Sylvie
My phone is ringing for the hundredth time today. I’m reluctant to take it out but there’s no other way to stop the ringtone getting on my nerves. I open my backpack, reach into it and pull out the small, metallic grey mobile. I give a silent sigh as I press the decline button and slip it back into my bag.
It had taken me all of five minutes to leave History after School Class; another half hour was wasted to find this precise alleyway, after all there were at least five of them here. I wasn’t expecting Kenzie to be waiting for me. I know that he’ll be out gliding somewhere, oblivious to ever have been mentioned in the first place. I know who will be in the shadows waiting to set up some excuse.
Somewhere in my thoughts it became clear that the only way to solve this was to make peace the only way I knew how.
Marie and Carly stalked towards me, both of their hands in the pockets of their white duffel coats and I could just make out little tremors cursing through their bodies. I walk towards them, forcing a smile as I go.
‘Where is he then? Did he come down with influenza?’ Their mouths open in surprise, this encourages me to continue. ‘Maybe he’s been burnt hmm? What do you know?’
‘He sent us here to tell you that he’s been detained by the Ministry.’ Marie says. ‘He sends his apologies but you won’t be seeing him for a week.’
‘What’s he done?’
‘Nothing for you to worry about. I’m sure you’ll find it hilarious when he tells you himself.’
‘Whatever.’ Carly gives me a gentle shove.
‘I know you’re struggling to come to terms with your mum and all but that’s no excuse to treat everybody else like dirt.’ A cackle explodes from Roxy who places her hands on both of my shoulders. I could smell the light fragrance of her tropical smoothie shampoo that she used; she’d given me the exact same bottle for Christmas.
‘I think she’s got a good reason to treat you like trash.’ She says brazenly. ‘You say you’re sorry for letting the cat out of the bag about Jennifer’s illness but are you?’ Carly’s shoulders tense, her eyes squinting.
‘This has got nothing to do with you.’
‘Oh it does. You see, I’m her best friend. I have a duty to protect and kick inconsiderate arses like yourselves.’
‘Best Friend? Pfftt! You forgot her birthday! We’ve never missed one.’ Marie nods.
‘Yes, as we recall you’ve missed every single one of them.’ Her tongue darts about her lips and smiles smugly and I know what’s coming. I beg silently in my head that I’m wrong but all hope fades as she opens her mouth.
‘How’s Rob lately?’ Marie’s eyes narrow with suspicion but her smile grows wider but it doesn’t touch her eyes.
‘He’s fine; we’re celebrating our anniversary tomorrow. What’s Rob getting brought into this for anyway? It’s you were talking about.’
‘Ah sweet.’ Roxy shrugs her shoulders and stretches her hands out in front of her. ‘Still, nothing lasts forever does it?’
‘Shouldn’t you be with Jimbo in some secluded spot?’ She snaps which makes Roxy’s grin ten times the size of a normal one. ‘That’s what girls like you do right?’
‘What are you? Jealous?’
‘Of you?’ Marie throws her head back and laughs bitterly. ‘Oh my! You really love yourself don’t you? I guess somebody has to though.’
‘Enough!’ I yell which silences them. ‘I came here to reason but if this is how you’re going to act then you can just forget it.’ Carly turns to Marie.
‘Marie keep your mouth shut.’ I turn to Roxy who is glowering at Marie.
‘And you too. This might take some time.’ Her wide green eyes fly towards the ground, her lips upturned into a childish pout. ‘I have a proposition for you. You take it; the whole thing that happened will be forgotten. If not, then you can forget about us being friends.’
‘Ok. What is it?’
‘Stop trying to pair me up with Kenzie.’
‘That’s just madness!’ Shouts Marie. ‘He’s smitten with you.’
‘You could be right but I want to hear it from him not second hand.’
‘He can’t talk to you Sylvie.’
‘Really? He did absolutely fine that time we went gliding.’ They both swap nervous glances, I feel Roxy’s left arm poke me just beneath my ribcage. Usually I would nudge her back and we’d fall into a laughing fit but that wouldn’t happen today.
They don’t know Kenzie at all. If they had, they would have seen that he didn’t care about me. I had spotted him and Roxy together during a break at Valek’s Canyon. He had his arms wrapped around her slim waist; her hands were running through his hair slowly and then her lips moved towards his and soon they were kissing like there was no tomorrow.
I shouldn’t feel so bad about it I mean; I’d shrugged him off enough times emotionally. It was just hard to accept that the girl who I’d grown up with had broken the vow of friendship loyalty. The promise of not going with each other’s boyfriends or boys that we had our eye on.
It could have been anyone. Anyone else would have been fine. Karma was funny like that.
‘That’s the deal.’ I tell them as I flick a strand of hair out of my face. ‘Do we have one or not?’
‘Totally.’ Carly says forcing a smile. ‘If that’s what you want we’ll respect that.’
‘You mean it?’ She places a hand over her heart and draws a cross over her with the other.
‘I swear.’ I catch a glimpse of a shadow moving behind her. As it comes further into view I realise it is her, Twink. The new girl that had been in our class for no longer than a few hours before being moved to another part of the school. Nobody knew where this was or that it even existed. The bitter breeze forces her long, tousled red hair upwards, towards the heavens and tumbles down over her small shoulders. Her cheeks are a pale white and matches her lips. ‘Is that the new girl?’
‘I think so I mean, didn’t she have shoulder length black hair before?’
‘Perhaps she’s a Wigger. Do you think there’s anything wrong with her?’
‘I’m not sure.’ She begins to pace the earth with grace and then suddenly kneels, her arms outstretched like a cat, her head touching her knees. ‘Her pupils are black and white too.’
‘Is that even possible? I don’t like this. What do we do?’
‘Maybe we should go.’ Marie suggests as she holds out her hand. Carly places her left in hers as she stands up. ‘Good idea.’ We turn to leave but a bright light stuns us from behind. I turn and stare open mouthed. Her head has lifted from the ground, the blinding yellow light which comes from both of her nostrils tasting like burnt copper in my mouth as I breathe, her pupils were now filling with luminous lilac, and dark red replaced the white on her cheeks and lips.
‘That’s not normal.’
‘On this occasion I agree with you.’ A small but wicked smile creeps onto her face; the clouds above us hide the sun, a vast bolt of ice lightning shocks us to scream and soon hundreds of birds fell to her feet. ‘Can we go now?’ Carly asks, alarm rising in her voice. ‘She’s going to kill us!’
‘Let her try it!’ Roxy screams in her direction. Twink doesn’t respond. She just stands there, staring at the pile of animals as if she’s amazed at what she has just managed to do.
‘Go ahead and defeat her. It’ll be worth a laugh.’
‘She’s gone.’ I told them. I witness her vanish before my eyes and yet I wonder if I had been seeing things. A teenager that fades by herself? How ludicrous! Yet that’s what had happened.
‘How’d she manage that without us seeing her?’ My phone begins to ring; I roll my eyes as I take off my rucksack and open it once more. Maybe it’s time I spoke to her after all. I press the green button and listen hard. ‘Les?’ I listen to what my stepdad has to say. I feel my heartbeat quicken, my eyes widen and soon my fingers are numb.
‘Sylv?’
‘Sylvie?’ Roxy prompts as she shakes my right shoulder. I turn to her.
‘Sorry.’ I place it back into my bag, fasten it and throw the straps onto my shoulders. ‘I have to go.’ I scurry to my water ski, place my foot onto full throttle and speed off without looking back.
