Chapter Six: A Meeting

The next morning at breakfast, Alex and Steve met Elli's father and Sarah's husband, Cal. He had gotten home late from the mines last night, but Sarah had explained who the guests in their home were and what was going to happen.

Alex got a respected nod, and a 'Chip off the old block' speech from Cal, as he and Alex's father had been close in past years.

Steve got a hearty slap on the back and a couple of… awkward… jokes, which he clearly held disdain towards, but Alex just shrugged at him.

"Can we go and see more of the city after breakfast?" Alex asked. She glanced at Elli. "With Jimmy?"

Elli stared at her, blank-faced. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your friend?" Alex asked. "Jimmy? The boy you attacked Steve with?"

"I don't know anyone-" Elli tried to say, but Cal cut her off.

"Don't tell me Elli's been hanging out with that uppity high-class boy again?" He folded his arms, glaring at his daughter.

"He's-" Elli cut herself off. "I wasn't hanging out with anyone that wasn't middle class!"

"Don't talk back to your father!" Sarah snapped. She glanced at Alex. "Was she hanging around that boy again?"

Elli glared at Alex with a 'don't you dare' look. Steve mouthed "I'm sorry'.

Alex sighed.

"She WAS?!" Sarah practically leapt up. "Elli, you wouldn't believe how disappointed I am in you, you know that the higher classes aren't to be trifled with! You know what?!" Sarah folded her arms. "You're grounded. You hear me? No free time for the next few weeks. Just-" She sighed. "Take Alex and Steve out to the election speeches. Get out of the house. Go. I don't want to see you again before noon."

Elli shoved her piece of pumpkin pie in front of her and spun around, motioning for Alex and Steve to follow her as they left the house.

"What was that-" Steve tried.

"Mom and dad," Elli dug her nails into her upper arms, leaving little crescent-moon shapes in her arms. "Don't like it when I talk to anyone outside of our class. They don't think it's proper." Bitterness hissed through her voice like the coco bits in cookies. "So yeah. I still talk to Jimmy because he's my friend."

Speaking of Jimmy, he waved a hello, and jogged over to join them. "Did you guys hear who's speaking today? Mr. Abril and Mr. Braxon- Oh, Elli… did your parents…?"

Elli folded her arms. "Yeah. They did. I don't want to talk about it. Could you explain the wack election process to Alex and Steve. I need a minute to think."

Jimmy shrugged, but walked between Alex and Steve, explaining what was happening. "Every year, we have an election for leader. It costs a stack of gold to run, and you have to be at least 30, oh, and male. Everyone votes with voter's tickets. Voter's tickets cost one diamond and the more you buy, the more you get to vote. As long as you can pay for the tickets, you can vote."

"How do the lower classes vote?" Alex asked, glancing around at the other people walking beside them, gathering in the square they'd seen before. A lectern had been set out, on a low stage (only a block high, and made of cobblestone).

Glancing around, Alex could see many middle-class citizens gathered on benches and seats nearby the stage and podium. The benches and seats were mostly granite, andesite, or diorite. Farter up, high-class citizens, dressed lavishly in commodities such as llama wool, fox fur, and turtle skin, sat pristinely upon quarts seats.

"I dunno," Jimmy answered. "I guess they save up?"

The lower class citizens were standing at the back.

Alex and Steve followed Elli and Jimmy to a seat about halfway back, in the andistite section. They adjusted to sitting down just as one of the high-class men stood up and walked up to the lectern.

"That's Mr. Abril," She whispered. "And that's his trophy wife."

She pointed to the pretty brunette woman smiling and waving to everyone, adjusting a polar-bear-fur coat around her shoulders as her husband stood to speak.

"Steve," Alex whispered to her husband. "What's a trophy wife?"

"I was about to ask you," Steve whispered back. "But I'm sure it's not good."

Mr. Abril smiled at everyone, and waved until they calmed down. "Thank you all for coming here in this election season. I'm glad that everyone could make it before today's election speeches. Now, I want to talk about how I'll help our community by improving the economy. You see, very little of our beloved citizens are buying stuff."

"That's because there's nothing to buy," Elli explained. "No one's got any money."

Alex and Steve made eye contact. "This is worse than I thought," Alex hissed.

Steve bit his lip, but reached for her hand anyway. He didn't say anything, but Alex could see the fear he harbored for the lower classes. Steve's compassionate, gentle soul was being burned by the reality of greed. Alex put an arm around him for comfort.

"So, if elected, I will mandatorily lower all prices," Abril nodded. "My ideals are socio-economic, and everyone will be able to buy anything in bulk. Doing this will allow…"

"He's going to ruin the economy," Jimmy whispered in a sing-songy voice. "No one'll want to sell!"

Alex sighed, and gripped Steve tighter.

"Thank you all for listening," Abril smiled, walking off the stage to the hooting and hollering of the crowd. Braxon then stepped on the stage, a blond woman and four blond girls sat down in the front rows, shoving aside the people already sitting there to make room. They all equally flaunted their ocelot-skin tube tops and soft, short skirts. Alex had nothing against dressing that way, but by how the girls acted, they didn't look like very nice people.

A man, who looked vaguely familiar, followed Braxon on stage, swinging around a crossbow as if checking for any assassins.

"Thank you all for coming," Braxon started. "Next to me, I have Mr. Terro, leader of our armed forces. When I am elected, our communities will be safer than ever, with Terro at our side and the guard taking over. There will be no chance of any sort of attacks from Herobrine.

"Because," He smiled, pointing at Steve beside Alex. "He's right there."

They were mobbed by soldiers all of a sudden. Alex whipped out her bow and injured two. Steve panicked and grabbed his sword, which only panicked the already stampeding crowd as more officers swarmed him.

"STOP!" He wailed. "STOP! I'M NOT HEROBRINE!"

A couple of soldiers wrestled his sword away from him, pinning him to the ground. "OW! I'M NOT HIM! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"As you can see," Braxton was grinning. "Our Police force is… quite effective."

Two officers restrained Alex, though they constantly had to avoid her bow to avoid getting their eyes stabbed out. "Are you alright, miss?" One of them asked.

"NO! YOU IDIOTS ARE RESTRAINING MY HUSBAND!" She answered, stomping on one man's foot and aiming at the other threateningly before shooting two of the officers pinning Steve in the shoulder and hip, respectively.

Both yowled in pain, but as soon as they got off him, three more leapt on in each place, knocking poor Steve's head into the floor. Alex could've screamed in frustration, but instead, she just unloaded another round of arrows.

"DAD!" Jimmy suddenly shouted, running up to Mr. Terro. "DAD! DAD STOP! HE'S NOT HEROBRINE!"

Terro frowned, but lifted a hand anyway, and instantly, the police force backed off, away from Steve, leaving him curled and bleeding on the concrete.

Alex leapt forward to help him up, while Jimmy tried to talk down Mr. Terro.

Steve whimpered as Alex pressed a bit of wool to his bleeding head. Braxton ran over, grinning. "How do you feel, Ma'am, now that my noble force has rescued y-"

"You didn't rescue me," Alex fixed him with her best phantom glare. "You hurt someone I care about. Not get your entitled, rich, snobby butt out of my face so we can go back to Sarah's house."

"Ow," Steve pressed the wool against his face. "Would you guys please fact-check things before attacking someone?"

Braxon opened his mouth. Then he shut his mouth and folded his arms. Alex snatched Steve's sword from a nearby guard and walked back towards Sarah's house, Steve in tow.

As soon as they made it inside, Sarah and Cal helped Steve to the couch, where they began to treat his injuries. Alex screamed in rage, pounding the walls of the house and crying. She fortunately stopped before breaking the home, but finally collapsed, crying.

"I don't know what it is," Alex cried, "But your city is complete garbage."

Review Replies:

JimmyPenguin421: Yeah… ominous

ElbertTheCookie: Yeah, well, all the rich people are jerks

Moatazabou4: High-class idiots. That's who actually buys redstone.

AmazingSnake: Wholesome.

Spooky: Thank you!

ScarOfHerobrine: Well, yeah!