here,’ she said. ‘Safer than trying to escape to the Outside when they’d only send the Catchers after you and put you in a hard labour camp. Your problem is that you think you’re better than other Surpluses, think the rules don’t apply to you. Well they do, and I’m sick of you talking about my parents and stuff. I don’t want to hear any more. And don’t expect me to keep watching out for you either.’
Peter shrugged, but his dark eyes belied his casual stance, staring deep into Anna’s and making her shift uncomfortably. ‘Fine, suit yourself,’ he said evenly. ‘Stay here and turn yourself into a good little house servant. Let Mrs Pincent and the rest of them tell you what to do, what to think – or, rather, what not to think. See if I care. I mean, I got caught just so that I could find you, so that I could bring you back to your parents, but don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll be very happy, Anna Covey.’
‘Don’t call me that!’ Anna cried, putting her hands to her ears. ‘And I didn’t ask you to come . . .’
‘No, you didn’t, you’re right,’ Peter said slowly. He looked away and folded his arms defensively. ‘You know, tracking you down to Grange Hall wasn’t easy. And I knew that being here was going to be hard. But I never thought you’d be so difficult. I thought you’d be pleased I came.’
‘I am pleased you came,’ Anna said quickly, surprising herself with the words. ‘But you’re wrong about everything. You’re better off here, really you are. Can’t you be my friend and stay?’
Peter shook his head and Anna rolled her eyes in irritation.
‘Look, I could get in trouble just talking to you about this,’ she said. ‘The fact is that Mrs Pincent seems to quite like you now. You could be OK here, instead of having to spend your life hiding.’
‘I can assure you that Mrs Pincent doesn’t like me,’ Peter said sarcastically. ‘She doesn’t like any of us. Anyone who can beat someone the way she beat me isn’t capable of that emotion.’
Anna looked down at the floor. She’d suspected as much.
‘You don’t get beaten if you don’t break the rules,’ she said quietly.
‘You really have fallen for all her crap, haven’t you?’ Peter said with a sigh. ‘You believe every single word that woman feeds you. Well, I don’t. Anna, we’ve got as much right to be on this planet as the Mrs Pincents of this world. More right. They’re the ones who have outstayed their welcome by living for ever and they’re blaming us for it.’
Peter’s eyes were flashing and Anna looked at him with terror. What he’d just said was blasphemous. He’d be flogged if anyone heard him. She would too, just for listening.
‘Look,’ he said with a sigh, ‘I’m getting out of here, and if you’re not going to come with me then that’s your business. But I can’t wait for ever. You have to decide, Anna Covey. You have to decide whether you’re going to live a life of slavery or not.’
Anna stared at Peter, then stood up, only to discover that her legs were shaking. How dare Peter tell her she was a slave? Putting a hand on the table to steady herself, she took a deep breath and forced herself to look him directly in the eye.
‘I’ve already decided,’ she hissed. ‘You’re the one that believes crap, Peter. I’m a Prefect. A Prefect . In six months I’m going to be a Valuable Asset. You can ruin your own life, but you’re not ruining mine. Try and escape if you want, but I don’t want anything to do with it. I don’t want anything to do with you either.’
And with that, she turned and left, leaving Peter alone in the vast hall that was Central Feeding. She walked without thinking out of the door, across the covered courtyard that separated the feeding hall from the main building, then walked more quickly towards the stairs. It was only when she got to Floor 2 that she realised where she was going, and was soon running towards Female Bathroom 2.
Peter shrugged, but his dark eyes belied his casual stance, staring deep into Anna’s and making her shift uncomfortably. ‘Fine, suit yourself,’ he said evenly. ‘Stay here and turn yourself into a good little house servant. Let Mrs Pincent and the rest of them tell you what to do, what to think – or, rather, what not to think. See if I care. I mean, I got caught just so that I could find you, so that I could bring you back to your parents, but don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll be very happy, Anna Covey.’
‘Don’t call me that!’ Anna cried, putting her hands to her ears. ‘And I didn’t ask you to come . . .’
‘No, you didn’t, you’re right,’ Peter said slowly. He looked away and folded his arms defensively. ‘You know, tracking you down to Grange Hall wasn’t easy. And I knew that being here was going to be hard. But I never thought you’d be so difficult. I thought you’d be pleased I came.’
‘I am pleased you came,’ Anna said quickly, surprising herself with the words. ‘But you’re wrong about everything. You’re better off here, really you are. Can’t you be my friend and stay?’
Peter shook his head and Anna rolled her eyes in irritation.
‘Look, I could get in trouble just talking to you about this,’ she said. ‘The fact is that Mrs Pincent seems to quite like you now. You could be OK here, instead of having to spend your life hiding.’
‘I can assure you that Mrs Pincent doesn’t like me,’ Peter said sarcastically. ‘She doesn’t like any of us. Anyone who can beat someone the way she beat me isn’t capable of that emotion.’
Anna looked down at the floor. She’d suspected as much.
‘You don’t get beaten if you don’t break the rules,’ she said quietly.
‘You really have fallen for all her crap, haven’t you?’ Peter said with a sigh. ‘You believe every single word that woman feeds you. Well, I don’t. Anna, we’ve got as much right to be on this planet as the Mrs Pincents of this world. More right. They’re the ones who have outstayed their welcome by living for ever and they’re blaming us for it.’
Peter’s eyes were flashing and Anna looked at him with terror. What he’d just said was blasphemous. He’d be flogged if anyone heard him. She would too, just for listening.
‘Look,’ he said with a sigh, ‘I’m getting out of here, and if you’re not going to come with me then that’s your business. But I can’t wait for ever. You have to decide, Anna Covey. You have to decide whether you’re going to live a life of slavery or not.’
Anna stared at Peter, then stood up, only to discover that her legs were shaking. How dare Peter tell her she was a slave? Putting a hand on the table to steady herself, she took a deep breath and forced herself to look him directly in the eye.
‘I’ve already decided,’ she hissed. ‘You’re the one that believes crap, Peter. I’m a Prefect. A Prefect . In six months I’m going to be a Valuable Asset. You can ruin your own life, but you’re not ruining mine. Try and escape if you want, but I don’t want anything to do with it. I don’t want anything to do with you either.’
And with that, she turned and left, leaving Peter alone in the vast hall that was Central Feeding. She walked without thinking out of the door, across the covered courtyard that separated the feeding hall from the main building, then walked more quickly towards the stairs. It was only when she got to Floor 2 that she realised where she was going, and was soon running towards Female Bathroom 2.
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