The Enemy Beside Me + The Liar Beside Me (Book 1 and 2)

Chapter 6

ALLY TELLS ME HE DID NOTHING WRONG. He did what Mum had told him to do: to let me experience being "questioned" before they could lecture me. Ally was supposed to buy me a phone the moment I landed here, but yeah, this is what the two of them had agreed on.

Now I understand what Eien meant when he said, "Usually, a family member clarifies everything." He must have detected that something was amiss.

'Bullshit,' I mutter. Haru brings her hands to her mouth. The thought of reprimanding me for my behaviour crosses her face, but she nods at my uncle and stands up. She then says she's not feeling well, so she goes to their room. The door creaks slightly and closes with a soft thud.

Ignoring her, I clutch the blue velvet box. Inside is a phone that can effortlessly detect my "designated QR code."

'Your mum's right. You're the type of kid who doesn't listen to an adult's warning until you get hurt.' If Mum could see me right now, she'd tell me to stop grinding my teeth. But she isn't here, so I can do whatever I want and say whatever my brain tells me to. I want to retaliate. I want to say he's wrong; that I'm unpredictable.

I let minutes pass by—I have to, or else I might let out a loud accusation that could kick us all out. I'm only angry, not stupid—I let myself see my uncle for the first time since I landed in Zone 1. I never accurately saw him. I only thought of him as someone who does whatever his older sister tells him to do. He was a Mummy's boy, Mum had told me before. So when their mum popped her clogs, no thanks to the war, Mum sort of became Ally's new mother. She is, after all, five years older and now and then jokes how she used to change his nappies. He is much bigger now, but he still follows Mum like a good son.

Much better than I've been.

Ally's eyes are hooded, like he's in a drugged state. He doesn't mirror his old self anymore. I can tell his diet and exercise schedule have been thrown out the window. And yet, I can also tell he still has his wits.

'Why do we need QR codes? Are we...what are you?' I curse myself for stuttering.

'Citizens,' he says like he has read and recited it several times in a row that it now sounds natural to him.

I shake my head. 'No. You know that's not what I mean. Stop waffling on.'

'I'm sorry.' He dips his head, not out of respect but out of shame. 'Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm sorry, I didn't know how to tell you. I mean, to be honest, I'd never expected Phoebe sending you here.'

'You have no idea why?'

'No.'

I squint my eyes. 'That doesn't sound like Mum. She's good at planning. So good, I rebelled against her. Several times.'

'Maybe that's why she didn't give you any chance. You're always shirty.'

I snort. 'Oh, screw you!' Waving my hand dismissively, I return to our original topic. 'Now, what's the QR code for?'

Ally turns the lava lamp upside down; its gooey liquid bursts out from the "volcano". He bought it from the next shop after I tried confronting him.

What a goof. 'It's for our safety.'

'Does every citizen have it?'

'Only for nonnatives.'

'Then it's not for safety.'

He quirks his eyebrows. 'What do you mean?'

I shut my eyes, imagining my eyeballs sinking deep into my skull. 'It's discrimination.'

'I knew you'd say that.'

'Stop acting like you know me!' I bite my lip, hoping none of the neighbours has heard me.

'You really need to watch your attitude.'

'You really need to tell me the truth.'

'Fine,' he says, holding his arms up, surrendering. 'Oh, wait. I've already told you the truth: It's for our safety.' Or maybe not.

'One more "safety", and I swear, I'll cause a ruckus here.'

Internally, he's cursing me. Evidently, I'm not the only open book here.

'Fine. I'll try it. But I'd like you to keep in mind that these people are kind and helpful. They're just afraid.'

'Afraid?'

'Promise me that whatever you find next, you won't hold it against them.'

'You're avoiding my questions,' I point out bluntly.

'Shut your mush, I was getting there,' he retorts. 'Their fear radiates from the unknown. I'm sure you're aware of The Great Barricade. It was and still is traumatising. Every time it is brought up, I feel like I'm in that timeline where I couldn't do anything but watch everyone we knew die left and right. Your mum and I were only children.'

This time, I keep my mouth shut. Yes, I'm gagging to get the answers I deserve, but I don't have the heart to be snarky against my uncle every time he remembers his childhood. Their childhood. Years ago, Mum would cry when she thought I was asleep. I pretended that I wasn't hearing her; it's better that way. She doesn't like being seen in a vulnerable state.

'Anyways,' he continues, 'up to this day, nobody knows which country started it. But the causality of deaths and infection slowly decreased when Zone 1 closed the borders. It... stopped when they sent the nonnatives back to their homelands.'

'That doesn't make sense. It's not like the war—'

'Jaxon!' he whispers sharply.

'Why? Am I not allowed to say that?'

'No. It sounds...I don't know, ungrateful? Jax, please, listen to me first.'

I hesitate, but then I might as well let him talk. 'Fine.'

Ally shoots me a long, hard look, examining if I'll keep my manners. 'It would do us good if you didn't practice your freedom of speech here. And no, before you get the wrong idea, we're not under totalitarian authority. Topics like this are too sensitive to be discussed. You wouldn't get it. You're a kid. A kid who didn't live through the horror of the Great Barricade.' My eyes twitch at the remark. 'You're still free to roam around, but your QR code will tell the authorities where you are. So, if you get sick, or you get lost, Or if you do anything illegal they can easily follow you. It's great, don't you think?'

'Yeah, great. It's so great when that Daisuke guy told us to buzz off as soon as he gave me the phone. By the way, cheers for pointing out what I exactly wanted to hear. I love it.'

He heaves a heavy sigh. 'Jax...'

'Just how free are we anyway? Can I still pinch a fag outside?'

'What? Phoebe told me you'd stopped smoking two years ago!'

'That was a trick question,' I quickly say. I'm not dropping this. 'Why am I here? How did I get to enrol on a "prestigious school"? Was that a fluke?'

Ally opens and closes his fists. I hear his knuckles cracking. No, he isn't going to box my ears. It's his way to calm himself when his patience is wearing thin. 'Stop acting like you're oppressed. You should've seen how our people—' he pauses '—we were far worse than anyone. We were barbaric.'

The tips of my fingers dig into and scratch the surface of the chabudai. Ally sees this, but he doesn't say a thing.

'I'm gonna hit the bog,' I say, leaving him. I can't deal with this. Ally's answer was duff and disturbing. Does he think I'm a mug? He knows this is wrong, and yet he's acting like everything is normal.