The Compound

by Aisling Rawle

I imagined him rising above me, his hands pinning me down, and myself powerless to stop him. But it was only a passing thought.

“I think Tom’s kind of sexy,” Susie said. “He nearly drowned Becca,” I said. “Did he? I still want to get to know him, though.”

He’s good at convincing people to do things.” “Not as good as Tom,” Mia said. Candice smiled tightly at her.

“Oh, Tom? He’s a good guy, really. He’s forceful for sure, and he’s got a temper, but he’s just

🤢

Like Princess Leia herself, Vanessa’s stomach had no crease when she sat.

It was easier to just give in.

He wasn’t looking at the boys: he was looking at me.

The task catered to him—but hadn’t the last one, the race, been suited to him as well?

I continued to struggle to think of what to ask for. It wasn’t that my desire for things had faded, but rather that I felt overwhelmed by choice, panicked that I was forgetting something that I really wanted, worrying that there was always something better that I just hadn’t thought of yet. I was frequently anxious, feeling as though whenever I wasn’t requesting something I was wasting my opportunity.

“You find yourself someone you want to live with, and you couple up. If you really like them, you’ll stay together, and resist the temptation of infinite rewards.”

“You’re not exactly a winner, then, are you?”