大象传媒

By Ela-Gwennon J

Marley is an ordinary teenager. She lived on the twentieth floor of a tower block in London, with another 11 families living on the same floor but often felt lonely. She loved sitting out on her little balcony with screens on either side making it private. The balcony had strange shaped with smelly plant and a wooden woven chair where she would sit watching the city go by. She would always see something different every day and would spy on people in the glass tower opposite her imagining they were her friends. She loved the balcony it was so peaceful and quiet.

One quiet morning Marley was sitting on her balcony on her wooden woven chair as normal watching London. Suddenly she heard the sound of loud rap music blasting from a phone on the balcony next door behind the screen. It was so loud it felt like the building was going to collapse. All of Marley's plants were vibrating. It was a track that Marley liked but did it have to be so loud? She tried to shout over the noise when a cactus hat had been balanced on a shelf above the screen toppled over and crashed into the next doors balcony. The rap music suddenly stopped and an "OUCH!" could be heard. Marley felt embarrassed and was about to blot inside her flat and shut the door when a girl's voice came across from the other side of the screen.

"Ohhhh I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to break one of your plant pots" Marley replied "Don't worry about that it was a smelly one, it smelled like rotten cheese. I hope you're not too hurt by the spikes"

"I feel like a hedgehog" came the voice. Marley giggled a bit. The voice asked "What's your name then?" "Marley "she replied. "What a lovely name well I'm Maud"

They soon became best friends and talked about life in the city, plants and of rap music. They would talk every day even if the weather was bad. Then enjoyed each other's company from behind the screens. Marley one day asked Maud whether they could met up and arrange a trip to the cinema or the shopping centre. Maud didn't seem keen but Marley wasn't going to give in.

Marley asked Maud whether would she like to go to the local café. Maud wasn't sure but they agreed to meet by the front door of the flats. Marley's wore her favourite jumper and jeans for her first trip out with Maud. She hoped it would be the first of many. Marley's wondered what Maud looked like, she was sure that she would be really fashionable. She entered the lift and waited for it to reach ground level. When she stepped out of the lift she looked up and down but couldn't see a teen ager girl waiting for her. The only person there was an old lady with a shopping trolley. The lady smiled at her and said "Marley?"