Fiction: Group 4
It shocks me how ignorant I’ve been, almost like I’ve been missed out. Almost like when you’re ten
and everyone’s been invited to a birthday party except for you.
It turns out that water rations are diminishing, and some weirdo decided that it was some conspiracy
plotted to deprive us of the “little freedom we are left with”. Then the weirdo decided to take it one step
further and rallied students to gate-crash the “barricade”, namely the electrical fence that zaps you to death
if you come too close. Apparently it’s a real big thing. But what makes me want to scream and throw things
and punch Kevin is that Al knew about it. He knew about it and he didn’t tell me.
Spying on Al is easier than what I had pictured. Partly because of that glowing hair of his. Largely
because I make an excellent stalker.
As Al paces along a quiet strip of the river banks, I can’t help noticing how heavy the air seems to
have turned. The smog outside the wall seems to be exerting a great force on the walls, ready to crush it and
rush inside, engulfing us whole.
One other thing I can’t help noticing is how everyone Al met on the way and acknowledged, I don’t.
And it’s not just one or two random girls. He knows an awful lot of people. At one point I even considered
cutting eyeholes in newspaper to not get squinted at. His friends are horribly squinty and rude, but at least
they have the good grace to not blow my cover. It’s only natural for a sister to spy on her weird twin
brother, is it not?
Natural or not, being a stalker is too mentally demanding. Why do they make spying seem so fun?
And why on earth is Al not movinggggg? Bored, I aim a kick at a pebble. It flies in an elegant arc, crashing
straight into the unseen walls. Then comes a sizzling sound and with a loud zap, the pebble is gone.
Goodness. That was scary.
“Hey,” Al speaks out of the blue. It seems that a girl with curly hair and what people would call a
“braided complexion” showed up while I busied myself trying to look unfazed.
“You’re late.” He smiles that good-natured smile of his. Oooh. I didn’t see a secret love affair
coming. Guess I must have underestimated my brother. I take a deep breath and try to inhale as much love
in the air as I can.
The girl laughs and I splutter. I know that voice!
She tilts her head and say, “It’s you who’s been early.” It’s –what’s her name again?-- Pam. Or
something. She is the evil girl who bullied me into eating all my pickles when I was seven. Twice. What are
you
doing with my brother?
I cough. Better not take in too much of that poison.
“So, what have you got today?” Perry asks.
“
Same time, same place.
”
Who do they think they are? Harry Potter?
“It’s outrageous, do you think?” She says lividly as he hands her a carelessly-packaged sack.
I gasp. Inaudibly. What is he doing?
I waited impatiently for another fifteen minutes before the girl bounces off hurriedly.
“What are you thinking?” I command. I must have made a dramatic entrance, because Al’s mouth falls
open.
“What?” He did not look caught out at all. “Have you been spying on me?” He adds suspiciously.
“I said, what are you doing with that ra--, girl?”
“We were talking.”
“You were talking?” I let out a crazy laugh that sounds very much like the type of laugh villainous
villains would laugh like in movies. “You honestly thought I had no idea what you were doing?”
“Well, do you?” His face changes.
“Yes!” I say defiantly.
“Do you really—That’s great. How thoughtless was I to think that you only had your mind on silly,
trivial things.”
“I do not!”
“I’d like to ask you to join us.” He fixes me with his eyes.
“Join you? You traitor! How can you sell that ugly—yes,ugly but still a family owned—necklace to
some random person, let alone make me join you! She’s right! It’s outrageous!” I exclaim, blood boiling.
He stares at me. “What on earth—”
