Enemies Closer

Have you ever had that feeling that something bad is going to happen soon? I'm not talking about that feeling you get when you go to class knowing you're about to fail a test - no, that's not the right feeling at all. I'm talking about that shiver in your spine or that cringe in your stomach that makes you want your favorite stuffed animal by your side and a day laying safe under your bedsheets.

Have you felt it? That feeling?

I've been having those feelings a lot lately. There's a prickly sensation on the nape of my neck, and most nights I jerk awake with the smell of sweat thick in the air. I think it's one of the worst feelings in the world, especially with everything being the way it is in the world.

Last night on the radio, they were talking about the bombings in London. They debated whether the bombs were planted by the new radical group, Thirteen Men, or by disgruntled civilians who had just stopped caring. My sister Heather wanted me to change the station, but I couldn't stop listening as disaster after disaster was listed. She eventually got so annoyed with me that she changed the station herself. But even as pop music filled our tiny bedroom, the sounds of gunfire still rang through my head.

What is silly, I think, is that President Lynchard and the bunch of fools who support him in Congress are still claiming that there's not a problem. They insist that we go along with our daily lives and ignore the chaos that is slowly consuming the eastern hemisphere. I guess that as long as China is still strong, we won't have too much of a problem; but still, I don't think we should ignore it like we have been.

I mean, I just have those bad feelings... I'd rather not think so, but something is going to happen soon. And that something isn't going to be all too good.

And whatever that "something" is... well, I can bet you we aren't going to be prepared for it.


"Miss Harlow, can you please explain to me why you're here in my office? Once again?"

Vice Principal Masters stares at me over the rim of her glasses, and I meet her stare dead-on. I'm not easily intimidated, but boy, does Masters scare me sometimes. I'd probably be right to think, though, that in another life, Masters was my mother or something because she and I are so much alike. We're both very I'm-not-taking-this-crap kind of people.

"Mr. Johnson is a lonely old man who likes to punish his students for their happiness," I tell her.

Masters snorts. "Maris Harlow. I highly doubt Mr. Johnson sent your here just because you were smiling. In fact, I have strong reason to believe he sent you here for the reason you were smiling."

"With all due respect, ma'am, Kenny really did deserve it."

"Punching someone is still against the rules. It doesn't matter how much that person deserved being hit. And while I believe you when you say Mr. Cage deserved it, you're still going to detention after school."

Masters has that no-nonsense look on her face, so I swallow my pride, along with my instinct to fling back some sassy remark. Instead, I nod. "Yes ma'am."

She smiles in a pleased way and waves her hands towards the door. "Off with you, now. I don't want to hear anymore about you unless it's good."

"Yes ma'am," I say dryly, "I'll be a bit more discreet with my wrong-doings in the future." I stand up and leave the office. As I close the door, I can hear the Masters chuckling.

Ms. Lewis, the secretary, nods at me as I leave the main office. She's busy with paperwork, so I grab a mint off the candy tray this is specifically reserved for visitors to the school. I pop it into my mouth just as Simon Blackwell bursts into the room.

"Maris, dear!" He smiles and slaps my back. "What in the world are you doing here?"

Ms. Lewis looks up and glares at Simon. He sticks his tongue out at her before guiding me into the hallway.

"I was looking everywhere for you," he informs me, "and I just thought that you just might be in Slave Master's office. Just a hunch, of course, but -"

"Simon, please shut-up."

He grins. "Now that's not nice, dear. I am your bestest friend after all. Anyway, did you really punch Kenny? Lily said that you had knocked his teeth out, but I thought that was a bit exaggerated, even for you. You're a tigress, but you're by no means the female version of Chuck Norris."

I shrug his arm off my shoulders, annoyed with him already. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, so Lily was right then?" He rubs his hands together. "Excellent."

"Whatever, Simon." I walk faster to get away from him, which makes him laugh. I turn around to flip him off, but suddenly I'm tumbling to the ground as the library door swings open and knocks me in the head.

Oh, I'm about to kill someone.