I woke up with a gasp, a hand on my throat, cold sweat sliding down her back and pooling in the hollow between her mouth and chin. I had a nightmare, that I was lying in a grave under the moonlight, mud being shoveled from above to cover my body. I couldn't move, my body was paralyzed, and no one noticed or heard my scream as they continued to bury me alive.

Nauseated, I wrapped my hand around my knees. I took in deep breaths and tilted my head. Stretching my neck. I looked around the room which was still clouded with darkness. It reminded me of the nightmare I just had, I felt a chill, and goosebumps lining my skin. I turned to my bedside table and put on the lamp. Shuffling came from the top bed where Amina was sleeping as she tossed and turned, her light snores filling the air, reminding me that I am still alive. Everything is fine.

I leaned my back against the headboard of the bed and picked up my phone to go through messages.

No notification.

What?! Seriously?! I angrily threw the phone on the bed. I am not an attention seeker but there is this type of loneliness that fills your heart when you see, no notifications.

Well, maybe they just did not want to disturb me. I would probably face Lucy's wrath today about leaving school without telling her and with Jason.

I sighed. I stood up from the bed and walked towards the window. Staring down at the streets which were illuminated by street lights, a starless sky, and just dark clouds. There was nothing special to see to remove my mind from the stress I had recently faced. I opened the window, allowing the cold breeze to hit me in the face. My nausea went away and I felt a bit better.

I imagined that everyone in town would be asleep, enchanted by the strangeness of sleep. The time came and went, mountains rose and fell, evolution changed the way the world works, and yet I was still here on this island. I wonder how the world outside of this island would be. What would they be doing now? Did they have a derogatory system like this Island? Where the rich are favored and anything lesser is scorned? I wonder. I would like to see it. Would like to know.

I promised myself that I would be able to leave this island. No matter what.

"Can't sleep?" Amina said, her voice startling me from my thoughts.

I turned to look at her, she was sitting on the bed, her back leaning against the wall, her knees to her chest, and no bold look on her face. Just a child that looks tired. There was something sad about her that I can't seem to put my finger on.

"Yeah. But why are you awake? Did I wake you up?" I asked her, arms crossed on my chest.

"Not really. I couldn't sleep either" her voice came out raspy and cracked.

"Is everything okay, Amina?" I asked. "You know you can always talk to me"

I heard her sigh as she brought her face down to rest on her knees.

I walked towards her bed, climbed the ladder, and took a seat beside her. The bed was small and there wasn't enough legroom as one was leaning against the wall, so I had to fold my legs. I placed my left arm around her, tapping her shoulder lightly as a way to comfort her. I rested my cheek against her head and kept on murmuring words to calm her down from whatever she is going through mentally.

"I don't want to go to Gideon's high," she said after a while. We were now laying on the bed staring at the ceiling.

"Why?" I asked. If not for the scholarship, I did not want to attend Gideon's high.

"A friend of mine wants to be a model, but she isn't from the rich and middle class. Which means she would only have to do science courses if she was to go to Gideon's high. She could have attended another school but everyone wants Gideon's high, and so do her parents. Not just that, people make fun of her because she is chubby. They say she can't be a model. That her fat legs can't walk the runway. She always gives them a comeback though, but today I saw her cry. In all my years in middle school, that was the first time I saw her cry"

I kept silent. Trying to picture the scene. Body shaming is wrong, bullying is wrong too.

Amina sat up, running a hand through her hair. "She showed me pictures of chubby models. She tried to explain to me that she is just big-boned, she doesn't eat that much but people don't understand or want to listen to her. There are chubby models but not here, not on this dumb island. Out there. Outside of this place", she turned to look at me. Tears in her eyes. "Our money is worth nothing here. If we were to have a supermarket abroad like in New York City or the UK, we would have enough money to get by. We have unpaid rent piling up. My school fees are still there. Look at our living conditions, the air conditioner doesn't even work. Soon enough they would cut off our water supply. What then?" the tears were already flowing down her cheeks like a stream.

I sat up and used my hands to clean the tears from her eyes.

"I understand what you mean Mina. But even if we were to leave, how would we pay for the flight ticket? Or accommodations? You said it yourself, our money is worth nothing here. Do you think it would be worth something there? I don't think 10000 Giza coins would be enough to make a dollar"

"It does. I did my research and 1000 Giza coin is $1. It was pretty cheap. All we have to do is sell the supermarket. I can talk to Jason, he is the prince and he knows people who would be able to buy it at a high price"

I was surprised by the words that kept on flowing from her mouth. She got it all figured out. She even thought of asking that narcissistic human being for help.

"You know mum won't agree with us selling the supermarket, right?" I told her

"Then explain to her. She always listens to you. Let her know that Dad is not coming back. Never would he. They used to love each other before but that's it, not anymore. He has money now, he is getting married to the Mayor's ex-wife. He is popular, his racist money-grubbing parents accepted him back into their lives and he forgot about his two daughters"

She cried harder. Her hands covering her face, her choked voice and constant sniffling made my heart ache. Sometimes I wished my dad was dead. If he was dead then we would not be able to see the way he was ignoring our existence. Maybe mum would have moved on.

I hugged my little sister, holding her warm body against mine, her tears soaking through my shirt. She is too young for this.

Just too young...

****

"No"

In the early hours of the morning, Amina left before mum came back from her night shift, giving an excuse of having to finish a project with a friend. Her eyes were swollen and her nose was red. I knew she didn't want to be here when I talked to our mother. The fear of rejection

And that's exactly what I got when I explained to my mother about our situation and the benefits if we moved to America or anywhere outside of this island.

"My final answer is no" she was still in her uniform, her hair in a messy bun, and her eyes held eyebags.

"Do you have a valid reason why you are telling me no?" I asked.

"Ruby...I seriously don't want to talk about any of this. Do you think life would just set itself if we were to travel abroad?"

"No, I don't. But it would be easier and we would work towards it"

She removed the band from her hair and dropped it on the table. "You are late for school. Better start moving"

"No, you can't just cut this conversation short. This is for the betterment of our family"

"No, this is for your selfish reasons. If you don't want people to be calling you poor, then work hard and leave. Study hard, get a scholarship in an ivy league university and go abroad. When balanced you can take your little sister with you. I am not selling my supermarket or whatever dumb idea you have come up with. The business is finally moving, work is going well. Do you think I don't get derogatory remarks at work? I do. But I was born into this system and so were you, either you live with it or you don't. Life isn't a bed of roses and I ain't complaining"

My legs were shaking, won't tapping the floor with annoyance, and my palms clenched together in anger. I tried so much to keep those tears back in, I bit my lip to the point where I could feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. She turned to leave to head towards the room where she locked herself.

I didn't want to say anything and just leave, but I couldn't keep quiet. Not in this situation.

"I know why you are doing this and whatever you are hoping for will never happen. He will never come back. We are worth nothing in his eyes and you are just so goddamn delusional. We are your children, Amina is still a preteen, and I am not yet an adult but you put so much pressure on us. It's as if you wish we were never born. You are so submissive that you don't want to do anything to live a better life. You just want to keep on drowning in debts and more debts. Maybe that's why dad left you, your submissiveness was just too much for him!!" I shouted.

I didn't give her another look or want to hear whatever nonsense she was going to say. I took my bag and phone and left the house.

My hands were shaking as I searched for the number I had saved a while ago. One ring and he picked.

"Hi Mr. Orlando it's Ruby Leblanc"

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Yooohoo!!! Merry December!! 🤭 How are you all feeling? Hope the holidays is treating you right?

I am officially done with my exams so yay. Another update today. 😊

If you liked this chapter, please;