Influence Read Free

dark brown, chin length and slick. Both had the same habit of pushing
fallen strands behind their ears at least twice in every minute. Physical
appearance, though, in addition perhaps to their social awkwardness, was just
about where their similarities ended. Robe was two years younger than his
brother, but before Lizzie had gotten to know them she would have guessed that
he was the elder. He was an inch or so taller than Vic, but it was his eyes
that aged him; an intellect lived there, which did not habit his brother’s.
    ‘There was
one thing,’ said Robe drumming his fingers on his chin. ‘We were doing an exam
quiz in class and were divided into groups, Tabby was in mine. We were given
worksheets with a series of astronomical observations, from which we were to
identify the appropriate stellar phenomena based on the information provided.
All simple enough, until Tabby insisted the answer to one was a binary star.
Well, long story short, she was wrong. According to the data provided it was
quite clearly a variable star, most likely a Cepheid Variable based on the
regularity of the pulse cycle and its magnitude behaviour, which in this
particular scenario was-’
    ‘This is
the short version?’ interrupted Lizzie, ‘please tell me you have a point, and
that you’re getting to it?’
    ‘Well yes,
Tabby was quite resolute in her ignorance, and I was forced to point out
exactly where she was deluding herself. Anyway she got quite cross as the class
stopped to listen to the debate. Well, hardly a debate since there was no point
to discuss, she was wrong and that was that.’ Robe shrugged his shoulders and
fished two cellophane wrapped sandwiches from his bag and handed one to his
brother.
    ‘Thanks,
what’s on them?’
    ‘Cheese.’
    ‘Do you
want half of mine?’ Vic thrust a sweaty looking sandwich at Lizzie.
    ‘Not really
hungry, but thanks,’ she said trying to stop her nose from wrinkling. ‘So Tabby
obviously didn’t take kindly to your correction then, and went running to
Blair.’ Robe shrugged again, chewing furiously. ‘You should be careful,’ she
said. ‘They’ll take any excuse to start things with you. And if you go around
embarrassing his girlfriend, he’ll never leave you alone.’ Robe’s eyebrows shot
up incredulously.
    ‘ She embarrassed herself, by being grossly misinformed. I merely... educated her. If
anything she should have been grateful.’ Robe was either unaware, or didn’t
care that particles of his cheese sandwich were escaping his mouth as he
talked. ‘I don’t understand why they keep coming after me anyway.’
    ‘It’s
because you’re different Robe, you’re two years younger than everyone in your
year and you’re more intelligent than most of the teachers here. You shouldn’t
have to, but it might be easier for you to try to keep a lower profile.’
    ‘ You don’t,’ countered Vic, pointing at Lizzie’s chest. Lizzie looked down at her
attire, the uniform was there, as was required of all students, the black skirt
and the red and yellow checked blouse, but Vic’s point was the bright t-shirt
blazing through the open front.
    ‘Yeah, but
it doesn’t bother me,’ she said. ‘I was only ever going to be here for a year,
so there’s no point in trying to blend in. And besides, if those idiots want to
waste their time thinking their bullshit upsets me, at least they’re leaving
someone else alone.’
    The bell
rang again and the boys started to gather their things together. Lizzie pulled
open her books once more; she had another study period before her afternoon
class. Vic wrapped up the remainder of his sandwich and handed it to his
brother, who opened his satchel wide to repack it. As he did Lizzie caught
sight of an open envelope sitting brazenly amongst the other contents, stuffed
full of cash. She wondered if she could ask about it, but as she debated with
herself the moment passed and the boys slung their bags over their shoulders and
made to