Part One
Miari
As the sun rises across the sky in its slow arc, Ryard becomes oppressively hot. We welcome the sun, though, welcome the straight heat instead of the awful humidity that comes when the sun hides behind the clouds – which it does most of the time. I shake my head, once again cursing those who ignored global warming until it was far, far too late.
Our ancestors were not the only ones ignoring things, however. Right now, in 2113, people still turn a blind eye to so many things. For instance, the dwindling supply of fossil fuels.
"Mayor Fitch!" someone off to my left screams. "Mayor Fitch!"
Miari
As the sun rises across the sky in its slow arc, Ryard becomes oppressively hot. We welcome the sun, though, welcome the straight heat instead of the awful humidity that comes when the sun hides behind the clouds – which it does most of the time. I shake my head, once again cursing those who ignored global warming until it was far, far too late.
Our ancestors were not the only ones ignoring things, however. Right now, in 2113, people still turn a blind eye to so many things. For instance, the dwindling supply of fossil fuels.
"Mayor Fitch!" someone off to my left screams. "Mayor Fitch!"
Right now I'm at a rally, positioned in front of the town hall, to protest the waste of oil. Here in Ryard, everyone is rich. No one takes the rising prices seriously, for the simple reason it makes no difference to them at all. Well, no one except our small, ignored group. We protest, we send out messages, we even post bits of paper on poles downtown (which is old-fashioned but effective). None of it makes any difference. Everyone still uses gas thoughtlessly, still acts like nothing is going on.
We have it better than most, here in Ryard, here in the Freed States of America. I pity those who live in the United States. They're still reeling from the devastation brought by the Third World War in 2087, when several prominent terrorist groups – Al Quaeda, the Taliban, others, too - joined and set out to conquer the world. Yeah, that little alliance didn't last. Since the Northwest had already broken away and become the FSA, they were mostly spared from the many, many bombs dropped and raids carried out over in the US, which was seen as one of the largest threats. Which is almost funny, because their armies were so spread out over other countries they barely had any troops to defend themselves.
"Mayor Fitch! Mayor Fitch!" Now others have taken up the call. "Mayor Fitch!"
However, it is not the Mayor but his daughter who peers through the window. I stare at Xiana. As always, seeing her sends a confusing and painful rush of emotions through me. Anger, sadness, hurt, wistfulness, resentment, nostalgia, even a touch of sympathy.
So, Xia came to her father's office today. Learning to follow his footsteps so that she, too, can become a selfish, greedy, self-serving idiot. I immediately feel guilty at that thought. It's not her fault she has him for a father. And it's not her fault if all her friends were busy and couldn't have her over. I sigh. It's all too confusing between us, so much that I don't know if anything will be right between us ever again.
The face in the window disappears. Did she see me? I'm not sure whether I want her to have.
All around me now, people are chanting. "May-or Fitch! May-or Fitch!" Even my own parents, Ellabeth and Johnn, are screaming the name. I shake my head to clear it, then join in, staring up at the huge, imposing marble building gleaming in the noontime sun. "May-or Fitch! May-or Fitch! May-or Fitch! May-or –"
The second-floor door to the deck opens and the mayor steps out. The screaming dies down instantly.
"My good people," the mayor starts. "Please, calm yourself."
"We'll calm down when you do something about this whole mess!" a woman calls. There is loud cheering.
"My dear citizens, I don't believe I know what you're talking about." A lie, of course. He knows exactly what we're here for, what that woman – Mrs...Hannor? Hannod? - meant. Whether he cares, or intends to do something about it, is a different matter altogether.
"We're talking about the fact that soon there will be no oil and no electricity!" Pandemonium erupts, people yelling and screaming and pointing. Briefly, I see Xia's face flash in the window again. She looks frightened. Good. She should be afraid. Just not of us.
"People, people! Please, settle down, settle down!" the mayor pleads, a little frightened himself. "I am aware that oil supplies are dwindling. However, as each and every one of you knows, our government, our scientists – indeed, scientists all over the world – are working on this. Soon, they will present to us the solution. There is no cause for worry, none at all." He presses his fingers to his ear, then nods and says something too quiet to hear, no doubt receiving instructions on an earpiece. "And now, I must ask that you disperse and return to your homes. Your concerns have been noted, and I hope I have alleviated some of them." He spins and marches quickly inside.
I look to my parents. Mati smiles at me. "Let's go home."
Xiana
I hop out of the car and walk over to the front doors of the school, enjoying the way everyone I pass smiles or waves or says, "Hi, Xiana!" I smirk. Yes, it took so much to get to this point, but it is definitely worth it.
My smirk slips and falters a little as I remember yesterday. Those oil whistlers definitely freaked me out a little. Maybe more than a little, I admit to myself. Looking down at them, out the window, they seemed almost like the mob in Frankenstein, one of my favorite old movies. My mom- I shake my head. No. Not here. I'll start waterfalling and that would be devastational.
"Hey, Xia! Xia, over here!" It's Wya, one of my friends. She waves me over to where she, Rennonn, Shanaria, and Corin wait.
"Hey, guys!" I say, grinning. "How was your weekend?"
"Ugh," Rennonn says, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Relatives." She shudders. "There was no one my age, and the little kids were so gooshy! Always dripping some form of slime or dirt. The older kids snubbed me, and the parents ignored me. And the house! So small, and falling apart."
"Where were you, again?" Wya asks.
"Golston."
As one, we shudder.
"Here," Rennonn says. Swiftly, she sends us images of the house.
"That's awful," I say.
"Tell me about it," she replies. I guess you could say Rennonn's my best friend. She's close enough, anyway, that it doesn't really matter. For some reason, Miari's face flashes in my mind. Firmly, I push the thought away. I feel bad for what I did to her, but... "I washed myself seriously five times when I got home."
"What about your weekend, Xia?" Corin asks eagerly. Before I got to her, she was a nobody, just another face in the crowd. Then I made her popular, and she became my most devoted follower. Honestly? Sometimes it's a little creepy. The rest of us laugh about her behind her back, mimicking her overly eager gestures and words.
I lean in, and the others copy me, until we become a close circle. "So, you know about those oil whistlers, right?" I begin in a low voice. They nod; who doesn't? "Yesters, I was at Fati's office and they, seriously, gathered outside and were screaming and yelling. It was goose-bumping, I havta tell you."
"Wow," Corin says. "What happened?"
"Nothing, of course. Fati went out and calmed them down, made them leave."
"Wow," Corin says again. "I would've totally freaked if I was there."
"Speaking of the OW..." Rennonn says.
I glance up just as Miari says, "Hey, guys."
I put my hand on my shoulder and give her my trademark frosty glare. "What, Miari."
She blinks. "I – I just came over to tell you that you just got a message about the oil crisis and to-"
I hold up my hand, palm out, stopping her mid-sentence. "Yeah – don't care."
"Xia-"
My eyes narrow. "Leave now, Ri."
Her mouth drops and an expression of shock crosses her face. She blinks rapidly. I smirk and twirl a lock of blue-tipped white blonde hair around my finger. That does it for her. Tears well up in her wide brown eyes. She lifts a trembling hand to her plain brown, curly hair. Then she turns and runs.
Before she's out of sight, my friends have already turned away, gossiping about Siley's upcoming seventeenth birthday party, which we've all scored invites to even though we're a year younger. I try to join in, but my heart just isn't in it. Once again, I wonder; was it really worth it, to get rid of Miari? Or would I have been happier staying with my former best friend? Either way, what I just did was low. Too low.
Sorry, Miari.
Miari
As I walk into the classroom, all I see is Xia's face. Xia, laughing hysterically with me in my bedroom. Xia, face pinched with worry as she peers into a room. Xia, sobbing. Xia, turning away from me as I try to comfort her. Xia shaking her head, saying she's busy.
And just now, Xia taunting me. Xia being cruel in ways no one would understand but me.
"Mia! Mia! Wait up!" Inwardly, I groan, shaken out of my thoughts of Xia for now.
Ia Lissil skips up to me. No one can deny that she's pretty, even beautiful. Wherever she goes, strangers turn their heads to watch her pass, staring at her flawless figure, glowing skin, big green eyes, perfect pink mouth, and wavy honey blonde hair. With those sort of looks, you expect her to either be the kindest, sweetest girl you ever met or a haughty, witty queen bee. She's neither. Instead, Ia is the most annoying, insensitive, and oblivious girl I have the displeasure of knowing. Worse, our parents are good friends, so they keep shoving us together, as if that would make us like each other. Before, I always had Xia, but now there's no escaping her.
"My name is Miari," I say through gritted teeth.
"Oh, I know," she says, coming up beside me and linking her elbow through mine. "But you need a nickname. That's what friends do, right? Give each other nicknames?"
I sigh. I try to be nice to everyone - really, I do - but Ia makes it so hard. "Come on, Ia, let's get to class."
When Mr. Rill walks in a few minutes later, I'm about ready to scream. Ia has been talking non-stop about some party that she wasn't invited to but wishes she was because it's supposed to be the party of the year and Xia (of course) is going to be there too with her friends and she's heard all these rumors about how Siley got this one band to play at her party and -
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, Mr. Rill," the class mumbles half-heartedly back.
"Today's biology topic is the mass fish extinction and efforts to revive the oceans."
I zone out as he begins a lecture, occasionally calling on people. Mercifully, he ignores me.
"-the oil spills. Now, who knows what effect these had? Ia? No? What about you, Miari?"
"Um, yes. The oil spills. They... blocked the sun and made it hard for things to grow. They also killed many fish, poisoned them. Nothing could really grow around them. The spills also wasted, seriously, half a million gallons of oil."
Xia groans. "Can't she talk about anything else?" she stage-whispers to Rennonn. They snicker, along with half the class. I feel my face flush.
"Very good, Miari. That's correct. Though the amount of oil wasted isn't really the point here."
"But it is. It's careless acts like those that led us to where we are today."
His face hardens. "Miari. I know you are concerned about fuel levels. However, even if this was not a biology lesson, your point isn't relevant. We will not run out of fuel."
Xia's hand shoots up.
"Yes, Xiana?"
She flips a strand of hair over her shoulder; a reminder. Shooting Rennonn a discreet evil smirk, she says, "But if Miari accepted that, what would the poor girl have left to think about? No, I say, let her keep her silly delusion. It doesn't harm anyone." She bats her eyelashes innocently.
The classroom explodes in derisive laughter. Mr. Rill bangs on his desk to get our attention.
"Enough. Xiana, that was uncalled for, and you know it. Please head to the office for a nice chat with the principal."
She blinks. "But I only meant that Miari is very focused on this, so she must like thinking about it. Since it's not harming anyone, why should she stop? I was trying to defend her." She's good at this. She sounds so innocent and sincere. Everyone here knows that's not the truth, but she just made it impossible for someone to accuse her of being cruel.
"Fine. Just – sit down."
She does, and Mr. Rill returns to his boring lecture as if nothing had happened.
Xiana
"Hey, Xi-Xi," Fati says as I climb into the car. I smile.
"Hey, Fati."
"You want to come to the office this afternoon?"
"Neh. I've got homework. I'd rather go home."
"Okay. Let me just stop at the gas station, then I'll swing you home."
I settle into my seat as we cruise through town.
"How was your day, Xi?"
"Oh, it was great. We sat with Siley again today. Her party is going to pump! She's soooo great. And you'll never believe what happened during science today. You remember Miari, don't you? No, that's a silly question; of course you do."
"What happened with Miari, anyway? I haven't seen her at all these last few months. Not since..." Understanding dawns in his eyes. "Look, I know your mom's death messed you up. But whyever did you push Miari away?"
I look away. "I just... realized some things. I've got new friends now."
"What things did you realize that made you dismiss Miari?" Weirdly enough, Fati has a strange liking for her, which is in no way reciprocated. Miari generally looks at him with disdain.
I shrug. "We just didn't have that much in common anymore. For instance, her nilly obsession with oil. Which is what I was talking about before." I recount the story as we pull into the gas station and get filled up.
"Xi..."
"What?"
He sighs, and shakes his head. "Nothing."
I glance out the window, barely noticing the sign saying, "Please Conserve Gas As You Are Able".
Miari
Ping!
Mati frowns. "That's my news alert," she says to no one in particular. She begins to read, her frown getting deeper and deeper. I shift around in my seat.
What Xia said today, during biology, is forefront in my mind. Maybe she's right, I think. Maybe I am too fixated on the oil crisis. But how could that be wrong, when it's this bad? My thoughts go round and round, coming to no conclusion and not making me any less anxious.
I am jerked rudely back into the present by a squeak of disbelief from my mother. I try to read her face. She looks angry, appalled, scared. What could make her look like this?
"What is it, Mati?"
She shakes her head in disbelief. "It appears... the mayor has passed laws..." She stands abruptly. "I have to call your father."
I stare dumbly at her retreating back. Though I'm not trying to listen, words float back to my ears and force their way into my brain.
"So you know...What does this mean?...I don't know...No...I don't know if he will...But why?...Well, yes, but...I don't want to risk it...And Miari?"
The sound of my name jolts me like an electric shock. What is going on? And why... why aren't I just reading the news myself? Because I don't want to know, I think. What if it's something awful? It has to be, for Mati to react like this.
"Yes...Yes, I'll tell her...Goodbye, Johnn. See you tonight."
Mati walks back into the dining room. Taking a deep breath, she sits back down in the chair, across the table from me.
"Miari... Our mayor has passed some laws. The demonstrations are over. Listen to me, Miari, don't mention oil at school anymore, you can't, okay?"
"Mati, I – I don't understand."
"There are new laws, Miari. No more protesting, and no more talking about oil waste. Not anywhere."
Xiana
"Xiana! I'm home!" The door slams.
"Hey," I say, smiling as I come downstairs toward Fati. "How was your afternoon?"
He grins. "I got a lot of important things done."
"Great," I say. "Well, I was just about to get dinner started."
"I'll help. Just let me put this stuff down first."
I meet Fati in the kitchen a few minutes later. He surveys the spread on the counter. "I'll fry the chicken if you bake the vegetables."
"Oh, and I suppose I'm also supposed to boil the pasta and heat the sauce?" I retort.
"You do the pasta and I'll do the sauce." He grins impishly. I roll my eyes, but start the pasta anyway.
As we prepare the meal, we chat. Not about anything in particular, really. It's nice.
Halfway through, the wash machine dings, and I go to change the laundry to the dryer. Ever since my mom... died, I've been doing more of the chores around the house; cooking, cleaning, planning. My father is hopeless at running a house. I honestly don't know what he'd do without me.
"Oh, Fati," I say as I walk back into the kitchen, "tomorrow I'm going to-"
The lights flicker.
My eyes pop wide open. "F-Fati? What-"
"I don't know, Xi." He's struggling to look calm, but I can see that he's just as scared as I am.
The lights blink rapidly for several seconds.
We stand there dumbly, staring upwards, waiting, waiting, waiting... for what? An explanation would be nice, I think shakily.
Then the lights go out entirely.
Part Two
Miari
Tap tap tap
I shoot bolt upright in bed.
"Miari," someone hisses. The voice is coming from outside my window.
I stand up cautiously. "Who's there?" I ask shakily.
"It's me." I catch a glimpse of the face and suck in a surprised breath.
"Xia?"
"Yeah. Let me in."
I cross to the window and open it. "What are you doing here?"
She clambers through the window. "I wanted to talk," she says simply.
"At" - I check the clock – "eleven thirty? Have you lost your mind?" It's proving to be far too easy to forget the last three months. To think of Xia as my friend again. What's happening? I wonder. Why on earth is Xia here? And why are you acting as if she's your friend? You're only making it harder for yourself.
She laughs a little. "Maybe."
We settle cross-legged on the bed, facing each other. "So, what is it you so desperately need to talk about?"
Xia bites her lip; that means she's anxious. I know all of her gestures and habits by heart. "Right. Well, I guess I was just wondering about – about what you were saying before. About that message. And oil."
I raise one eyebrow. "You did not come here in the middle of the night to ask about a message."
She sighs. "You're right. You're right." A deep breath. "Earlier tonight. I was cooking with my fati. The lights...theyflickeredandthentheywentoutandtheystayed outforseriouslyfiveminutesandohMiariIwassoscaredwhat doesitmean?"
I stare at her. "What?"
"They lights went out when I was cooking with my fati!"
"What?"
"The lights-!"
"I know what you said. I just – wow. Um."
"So what was it you were saying about the oil?"
"It's running out. Power plants run on fossil fuels, you know. Once they're gone, they won't be able to produce power anymore."
"Aren't there other ways to get power?"
"Yes, but they're not enough. For instance, solar power. You know how little the sun shines. Wind power. There's not enough room for windmills. Water power. Even with the stills, all water goes to direct human use."
"Oh. That is bad."
"Yes."
We sit in awkward silence.
"I'm sorry," she blurts suddenly. "For today. And all the other days, I guess. Really, I am."
"It's okay, Xia," I say softly. "I understand." And I do, even though she wounds me constantly, with words and actions. Her mati's death was the worst thing that ever happened to her. How can I not forgive her for going a little crazy? Anyone would.
Her eyes fill with tears. "I don't deserve you."
I don't answer. Instead, I lean forward and hug her tightly. She stiffens, then relaxes and hugs me back. "I missed you," she whispers in my ear.
"Me, too," I whisper back.
Xiana
"Xiana! Wake up! You're going to be late."
I say something intelligent like "wuh?". Rolling over, I glance at my clock and see the time. That wakes me up. Cursing, I roll out of bed and speed-dress, then run downstairs for breakfast.
I stayed at Miari's house until two in the morning, talking. It was hard, but mostly what I feel right now is relief. That, and happiness. I've got my best friend back. Nothing else matters. I feel like these past months I've been under a spell, and Miari just lifted it.
When my mom died, I decided that my life needed to change. I wanted more friends. I wanted everyone to like me and look up to me. In short, I wanted to be popular. So I threw Miari aside and found new friends. I became the kind of person people think a queen bee should be. And yeah, I was popular.
But was it really me who taunted Miari yesterday in class? How could it be? That was so cruel, making everyone laugh at her. I laughed at her. And could I really have thrown our secret gesture in her face like that last morning, along with our promise to not get our hair dyed without each other?
No. It couldn't have been.
Well, it doesn't matter now. She forgives me. I won't be mean to her again. This weekend, we can go to the Body Mod Center and get our hair done. I'm thinking pink this time. We can get matching skin dyes – let's say, a crescent moon curving around our eyebrow. Or, no, three dots under the side of one eye. Yeah, that'd look punch. I'll tell my friends to back off, and -
I groan. My new friends. What am I going to do about them? And how am I going to explain my change of heart? I'll just introduce them and hope they get along, I think. It's pretty weak, as plans go, but it's all I got. I'll figure it out as I go along.
As we drive to school, I stare out the window, not really seeing. I'm too busy planning for the weekend. So at first I don't notice the protesters gathered by the side of the road where we've stopped for a red light.
When I do, my head snaps forward, face pressed against the glass. Heart thudding, I roll down the window, then frantically search the crowd for Miari. She couldn't really be there, not after what she said last night about the new law... right? Right?!
I sigh in relief. She's not there.
I glance over at Fati. He's not paying attention. A sudden shriek has my head snapping back toward the gathering. My eyes widen so much that I fear they'll pop out as I take in the scene.
Police have come out of nowhere and are swarming around the people. Even as I watch, they start handcuffing people and throwing into the backs of large police vans. One boy, who couldn't be more than eight, tries to run. An officer sees him, and almost lazily gives the boy a hard shove. He falls, and the officer picks the boy up and tosses him in the van. My stomach turns.
Suddenly, the car lurches forward, and I fall back against my seat.
When we get to school, it's as if nothing has changed from yesterday. And nothing has. Nothing except me.
"Hey, Xia!" Corin says breathlessly as she runs toward me.
I manage a half smile. "Hey, Corin. Can I talk-"
"Xia!" Shanaria runs up and embraces me. I hug her back awkwardly.
"Hey, Shan."
Then Wya comes over, and finally Rennonn.
"Guys," I say seriously. "I have to tell you something." I've got their full attention, most likely through my tone. Quickly, I recount what I saw this morning, then what Miari told me last night. I leave out the part where I visited her house and our whole make-up session, saying simply that I talked to Miari and that we're friends now. When I'm finished, they just stare at me.
"You're friends with Miari again? Miari Costel?" Wya says, openmouthed.
"Yes, yes," I say. "But that's not really the point. The point is this whole time, she's been right."
They slowly shake their heads. "What?" Corin.
"Guys, there's no miracle solution. We're really, actually, running out of oil."
Rennonn speaks up. She sounds... sad? "What happened to you, Xiana?" Then she turns and walks away. The rest turn and follow without a backward glance.
Miari
I catch Xia's eye from across the room, and she comes over and slides onto the bench next to me.
"Hi, Xia."
"Hi, Ri." She sounds glum.
"What's wrong? You've been avoiding me all morning. We're still friends, aren't we?"
"Yeah, of course. It's just... I don't think I'm friends with them anymore." She points toward her former group of friends with her chin.
"Oh. Sorry about that. What happened?"
She recounts the tale, including what she saw of the protesters.
"That's bad," I say. "That's really bad."
"I'll say."
After that discussion, we talk about much more mundane things. It feels so good to have Xia back, I barely even notice what.
The lights flicker.
Xia grabs my arm.
We wait, and the lights flicker again. And again. Then they go out.
For the next several weeks, flickering lights and temporary blackouts become the new norm. People no longer panic when it happens. In fact, they barely notice.
Gas stations slowly dry up and go out of business. People are forced to walk or bike.
But it seems to be okay. We'll keep going. We'll be fine. We will find a solution.
Until.
One day, the lights go out. And they don't go back on.
Epilogue
Five Months Later
Xiana
I reach out and clasp Miari's hand. It's finally time.
Finally, the solution will be revealed. We will have power again.
It's been hard. Sometimes it seemed like we wouldn't make it. But we did.
And everything is going to be fine.
The End
We have it better than most, here in Ryard, here in the Freed States of America. I pity those who live in the United States. They're still reeling from the devastation brought by the Third World War in 2087, when several prominent terrorist groups – Al Quaeda, the Taliban, others, too - joined and set out to conquer the world. Yeah, that little alliance didn't last. Since the Northwest had already broken away and become the FSA, they were mostly spared from the many, many bombs dropped and raids carried out over in the US, which was seen as one of the largest threats. Which is almost funny, because their armies were so spread out over other countries they barely had any troops to defend themselves.
"Mayor Fitch! Mayor Fitch!" Now others have taken up the call. "Mayor Fitch!"
However, it is not the Mayor but his daughter who peers through the window. I stare at Xiana. As always, seeing her sends a confusing and painful rush of emotions through me. Anger, sadness, hurt, wistfulness, resentment, nostalgia, even a touch of sympathy.
So, Xia came to her father's office today. Learning to follow his footsteps so that she, too, can become a selfish, greedy, self-serving idiot. I immediately feel guilty at that thought. It's not her fault she has him for a father. And it's not her fault if all her friends were busy and couldn't have her over. I sigh. It's all too confusing between us, so much that I don't know if anything will be right between us ever again.
The face in the window disappears. Did she see me? I'm not sure whether I want her to have.
All around me now, people are chanting. "May-or Fitch! May-or Fitch!" Even my own parents, Ellabeth and Johnn, are screaming the name. I shake my head to clear it, then join in, staring up at the huge, imposing marble building gleaming in the noontime sun. "May-or Fitch! May-or Fitch! May-or Fitch! May-or –"
The second-floor door to the deck opens and the mayor steps out. The screaming dies down instantly.
"My good people," the mayor starts. "Please, calm yourself."
"We'll calm down when you do something about this whole mess!" a woman calls. There is loud cheering.
"My dear citizens, I don't believe I know what you're talking about." A lie, of course. He knows exactly what we're here for, what that woman – Mrs...Hannor? Hannod? - meant. Whether he cares, or intends to do something about it, is a different matter altogether.
"We're talking about the fact that soon there will be no oil and no electricity!" Pandemonium erupts, people yelling and screaming and pointing. Briefly, I see Xia's face flash in the window again. She looks frightened. Good. She should be afraid. Just not of us.
"People, people! Please, settle down, settle down!" the mayor pleads, a little frightened himself. "I am aware that oil supplies are dwindling. However, as each and every one of you knows, our government, our scientists – indeed, scientists all over the world – are working on this. Soon, they will present to us the solution. There is no cause for worry, none at all." He presses his fingers to his ear, then nods and says something too quiet to hear, no doubt receiving instructions on an earpiece. "And now, I must ask that you disperse and return to your homes. Your concerns have been noted, and I hope I have alleviated some of them." He spins and marches quickly inside.
I look to my parents. Mati smiles at me. "Let's go home."
Xiana
I hop out of the car and walk over to the front doors of the school, enjoying the way everyone I pass smiles or waves or says, "Hi, Xiana!" I smirk. Yes, it took so much to get to this point, but it is definitely worth it.
My smirk slips and falters a little as I remember yesterday. Those oil whistlers definitely freaked me out a little. Maybe more than a little, I admit to myself. Looking down at them, out the window, they seemed almost like the mob in Frankenstein, one of my favorite old movies. My mom- I shake my head. No. Not here. I'll start waterfalling and that would be devastational.
"Hey, Xia! Xia, over here!" It's Wya, one of my friends. She waves me over to where she, Rennonn, Shanaria, and Corin wait.
"Hey, guys!" I say, grinning. "How was your weekend?"
"Ugh," Rennonn says, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Relatives." She shudders. "There was no one my age, and the little kids were so gooshy! Always dripping some form of slime or dirt. The older kids snubbed me, and the parents ignored me. And the house! So small, and falling apart."
"Where were you, again?" Wya asks.
"Golston."
As one, we shudder.
"Here," Rennonn says. Swiftly, she sends us images of the house.
"That's awful," I say.
"Tell me about it," she replies. I guess you could say Rennonn's my best friend. She's close enough, anyway, that it doesn't really matter. For some reason, Miari's face flashes in my mind. Firmly, I push the thought away. I feel bad for what I did to her, but... "I washed myself seriously five times when I got home."
"What about your weekend, Xia?" Corin asks eagerly. Before I got to her, she was a nobody, just another face in the crowd. Then I made her popular, and she became my most devoted follower. Honestly? Sometimes it's a little creepy. The rest of us laugh about her behind her back, mimicking her overly eager gestures and words.
I lean in, and the others copy me, until we become a close circle. "So, you know about those oil whistlers, right?" I begin in a low voice. They nod; who doesn't? "Yesters, I was at Fati's office and they, seriously, gathered outside and were screaming and yelling. It was goose-bumping, I havta tell you."
"Wow," Corin says. "What happened?"
"Nothing, of course. Fati went out and calmed them down, made them leave."
"Wow," Corin says again. "I would've totally freaked if I was there."
"Speaking of the OW..." Rennonn says.
I glance up just as Miari says, "Hey, guys."
I put my hand on my shoulder and give her my trademark frosty glare. "What, Miari."
She blinks. "I – I just came over to tell you that you just got a message about the oil crisis and to-"
I hold up my hand, palm out, stopping her mid-sentence. "Yeah – don't care."
"Xia-"
My eyes narrow. "Leave now, Ri."
Her mouth drops and an expression of shock crosses her face. She blinks rapidly. I smirk and twirl a lock of blue-tipped white blonde hair around my finger. That does it for her. Tears well up in her wide brown eyes. She lifts a trembling hand to her plain brown, curly hair. Then she turns and runs.
Before she's out of sight, my friends have already turned away, gossiping about Siley's upcoming seventeenth birthday party, which we've all scored invites to even though we're a year younger. I try to join in, but my heart just isn't in it. Once again, I wonder; was it really worth it, to get rid of Miari? Or would I have been happier staying with my former best friend? Either way, what I just did was low. Too low.
Sorry, Miari.
Miari
As I walk into the classroom, all I see is Xia's face. Xia, laughing hysterically with me in my bedroom. Xia, face pinched with worry as she peers into a room. Xia, sobbing. Xia, turning away from me as I try to comfort her. Xia shaking her head, saying she's busy.
And just now, Xia taunting me. Xia being cruel in ways no one would understand but me.
"Mia! Mia! Wait up!" Inwardly, I groan, shaken out of my thoughts of Xia for now.
Ia Lissil skips up to me. No one can deny that she's pretty, even beautiful. Wherever she goes, strangers turn their heads to watch her pass, staring at her flawless figure, glowing skin, big green eyes, perfect pink mouth, and wavy honey blonde hair. With those sort of looks, you expect her to either be the kindest, sweetest girl you ever met or a haughty, witty queen bee. She's neither. Instead, Ia is the most annoying, insensitive, and oblivious girl I have the displeasure of knowing. Worse, our parents are good friends, so they keep shoving us together, as if that would make us like each other. Before, I always had Xia, but now there's no escaping her.
"My name is Miari," I say through gritted teeth.
"Oh, I know," she says, coming up beside me and linking her elbow through mine. "But you need a nickname. That's what friends do, right? Give each other nicknames?"
I sigh. I try to be nice to everyone - really, I do - but Ia makes it so hard. "Come on, Ia, let's get to class."
When Mr. Rill walks in a few minutes later, I'm about ready to scream. Ia has been talking non-stop about some party that she wasn't invited to but wishes she was because it's supposed to be the party of the year and Xia (of course) is going to be there too with her friends and she's heard all these rumors about how Siley got this one band to play at her party and -
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, Mr. Rill," the class mumbles half-heartedly back.
"Today's biology topic is the mass fish extinction and efforts to revive the oceans."
I zone out as he begins a lecture, occasionally calling on people. Mercifully, he ignores me.
"-the oil spills. Now, who knows what effect these had? Ia? No? What about you, Miari?"
"Um, yes. The oil spills. They... blocked the sun and made it hard for things to grow. They also killed many fish, poisoned them. Nothing could really grow around them. The spills also wasted, seriously, half a million gallons of oil."
Xia groans. "Can't she talk about anything else?" she stage-whispers to Rennonn. They snicker, along with half the class. I feel my face flush.
"Very good, Miari. That's correct. Though the amount of oil wasted isn't really the point here."
"But it is. It's careless acts like those that led us to where we are today."
His face hardens. "Miari. I know you are concerned about fuel levels. However, even if this was not a biology lesson, your point isn't relevant. We will not run out of fuel."
Xia's hand shoots up.
"Yes, Xiana?"
She flips a strand of hair over her shoulder; a reminder. Shooting Rennonn a discreet evil smirk, she says, "But if Miari accepted that, what would the poor girl have left to think about? No, I say, let her keep her silly delusion. It doesn't harm anyone." She bats her eyelashes innocently.
The classroom explodes in derisive laughter. Mr. Rill bangs on his desk to get our attention.
"Enough. Xiana, that was uncalled for, and you know it. Please head to the office for a nice chat with the principal."
She blinks. "But I only meant that Miari is very focused on this, so she must like thinking about it. Since it's not harming anyone, why should she stop? I was trying to defend her." She's good at this. She sounds so innocent and sincere. Everyone here knows that's not the truth, but she just made it impossible for someone to accuse her of being cruel.
"Fine. Just – sit down."
She does, and Mr. Rill returns to his boring lecture as if nothing had happened.
Xiana
"Hey, Xi-Xi," Fati says as I climb into the car. I smile.
"Hey, Fati."
"You want to come to the office this afternoon?"
"Neh. I've got homework. I'd rather go home."
"Okay. Let me just stop at the gas station, then I'll swing you home."
I settle into my seat as we cruise through town.
"How was your day, Xi?"
"Oh, it was great. We sat with Siley again today. Her party is going to pump! She's soooo great. And you'll never believe what happened during science today. You remember Miari, don't you? No, that's a silly question; of course you do."
"What happened with Miari, anyway? I haven't seen her at all these last few months. Not since..." Understanding dawns in his eyes. "Look, I know your mom's death messed you up. But whyever did you push Miari away?"
I look away. "I just... realized some things. I've got new friends now."
"What things did you realize that made you dismiss Miari?" Weirdly enough, Fati has a strange liking for her, which is in no way reciprocated. Miari generally looks at him with disdain.
I shrug. "We just didn't have that much in common anymore. For instance, her nilly obsession with oil. Which is what I was talking about before." I recount the story as we pull into the gas station and get filled up.
"Xi..."
"What?"
He sighs, and shakes his head. "Nothing."
I glance out the window, barely noticing the sign saying, "Please Conserve Gas As You Are Able".
Miari
Ping!
Mati frowns. "That's my news alert," she says to no one in particular. She begins to read, her frown getting deeper and deeper. I shift around in my seat.
What Xia said today, during biology, is forefront in my mind. Maybe she's right, I think. Maybe I am too fixated on the oil crisis. But how could that be wrong, when it's this bad? My thoughts go round and round, coming to no conclusion and not making me any less anxious.
I am jerked rudely back into the present by a squeak of disbelief from my mother. I try to read her face. She looks angry, appalled, scared. What could make her look like this?
"What is it, Mati?"
She shakes her head in disbelief. "It appears... the mayor has passed laws..." She stands abruptly. "I have to call your father."
I stare dumbly at her retreating back. Though I'm not trying to listen, words float back to my ears and force their way into my brain.
"So you know...What does this mean?...I don't know...No...I don't know if he will...But why?...Well, yes, but...I don't want to risk it...And Miari?"
The sound of my name jolts me like an electric shock. What is going on? And why... why aren't I just reading the news myself? Because I don't want to know, I think. What if it's something awful? It has to be, for Mati to react like this.
"Yes...Yes, I'll tell her...Goodbye, Johnn. See you tonight."
Mati walks back into the dining room. Taking a deep breath, she sits back down in the chair, across the table from me.
"Miari... Our mayor has passed some laws. The demonstrations are over. Listen to me, Miari, don't mention oil at school anymore, you can't, okay?"
"Mati, I – I don't understand."
"There are new laws, Miari. No more protesting, and no more talking about oil waste. Not anywhere."
Xiana
"Xiana! I'm home!" The door slams.
"Hey," I say, smiling as I come downstairs toward Fati. "How was your afternoon?"
He grins. "I got a lot of important things done."
"Great," I say. "Well, I was just about to get dinner started."
"I'll help. Just let me put this stuff down first."
I meet Fati in the kitchen a few minutes later. He surveys the spread on the counter. "I'll fry the chicken if you bake the vegetables."
"Oh, and I suppose I'm also supposed to boil the pasta and heat the sauce?" I retort.
"You do the pasta and I'll do the sauce." He grins impishly. I roll my eyes, but start the pasta anyway.
As we prepare the meal, we chat. Not about anything in particular, really. It's nice.
Halfway through, the wash machine dings, and I go to change the laundry to the dryer. Ever since my mom... died, I've been doing more of the chores around the house; cooking, cleaning, planning. My father is hopeless at running a house. I honestly don't know what he'd do without me.
"Oh, Fati," I say as I walk back into the kitchen, "tomorrow I'm going to-"
The lights flicker.
My eyes pop wide open. "F-Fati? What-"
"I don't know, Xi." He's struggling to look calm, but I can see that he's just as scared as I am.
The lights blink rapidly for several seconds.
We stand there dumbly, staring upwards, waiting, waiting, waiting... for what? An explanation would be nice, I think shakily.
Then the lights go out entirely.
Part Two
Miari
Tap tap tap
I shoot bolt upright in bed.
"Miari," someone hisses. The voice is coming from outside my window.
I stand up cautiously. "Who's there?" I ask shakily.
"It's me." I catch a glimpse of the face and suck in a surprised breath.
"Xia?"
"Yeah. Let me in."
I cross to the window and open it. "What are you doing here?"
She clambers through the window. "I wanted to talk," she says simply.
"At" - I check the clock – "eleven thirty? Have you lost your mind?" It's proving to be far too easy to forget the last three months. To think of Xia as my friend again. What's happening? I wonder. Why on earth is Xia here? And why are you acting as if she's your friend? You're only making it harder for yourself.
She laughs a little. "Maybe."
We settle cross-legged on the bed, facing each other. "So, what is it you so desperately need to talk about?"
Xia bites her lip; that means she's anxious. I know all of her gestures and habits by heart. "Right. Well, I guess I was just wondering about – about what you were saying before. About that message. And oil."
I raise one eyebrow. "You did not come here in the middle of the night to ask about a message."
She sighs. "You're right. You're right." A deep breath. "Earlier tonight. I was cooking with my fati. The lights...theyflickeredandthentheywentoutandtheystayed outforseriouslyfiveminutesandohMiariIwassoscaredwhat doesitmean?"
I stare at her. "What?"
"They lights went out when I was cooking with my fati!"
"What?"
"The lights-!"
"I know what you said. I just – wow. Um."
"So what was it you were saying about the oil?"
"It's running out. Power plants run on fossil fuels, you know. Once they're gone, they won't be able to produce power anymore."
"Aren't there other ways to get power?"
"Yes, but they're not enough. For instance, solar power. You know how little the sun shines. Wind power. There's not enough room for windmills. Water power. Even with the stills, all water goes to direct human use."
"Oh. That is bad."
"Yes."
We sit in awkward silence.
"I'm sorry," she blurts suddenly. "For today. And all the other days, I guess. Really, I am."
"It's okay, Xia," I say softly. "I understand." And I do, even though she wounds me constantly, with words and actions. Her mati's death was the worst thing that ever happened to her. How can I not forgive her for going a little crazy? Anyone would.
Her eyes fill with tears. "I don't deserve you."
I don't answer. Instead, I lean forward and hug her tightly. She stiffens, then relaxes and hugs me back. "I missed you," she whispers in my ear.
"Me, too," I whisper back.
Xiana
"Xiana! Wake up! You're going to be late."
I say something intelligent like "wuh?". Rolling over, I glance at my clock and see the time. That wakes me up. Cursing, I roll out of bed and speed-dress, then run downstairs for breakfast.
I stayed at Miari's house until two in the morning, talking. It was hard, but mostly what I feel right now is relief. That, and happiness. I've got my best friend back. Nothing else matters. I feel like these past months I've been under a spell, and Miari just lifted it.
When my mom died, I decided that my life needed to change. I wanted more friends. I wanted everyone to like me and look up to me. In short, I wanted to be popular. So I threw Miari aside and found new friends. I became the kind of person people think a queen bee should be. And yeah, I was popular.
But was it really me who taunted Miari yesterday in class? How could it be? That was so cruel, making everyone laugh at her. I laughed at her. And could I really have thrown our secret gesture in her face like that last morning, along with our promise to not get our hair dyed without each other?
No. It couldn't have been.
Well, it doesn't matter now. She forgives me. I won't be mean to her again. This weekend, we can go to the Body Mod Center and get our hair done. I'm thinking pink this time. We can get matching skin dyes – let's say, a crescent moon curving around our eyebrow. Or, no, three dots under the side of one eye. Yeah, that'd look punch. I'll tell my friends to back off, and -
I groan. My new friends. What am I going to do about them? And how am I going to explain my change of heart? I'll just introduce them and hope they get along, I think. It's pretty weak, as plans go, but it's all I got. I'll figure it out as I go along.
As we drive to school, I stare out the window, not really seeing. I'm too busy planning for the weekend. So at first I don't notice the protesters gathered by the side of the road where we've stopped for a red light.
When I do, my head snaps forward, face pressed against the glass. Heart thudding, I roll down the window, then frantically search the crowd for Miari. She couldn't really be there, not after what she said last night about the new law... right? Right?!
I sigh in relief. She's not there.
I glance over at Fati. He's not paying attention. A sudden shriek has my head snapping back toward the gathering. My eyes widen so much that I fear they'll pop out as I take in the scene.
Police have come out of nowhere and are swarming around the people. Even as I watch, they start handcuffing people and throwing into the backs of large police vans. One boy, who couldn't be more than eight, tries to run. An officer sees him, and almost lazily gives the boy a hard shove. He falls, and the officer picks the boy up and tosses him in the van. My stomach turns.
Suddenly, the car lurches forward, and I fall back against my seat.
When we get to school, it's as if nothing has changed from yesterday. And nothing has. Nothing except me.
"Hey, Xia!" Corin says breathlessly as she runs toward me.
I manage a half smile. "Hey, Corin. Can I talk-"
"Xia!" Shanaria runs up and embraces me. I hug her back awkwardly.
"Hey, Shan."
Then Wya comes over, and finally Rennonn.
"Guys," I say seriously. "I have to tell you something." I've got their full attention, most likely through my tone. Quickly, I recount what I saw this morning, then what Miari told me last night. I leave out the part where I visited her house and our whole make-up session, saying simply that I talked to Miari and that we're friends now. When I'm finished, they just stare at me.
"You're friends with Miari again? Miari Costel?" Wya says, openmouthed.
"Yes, yes," I say. "But that's not really the point. The point is this whole time, she's been right."
They slowly shake their heads. "What?" Corin.
"Guys, there's no miracle solution. We're really, actually, running out of oil."
Rennonn speaks up. She sounds... sad? "What happened to you, Xiana?" Then she turns and walks away. The rest turn and follow without a backward glance.
Miari
I catch Xia's eye from across the room, and she comes over and slides onto the bench next to me.
"Hi, Xia."
"Hi, Ri." She sounds glum.
"What's wrong? You've been avoiding me all morning. We're still friends, aren't we?"
"Yeah, of course. It's just... I don't think I'm friends with them anymore." She points toward her former group of friends with her chin.
"Oh. Sorry about that. What happened?"
She recounts the tale, including what she saw of the protesters.
"That's bad," I say. "That's really bad."
"I'll say."
After that discussion, we talk about much more mundane things. It feels so good to have Xia back, I barely even notice what.
The lights flicker.
Xia grabs my arm.
We wait, and the lights flicker again. And again. Then they go out.
For the next several weeks, flickering lights and temporary blackouts become the new norm. People no longer panic when it happens. In fact, they barely notice.
Gas stations slowly dry up and go out of business. People are forced to walk or bike.
But it seems to be okay. We'll keep going. We'll be fine. We will find a solution.
Until.
One day, the lights go out. And they don't go back on.
Epilogue
Five Months Later
Xiana
I reach out and clasp Miari's hand. It's finally time.
Finally, the solution will be revealed. We will have power again.
It's been hard. Sometimes it seemed like we wouldn't make it. But we did.
And everything is going to be fine.
The End