Home Again

Counterfeit

I hoped things would get less weird after the whole mysterious person incident. Of course I was wrong.

I mean, most people were acting pretty normal (thank goodness), but some were huddled in small groups, glaring at me when I was nearby. I guessed it was some of Chrissi's gang, plotting my downfall. Not a very positive thing to think about.

At lunchtime, I logged onto the school computer and booted up Poptropica. It almost felt weird to see Fierce Fox behind a computer screen again. I wondered if she was thinking about me at that very moment, as I led her into her impressive, golden blimp. It flew over the grand, crashing oceans, and docked on Counterfeit Island. I decided I was going to do a crash course of the island, before I actually visited it myself.

I was entering the Underground tunnel when I heard a mocking tone behind me.

"Alice, are you playing Poptropica?" It was the new boy, who'd come a few months ago. I exited the blue screen and spun around in my chair.

"None of your business." I replied, in a stern tone, furrowing my eyebrows. The boy chuckled.

"Isn't that a kid's game?" he laughed, folding his arms. I rolled my eyes. Two can play this game.

"Says the guy who watches My Little Pony." I pointed out, with a mischievous grin. (1)

He flushed. "I don't watch that stupid horse show!"

I snickered. "Yeah, that's why I saw you watching it yesterday in Science. You looked like you were enjoying yourself."

The boy let his arms hang by his side. "So... what's your username in Poptropica?"

Fierce Fox and myself arrived on Counterfeit Island. We landed in a garden, which has neatly trimmed bushes; lush green grass; polished footpaths; a metal-green statue of a Poptropican pampering herself. Fierce Fox followed me past all these and to Downtown. We entered a place called Bobo's Clown store. It's a store with an optimistic atmosphere: it sells many bright, plastic hats, clothing items, and anything you would find in a young child's mind.

I grabbed a green balloon, feeling slightly weightless. One of the times where Poptropican physics really confused me. Fierce Fox was confused too, but not about physics.

"What's up with the balloon?" she asked.

"It's about to create one of Poptropica's greatest legends." I explained, with a glint in my eye. Fierce Fox shrugged and trailed after me. We arrived at the Countryside, which is surrounded by trees that belong in Autumn. Soft grass is beneath our feet. Underneath some of the trees were two kids. I noticed they're a little shorter than us, so I inferred Fierce Fox and myself were probably young adults/teens (although I'm not actually a young adult myself).

Anyway, I handed the balloon to the kid in front, who was a boy. "Here you go, kid." I said. He grabbed the balloon, and it suddenly lifted him into the sky, destroying every bit of Earth physics I knew. The girl, who had a red a balloon, rushed off.

"Uh..." Fierce Fox stared at me. I chuckled.

"Balloon Boy," I explained. "Come on. We've got some trash to dig through." Fierce Fox raised an eyebrow. I sighed and led her back to Downtown, and then to the outside of one of the grey apartments. A trash can had its lid slightly ajar. Now, I knew that I wouldn't get sick by sticking my hands in there- thanks Poptropican physics- but I still felt disgust grip me. So I let Fierce Fox do it.

Fierce Fox managed to snatch two tickets from the revolting mess. She was happy at first, but then I explained one of the tickets had to go to a tourist.