me.
‘Ali is no talking,’ Ilex says.
‘Do you mean she’s shy in company or that she’s a mute?’
Ilex shoulders tense and he repeats firmly, ‘Ali is no talking.’
‘Okay, okay. I was just asking why not?’ I’m thinking that maybe those stories about the inbreeding between factory workers producing sub-normal children are true. But I notice Ali’s bright eyes flicking between me and Ilex. She’s paying attention.
Ilex struggles for words. ‘I don’t think she likes it here.’
I almost laugh. Does anyone like it here? ‘Do the little kids have to fight too?’
‘All Specials fight,’ Ilex says.
I look at Ali. I can tell by her face she doesn’t enjoy fighting either. She’s got pathetically thin arms and her eyes are massive in her pale face. I don’t think she’s getting enough to eat.
‘I’m not doing any more. I don’t care about their ranking,’ I say.
‘You should think about ranking. If you’re a good-ranker then it’s more good.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Some more foods. And the Reds don’t hit you. You can be a Hon Red and go to their meetings.’ He leans in close to me. ‘They have food there too.’
‘Delightful as that sounds, it seems unlikely that I’m ever going to be a high-ranker – so what’s the point in me fighting?’
‘They hit you if you don’t.’
‘I’m going to get hit if I do.’
Ilex spreads his palms. ‘I fight to not be bottom-ranker. It’s not good to be bottom-ranker. No Special likes you. And they make you do things.’
‘What things?’
‘Things that make trouble with the enforcers. And one time or two time I’m thinking that Specials the Reds don’t like were sent out to the Wilderness.’
There are lots of stories about who gets sent to the Wilderness. Crazies and criminals and even terrorists who are plotting to overthrow the Leadership. There’s probably some truth in those rumours, but I refuse to believe that a bunch of school kids have got the power to have other kids sent into the Wilderness. I’m too tired to even think about it at the moment.
I look around the room. The girl called Dom is on her feet, shouting to the fighters. She’s one of those girls you can’t help looking at.
Ilex follows my gaze. ‘All the boys think she’s crimson.’
She’s got very long legs. Her hair is shiny and her breasts push up against her shirt, but there’s something strange about her torso.
‘I don’t know, she’s a bit of a funny shape. Her belly . . .’
‘She’s got a baby belly.’
‘A what?’ I look again at her rounded abdomen. ‘You don’t mean? She’s not . . . she’s not having a baby, is she?’
Ilex nods and turns back to the fighting. How can he be so casual about something like that? I stare at Dom. I’ve never seen a pregnant teenager before. I thought babies were always born to married parents. I don’t even know anyone who’s had sex. At the Learning Community having sex would have been completely impossible. Firstly, you’d never have found a girl willing to sacrifice everything to do it with you and secondly, as soon as you were found out, that would be your whole life ruined.
Ilex doesn’t even seem to realise how serious this is. Or maybe it’s not so serious here. They do say that Academy kids are wild and reckless. Or perhaps this is another Red thing? One thing is for sure, when the enforcers find out, Dom will be in big trouble.
I’m jolted by a blast on the whistle. The fighters are finished and Rex is holding up the arm of the tall girl with ginger hair and freckles.
‘The winner is our Red, Shannon!’ Rex says.
I look at Rex and the Red girl and then at Dom and I remember what Ilex said about being born a Red. My mouth drops open.
‘Ilex,’ I say, ‘what did you mean when you said you’re born a Red?’
‘When you are a baby they know it. Reds have—’
‘Red hair,’ I finish.
This is crazy. The Academy hierarchy is based on hair colour. It doesn’t
‘Ali is no talking,’ Ilex says.
‘Do you mean she’s shy in company or that she’s a mute?’
Ilex shoulders tense and he repeats firmly, ‘Ali is no talking.’
‘Okay, okay. I was just asking why not?’ I’m thinking that maybe those stories about the inbreeding between factory workers producing sub-normal children are true. But I notice Ali’s bright eyes flicking between me and Ilex. She’s paying attention.
Ilex struggles for words. ‘I don’t think she likes it here.’
I almost laugh. Does anyone like it here? ‘Do the little kids have to fight too?’
‘All Specials fight,’ Ilex says.
I look at Ali. I can tell by her face she doesn’t enjoy fighting either. She’s got pathetically thin arms and her eyes are massive in her pale face. I don’t think she’s getting enough to eat.
‘I’m not doing any more. I don’t care about their ranking,’ I say.
‘You should think about ranking. If you’re a good-ranker then it’s more good.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Some more foods. And the Reds don’t hit you. You can be a Hon Red and go to their meetings.’ He leans in close to me. ‘They have food there too.’
‘Delightful as that sounds, it seems unlikely that I’m ever going to be a high-ranker – so what’s the point in me fighting?’
‘They hit you if you don’t.’
‘I’m going to get hit if I do.’
Ilex spreads his palms. ‘I fight to not be bottom-ranker. It’s not good to be bottom-ranker. No Special likes you. And they make you do things.’
‘What things?’
‘Things that make trouble with the enforcers. And one time or two time I’m thinking that Specials the Reds don’t like were sent out to the Wilderness.’
There are lots of stories about who gets sent to the Wilderness. Crazies and criminals and even terrorists who are plotting to overthrow the Leadership. There’s probably some truth in those rumours, but I refuse to believe that a bunch of school kids have got the power to have other kids sent into the Wilderness. I’m too tired to even think about it at the moment.
I look around the room. The girl called Dom is on her feet, shouting to the fighters. She’s one of those girls you can’t help looking at.
Ilex follows my gaze. ‘All the boys think she’s crimson.’
She’s got very long legs. Her hair is shiny and her breasts push up against her shirt, but there’s something strange about her torso.
‘I don’t know, she’s a bit of a funny shape. Her belly . . .’
‘She’s got a baby belly.’
‘A what?’ I look again at her rounded abdomen. ‘You don’t mean? She’s not . . . she’s not having a baby, is she?’
Ilex nods and turns back to the fighting. How can he be so casual about something like that? I stare at Dom. I’ve never seen a pregnant teenager before. I thought babies were always born to married parents. I don’t even know anyone who’s had sex. At the Learning Community having sex would have been completely impossible. Firstly, you’d never have found a girl willing to sacrifice everything to do it with you and secondly, as soon as you were found out, that would be your whole life ruined.
Ilex doesn’t even seem to realise how serious this is. Or maybe it’s not so serious here. They do say that Academy kids are wild and reckless. Or perhaps this is another Red thing? One thing is for sure, when the enforcers find out, Dom will be in big trouble.
I’m jolted by a blast on the whistle. The fighters are finished and Rex is holding up the arm of the tall girl with ginger hair and freckles.
‘The winner is our Red, Shannon!’ Rex says.
I look at Rex and the Red girl and then at Dom and I remember what Ilex said about being born a Red. My mouth drops open.
‘Ilex,’ I say, ‘what did you mean when you said you’re born a Red?’
‘When you are a baby they know it. Reds have—’
‘Red hair,’ I finish.
This is crazy. The Academy hierarchy is based on hair colour. It doesn’t
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