“Did you get it?” wondered Garrett.
Opal ignored him as the spiraling loading insignia disappeared and the results took its place.
“Come on, don’t leave me wondering.”
“I got it! I was pre-approved!” she shouted, her face brightening twice that of the collective shine of the two moons. “Garrett, I got it!”
Opal turned her face to her best friend to see his smug approving smile. “I knew you would. Actually, everyone did. You were the only one who doubted it.”
Opal returned her gaze to the holographic screen. She was approved! No more worrying about if there was anything in her Life Plan that could cause trouble. No more stressing over her future life. The future was set…and it was exactly what she desired.
“So, does that mean you don’t have to do anything on Submission Day?” inquired Garrett.
Opal caught herself before shaking her head in impatience. “No, Garrett, I still have to submit the same plan on Submission Day like everyone else…including you. Which reminds me, which occupation did you want to shadow today?”
“Oh.” Garrett sucked his lips in and pressed them together. “I…uh…was thinking about….”
“Come on, Garrett. You were supposed to think of something yesterday.”
Suddenly, April popped into his mind and he blurted, “Well, I was thinking about a librarian or a…artist?”
“An artist?” Opal raised one quizzical eyebrow. “I’ve never seen you draw anything in your life.”
“True, but maybe I have a talent for it.”
Opal continued to stare at him with a quizzical look until the transporter stopped and the doors flung open. “If you’re certain those are the two different occupations you’d like to shadow today, I can ask our homeroom teacher if she’ll let me go along with you since I have nothing else to do.”
The transporter stayed in place longer than usual to allow all the students to exit and make their way toward the secondary education academy. The pale gray stone exterior of the building went on for two stories and extended out to the size of half a city block. White square windows dotted the structure in uniform rows with two sets on every level. Centered precisely in the middle of the first floor was a double door. The double-wide glass pane windows of the door propped open to allow the influx of students inside.
Following the throng of other students, Opal and Garrett made their way inside the academy. Once inside, they headed straight for their homeroom class. Mrs. Steinworth stood at the front of the class with a marker in her hand, her elbow bent as she readied to write something on the board. The rest of the students already in class stood scattered about, helping each other work on their Life Plans. Some were missing, which meant they had already begun their shadowing for the day.
“Mrs. Steinworth,” called Opal when she neared the front of the class.
“Ah, hi, Opal, what do you need?” Mrs. Steinworth beamed at her favorite student.
“Garrett decided that he wants to do some additional shadowing today in preparation for finalizing his Life Plan. I was wondering if I’d be allowed to go with him.”
Both Mrs. Steinworth’s eyebrows raised as she glanced from Opal to Garrett, then back to Opal. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. I’m grateful Mr. Gibbons is interested in taking another occupational shadow.”
“Well, I just want to make sure that I’m prepared for next week,” interjected Garrett, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet with a grin on his face.
Garrett’s response didn’t fool Mrs. Steinworth one bit, but she wasn’t going to be rude to a student. “Very well, then. You have my permission.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Steinworth.”
Their teacher nodded, but then leaned forward and whispered to Opal in confidence, “Maybe you can keep him on track and focused on finding his life’s passion. I truly hate to see a student lost to the Undecided.”
Opal looked at one of her favorite teachers as she leaned back. The woman’s face had turned into a solemn mask of regret like perhaps she had lost a student to the Undecided sector before. The expression on her face saddened Opal, but she brushed it off. “I will. Is there anything special we need?”
“Yes, on the back table there are the pamphlets with the directions and contact information for the people who are available for shadows today. Find the ones pertaining to the occupation you two wish to shadow and you may set off for it. Don’t worry about attendance, I’ll let the office know why you aren’t here.”
“Thank you again, Mrs. Steinworth.” Opal turned and went to the back of the classroom with Garrett at her heels.
Scattered along the back table were a litter of pamphlets with what seemed like every occupation in the city represented. Realizing they were in alphabetical order, Opal and Garrett quickly found the ones for artist and librarian.
“Which one do you want to go to first?”
“Librarian,” stated Garrett, matter-of-factly.
Exiting the academy and going to the nearest transporter, they rode towards the center of the city where an enormous five-story library—one of the tallest structures in the city—rose into the black sky dotted with stars. As usual, it was fairly crowded, but Opal knew her way around well. She’d been there countless times.
A grand entryway spanning three of the five stories gave entrance to the library. Wide gilded doorways led into a massive elliptical chamber with wood everywhere. Three tiers of bookshelves surrounded and covered every inch of the wall to the point where it appeared as if the walls themselves were made up of bookshelves.
A group of eight stairs led down into the center of the expansive room, where the space opened up to allow for a circulation and checkout desk. Opal grabbed the awed
