The Sphere Read Free Page A

of the rats’ nest and away from the hypocrites without being poisoned by uselessness. I don’t know how I did it, but I avoided every single reading. I can say with pride that not one classic has entered my system. And here I am—see, you can live perfectly well without the essentials . They even tested me on those books I was supposed to have read... I could call myself a genius. I really should call myself a genius.
    “Aaah!”
    The piercing cry isn’t part of my father’s reading. My brain doesn’t need even half a second to process the information, and before I realize it my parents and I are already on our feet, looking desperately for the twins. The beach has filled up—where on earth can all these people have come from? We make our way as best we can to the edge of the water. Right where the sand stays damp and soft I see five boys arguing heatedly. It looks like an older boy has just managed to pull them apart into two groups. Three little bullies on one side and on the other, the twins. Mercutio has his head thrown back. Bright red blood runs down his neck and stains his skin. Benvolio is crying and crying.
    My heart is pounding in my ears from running—or is it from the sight of my brother covered in blood? I feel dizzy. I know it’s not a good time, but I feel dizzy. The people turn into little spots, but this time I’m not doing it on purpose. The world vanishes.
    “Are you all right?”
    I think it’s my father reading one of his passages, but his voice sounds different. And why would he be reading now? Something happened to my brothers—that should make him put his book down for once.
    “Hey, how are you feeling?”
    I wonder if I stayed in my room after all. Maybe I finally got hold of myself and got over my fear of contradicting my parents. I’m touching something soft, yes—it must be the quilt on my bed. I try to smile: I kept the promise I made to myself. I’m in my room. I open my eyes and the sun makes me close them again. Then I notice that something is casting a shadow over me. Whoever it is speaking to me has moved to block the light. My eyelashes feel heavy but I force myself to lift them. Hazel. Clear hazel. That’s all I can think. Hazel. Honey. No, hazel. The eyes looking down at me are hazel; my father’s are green. Now I know I’m lying on the sand. I felt it when the water wet my toes.
    “What happened?” I ask.
    “You fainted.”
    Some fingers, which I suspect belong to the speaker, move my hair out of my face. It’s the most ridiculous thing, but it feels like a slight electrical shock passes through my body. Those hazel eyes go on gazing at me but a ray of sun passes between us, so I can’t make out the boy’s face. I turn my head gently and see my family: my parents are reading and the twins are playing cards. I can’t believe this! The only way they should be allowed to leave me lying here is if they had to go to the hospital. No, I correct myself—not even then. If they were in an ambulance speeding to the hospital I should be lying next to them and not here. There is no way this should be allowed to happen to me. There should be a parenting police—that’s right—and they should be arrested and never set free...
    “You’re pale. Do you feel all right?”
    I nod, which makes my head hurt a little. A familiar voice. I lean on my elbow and sit up. Everything is spinning. The outrage I’m feeling won’t even fit inside my body. I sit there, unable to take my eyes off my family. I see it, but I can’t believe it.
    “Don’t worry about the boy from before, his parents already took him away. He’s fine.”
    “I see that,” I answer, in a voice so soft I doubt it’s even audible. I clear my throat before going on. “It’s incredible.”
    What really seems incredible is that right here on this beach, right now, right after what we talked about yesterday, I should find Axel.
    “Well, it wasn’t anything serious. They packed his nose with some tissue