How Do We Know What's Real

Chapter Three

"You know you didn't have to invite me on your date out of pity," I heard Miron explain as I opened the door. I looked at him, widening my eyes. "It's not a date. Me and Caliban are just friends, nothing serious." I lie. I don't know why I said that, I did think of Caliban as way more than just a friend, "Alyanna, I have something I need to tell you." Miron says suddenly. Just then, Caliban comes back. He looks at me, then at Miron. "Here," he says as he tosses a bag at Miron. Inside the bag was new shoes, some soap and some clothes.

"I will take you back to my house in a bit, so you can take a shower and clean your wound so it doesn't get infected," Caliban says, with a hint of bitterness. "Caliban, can I talk to you outside for a second?" I ask, nodding my head back at Miron. He nods and we go outside. "I went to the library today, to ask Ms.Martin some questions. You know what I found out? That either Miron or the council is lying. All day I have been trying and trying to figure out who is lying. Why would Miron lie? Why would the council lie? Nothing is making sense," I said, out of breath from speaking way too fast.

"Alyanna, calm down," he says, as he puts his arms on my shoulders, "We will figure this out together, in the meantime we have to not let our guards down with Miron because if there is even a third of a chance that he is lying, I dont want to let anything happen to you." Caliban says. I roll my eyes. "You are only saying this because you are jealous," I say, with a joking voice. He smiles and leads me back inside the pool shed. "If you are coming with us tonight, lets go get you showered and changed because you smell like shit," Caliban utters. I punch him on the shoulders softly and grab my things.

"Alyanna! Would you please tell us when you are leaing so we don't get worried sick," my mother shouts as soon as I open the door. I apologize and excuse myself to my room. All the thoughts came rushing back. Who is Miron? Why would he lie? Why would the council lie to all of us? Everything was just so damn confusing and every theory I had just kept failing. What if everything the council told us about the outside is fake. What if people from my village had survived. Everything I thought about just led me to the same question

How do we know what's real?

I sat on my bed and pulled out my scrapbook, which I had had before Kyiv had been raided by soldiers. I turned it to a picture from everyone in my class at school. As I scanned the faces, one had been scratched out. Not mine. I was able to name everyone in that photo except that person. I looked at the attendence sheet I had snatched from the teacher as a prank. Oh my god. There it was, big and bold. Miron's name. Except his name wasnt Miron back then, it was Lev Mikhaylov. I tried to think to myself, maybe they had the same last name. Things like this happen all the tm=ime.

I spent the next ten minutes trying to flip through pages to find a picture of Lev. I finally found one, and it was of me and him hugging. Why hadn't I remembered him? My memories can't just block out someone like that. I called Caliban adn told him I would be there in 15 minutes. "Mom, Dad, im going to go to the market, call me if you need anything." I shout, shutting the door. It had just begun to get dark, meaning curfew was just around the corner. I went to the pool shead and was shocked to find Caliban and Miron, or should I say Lev? "Caliban, could you step outside for a bit, I have something that I need to explain to L-Miron. In private." Caliban looks at me, jealous, but understanding.

"Alyanna listen, I know who you are. We were best friends back at Kyiv. My name isn't Miron, it's Lev. Why don't you remember me?" Lev asked, looking hurt. "Yeah, I kind of figured who you were already, but still no memory of you." I say, confused. "I think it has something to do with the council. I know you are not lying about being from the new Kyiv, so it's the council who has filled all of our heads with lies." He stares at me, well mostly at my lips. Just as he leans in, we heard Caliban yell, "Get out here we have to run! The guards heard my cellphone go off and its way past curfew!"