<<>>
"Hey mom, can Nik and I come to the market today?" I asked, tapping her on the back to get her attention.
"Mom," I asked again. It was my ninth birthday, and there was a lot going on. It had started to flurry outside, making the trip to the market a lot more treacherous than normal in our usually snow-free city.
I liked to believe it was snowing just for me.
"Mom, mom! Can we come?"
My mother looked over, still preoccupied and trying to put on her gloves and find her keys at the same time.
"No sweetie, it's too busy, and it's cold out. Have you seen my other glove Alexandra? You didn't take it, did you? I swear I put it here next to the other one just last week..."
I rolled my eyes at my mom, something my best friend Kait had taught me to do at school the other day. It was fun, rolling our eyes at all the teachers and all the mean kids instead of calling them dumb, which would get us into trouble.
"But mom, you let us come last year! I'll stay with you, I promise! And Nik can stay home if you're worried about it!"
My mom wasn't interested in my once in a lifetime type of offer. She'd found her glove, and was now pulling on her boots. "No, Alexandra, I already told you that. I know you came last year, but things have changed."
Things have changed? What the heck was that supposed to mean?
<<>>
"Alexis? Are you in here?" I looked over the side of my bed to see Nora walking in, dragging Jeffry along with her.
I smiled over at them, glad that the three of them had each other like I had - like I have - Shaquib and Sophie. "What's up?"
Nora walked over and sat on the edge of my bed, making me nervous. It either looked like we were either about to have a serious talk or she was going to admit something horrible she or Jeffry had done that I would have to somehow clean up.
Not those stupid teenage problems though, I was more worried that Nora had been reckless and got caught stealing something important or Max was lost, which would explain why he wasn't here with the rest of his trio.
"Alex," she started, and I gulped. Was I being intimidated by a 16 year old? "Why didn't you go with Shaquib and the rest of them? It wasn't because you felt responsible of us, right?" Nora looked guilty, and I immediately felt bad.
"No," I answered genuinely, "It's just, this city has sentimental value for me and..." I trailed off and Jeffry, being the sweet and surprisingly un-annoying 10 year old he was, came and gave me a hug.
Nora smiled in relief. "You're sure?" she double checked. The smile disappeared off her face after a second and she frowned. "Alexandra Rose Elizabeth Koung! You did not just ditch your two best friends in the whole wide world that you've known for years because of a so-called 'sentimental city!' I've seen the way -" Nora cut off as Max walked in and I was more than a little relieved to see that he wasn't lost and alone in the big wide world somewhere "- I've seen the way you look at these people, and let me tell you, it's not a loving look. You hate these people! The city itself is just mean people and rocks, let's be real!"
I laughed at her rant. It wasn't really the city that was sentimental to me, it was the good people that had lived here before the whole place went bad.
"Oh," Nora added, "Jeffry, uh... Today well, Jeffry..."
I looked at her strangely.
"I got caught trying to steal a necklace from a booth in the desired's part of town," he blurted.
