Free Minds

Chapter 4.

  After waving Minji goodbye, I proceeded towards the bus stop, a ten to fifteen minute walking distance from the school gates. Not surprisingly, it was deserted since most students, after all, were picked up by their parents like Minji or had their self-driving electric cars waiting on them.

   Obviously.

"Hi, Mr. Remi." I smiled at the familiar bus driver after getting onto the bus that had come to a stop as I handed him my pass.

   I braced myself for the journey ahead to the "Classic Suburbs", the only remaining area where buses were still allowed and my district, Ridgeton, was situated.

   These were the parts of the state which remained untouched by the 3D Printed houses with self-cleaning tech and military grade alarm systems, android babysitters and other technological advancements that one would usually see in other areas. One could have still been fooled by the phrase, "Classic Suburbs" if not for the definitely not-rich state of the houses and the vices constantly projected by the media.

   Ridgeton was no exception.

   Once more, the gawks at my uniform had been activated. Leaving Ridgeton High to a school like Zavlon did not go unnoticed. I performed my unrelenting ritual of staring straight ahead.

   I didn't think I should feel bad for taking an opportunity like this and I never have. They would've done the same thing. People don't choose to be a part of the wrong statistic. Most don't anyway.

"Mum?" The unlocked door gave away her presence at home.

   Being a nurse in a district like ours didn't really warrant the average work times. Especially when one was in their final years of medical school as well.

   Those, however, guaranteed being underpaid and more expenses.

   These were the times I reminded myself why I should be grateful for the scholarship and just disregard the crappy treatment I get for it.

"In here, darling." An exaggerated feminine voice that sounded like nothing like Mum's came from my living room.

   I rushed from the kitchen, trying to shield the knowing smile that crept up. My theory was confirmed by the sight of my favourite person in the world on the living room couch, biting on a giant-sized cookie.

"You're insane, you know that right?" I rolled my eyes.

"And you reek of bougieness in that little uniform, you know that right?"

"What exactly did you get from our conversation yesterday, Tali?" I scowled into dark, defiant eyes. "'Cause I'm pretty sure it ended with you not breaking into my house anymore."

"And yet I managed to break in and bake this cookie before you got home." Tali settled deeper into her seat. "So how was Vultron today?"

"You know it's Zavlon," I plopped beside her and stole a piece of the snack. "but you will not believe what— wait..."

   Her paranoid expression instantly appeared at my suspicious stare. "How long have you been here? It's only three thirty."

"Uh," She placed the cookie on the plate in front of her. "Not that long."

"Long enough to bake that though," My narrowed gaze never faltered. "What did you do this time, Talise?"

"Why should I have done something?"

"Oh right, sorry." I sighed before trying again. "What offence that you definitely didn't commit were you accused of this time?"

"Nothing!" Tali's guilty look didn't disappear though. Then I understood when she whispered, "Yet."