All alone

CHAPTER 2 - BEFORE

I kick a small pebble across the street. It skitters over the broken pavement. Bridget is talking to me about something, but I am not paying attention.  "Birdie, are you listening?" says Bridget.

"Huh?" the sound of my name snaps out of the daze.

"Are you listening?" she repeats.

"Uh, yeah. I am. But can you just repeat that last part?" I respond

"Sure, which part?"

"All of it?"

Bridget rolls her eyes. "you're not funny you know." But I can't help but notice her lips curling up.

"I'm truly sorry," I say to satisfy her. "Go on."

She starts talking again. I nod along and smile. "So, I was thinking about what we should do our essay on, and I decided we should it on friendship because we are partners and we're best friends. It will be totally awesome. I already started the first paragraph, and it is so cool you are going to love it." Right. The essay. Me and Bridget were paired to write an essay on anything we think is important. She's excited because we never get to be partners. I don't mind Bridget taking the lead or even picking the topic without my help. Bridget is a much better writer then me and cares about school projects much more than I ever had. I'm not saying I don't do them, because I do. It's just that Bridget seems to think school projects are the most important thing in the world. If she didn't turn something in on time or if she got anything lower than a B, she would actually die. I would just get an extension or do some extra credit work. Seriously this assignment just got handed out yesterday and she probably already has the draft done.

She finishes explaining her complex plan on how to get an A+ on this essay. "How does that sound?" she asks me, eager to hear my response. I haven't really been commenting on anything she's said all day which I guess isn't like me.

"Yep. That sounds good."

"Birdie? Are you ok?" she tilts her head at me. The thing I've always adored about Bridget is that she has the real power to be able to emphasize with people, and that's what she's doing now.

I sigh. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just nervous about leaving, I guess. It's weird. I have always wanted to but now that it's happening, I'm scared." I say as we continue walking down the broken pavement. Bridget half smiles at me.

"It'll be fine. You have 12 months to worry about that stuff. Everything on Zirony will be the same. It's a replica of earth. There is more space there, more resources, it's going to be great." She doesn't mention that after we get to Zirony, and after we go through training, her and her family will set off to find a place to build they're house. I will be staying at the headquarters with my dad. We will be ripped apart. I will probably never see her again. We don't seem to talk about it though. I think it's like an unspoken agreement.

I nod my head "Yeah. You're right."

"it's boiling out here! Let's go get some ice cream." She grabs my hand and we run down the broken old road to the market.

When we get there, the market is bustling with people. People from all over the city are arguing with shopkeepers, bargaining for lower prices. We inch through the tight crowd, making our way to the square where Bridget's oldest brother, Max, is selling ice cream.

We arrive at the booth. Max grins watching us jog close. "Hey girls!"

"Hi max!" Bridget leans over the booth and side hugs her brother.

"Hey, long time no see!" I add on, the sight of him making me regain my smile.

"Hi Birdie!" says a squeaky little voice from behind the counter.

I lean over the booth to see Bridget's little brother Johnny sitting on the floor stuffing his face with Ice cream. "Hi Johnny. What do have there?"

"Chocolate chip flavor!" he responds.

"I didn't know we had chocolate chip." Expresses Bridget in a questioning tone, clearly wanting Max to explain.

"it's a new flavor, I wasn't sure it would taste good so he's helping me out." Explains Max.

"Max lets me be the taste tester!" says Johnny with a mouth full of ice cream. Max and Bridget start talking about school. I roll my eyes. what is it with this family and school. Bored, I open the employees only gate and enter the booth. I'm allowed to, but I catch Max glancing down wanting to say something but knowing he can't. He's only a year and a half older than me and thinks he has so much control. I crouch next to johnny. "Does it taste good?" Johnny's eyes widen as he eagerly nods his head. I chuckle. He Is eating out of a huge ice cream carton that is sitting on his lap and using a wooden spatula to spoon the ice cream into his mouth in big clumps. I grab a spoon and try a bite of the cold, sweet ice cream. It tastes good on my tongue. The fresh ice is reliving after walking around in the blazing hot sun all day.

Bridget and Max are arguing about who makes the best ice cream. "Birdie is it good?" Max asks, pointing to the ice Cream. knowing him and knowing Bridget, he is probably just trying to get out of arguing with her. she is quite stubborn. "I added extra chocolate, and I wasn't sure it would mix well." He adds, trying his best to make sure Bridget doesn't start up again.

she gasps and slaps his arm. "I was talking!"

"Yeah, well I need to work right now."

"that's still no reason to interrupt me!" Bridget cries

Max rolls his eyes. "Is it good Birdie?" he repeats.

I give a thumbs up "best yet." He laughs and starts scooping ice cream for a customer who arrived in front of the booth.

I grab an old white rag and start wiping around Johnny's mouth. "Your mom is going to freak if she finds out you ate all this ice cream." I saw while I dab his little face. I start wiping his hand when I notice red blotches in between his fingers. I frown and continue wiping, trying to smear away the ice cream and closer examine the red. I gasp and stumble away.

"What?" says Johnny "What did I do?" Bridget and Max's attention has now fallen on me. His bottom lip begins to quiver, looking down at his hands. "What?!" he repeats now crying, tears rolling down quickly.

"Red fever," I whisper to myself. I need to calm down, I know how to help.

Max and Bridget's eyes widen simultaneously. "Red fever?" Bridget says in a hushed voice.

My eyes fill with tears as Johnny's cries grow louder. I wrap Johnny's hands with the closest towels and take out my phone. Asking everyone to stay away I call the medics and wash my hands. Bridget falls into a crouch. Her blonde hair falls over face as she sobs into her hands. Max stays still. His face as blank as a white piece of paper.

The medics arrive after what seems like an instant. They are dressed in in white scrubs and look exactly how I imagined them. They grab Johnny by the arms and begin to lift him of the ground, but he resists. He kicks and screams, and flails. He calls for me to help him. then for Bridget and Max, which only makes her sobs harder. He cries for his mother, but his resisting has no impact. The medics drag him into the ambulance, and we are escorted to the hospital.