THE GAME

VII

No time to cry!
Sasha wore a serious look as she stood in front of her mirror.
No time to be sad!
She adjusted her jacket and cracked her fingers.
No time to think of the next step to take!
She packed her hair in a ponytail.
No time to waste!
She put on her boots and buckled them tightly to her legs.
No time to blame life for not having good times!
She held her skateboard in her hand and cracked her neck.
No time to miss what she never had!
She zipped up her jacket and strapped her bag to her back
"Its time to get what I want!" She completed and an imaginary action music began to play in her head as she began to walk towards the door in slow motion, flipping her hair from side to side, feeling all bad and evil.
Her leg came in contact with something furry on the ground and the music in her head ceased as she came crashing down to the ground.
"Arrrrrgh!" She groaned as she saw Roger looking offended.
"Didn't you see me coming? Why couldn't you just move out of the way?!" She scolded.
Roger looked apologetic.
"Never mind!" She said helping herself up. "Come on. We're going to the park... Operation on the way though." She told him and he jumped up excitedly, wagging his tail in curiosity.
She straightened her jacket and walked normally out of the house with roger at her heels.
The imaginary action tune began to play in her head again as she dropped her board on the ground and hopped on it, skating into the streets.
She entered into the market with Roger following in excitement.
Dollars missed.. Wallets disappeared.. Jewelries saw her as a magnet.. Roger saw her as his role model..
It wasn't supposed to be, but Sasha was having fun that evening.. Robbing people off their money and priced possessions. She was a good teacher because Roger had a pretty bangle on his wrist, and he stole it himself.
After few minutes of surfing the market, she decided it was time to head to the park.
She took her board in her hand and began to walk to the park, while mentally calculating what she stole.
She got to the park and went over to sit down in her normal bench by the river, where she could watch the people in the park have fun.
She loved to watch the children play in the swings knowing that she didn't have such childhood.
She loved to watch mothers watch caringly over their children knowing that she would never see such Care.
She loved to watch couples in the romantic atmosphere in the park knowing that she didn't have someone to share her heart with.
She loved to watch Roger chase butterflies in the park knowing that she didn't have such peace of mind.
She loved to watch her reflection in the river, knowing that the girl in the river was the only one that shared her pains.
She sat on the bench and stylishly calculated the money she got.
"365 dollars, Roger." She said in disappointment.
She looked around In slight annoyance.
"365 dollars." She repeated
Roger's ears fell and he whimpered sadly.
She sighed.
"What difference is this supposed to make? What fraction of 50 thousand dollars is this supposed to be?" She said feeling a bit angry about what she didn't really understand.
"Well, I know what fraction it is..." She heard someone say and she jerked in shock, snapping her head towards the voice.
"... Its 1 over 1000." The lady said and grinned impishly. She sat beside Sasha on the bench.
Sasha quickly stuffed the money she stole back into her jacket.
"Oh, don't be shy or try to hide... Pretty girl like you, I'm sure you have a lot of stalkers... And I'm one of them." The lady said calmly.
Confusion was clearly written on Sasha's face. She shifted uncomfortably on the bench.
There was a weird silence between them for a while.
The lady smiled
"No words?" She said and shrugged.
"I must say, I'm impressed. The kind of sneakiness you possess is rare." She said.
"What are you.."
"...I've been following you since you stepped out of your house, so I know what I'm talking about." Julie cut in.
Sasha began to panic.
Busted. Busted. Busted.
Her eyes widened and she gulped.
"Wh.. I... I didn't... I wasn't..." She stuttered
"No no no, dear... I'm not here to judge you. I know exactly why you did what you did." Julie said.
"You do?" Sasha said disbelievingly.
Julie nodded
"He'll be fine." She said.
Sasha felt tears build up in her eyes and she cursed it for building up. How did she know?
"How did you?.." She asked in surprise.
"I said earlier that I'm your stalker." Julie said.
"You're stalking me?" Sasha asked stupidly.
Julie looked at her like she was stupid
"That's what I just said." Julie said.
"Yeah, yeah..." Sasha replied blinking rapidly. "Why?!"
"That's a much better question." Julie said...
"You see... $50,000 is a huge money and even if you gather 365 dollars everyday till the next two weeks, you won't get there." She began, raking her fingers through her long brown hair.
Sasha stared at her curiously.
"... And I want to help you." She added looking at Sasha to see the expression on her face.
Sasha's jaw dropped.
"Don't... Don't... Please, be serious! Don't... Don't joke with stuff like this." She stuttered shifting farther away from Julie.
Julie laughed in satisfaction with her reaction.
"I'm dead serious about this, girl... Do I look like a stupid teenager that jokes stupidly?" She said in a serious tune.
Sasha felt her head get light all of a sudden and she felt a lump in her throat as tears came back to her eyes.
She stared at Julie for a while, not knowing what to say or do.
"Wh.. Why?" She asked at last.
Julie shrugged.
"Well,maybe because I'm a good person and I love helping people in need." She said with a suspicious grin.
Something in her tune made Sasha uncomfortable again, she eyed her suspiciously and pulled herself together.
"What's in it for you?" She dared to ask.
Julie applauded her to her surprise.
"Good question! You're smarter than I thought girl." She said and giggled, standing on her feet.
Sasha stood up too, in curiosity.
"What do you want from me?" She asked
"Aw, Come on, don't act like I'm forcing you to do anything, I'm going to pay you to do it, its your choice to say no."
"Do what?" Sasha said almost immediately.
Julie turned to look at her.
"To steal!" She answered.
That didn't make any sense to Sasha.
"Obviously, thats what you saw me do..." She said. "What are you heading at, lady?"
"Maybe, if you shut up and listen, you'd know what I'm heading at." Julie said sternly.
Sasha stayed quiet.
"Good." Julie said and sat back down on the bench.
"I'll offer you $60,000 to take care of your old man's bills... But I'll need your skill in return." She explained briefly.
Sasha couldn't believe it. At last, solution came. She wanted to cry, she wanted to shout, she wanted to laugh.. Excitement began to shoot at her veins.
"What should I do?" She cried desperately
Julie tapped the space on the bench beside her, an invitation for Sasha to sit down.
Sasha hurriedly sat beside her.
"If you want to work for me, you have to promise me one thing."
"Anything!" Sasha said quickly.
"No matter what happens on this mission, you must let no one know who sent you, even if you're caught."
"Deal! And I can't get caught." Sasha cut in quickly.
Julie looked at her in amusement.
"I know I can trust you. You're smart." Julie told her.
"Pardon my manners,.. I'm Julie, and I work for a splendid game co. I won't tell you full details, I'll only tell you useful information... You are?"
"I'm Sasha. Sasha Lanes." Sasha replied.
Julie nodded
"Ok... We need you to steal a file from Sundrill. Its a file for their new game... GGG needs the game. So we need you to steal it from them." She said.
Sasha was too desperate to think.
Sun drill, GGG, game companies... What's her business with any of those? She needed the money and that was all she cared about. Anything that changed had nothing to do with her.
It was like in books she'd read and movies she'd watched. She was just the 'major in the background' in between the villains and the good guys.
She'd do her job and go her way so they could sort themselves out.
Do you really want to get yourself into this? She heard a voice in her head so clearly.
She didn't have a choice. It was an opportunity she wished for.
It's not like she saw a chance for such money everyday.
This lady is a bad guy!, you really want to work for the bad guys. The voice said again.
She's not working for anybody! She's working for herself! To make ends meet! To save her father!
You could continue the petty operations you do and gather the money little by little.
Where would that get her? How long would she do it before she gets up to the required amount?
Now, you're thinking only about yourself.
Who was she supposed to think of? She just had herself Roger and her dad! No one else.
So you don't care about the downfall sun drill may experience when you take their game?
Sasha blinked her eyes hard to get rid of her conscience's voice.
All that matters was that her dad would be saved and anyway she could make that work she would!
Would your dad appreciate that?
"OK NOW, SHUT UP!" she yelled.
Julie was taken aback by her outburst.
Sasha's featured softened.
"I.. I'm sorry, not you." She apologized. "I'll do it." She added.
Julie nodded in satisfaction.
"Meet me here the day after tomorrow. Same time. We need to plan our movements. You'll be taken to GGG so my boss and a few others can see you and we could plan the mission. I'll give you the money, so that the surgery can commence Immediately." She said and stood up like a victorious soldier.
Sasha stood up too..
"Thank you so much! Thank you for your kindness! How can I ever repay you?" She cried in gratitude.
"That file is the best payment I can ever receive. And when I give you the money, you'll be in dept, till I lay my hands on that file." Julie said.
"At your service!" Sasha said sheepishly.
Julie gave her a farewell smile and walked away.
Sasha watched her leave, not believing that it was not a dream. That she'd made the money for her dad's treatment.
She was happy. She was grateful. She was ready for that operation.
'You're a fool, Sasha.' The voice in her head said to her.
Sasha didnt look shaken.
"And so are you because you are me."