Life Designed (Life Plan Series Book 1), Eliza Taye [great novels .TXT] 📗

about on Declaration Day.” The woman smiled kindly at Opal and waved goodbye.

“Is that it?” wondered Garrett as they walked out of the room.

Not looking up from the Life Plan cradled in her hands, Opal replied, “Yes, that’s it. The hardest part is writing the Life Plan. The easiest thing is submitting it.”

Garrett glanced back at the door they’d just exited, committing it to memory.

Crushing the papers to her chest, Opal squeezed her eyes shut and said, “I can’t believe it! All my hard work and it’s finally paid off.”

“Woah, Opal, slow down. We haven’t even made it to Declaration Day yet. And you still have to submit your final Life Plan on Submission Day.”

“I know, I know.” Opal smoothed the sheets and held them out at arm’s length. “I’m just so excited!”

A wide smile spread across Garrett’s lips. Opal’s excitement was infectious. He couldn’t help being happy for her. Still, as they made their way toward the front of the building, Garrett paid close attention to every hall, doorway, and corner through the maze that was City Hall. The council representative had to be in one of those rooms.

Oblivious to Garrett’s intense studying of the city hall building, Opal beamed as she stepped out into the moonlit day surrounded by the familiar city streetlights. The blue stamp of approval situated at the top righthand corner of her Life Plan filled her with such glee every time she looked at it, that she couldn’t help reading the three words again and again: Life Plan Approved

Only the voice of Garrett brought her out of her internal celebratory dance. “Do you want to drop that off at your house before we go back to mine?”

Opal had almost forgotten she’d promised to help Garrett with his Life Plan next. “Uh, sure. That’s probably a good idea. I don’t want anything happening to it.”

On the way back to Garrett’s house, they dropped by Opal’s and he waited while she stowed her precious Life Plan safely in her room where no harm could come to it.

“Were your parents home?” asked Garrett as she came back outside.

“No, both they and Gabby had gone out for something. It’s okay, I’ll show it to them later tonight. For now, we need to focus on helping you with your Life Plan so you can have the same feelings of joy I’m experiencing right now.”

Garrett laughed so hard that he threw his head back, then bent at the knees to catch his breath.

“What’s so funny?” Opal put her hands on her hips and watched him until he could speak.

“I don’t think having my Life Plan completed would make me as joyful as you are right now. I can’t see myself re-reading the approval stamp a thousand times and jumping up and down with excitement.

Opal felt heat rise to her face as she glanced over and noticed the curtains in their house were open. As soon as she’d entered the house and found out no one was home, she’d began jumping up and down and emitting muted screams throughout the house. Garrett could have seen her just as plain as day through the window.

Noticing Opal’s reaction, Garrett placed an arm around her shoulder and flashed her a grin. “It’s okay, Opal. You have every right to be excited.”

Opal removed Garrett’s arm but smiled in return. “I’m glad you understand me. So, what do you want to put down as your profession? We can start making an outline for your Life Plan as we walk to your house.”

An idea sprang into Garrett’s mind and before he could consider the implications of voicing it aloud, he asked, “How does someone become a council representative? That sounds like a fun job. You get to travel around the world and work closely with The Council.”

The question stumped Opal. Not only had she never considered that particular career path, but she didn’t know anything about it either. It was one of the few professions they didn’t go over in their Choosing Class. It felt like they’d toured and shadowed every profession imaginable. But why not that one? How did someone become a right-hand person of The Council?

Turning to Garrett, she admitted, “You know what, Garrett? I don’t know.”

“Why wouldn’t anyone tell us? Now that’s something I would be interested in. What kind of education or qualifications allow them to pre-approve other people’s Life Plans?”

“From what I understand, they are more like couriers than actual approvers. They give the plans to the council member who then approves them.”

“But how do they do it? And why is it that The Council can approve the Life Plans of an entire world of sixteen-year-old individuals in one day, but it takes several days to pre-approve?”

Once again, the question stumped Opal. It was yet another thing she hadn’t thought of. “I don’t know, Garrett,” irked, she pondered the various reasons to herself.

“Sometimes I wonder if The Council is even real.”

“They have to be real. Our society wouldn’t exist if they weren’t.”

“But why is it that no one’s seen them and anything and everything having to do with them is shrouded in secrecy?” To keep Opal from becoming too suspicious about his intentions, Garrett added. “Just imagine the kind of life you would have being privy to such information. The representatives of The Council would have just that. I think that’s what I want to do.”

Startled, Opal examined her friend’s face for any hint of a joke. Garrett didn’t seem to be joking at all. “Are you really serious about that?”

Garrett’s brown eyes fixed on hers. “Yes, I am.”

Thinking for a second, Opal responded, “All right, although I’m unsure how to help you write such a Life Plan. I mean, which college would you go to? What would you major in? Mine was easy because I knew I wanted to