The Great Between

Charlie Will See You Now

Max and Edward are already at our table in the common room when Leo and I get there. I take my usual seat, between Leo and Max. Leo snatches my library book off the table as soon as I set it down.

'Haven't you already read this?' he asks as he scans the blurb.

'I need it today. I'm going to live in the book world until I feel better.'

'That's a good plan, especially when the real world is so determined to be shit.'

'Speaking of,' Edward says. 'Look what I found.'

He turns his computer around to show us a world map. Little lights twinkle over countries, like in aerial photos of cityscapes, with the lights blinking like stars. But there are numbers too, figures that flicker and change and grow. It looks like one of those huge flight maps that show every plane in every airport on the planet as they take off and change directions and land, crossing the earth with silver streaks of pollution. This map doesn't show any planes or paths, just starbursts and ever-increasing numbers.

'Is this a map of the Virus?' I ask.

Edward nods proudly. He has a face a bit like a rat's and his eyes have an irritating gleam to them. Proud on Edward is much closer to smug than it is humble.

'Live stream of the Virus spreading,' he says. 'Pretty cool, huh.'

Max shuffles closer so she can watch the map light up. 'It's reached Iceland?'

'This morning.'

'You've been watching that all day?' I ask.

'Live entertainment.'

'That's not entertainment. This is people's lives.'

It's people's deaths, too, but Edward doesn't care. He shrugs and hands Max his laptop as he scurries off to the microwave. Leo leans over to get another look at the screen, but I pull him back into his seat.

'What?' he asks, all innocence.

'You're not watching that shit.'

'I wanted to check Australia's numbers,' he says, holding up his hands. 'That's all.'

'709 cases total,' I say.

His eyebrows shoot up. 'So you can watch it but I can't?'

'I didn't watch it; it was on the news this morning.'

Leo gives me a strange look. His grey eyes are worried, but he doesn't say anything more. Edward returns with a steaming plastic container of rice and chilli in his hand. Some spills over the side as he digs his fork in, eyes fixed on the laptop screen. Leo reaches over and snaps the computer shut.

'Hey, I was watching that!' Edward spits through a mouthful.

'You don't need to,' Leo says quickly. Edward stares him down for a moment and some kind of agreement or resignation passes across his face.

'Fine.' Edward leaves the screen shut.

Max looks as though she's about to say something, but the loudspeaker crackles before she can speak.

'Stella King to the main office, please. Stella King to the main office.'

'Bye,' Edward says, waving with his fork.

Max raises an eyebrow in a concerned question. I give her an 'I have no idea what that's for either' look and leave. I take the stairs two at a time and nearly run straight into Gracie's friend, Isabelle. She smiles at me and waves, then ducks into the English building.