Life Of A Bitch

24

"The password's strong enough." Alz says once she notices my white face. "It's kind of impossible for any person to unlock the phone."

I narrow my eyes at her. "How do you know my password's strong?"

"It's the birthdate of our great-grandparents—" She pauses when she sees my angry face and gulps. "I— am your sister. That's why."

I groan, wanting to pull my hair. Why is this happening? And to me, of all people? I think Karma spanked me on the butt enough for my misdeeds.

"We can still use Find My iPhone on your Mac, can't we?" Alz says, snatching the laptop from my lap and gliding her fingers on the touchpad. "I've always wanted to try out this so-called useless app."

I roll my eyes at her. "Seriously, Alz?"

She looks up at me with wide eyes. "What?"

I sigh. Alz is dumb. "You know why people call Find My iPhone useless? Because, once the device which is being searched is switched off, there's nothing the app can do. It only works if the device is switched off."

Alz groans, nodding. "Right. There's no way a sane person would keep a phone on just after stealing it."

I close my eyes and roll my body into a tight ball, sitting in a foetal position. This is too much too handle. The strength of the password doesn't provide solace to me at all. There are all kinds of hackers out there, to whom cracking these passwords would be easier than shelling peanuts. And Mom will never agree to getting me a new phone, however convincing Dad may be, because this was a brand new phone that she got me just this year. And to add insult to injury, I will get grounded for being so irresponsible.

Why does the arrow of my suspicion hit just one person?

Because it makes perfect sense. And now that you brought it up, conscience, it doesn't remain a suspicion anymore. It's become a fact.

"Alz, do you have Michelle's number?" I ask her.

She looks at me, startled. "Why suddenly her?"

I snatch the phone from her. "Do you have it or not?"

"I do." She says, looking at me in confusion again. "I thought we were talking about your phone. Michelle is completely off-topic."

"Because it's she who locked me into that goddamn room." I say, not looking up from
the phone. She gasps audibly. "What?"

Here's the number. Michelle Sr. I dial it and place the phone to my ear.

"Why— why would Michelle lock you— seriously?" She says, disbelievingly.

Wow, Michelle has done a superb job of maintaining an aura of innocence around her.

Hey, it's Michelle. I'm a little busy at the moment, so leave your message and I'll get to it ASAP.

I hang up and proceed to call her again. But Alz grabs my wrist and stops me from doing anything. I huff at her. "What do you want?"

She shakes her head and snatches her phone from my hands. "I'm not letting you accuse anyone you like of stealing. I've got a reputation to maintain. It's enough that people fear you and your bullying. I don't want to be labelled as the 'crazy-bitch's-crazy sister'."