It was true. Most of the time, life was pretty grim in the Underground and people had little reason to laugh. But once thing rang pretty true for most; their parents had made sure they got their careless childhoods - a time when brownouts meant that the candles would be brought out, you got to stay up a little longer or that the bazaar was a venue of endless mischief. After that, once you grew up,it was time to face the stark reality of it all. For Samir, all of that had come at fifteen, as he'd lost Erol to the Runners and then lost his parents and sister to them as well.
On his more brooding moments, he'd even claim that he too, had been lost. But he was trying to find that youthful, careless spark again; his bickerfests with Erol, the Commander and his cousin, helped. Their fathers were probably spinning in their graves.
"But I'm excusing you," he pointed out not for the first time, with a smile still written in his eyes and this time, he actually leaned closer in and nudged her shoulder with his own. "Don't let the Commander catch you dozing off."