Whatever-Luna Fictions

"And that was how the deal came into fruition," said the old man, slowly and deliberately.

He felt lighter. In fact, it was lighter than he was ever before, and he was not quite sure why. But in a sense it felt definitely peculiar, the way thick fogs around him kept everything blur to his eyes until all he saw was complete white structureless walls. He was not certain if he was even breathing, or if there was even air. It felt light.


Everything.


His lungs were at ease. He did not hear his heart throbs, though it was pin drop silence that he should actually be able to. It was as if he had flew in a tunnel, was blown; or rather sucked by a giant vacuum to the end of the tunnel that had not still come visible. Too much easiness did not make him feel a bit comfortable at all, in fact it freaked him out to death. Death?


"What is this place,"
"This is where you belong, now."
"But I don't even know this place. And who are you, what is this place?"

There was no reply.

"Please, I need to see my daughter..are you a doctor? Who sent me here, did he send my daughter too? My daughter's not fine but I am, she's hurt, listen to me!"
"I don't think I need to, but I think you must come with me."
"What-what do you mean-"
"Oh don't you get it Mr Henders. Your time is up. What's done is done; and you are now on your own. You have lived life and it's time to return home."

Alex tilted his head to see where he was standing. What he thought should be in a hospital wasn't there. There were no nurses, no beds, no windows, no exit doors, no nothing. And the man he was talking to was the only one there. A classy suit that fits him in don't even relate him to a group of paramedic; even. How could I not notice that! He asked himself.

"You know, I'm not talking to you anymore-why am I even talking to you?! When I wake up I'm going to laugh at this foolish dream and meet my daughter."
"If you are, Mr. Henders-"
"GET OFF! And I know just what I'm going through, I passed out and that's it! When I'm back I'll run to see my daughter!"
"You would?"
"I told you I'm not talking to you any longer!"

While his senses started to fail Alex, the man in front of him laughed, seeming to enjoy the drama.

"Then why are you still talking to me?"

He pretended not to hear him laugh. He thought he'd better get started to walk but nothing seemed to move around him. It's as if time itself is not ticking anymore. He grew more and more tired and soon, he fell on the mists of thirst. When he opened his eyes, he saw the face again.

"Did you find what you're looking for?"
"S...top, m-mock..ing me. You, you...are nothing. You hear me..? N-nothing."
"I pity you. You don't understand a thing but you think you do."
"Shush. Shushhhh..!"
"What were you looking for?"
"-ARE. Told you it's my daughter. Why...are you still around? Are you an alien or something? I told you to get away, didn't you hear me?"
"Haha, you make great jokes Mr. Henderson! Have you found her anyway?"
"No. And I'm not joking. You'll stop that at once...or I'll do something to make you."

The man turned around and walked away from him. Alex felt helpless though his hatred towards the man had grown even greater than his helplessness.

"Hey...hey, wait! Can you...can you help me?"
"You are nobody to ask me for assistance. I don't serve you."

If Alex was a child, he would-at this time-be one that we'd call stubborn little one, oddly courageous and who knows if it was at a wrong time. But he couldn't care less. What mattered was to get to his dear girl.

"-everything around me don't seem to move at all. I'm sorry I was being rude-but you know, this feels quite weird for a dream... I'm really confused, I should be awake by now. I don't know for how long I have been-"
"Sleeping?" The other snapped in. "Oh no you're not, you're not sleeping fellow. Look around you."

And he smiled, clutching Alex's collar and forcing him up. I'll lend you a hand, he said; but his 'helping hand' was too harsh for Alex that he felt as if it was a murder attempt instead; as if he was strangled instead of helped up. But again, it didn't hurt. Nothing did, other than his awful thirst.

"Oh, did I make you choke?"

Alex was silent, balancing himself as if he was a newborn. It was not long before he started to moan.

"No, no, no...how did I-my daughter, and my wife, I want to see them, please!"
"And why do you think you deserve a chance? What made you think that you can even ask for one? Foolish!"

Then his voice grew thunderous. Alex was struck panic, he feared nothing as much as he had then. Struggling to believe that it was all a very bad dream, he begged for mercy.

"Please...I...I thought I could see her so I can tell her something very important..I missed it, but I think I deserve a chance...Please, you must've been along, you must've seen me! I taught her good things, and-and-I did treat my family well-my friends, my,my...everyone around me! I deserve another chance,just one more, please!"
"You should have done what you didn't, Mr. Henders. You thought you did and that's why you're nothing more than all the other fools! Now watch yourself perish with the ashes and weep for your sins!"

"Malin, can you get the basket on the table for me?" asked Alex to his beautiful daughter.

"No problem daddy!" the cute 6 year-old replied with a beaming smile.

He could have done it himself, but asking her to do it instilled the sense of independence in her, and for some reason, he felt that she was going to need it. He didn't want his only daughter to end up a spoiled brat like most well-to-do only children that he knows, he thought as he climbed into the big SsangYong Rexton.

"What do you think you're doing?" Marlia's voice penetrating his pool of thought. "Why did you ask Malin to carry the basket? Why did we hire Mak Eton if we're just going to subject Malin to child labour?" the suppressed fury evident in the soft but angry tone in her voice.

Mak Eton carried both Malin and the aforementioned basket into the backseat of the MPV and buckled the child's seat belt, tugging at it twice to make sure that it was securely fastened. With a kiss on the cheek, Mak Eton closed the door and waved goodbye to the seemingly happy family that was off for a picnic in the park.

Alex didn't get to spend much time with his family as the firm took up most (if not all) of his time. Unlike other jobs, his didn't allow a whole weeks' holiday as the firm he was working in, although highly successful, was relatively a small one in size. There were only 4 lawyers on it, and him being the youngest of them all, took up most of the petty cases that turn up, which were quite a bit. It was even hard to locate a free weekend on his packed schedule. So on rare occasions like this, when cases weren't flying in, were times that he wanted to spend with his family. Scratch that, with his daughter, Malin.

Malin seemed to change every time Alex looked at her, more and more beautiful every time he laid his eyes on her. Oh, how quickly children grow up, he thought to himself as he glimpsed at his offspring through the rear-view mirror and broke a smile only a proud father could give.

"So how's kindie Malin?" Alex asked as he kept his eyes on his daughter's through the mirror which at the moment, serves the sole purpose of connecting a father's eyes to his daughter's.

"Huh?" Malin looked up from her observations of the road in front.

This brought a slight chuckle to Alex's throat. He started again. "I said, how.."

"HEEYYY! TRUCK!!" Marlia's shriek cut his question short.

Alex finally took his eyes off the mirror and glanced to his right and sure enough, right on his right hand side a truck was coming at a considerable speed towards his side of the MPV.

He woke up after a considerable amount of time, about twenty feet away from the accident site on the lawn of somebody's home.

The Rexton was a wreck. It seemed that the whole of the driver's seat and part of the car's bonnet had been completely crushed. Gas and smoke filled the air, that pungent smell so associated with a busted engine and the smell of burnt tyres filled the noses of the onlookers.

However, by some miracle, the passenger's seat was still intact, and the door was open. Marlia was crying and wailing for help as she pulled out Malin, dear Malin from the back of the car. He saw a cut above her left eyebrow and upon seeing it, his legs burst into action.

"Easy there big fella!" an old man in a black suit blocked his path. Alex stopped right in time to avoid a second collision.

"Get out of the way! My daughter's hurt!" shouted Alex without giving the old man a second look.

"Oh, your daughter's hurt? How about you? You've just been in an accident. Are you okay?" asked the man calmly, hands clasped in front of himself.

"Of course I'm fine!" and upon saying these words, he realised it. Fine? How can he be fine? He felt himself, his face, arms, body. No blood. No scars. No cuts, no wounds, no bruises, no anything. Crap.

And with the obvious horror that was shone from Alex's face, the man in the suit snapped his fingers, and poof, they were in a room of infinite whiteness.

It happened then and there, Malin could feel the heat and vapour from the ground she was standing on. Right across, she could see two figures facing each other-one of whom she is much familiar of and another not.

On count of three a hysterical shriek shrunk her heart. Everything around her burned and turned into charcoal-coloured crumples, fast enough it turned into ashes that flew into her eyes and stung her nose, a fume of burning lead. Malin pinched her arm hard, and as it redden, her face turned crimson too. And she found it impossible to believe that she was there. Again came the voice, this time as if the owner of the voice meant to tug the beating flesh out of her throat.

"Malin!!!!!"

The girl sprawled in shock, shaking way beyond control, sweating.

"Ma..."

"Leave me alone!" She screamed to herself and the tiny frame rose and tumbled again and again in desperate attempts.

She threw her foot to the farthest end of her bed, forcing herself up. Falling on her knees, she finally got herself off the bed and sprang to the door at once. The figure she saw in her dream seemed to come out and was then chasing her from behind, somewhere she could not see. But all she knew was that, she needed to run.

Then the shriek vanished and what's left was only her mother calling out to her from down the great mahogany stairs.

"I'm coming!" She choked the words.

"What's with you?!"

The was no answer. Marlia stood an air of total power, as if she was Athena and the little girl in front her was Medusa about to be cursed to the doom of her life. Malin stopped just before her, suffocating and pretending not to be.

"I, I think I had the worst nightmare..Mum,can I.."

Marlia looked down at her. Upon seeing, something stabbed whatever bad impressions she had for the child, dead.

"Oh dear," She heard herself hushed as the child wrung her waist and shed warm tears on her gown. Words failed her and a simultaneous weird feelings took control of her mind. She fought it for hours only to realise that she was fighting with the voice within her. Soon after, the feelings resolved and she found herself sending the child upstairs to bed and kissing her on the forehead.

"Mum..?"

"Yes,"

"I remember you have something to say to me,"

"I do? Did I say so?" The woman looked away to the tiny table beside her and reached for the switch. Click. She intended to forget it.

"Yes you said so,"

"Well now I say I don't. Nothing. I want you to sleep." She smiled. Malin replied with a stare.

"Mum wait-I'm sorry for everything,"

"For what?"

"I had a really bad dream. I'm scared. I must have wronged you, can you forgive me?"

"What did you dream of Malin?"

"I saw...I saw a terrible place. I don't know what it is or how I should describe it but it's really scary. I must have wronged you that I had such a dream," the child begged.

Marlia laid her gaze across the room. She knew at once. And left the child murmuring into wonderland. Or worse, somewhere else where she shouldn't be.

The next day greeted everyone on Earth with a beautiful eye of heaven shimmering high up upon the skies, and everyone buzzed off-office,school and yes of course-school for Malin too. Classes went on with usual teachers stepping in and out the classroom door, the boys sitting behind her jerking and throwing paper planes at one another, a young relief teacher coming in replacing her favourite Maths teacher (which she liked least) and the bell rang at noon.

She marched out of the school gate towards her usual waiting spot-the bus stop, and found herself sitting up straight against the air to lean on. She waited. And waited. First ten minutes passed not embraced, then another five minutes added to the bore. Only then did she realise how different life would turn out to be without her bestest pal around. But why isn't he around anyway? She asked a white kitty by her feet. It's fur wasn't really white the way it's supposed to be. The ashes and all, being on its own laying it's pad on the road everyday for a journey none knows when and just where it would end.

Finally a red BMW stopped in front of her. She was too busy counting the number of blue cars that cruised the road-she thought of beating Alex again on the challenge should he turn up at any second-that her mother had to honk.

Her little steps were quick ones towards the ride. Beautiful, she was. Her mother saw, and whispered a silent wish. Her most important wish. What does the child know,she said to herself in dying words. She regretted treating the child the way she had. But it often occurred that she had this anonymous fighting within her with words as sharp as razors. Even sharper, playing with the fact that should be long forgotten. The sins, unforgiven ones that chased her with every pace she made. Thud.

"Hi mum,"

"Hey,how's school?" She forced a smile.

"We had a pop quiz during Maths period 'cause the teacher's absent,"

"Flu, I guess?"

And they both laughed.

"Well..was it fun?"

"The quiz was, but today's not as always,"

"Why?"

" 'cause usually Alex will be waiting for me after school to play games or ask me riddles but today he's not around too. Just like the teacher. Is it that he caught flu too, mum?"

Marlia fell silent. Then she remembered of something she had been pondering about lately. That struck her with insomnia for nights.

"Who's this Alex?"

Malin seemed not to hear her. She had definitely forgotten the plead she had with the poor friend. She couldn't even notice that she had forgotten, way off she was, too excited to tell her mother about her bore of the day-hoping that her mother would have at least an offer for a treat.

"Mum, can you take me to the park? She dared herself to ask. "I can't remember the last time we went to the park together. We can play around and jump together and-"

For a second Marlia became deaf, or it was the world that was mute. The earth stopped moving for her,the way the tyres of the car were.

"No." Went her stern reply. "How can you forget the day. I can't. Still." She said as she turned to the child beside her who had now returned to reality from a long skip of it.

Hands placed carefully on laps, Malin looked up towards her mother. "Why can't we..?"

"Because that was the last time we went to the park with your father."

But that grin didn't last long.

Suddenly, a thick smoke seemed to come out of the ground just five feet from where the legs of his tiny chair met the ground. He quickly kicked himself off of the stool he was resting on, causing the stool to fall backwards.

When the clatter of the wooden chair subsided, a tall figure had already formed where the smoke had formulated. It was a slim figure with graying hair, wearing a well-tailored black Armani suit with a white shirt and red tie, the suit cut to perfection to the body which was wearing it. Now it was the man in the suit's turn to grin while Alex had put on a face of anger more than terror.

"What do you want?" blasted Alex in a controlled volume while turning away from the grinning gentleman.

"A good evening to you too Mr Henders," said the man in the suit calmly while bowing slightly, almost to mock the person in front of him.

"Whatever you have to say, I don't want to hear it!" said Alex, almost shouting and awaking the neighbouring dogs sleeping near the trash cans surrounding them.

"Well, whether you want to hear it or not, that's not in my control. However, you know that I came here for a reason, and I trust that you also know what that reason is. With all the reminders I've been sending you and all, it should be clear," said the suit-man with a lowered voice either to let the sleeping dogs lie or just for the dramatic effect, he really can't decide.

"Reminders? What reminders??" said Alex now looking into the man's deep-set eyes. They were burning, not literally, but still, they were burning.

The middle-aged man's face suddenly changed into one of mild, deliberate confusion. "Come on, don't tell me you didn't notice the people on the street that have been able to see you? And when you stubbed your toe on a rock near Malin's house. Reminders, Mr Henders," said the man with eyebrows and a finger raised.

"Yeah! I've been meaning to ask you about that. What does it mean? You said I would stay invisible and invincible!" exclaimed Alex to the point of waking the dog nearest to them. It raised it's head, saw nothing and went back to sleep. Alex could still feel the blood in his shoes.

"I told you Mr. Henders, they're reminders. To remind you that your time is almost up," said the man with a straight face.

"What???" now Alex didn't care who or what he was waking now. "I thought these deals last 10 years!!!??"

The man in the suit noticed five dogs awakened by Alex's exclamations and with a sigh, he snapped his fingers. They were poofed to another place. A place that was barren and just all white, except for a black table and two black chairs on opposite sides of the table. They stood behind each chair.

Alex had been there before, not too long ago. And sure enough, there was that thick set of papers on the table, just like before.

"You really must read the fine print Mr Henders. Don't they teach you that in law-school?" said the man with a sigh and motioned Alex to his chair.

Once Alex had reluctantly taken up the offer, the man joined him opposite the table. "Usually, it would be 10 years, but the circumstances that you requested unfortunately decreased your time in the world. First of all, you asked to be in a child. Do you know how hard it is to find a healthy looking seven-year-old in hell? I can assure you that it's no needle in a haystack, Mr Henders, it's much harder. That took 5 years off of you. Then for the invisible to everyone but one person clause took 2 years while the invincible clause took 2 (since so many souls have requested it before). They're all stated here, here and here," said the man pointing to pages 228, 376 and 444 in the document.

Alex immediately regretted the deal he sealed and the hasty decision he made when he signed that paper on page 1.

"But I need more time with my daughter!" said Alex desperately, involuntarily banging at the table. His eyes began to water as he tried to push away the memory of the tragedy that took Alex Henders away from his daughter, Malin.

"Come here Malin,you're not having fever,are you?"

Malin jerked away, not fast enough for Mak Eton's reach on her forehead. She made every quick body gestures possible to portray an instant denial.

"That's my girl..I'll make you a nice glass of winter melon drink right after this,would you like that?"

"Uhuh!" Malin nodded like a choking old machine.

"But not until you finish your meal. Now eat up," Her smile followed her tender words,ever so soothing it always is Malin's cure of pain.

"Malin dear,how have you been doing at school?"

"Hmm?"

"Unnecessary repeat,you heard me...how do you find school?" Mak Eton pinched the girl lightly on her nose.

"Um,it's fun," said the girl,giggling.

"Really? I'm happy to hear that,well have you made lots of friends there? They're all lovely aren't they?"

"They're lovely,they all are,"

Malin stopped chewing. A sudden change on her face caught Mak Eton's attention.

"Listen to me my dear,I want you to grow up a graceful young lady. And I want you to be brave too,you know that?"

Mak Eton embraced the child into her arms.

"I know you love school,don't you?"

"I love school!" The child snapped in.

"Well that's good,that's good," Mak Eton nodded in pure expressions of satisfaction.

Malin's words died away for the second time. A slight unclear sign of disappointment.

"Malin..." Mak Eton held her tight. "You'll see one day,that I'm telling you the truth. You'll grow up good,and you'll find friends all around you. Be good to everyone around you,it matters not if they treat you the same,but it matters most for you to bear this in mind;you understand me?"

There's no other safer place in the world for the little girl except where she was then.

"Mak Eton,why can't I go out and play with friends? Why not even-"

A humming noise near the living room brought Malin to a halt. Mak Eton hurried to the passageway.

"It's fine Mak Eton,I'll carry this upstairs. Malin,have you finished your homework?"

Malin Struggled for words in between her gulps.

"No,not yet,"

"Get it done,then come back down for dinner. I have plenty of things to talk about."

"Yes mum,"

The lady threw her an unexpected smile,too unexpected Malin failed to resolve herself into a reaction germane to her mother's gesture,as if she was studying and exegesis of a hundred torturing pages long,which in turn transformed her into a completely fatuous looking stranger. It lasted but not for long before Marlia turned away,her attache' case swung back and forth in an easy oscillation.

Mak Eton and Malin looked at one another,their eyes met in an interval only a couple of seconds following the first glance.

Why her mother smiled,she knew not. But it served the little girl a better non-deliberate obfuscation for the day. Perhaps. Malin dragged herself upstairs into her room again and closed the door gently behind her. She stood holding her head up by the chin,looking out across the window into the darkening dusk skies. The sun shamed away into cool hugs of the clouds,and somewhere across,the moon peeked out to bless pale rays of shine on Malin's complexion.

"Alex-I'm sorry,I really am,"

Mulling over,her thoughts travelled a greater distance than her feet could ever carry her. Where it met Alex's.

The boy bestrode on a tiny chair for ten minutes and shifted when he felt a slight cramp on his back.

Tomorrow I'll meet her again after school and it will all be fine again! He whispered in no doubt to himself-a benison,together with it a hopeful tireless grin.

"What?" replied Alex, obviously too far away to hear Malin's soft squeak.

She held up a finger to her best friend, "One minute", it's supposed to mean. She quickly put on her outside clothes and ran down the stairs, stopping at the bottom to check if Mak Eton, her maid was around. After confirming that she was nowhere in sight, she apprehensively opened the door to see Alex already waiting right on the doorstep, sitting with his back towards her.

"What took you so long?" said Alex with a grin as he turned to face his bestest friend.

"What are you doing here? Do you know how much trouble I'll get into if my Mom found out? How did you get here anyway? And how did you get here so fast?"

"Whoa, aren't you gonna invite me in first?" Alex said as relaxed as ever, the grin still there.

Malin took his arm and raced with him upstairs. Just before she could close her room door, a voice from the kitchen said "Malin? Aren't you going to come here and eat? Mak Eton made your favourite."

"Er, maybe later Mak Eton. Right after, er, I finish my homework," said Malin unconvincingly as she closed the door.

She exhaled in relief, only to see Alex jumping on her bed.

"Come on Malin, join me!" Alex said as he bounced on the pink and white floral motif of her bed.

"You can't do that!" Malin now with her pale skin suddenly turning a bright red. "Get down from there right now! You want us both to get in trouble?"

"Party pooper," said Alex as he climbed down the bed, to meet his friend face to face. "So what are we gonna play first?" asked Alex expectantly.

"No, we're not gonna play! Play time is over!" Malin heard herself say. She has never been angry towards Alex before.

"Okay then," Alex shrugged, as he turned around and jumped out of the open window. "Bye!" Malin managed to hear him say.

She sprinted a whole 5 steps and, panic-stricken, searched the ground for her friend. He was nowhere to be found. She heard a knock on her door. She turned to see Mak Eton.

"Did you call me just now Malin? I'm sure I heard you say something," inquired the maid ever so softly, so as not to cause her to drop tears again.

"Er, no. I was just er, practicing my er, story-telling in front of the mirror," she said as she again felt guilty for lying to the closest person to her in the family, if she can be regarded as kin.

Mak Eton smiled sweetly, showing the lines of experience on her face. "Come, join me in the dining room. It's already nearing 5 o'clock and your mother would not be happy if she were to find out you haven't had your lunch yet."

Malin followed, her face still red and her heart still in her throat.

Marlia sped her imperious colossal luxury at full tilt. The 10 minutes journey home seemed more like a ride in a hearse to Malin,however. There was no conversation,no stopping by and honey-would-you-like-a-Slurpee or anything. The only things that kept her awake were the hum of the engine together with the cool blow from the air-conditioner on her face. She leaned her forehead against the window glass.

"We're home."

Malin leaped out the car and ran off towards the door.

"Malin!"
"Oh no,"

Malin turned to her mother. Her face dread-struck. Another act of disrespect done,two misbehaviours for the day in total. And it's only 2 hours past midday,while the evening's still a long,long way to go.

"Thank you mum,"
"I want you to wait for me until I get back from work at 7."

Malin was silent,uneasily sniffing. Thank God she forgot,she whispered to herself.

"We'll talk about it when I get back."

The child stood stiff as a statue,her eyes fixed on the pebbles on the pavement. She understood too well just what the word 'it' meant.

"See you later in the evening."

Malin nodded. She walked daintily towards the enormous door. Through the stained glass,she could see the housemaid hasting over to open the door for her.

"Hello there princess,come on in. I got your favourite dish ready on the table!" She greeted with a smile. Malin didn't reply. Colourless drops fell on the floor before her feet.

"Oh dear,what's wrong now..?"
"...mum,mum doesn't love me,"
"What,no,that can't be true? Hush...your mum will be sad,don't you say such things..."
"Of course it's true,she never smiled to me and she never brought me out to play the swing-and,and the slide..."

Some of the words fade in between of her sobs.

"...unless Pa tells her to. I love ice-creams but she never cared to buy me one,she isn't nice. She's not nice like my friend Alex. She doesn't love me."

Only then did Malin look up,her adorable face was already wet of tears by then. Her eyes spoke persistent words of solemn. The lady who was kneeling down in front Malin stared blankly. Suddenly the girl gasped,with both her palms covering her mouth.

"I didn't mean that! Please don't tell Mum!" She begged. Then,without another word,she sprinted upstairs to her room.

Malin reached out to the door knob,twisted it and sunk into her bed in five seconds to cry herself to sleep. She was way into her deep eye-shut half an hour later,when a voice came out from nowhere.

"Hey,Malin! Hey,over here,"

Malin rose with her swollen eyelids.

"Who's there,where are you?"

" 'tis Alex,come on here,look out the window. Hurry up now,"

Malin popped her head out the window to see Alex looking up to her in between her dangling hair.

"Come on!"
"What Alex,how am I supposed to get down,I can't go out,Mum told me not to," She replied sluggishly,wiping her face. It was not too long when Malin jumped in shock that she almost threw herself out the window.

"But wait! How did you get in here?!"

***


-Catch,anak pak man!-

"There's one!" exclaims Malin, spotting a maroon Myvi passing by.

"That's not red! Maroon doesn't count! No cheating!" says Alex with arched eyebrows paired with a smile.

"Aww, gimme a break.." Malin begs ever so mildly to her best friend in the whole wide world.

"No! There's a blue one! Yeah, I'm leading now!" The score was now 17-16 and Alex can't resist rubbing it into his best friend in the whole wide world's face.

They both had been at it for half-an-hour now, and the game would probably go on until Malin's mother came and fetched her, but they didn't care.

Malin would see Alex everyday after school waiting for her just outside the gates and they would do anything any healthy 7-year-old kid would do while waiting for Malin's mother to come fetch her.

Everyday, Alex would have a new game to play, or a new story to tell, or an ice-cream to share. Never was "boring" used to describe the "after school period". Malin, in her school uniform, and Alex, in his green long-sleeved t-shirt and khaki shorts. Nobody got in their way (except Malin's mother when she comes to pick her up) and they felt like they had the whole world to themselves.

"There's two! Haha, now I'm leading!" joy filling every syllable of the words coming out of Malin's mouth.

One of the red cars was her mother's 5-series, concluding the game that afternoon and oficially making Malin the victor of the spotting duel. Malin entered the car and waved her best friend goodbye, and caught the facial expression of fright on Alex's face. She had disobeyed a promise that Alex had asked Malin to pledge the first day they met and became best friends, "Never talk or wave at me when your mother is present."

Marlia, Malin's mother said with a scowl, "Who in heavens are you waving to?"

"My friend, Alex. Didn't you see him mum? He was right there beside me when you picked me up," Malin replied.

"Don't make up stories Malin! You were waiting on your own, like you always have. Which brings me to the questions, haven't you made any friends at school? It's been almost a year since you entered," enquired Marlia while they drove off.