Nowhere Girl

Family Matters

Author's Note: I have changed my main character's name from Syra to Nora, and this is what she will be referred to throughout the story now. Sorry for the confusion!

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"So, what crackpot decided to name her Maude?" Nora asked as she squinted at the little girl playing on the swings. Ahead, she could see Zack helping Maude on the slide, his football jersey completely dusted with mud from the ground. The sun shone mercilessly upon herself and Jem, who sat on the outskirts of a playground, watching their siblings frolic with watchful eyes.

"Her mother, of course." Jem said. Sweat was beading on his forehead- of course it was. It would take him sometime to become acclimatised to the humidity of Singapore after their chilly town of Innsbruck. "She says she was inspired by Yeats' poetry. When I asked her which of his poems was her favourite, she told it me it was Paradise Lost."

Nora frowned. "Paradise Lost is by Milton."

"We know that," Jem explained, grinning. "But she didn't. I didn't tell her, either, so she could continue making a fool out of herself."

"Now that's just mean." She clicked her tongue. Nora had only seen Jem's step mother once. It had been the day his father had come to take him from their home- he had been living with Nora and her family after his mother had died. Since that day, Alma Clements had been forged in her memory almost comically- with her enormous chest (Jem argued that it had been surgically augmented) and even more enormous bottom, she looked like an engorged pear.

"Speaking of poetry," Jem said, propping himself on the grass they were splayed on. Nora sat next to him with her legs crossed, a book in her lap. Jem reached for his bag, and spent several minutes perusing through it. Nora noted, with some confusion, that his hands trembled as he fished through his things, finally emerging with a crumpled up piece of paper. He handed it to her, and she opened it. On it, in bright, bold letters, was written:

Queen Mary's Poetry & Prose Competition

All students from Year 9 and above are eligible to submit their own original works of poetry and prose for a chance to win the competition.

The winner will receive, in addition to a monetary prize of $5,000, a chance to be published in the prestigious literary magazine, The Hypatian Literary Review. Entrees will be judged by the Literature Department at Queen Mary's and a special guest, Dr. Eleanore Watkins, member of the Oxford Literary Society.

Below the sprawling text were details and conditions of submission. Nora skimmed through them and felt goose bumps on her skin. Works must be centred around the theme of Courage. 1000 words or less. Original pieces only.

She had a poem that matched those specifications exactly. In fact- she had several.

Jem looked at her, a hesitant smile on his face. "I found this flyer when I was at orientation. They'll be giving them around soon enough, but I thought you'd want an earlier look."

"I have just the thing." she said, beaming. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt genuinely excited about something. And perhaps even hopeful. But no- she wouldn't let herself dream of victory before she had even submitted her piece. "Are you going to submit anything?"

"I am, actually." Jem said, biting his lip. She noticed his hands tremor- again. He noted her gaze, and groaned. Jem grabbed his bag again, and brought out a white box.

Cigarettes.

Nora gaped with wide eyes as Jem retrieved the narcotic from the box with practised ease, propped it in his mouth, and lit it. Almost on impulse, she shifted further away from him as he exhaled, feeling nauseated the second the smoke entered her lungs.