by Candice Lim
“Who turned off the music?”
“Argh, such a killjoy!”
A round of curses followed. People thrust fists in the air as they shouted, “Bring the music back! Bring the music back!”
“Come on, let’s get outta here.” Sam cupped my shoulders and steered me out. The warm touch of his palms against me made my stomach flutter but I expunged the thoughts.
I nodded and quickened my pace. This had to be my only chance out of here. The cacophony would provide enough distraction for us to sneak away, as long as the crowd remained unchecked.
“Move now!” Sam urged as we continued shoving past the throng of intoxicated party animals, stampeding together. When the lights went out, there was no more order, only chaos.
A hologram appeared above the stage, illuminating the darkened hall with an eerie blue light like azurite icicles. The chorus of noises ended with terrified cries. Hands flapped as some people covered their eyes from the glaring light. The grainy image of the Asia Nova logo was replaced by the face of the former principal of Luxfield. I still recognized the gray crown with a receding hairline and the big mole at the corner of his mouth. Some things never changed.
When some calm returned and all eyes were riveted on the hologram, the principal began his speech.
“In reason we trust, ladies and gentlemen and the children of tomorrow. I am glad we all are reunited here in this ball after so many years. Before we resume our celebration, there’s an important announcement I have to make.” His voice thundered throughout the hall. Though years had gone by and everyone had grown, he still commanded their undivided attention.
“Blot my gel,” whispered Sam. Both of us were ramrod still yet I was thankful for my height and the big hair that blocked me. My eyes flicked around, searching for the nearest exit. My hope withered. Black-suited bouncers and guards were stationed at every door.
“We must take our chances now,” Sam shot me a glance.
I looked up at him and nodded. We picked our way through the mesmerized group.
“I know life has been hard on you all, graduates. I too have been young once. Of course, this is an unfair comparison. Back in my days, life was not so demanding. Now all of you struggle to survive; study loans, unpaid internships, extended probations, low minimum wage. We didn’t have all these.”
I ignored the principal’s image as I slipped through the group of ill-tempered seniors at the back and out of the crowd. To my relief, no black-suited men here. Sam caught up with me.
“Come on,” hustled Sam. He grabbed me on the hand and steered us towards the white spiral staircase coiling up to the roof. “Stay low.”
I held onto the first railing and hauled myself over every step as fast and as quietly as I could. My heels were clicking against the metal. Through the spaces between the grilles, I saw the stage. The principal was still talking, which was good news for it only meant he hadn’t noticed me.
“Roxy, take off your bloody high heels,” whispered Sam below me.
“That’s why they’re called killer heels.” I didn’t need to be told twice. I stopped on the second step and kicked off the torturous shoes. Holding them in my hand, I ran up the flight of stairs as though I had grown a new pair of legs, free and alive. In the blinking of an eye, we halved the distance to the roof.
“No matter the difficulties,” continued the principal, “you must not seek the easy way out. These obstacles are for you to learn. Endurance makes you stronger and wiser. I would like to take this chance to bring your attention to one of the cases involving our former student.”
I stopped running when my face appeared on the big screen. It was the ugly ‘Wanted’ photo. Voices rose from the crowd, spreading across the hall.
“What are you doing, Roxy?” muttered Sam. “Keep running. We are almost there.” I found my legs rooted to the ground, my eyes glued to the stage. I felt his hand on my arm, urging me away from the railing.
I tore away and went up the stairs. I tried to purge the filthy image from my mind and focus on the running. When the principal spoke again, there was no escape from the torment. What did I do to deserve this?
“It’s a shame our former honor student Roxy Riley turned out to be a wanted information thief. Our government wants her dead or alive. The reward for information leading to her arrest is three million dollars in cash.”
Three million dollars? I was flattered that I was worth that much.
The voices grew into a storm of chaos. The crowd beneath gained momentum. I felt their zeal in the air. Their lust for the reward was evident. Surely, the principal knew the best word to stir their hearts and minds.
“She was here!” A female voice yelled from the crowd.
The principal’s eyes seethed with flames, searching for the source of the voice. More voices rose, each one louder than the one before, coming from everywhere and filling the hall with a fresh wave of cacophony.
“Yeah, I saw her too!”
“She was in a golden dress.”
“That was her? She looked so different.”
The bouncers left their positions to move into the crowd and calm everyone down. Their faces were grim, suggesting somebody might be getting hurt tonight.
“There she is!” Everybody turned, all heads pivoted in my direction.
“Oh, shit.” My stomach lurched as my legs stumbled. When I looked up, I was eye to eye with the principal, who fixed me with a piercing stare.
“Roxy Riley, I thought you had a bright future. You have disappointed us all.”
I had no fear of him, only contempt.
“Knock it off, Roxy! Run!” Sam screamed from behind me.
“After her!” The principal’s voice boomed across the hall, setting off a stampede of footsteps. The crowd pushed and fought to squeeze themselves into the narrow staircase. “Run, my children, run. Focus on the reward for the wretch. She’s the answer to financial freedom for some of you! After her!”
The floor trembled beneath my feet. The staircase couldn’t hold more than two of us for any longer. When I looked down, the swarm had climbed their way up to the second floor. I had seen the same murderous look in their eyes in the Infected. Several of them shot up the last couple steps to the highest floor.
“Follow me!” Sam urged.
We sprinted through the carpeted hallway to the end where a door awaited. Sam opened it, hurried us out, and shut it behind us. We arrived at another narrow staircase. “Up!” And we did, scrambling our way up to the rooftop.
“You got a helicopter ready for us up here?” I asked, thinking how foolish we would look if we made it all the way up here without any sort of escape route.
“No.” Sam gave the door a powerful tug. “But trust me, you’d be happy to see it.” With a wry smile, he shot out onto the rooftop, leaving me with more questions. “Come on, let’s go.” Sam gave me a small push. We exited into the rooftop and he locked the door behind us.
Blustering night winds greeted us, brushed our cheeks and messed up our hair. I ran towards Sam, who stood close to the edge of the roof. The city afar was a painting of darkness, shot through with glimmers of light. Dark clouds assembled like an evil army arose from Hell.
“Did you set up this zip line?” I stared at the steel cable. It ran from this building to the opposite, passing over the two four-lane streets below. My legs had already started to shudder.
“Yeah.” Sam nodded proudly. “I know you are excited as I am.” His grin was brimming with pride. “I got the harnesses ready.” Sam’s hands held what looked like a tangle of straps and buckles he had retrieved from a cardboard box stashed in the corner.
My mind flashed back to the summer I had had with Sam a couple of years back. My parents went off for a month to a legal conference in another state when I decided to spend the summer at Whiteshore with Sam, who had a common love for outdoor adventures. Sam had ‘borrowed’ the gears we needed for our adventures from the school an
d I could tell he never returned them. I had told my parents I was at a science camp but all I remembered was the bonfire, alcohol and the promise we would have more adventures together.
“No.” I shook my head. “I am not happy. I am scared.”
“What?” A frown creased Sam’s forehead. “It’s what you have always wanted to do, isn’t it? Ziplining. It’s on your bucket list. You told me.”
The busy traffic looked like moving arrays of microchips. I quivered. “No, I can’t do this. I can’t.” I shook my head. I looked at him pleadingly and hoped we had better escape options.
The roof door shook as countless fists pummeled it on the other side. The guests had caught up. The door still held steady but it was a matter of time. A tumult of muffled yells and shouts leaked from behind the door, increasing in volume.
“We have no choice, Roxy. Do it. Fulfill your dream now.” Sam urged, thrusting the straps into my hands. “Put them on.” He glanced at my dress. “Sorry, it may ruin your dress. It looked nice on you, anyway.”
I hated to admit I had no other choice. Sam wore his harness in no time and helped me. The straps hooked into my dress like barbwire. But with the help of Sam’s able hands, within seconds we were ready to fly, practically.
Sam put his hands on my shoulders. “Do you still trust me?”
I nodded. My lips and mouth were dry.
“Then, trust me to trust yourself.”
Sam gave me a push, but this time, I couldn’t bring myself any closer to the edge. “No, Sam, please. I can’t do it.” Another thump pounded on the door. I leaped in fright.
“Pull yourself together, Roxy. You said you wanted to do this. Remember?”
I glanced at the door that would give in in no time, but it failed to give me any sort of motivation. Fear was still there and growing.
“If not now, then when?” Sam’s eyes drilled into mine, his tone reprimanding, angry. “There’s no time for fear!” He gave me another tug and I steeled myself to climb onto the edge of the half-wall. My fingers clawed and clamped onto every brick for my dear life as I hauled myself up. My steps were shaky but I made it to the top, standing on the wall. I took in the bird’s eye view of Corn City. Up here, the wind blew fiercer, the view was clearer and more beautiful.
Sam caught up two seconds later, taking my side. His hand on mine, holding me tight. He grabbed my harness and fixed it to the zip line. He tested the tension and turned to me again. “It’s time you learned to spread your wings!” He gave me a push, not too hard, but enough to knock me out of balance and off the edge. My heart lurched skyward as I sailed along the zip line.
“Aaahhh!” I squeezed my eyes shut and held onto the harness tightly. My dress flapped like failing wings. But the wind was stronger, whipping me mercilessly as though trying to rip my skin off. A symphony of traffic sounds grew and pulsed in my ears, louder with every second. Engines rowed, honks sounded.
I felt another jolt. My feet found the roof of the opposite building. I tried to balance myself. I turned around and saw Sam, smiling. This smile was heartfelt, safe.
Sam glided smoothly and landed gracefully. No doubt he was well-trained. I looked over at the building we had fled. The crowd had made it through the door and swarmed around the edge of the roof.
“You did it, Roxy. You did it,” Sam whispered into my ear. His hands worked on the harness, freeing me from the zip line. He opened the rooftop door and gestured me to follow him down the stairs.
“I did it!” I gasped to myself, I couldn’t deny the pride swelling in my chest.
“Over there!” Fatigue caught up. My arm muscles ached. I jabbed my finger at the alley using the remnants of my strength. Sam did not answer, but I knew he got my message. Our feet splashed into numerous puddles. Cold, dirty water sloshed onto my legs, leaving grains of mud and sand in its wake. I bunched up the hem of my dress, but nothing could take my mind off the filth.
We paused to rest and bent over, hands held over our stomachs. We took in big gulps of air that had been knocked out during our escape.
“You still can change your mind if you want. They raised my reward. I’m now worth more than a million. Maybe I should turn myself in,” I told Sam and glanced back at the alley behind me. We’d covered so much more distance than I thought. Luckily, the coast was clear.
We straightened up, our movements synchronized. Shadows from overhead obscured our faces, hiding our expressions. The full moon hung high, shining upon the sleepy town.
“What can a few million bucks do for me?” Sam asked.
“Pay off your study loan?”
“But it’s not nearly as exciting as hanging out with Roxy Riley, right?”
I stared at him, lost for words. Somehow or another, a strange but beautiful feeling overwhelmed me. Warm tears rolled down my face.
“Thank you so much for being here for me.” I found myself in his embrace.
☣☣☣☣☣☣
“Did I miss something, Roxy? I lost out on a few million bucks so I’m expecting a real good explanation to make up for it,” said Sam in a playful voice. I almost forgot how much I’d missed him.
I had showered in the bathroom in Sam’s house. It was his own house, not his parents, not even rented. Well, he was still paying the mortgage, though. But it was still his house. Sam owned a friggin house. Something I might not even be able to do in ten years’ time, judging from my current condition. I was in awe.
Sam had changed clothes. He looked so much younger, and better in tees and pants. I had borrowed some of his clothes too. The oversized tee fell off my shoulders every now and then. The saggy pants hung low at my waist. I had to hold it up when I walked. But anything felt like luxury compared to the dress I had chucked into the dumpster. I felt safe being with Sam in a neighborhood away from the Community and Cash. Homesickness hit me and the coziness in the bungalow somehow made the blow stronger.
“After I got into CU, my grades and bank account plummeted straight to Hell and never saw the light.” I curled my fingers around the mug of hot chocolate Sam had made me. I liked it here, back in this treehouse.
Tiny bulbs formed golden bubbles of light where we sat in. Not too bright, not too dim. It was the same treehouse we used to play in as kids. But it had been upgraded with air-conditioning and a computer. We used to stand and walk around. Now we had to sit down to fit inside. Sam never outgrew this treehouse that eventually followed him to his new residence. Sweet envy rose in me. I wanted a life like this.
Sam threw a glance at me. “Roxy, far as my memory serves, you were a top student back then.”
“Back then, yup,” I sighed and took a sip at the rich beverage I almost forgot its taste. “Then, shit happened.”
Our eyes met again. “What kind of shit?”
I finished my delicious drink and placed the mug next to me. I waited, for all my words to come back and my thoughts to untangle themselves. A minute later, I told him everything. When I finished, he was silently gawking at me.
“I believe you.” Sam broke the silence first. “A hundred percent. I’ve known you since you were a little ugly pigtailed girl.”
I snorted.
“Well, at least, puberty treated you well, didn’t it?” asked Sam.
“I take that as a compliment.”
“It is.”
Sam’s eyes interlocked with mine for a long time as the memories of the past started flouncing in my head. I still remembered the secret dates after school, the first time he had kissed me on my lips when we went for a movie night, and the day I broke up with him. All that happened before the Community ripped him from me.
I shook my head. “Well, I actually came to you for help.”
“Of course, Roxy Riley isn’t someone who randomly wants to catch up, you know.” Sam playfully arched a brow at me, though I could feel the hurt hinting his words.
“Well, thought you should know. I sold my soul to the Community. I’ve got no free
dom, no money, you know.”
Sam clicked his tongue. “Shame. That’s so un-Roxy.”
“And I do regret it, sometimes, well, actually all the time. I do. I thought everything would be over, but then…” I let my words hang in the air.
“You know, that’s the problem with y’all smart asses. They never face real problems. And when they do, look at yourself, Roxy. Shit happens all the time. You think I built the game app overnight? No way!” Sam leaned back. “I skipped meals. I skipped sleep. I skipped gaming. I could say I skipped out on life too. I failed and went broke. Sold my bike. Sold my collections. We all face hardship. The bottom line is, we face them and then, we kick them in the asses.”
That wasn’t at all funny. But it made me laugh like I had always laughed at his jokes. “Yeah, guess, I am a Grade A sore loser.”