truth in time, before they did something to Duncan.
And wasn’t that a clever trick, I thought, deceiving me into
thinking they were my friends and protectors. Classic, textbook
deception. The Reds had even let me phone my dad the day that they
had found me in the veldt. I had walked around campus with a sense
of safety, with the Reds following me, meanwhile they had been
spying on me. They had me captured, in a free sense.
Duncan didn’t
stand a chance against the lot of them; they were a team of stars
and red dwarfs. And they had been trained. And Duncan was probably
just a regular human or a weak planet.
I would
probably get over the deception of the Reds over time, I hadn’t
known them for long enough, except for maybe Benjamin. But I was
really hurt by Lisa. And really, really hurt by Alex. How could he?
How on earth could he?
A war between
anger and sadness brewed in me. I wanted to scream and cry at the
same time. I wanted to know how they could do this to me and keep
up the pretences so perfectly. But I had to keep it together, for
Duncan’s sake.
“Valerie? You
there? Hello?” Lisa asked. “I told you about Alex, didn’t I?”
I had to keep
up the pretence in front of her as well. Luckily I still had her
take-away in my hand. It gave me something sane to say.
“Oh, yeah. I
remember now. But here, I brought you dinner. Excuse me please, I
have stacks of studying to do. There’s a big botany test coming up.
By the way, I made you copies of my notes. I’ll bring them over if
you want?” I tried to hide the emotion I felt behind normal
stuff.
“Don’t worry
about it now. I’ll get them from you later. I’m going to try to
sleep again. The Reds promised to keep in contact. They’ll let me
know immediately if they find out anything.”
“Okay, see you
later then,” I added for the sake of appearances.
“Wait, what did
you want to tell me about this Duncan?” she asked.
“Uhh. It’s not
important now, you don’t know him. Don’t worry about it. Sorry I
woke you.” I didn’t wait for her answer and rushed out.
As soon as I
was outside, I flew across to Jennifer. Ronald probably knew where
Duncan was, and Jennifer would know how to contact Ronald. If I
could get to Ronald, I would be going in the right direction. I
knocked on Jennifer’s door and tried to enter, but it was
locked.
“Go away,” she
yelled.
Out of all
the times to throw a tantrum , I thought.
“Jennifer, it’s
me, Valerie. Please open the door?”
I didn’t want
to sound too urgent as Lisa’s door was just down the hallway.
“I don’t want
to see you,” she replied.
“Jennifer,
please. I need to talk to you about something. Please open the
door,” I begged.
“No!”
“Jennifer, open
this door. If you are my friend and still want to be my friend
after today, open this door. Right now,” I threatened. I was
desperate and in a hurry.
There was
silence for a moment, then I heard the click of the lock and the
door opened.
“It better not
be about boys,” she warned. She had also been crying, her eyes were
still wet.
“What are you
mad at me for? I didn’t do anything to you! Or are you jealous?” I
asked her straight-out.
“Out!” she
screamed.
“Oh, calm down,
would you? I’ll go. But please help me out first. It’s a matter of
life or death,” I pleaded, friendlier towards the end. I had to
concentrate to stay calm.
“What do you
want?” she asked.
I couldn’t tell
her that I thought Duncan was in danger, because she wouldn’t help
me. So I made a little thingy up.
“I want
Ronald’s number. Do you have it?” I asked, pretending to be
hopeful.
“A matter of
life or death?” she asked with raised eyebrows.
“Okay, not life
or death, but your friend’s heart?” I played her in her own
language.
“I’ll take a
look, I think I still have it,” she said, and pressed a few buttons
on her phone.
She gave me the
number and then sat down on her desk. “I’m not mad at you,
And wasn’t that a clever trick, I thought, deceiving me into
thinking they were my friends and protectors. Classic, textbook
deception. The Reds had even let me phone my dad the day that they
had found me in the veldt. I had walked around campus with a sense
of safety, with the Reds following me, meanwhile they had been
spying on me. They had me captured, in a free sense.
Duncan didn’t
stand a chance against the lot of them; they were a team of stars
and red dwarfs. And they had been trained. And Duncan was probably
just a regular human or a weak planet.
I would
probably get over the deception of the Reds over time, I hadn’t
known them for long enough, except for maybe Benjamin. But I was
really hurt by Lisa. And really, really hurt by Alex. How could he?
How on earth could he?
A war between
anger and sadness brewed in me. I wanted to scream and cry at the
same time. I wanted to know how they could do this to me and keep
up the pretences so perfectly. But I had to keep it together, for
Duncan’s sake.
“Valerie? You
there? Hello?” Lisa asked. “I told you about Alex, didn’t I?”
I had to keep
up the pretence in front of her as well. Luckily I still had her
take-away in my hand. It gave me something sane to say.
“Oh, yeah. I
remember now. But here, I brought you dinner. Excuse me please, I
have stacks of studying to do. There’s a big botany test coming up.
By the way, I made you copies of my notes. I’ll bring them over if
you want?” I tried to hide the emotion I felt behind normal
stuff.
“Don’t worry
about it now. I’ll get them from you later. I’m going to try to
sleep again. The Reds promised to keep in contact. They’ll let me
know immediately if they find out anything.”
“Okay, see you
later then,” I added for the sake of appearances.
“Wait, what did
you want to tell me about this Duncan?” she asked.
“Uhh. It’s not
important now, you don’t know him. Don’t worry about it. Sorry I
woke you.” I didn’t wait for her answer and rushed out.
As soon as I
was outside, I flew across to Jennifer. Ronald probably knew where
Duncan was, and Jennifer would know how to contact Ronald. If I
could get to Ronald, I would be going in the right direction. I
knocked on Jennifer’s door and tried to enter, but it was
locked.
“Go away,” she
yelled.
Out of all
the times to throw a tantrum , I thought.
“Jennifer, it’s
me, Valerie. Please open the door?”
I didn’t want
to sound too urgent as Lisa’s door was just down the hallway.
“I don’t want
to see you,” she replied.
“Jennifer,
please. I need to talk to you about something. Please open the
door,” I begged.
“No!”
“Jennifer, open
this door. If you are my friend and still want to be my friend
after today, open this door. Right now,” I threatened. I was
desperate and in a hurry.
There was
silence for a moment, then I heard the click of the lock and the
door opened.
“It better not
be about boys,” she warned. She had also been crying, her eyes were
still wet.
“What are you
mad at me for? I didn’t do anything to you! Or are you jealous?” I
asked her straight-out.
“Out!” she
screamed.
“Oh, calm down,
would you? I’ll go. But please help me out first. It’s a matter of
life or death,” I pleaded, friendlier towards the end. I had to
concentrate to stay calm.
“What do you
want?” she asked.
I couldn’t tell
her that I thought Duncan was in danger, because she wouldn’t help
me. So I made a little thingy up.
“I want
Ronald’s number. Do you have it?” I asked, pretending to be
hopeful.
“A matter of
life or death?” she asked with raised eyebrows.
“Okay, not life
or death, but your friend’s heart?” I played her in her own
language.
“I’ll take a
look, I think I still have it,” she said, and pressed a few buttons
on her phone.
She gave me the
number and then sat down on her desk. “I’m not mad at you,
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