It is a quiet evening, into the second week at Thistledown, but every evening in my life has always been quiet, even before my brother left. My mother and I have not spoken at all since we have arrived, well, except for once when she told me I looked like a slut in the slip I was wearing.

And maybe it’s just the everlasting silence wearing on my nerves, but I feel like I am being watched. Earlier ...

The study room was silent for the first time in the school year has, for the first time, everyone was actually studying. Even Marcus, who prided himself in how he didn’t ‘need’ to study to ace his classes, was on his laptop, forehead wrinkled in concentration.

Today was career day, and everyone was doing research on what planet or space station they might want to apply to be stationed at. Everyone...