustrated again. He simply had not accepted the strict reality of life on Atlantic Island. Theo worried that, with the stress Bill was under, the time was coming when he would reach his breaking point. And then what? Theo didn’t want to think about it.
Two weeks of August passed without much incident. The house belonging to the angry man was reduced to spare parts, as was the house to which Theo and Bill were assigned. Crews dug up the side streets and foundations and turned the soil, preparing the land for the farming department that would take over the job before long. Theo assumed that many of the construction workers would transition to the farming department when the Margate demolition was complete.
During breaks, Theo and Bill often walked to the edge of the island, where Atlantic Avenue broke in the middle and the ocean began. Theo enjoyed the chance to sit with Bill, reminiscing about the days before the Event and the good times they had shared.