Young Writers Society

Hoi Polloi – Blaine

After fleeing Julia’s house and escaping into the woods behind it, I made my way to the wall. Mom would probably be awake right now. Her legs hurt too much for her to sleep through the night. I knew she needed a doctor, but the best ones were Elite, too high-and-mighty to help a Common. I hung a sharp left, ending up on the main street. There were Elites out and about tonight, since it was a Friday. My only objective at this point was to get out of here before some Elite officer caught me. After turning off of the main drag where I knew there was a hole in the wall, I ducked through it and jumped into the truck, taking a deep breath.

That’s when it hit me. How could I start a revolution? What would I have to do?

I revved the engine, letting my arm dangle out the window. The cool breeze blowing in cleared my head, allowed me to think. I remembered that the bankers were the ones that ran this whole thing. Bankers like Julia’s dad. Could I bribe them? No. I dismissed that idea as insane. I didn’t have anything to bribe them with. I could always make them pay a ransom. But for what? An ugly thought popped up then. The banker’s kids. Like Julia. But I couldn’t bring myself to think about that. Julia would never forgive me for it. Why would I want to put her through a situation like that anyway? Just to prove something about me and my caste? That we steal other people’s kids and force them to pay money to get them back? We were civilized human beings, not pirates.

Then that’s when yet another idea occurred to me. I could run away, to where there were no Commons, no Elites, just regular people. From there, I could plan my revolt. But I had to get home first, to tell my mom and my two sisters Elise and Emma that I just went out for a nighttime drive. I was okay, and I didn’t see Julia.

Julia. Just thinking about her took my worries away. When I was with her, it almost seemed I was an Elite myself, partying and relaxing without having to earn a cent. I thought of the fall of her reddish hair as I had last seen it, and her intense green eyes, deep as a forest in midsummer. Her copper dress, showing off the graceful shape of her body and her unblemished legs. She was pretty, I had to admit. But she was also my best friend. If I couldn’t confide in her, I couldn’t confide in anyone. I had to tell her everything that I had just thought of. She was probably still at the party, but I didn’t care. Pulling over, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed her number.

It went straight to voice mail. She must not have her phone with her.

I left a quick message instead. “Julia, it’s Blaine. When you get this, will you call me?”

Then I shut it, pulled back onto the road, and continued to mull over my predicament.