The Dictator

Chapter Three

Alina sat in her bedroom, on a chair facing the sturdy desk. The CD player was belting out Smoke On The Water. Alina was meant to be doing her homework. But that didn't mean she was.
Instead, she was staring out her window. It was only 7pm, but the sky was a giant shadow with a thousand pin-pricks of light in it, like rays of hope. The round moon shone like a bright owl's eye.
"Alina" her mum yelled from downstairs. "Get that music off, I don't see how you can concentrate on your homework while listening to that outdated rubbish." Alina bit back a sharp retort. It wasn't rubbish, it was classic retro rock. Sighing, she hit the CD player's stop button, and the loud screaming of the electric guitar slowly died away. Alina looked at her homework. Maths again. Drat.
An hour later, Alina finished. She had just guessed on the last few questions, but she had scribbled down some random lines of method that looked something like what it should, so at least Mr Tame would think she had tried. She reached for the CD player, and pressed play, and the rowdy sound of the band, Deep Purple, boomed out once more.
She wondered about Miles, and his supposed "Physics homework". If his teacher hadn't set it than who had? Of course, it was possible that Miles was one of those amazingly bright kids who know everything and are given special advanced homework, but she doubted it. As she had worked through the questions with him, he had seen the bright light of a fanatic in his brown eyes. And when they had got onto the questions about the destruction, Miles had tried to hide the strength of his obsession in vain. As some wise person once said, "if the eyes are truly the window to the soul, some people should install blinds." Alina wondered where she had read that. Her mind went through thousands of books that she had read in the past, but not one seemed to feature that line.
Her train of thought was interrupted by barking, downstairs. Drat! Alina thought. She had forgotten to walk Aster. "Mum!" She yelled down the stairs. Please can you walk Aster for me?
"No!" Her mother yelled back. "It's your responsibility."
Alina grabbed her coat and put her shoes one. She hesitated for a second then picked up her hat and gloves too. It was going to be a long, cold night.