You're You by Mette Bach

Author:Mette Bach
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lorimer
Published: 2017-08-27T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

At the food bank, Freyja told the group about a documentary she had watched with her dad and Gram. They had hated it.

“It’s about the unethical treatment of animals. How it’s totally the same as the unfair way humans treat each other.”

“I’ve seen that one,” one of the girls said. “What’s it called again?”

“Did you know we could have ended world hunger long ago?” asked Freyja.

Sanjay nodded. The girls stared with blank expressions as Freyja explained the way the food chain works, big manufacturing, migrant labour, and profit-hungry corporations. As the words poured from her, she felt that she was meant to say them. This was her true calling. She could see herself already. Next year, she’d get an old VW van and camp out in Ottawa. She’d make some noise. It was time for people to wake up and stop being so greedy. So she needed to become the perfect food activist role model.

“I’m becoming a vegetarian,” she declared. “As of this morning. Actually, it started last night after the doc. But that doesn’t count because I’d already had dinner.”

“What’d you have?”

“Chicken strips.”

“You didn’t,” one of the girls said. They laughed.

“Did you hear the chickens scream from somewhere deep inside you?” Sanjay asked with a smile. He rubbed his belly for effect.

She glared at him. “Are you making fun of me?” She knew the girls were, but she thought Sanjay would approve.

“No. No.” He shook his head a little too hard for someone who wasn’t making fun. “It’s just that . . . Don’t take this the wrong way. But you’re not the first person to see a doc, make a claim like you just did, and then two weeks later . . . hamburger time.”

Freyja blushed at his reminder that she knew his deep, dark secret. “Yeah, well, you don’t know how determined I am.”

Freyja tried to hide it, but she was upset that Sanjay didn’t take her seriously. There was no point in digging in her heels. She’d have to prove her resolve. And prove it she would.

“So how was the party?” Sanjay asked the girls. It was clear he was trying to change the subject.

“Great. It was lame you didn’t come.”

“I was busy,” Sanjay said. “Like now. I should go do stuff.” He waved his hand vaguely and then walked away.

The girls went back to the task at hand. Freyja was keenly aware that the only time she really enjoyed talking to them was when she was explaining something that mattered to her. She couldn’t stand actually listening to them. Freyja worked quietly alongside them. They talked about boys and shoes. It was all boring until one of them said something that made Freyja pay attention.

“That Jay, he’s pretty lame, eh?”

“Yeah, what’s with always being so busy?”

“Do you think he was at another party?”

“Nah. I doubt that.”

“If he was, it was probably some kind of dweeby role-playing thing.”

The girls laughed.

“You mean Sanjay?” Freyja asked, just to be sure.

“Yeah. Jay.”

“Oh. He introduced himself as Sanjay,” Freyja said.

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