The Secret Life of Ali

I've carved out two distinct versions of me. Old me goes to school, does homework and sings in chapel. Other me exists in a parallel universe of secrecy orbiting Ali. He lies on demand, pretending I'm not a teenager, but a real grown up man. Then the worst happens. We are exposed. It's a couple of weeks before school breaks up for Easter. She is a copy of my timetable, so that she always knows where I am if she needs me. In a study period, like today, the library is a good bet. Her face is white, and she's lost her composure,. furtively glancing around, checking the other bays behind mine to