The perfect world

Part 5: Revelations

In the next morning, Jessie wakes up completely confused. What day is it? Maybe Sunday?

She opens the phone to see that it is Monday. Not her favorite day of the week...

Some time later, Jessie is finally ready and getting out of her house when suddenly she notices someone that looks familliar coming out of the house opposite to hers. Zack? Wait... Same green eyes, dark brown hair and tall... Great. Having a classmate as a neighbour is the last thing she needed. Neighbours usually hate eachother because of the constant surveillance. People are always scared that someone reports something about them and gets them to jail. Not even my so called perfect parents weren't able to become friends with our neighbours. But Jessie had never seen Zack in this neighbourhood. He's probably moved in here with his family recently.

Zack suddenly turns around and looks right at Jessie. Jessie quickly puts up her hood so he doesn't recognize her, although the mask hides a part of her face.

Quickly, Jessie walks towards the bus stop, with Zack behind her.

'Jessie?', Zack suddenly calls. Instead of slowing down, Jessie just starts running fast.

'Rose! Wait up!', Zack shouts, his voice sounding desperate.

At that name, Jessie stops running and spins around. 'Why do people keep calling me that name?', Jessie says, irritaded. She doesn't need another weird person in her life. No thanks!

'Please come with me to a place where no cameras can see or hear us. I'll explain everything to you.' Zack starts going to the opposite direction, looking behind him to see if Jessie is following him. Jessie follows him to a dead end that doesn't have any cameras.

'So, why do you suddenly call me Rose, like that old weird man?', Jessie blurts out.

'Because that's your real name, Rose. You really don't remember me from the years before, do you?' Zack looks at Jessie, dissapointed and sad. 'Last Friday was the first time I ever saw you, what years are you talking about?' Jessie frowns at Zack.

'We used to live on the same forest when we were little and would play together every day. We were childhood friends until...' Zack suddenly stops talking, tears in his eyes.

'Until?' Jesie looks at Zack, now curious.

'When your father got killed by the government and you got taken away.' Zack answers.

'Wait a sec... I saw my father this morning when eating breakfast and he seemed pretty alive, y'know. So you gotta explain to me why the heck would my father be dead.'

'Well, it is very simple. The man you call father isn't your real father. He was hired to be your adoptive father. Your real father lived with you in the woods and was killed for being part of the rebellion.' Her father...dead for being part of the rebellion? And her real name is Rose? That's a lot of information to digest. Wait, what about her mother? And Nikky? Oh gosh, Jessie just hopes that Nikky has nothing to do with this situation.

'I still have got two questions. Were you talking about the rebellion that is the autor of those flyers? And have my mother and my sister got anything to do with this?'

'Well, your father adopted you, and then he married your mother and a few years later, Nikky was born and yes, I was talking about that rebellion.' Zack now smiles hesitantly at Jessie.

At least her mother has nothing to do with Jessie, or Rose, being adopted. Nikky isn't even her real sister, which makes her sad. But you don't have to be blood related to be family, right?

Before she even notices, her eyes are burning and there's water on her face. What are these? Tears? She had never cried before, or maybe she did but she doesn't remember...

They had taken their masks off so Zack can clearly see the tears streaming down Jessies cheeks. He feels a bit awkward. He hasn't seen her cry since his childhood. But after a few seconds, he comes near her and hugs her thightly, his eyes closed. Jessie is a bit surprised by that, but still hugs him back.

Once they move back, they put their backpacks on since they have to go to the bus station to get to high school in time.

'D-do you wanna be friends?', Jessie asks once she has calmed down. She can't actually believe that these words just came out of her mouth, but it was too late now.

'Yeah, sure.' Zack smiles widely. It's like his smile illuminates his whole face...

They put their masks on and go back to the bus station. They barely get there in time, as the bus was already about to leave.

For the first time, Jessie was looking forward to going to school. She had finally made a friend. A real one!

...to be continued...