by Sarah Gray
***
At six I wake with a shock to the piercing morning alarm. Everyone starts groaning in protest. Henry pulls his pillow over his head and Kean rubs his eyes with his palms.
“Well, that was a rubbish sleep,” Kean says. His voice sounds croaky and tired, and really it’s my fault.
“Hah, I get it,” Henry says, lifting his pillow off his head. “Rubbish… because you’re in the business of rubbish.”
“Oh my God.” Kean rolls out of bed and kneels on the ground next to his bunk. A faint grin traces his lips. “You used to be funny, Henry. What happened?”
Henry swats his pillow at Kean’s head. “It’s all those stupid activity sheets dumbing me down.”
Kean wrestles the pillow off him. “Just remember to colour inside the lines, not outside.”
Henry pulls himself into a sitting position. “Yeah, I learnt that when I was five.”
“Whatever.” Kean stands up and stretches his hands above his head, yawning. “Let’s get breakfast.”
Everyone seems reluctant to move. Trouble stares at the ceiling, and something about him seems off. I watch him for a while before realising he looks odd because he’s not smiling. On the outside, even when surrounded by infected people, he seemed peaceful, but right now he looks tense.
Liss is still pretending to be asleep. Henry and Kean are play fighting and Henry is yelling, “Don’t make me go back to school! I’ll get dumber!”
I sigh and sit on the end of Liss’ bed. I don’t feel like getting up either but it doesn’t seem like we have a choice. While we’re here we have to play by their rules. I look back at Liss and wonder how long we can last like this.
