than it already is.”
Marshall nodded. “Yeah. Probably wouldn’t affect their average anyway. Officers have so many interactions throughout the day.”
“We’ll just have to do better,” Clarine said, looking straight at Rena. “We’ll apply ourselves. Right?”
Rena nodded.
Marshall exhaled loudly before pushing himself away from the counter. “I have some catching up to do.”
“I’m sorry,” Rena told him as he retreated from the kitchen.
More awkward silence passed before Gareth said, “Can I have my apples?”
Rena realized she’d been staring across the kitchen where Marshall had been standing. She slid the plate over to her brother. Then she got up from the table and took her bowl to the sink.
“Aren’t you going to finish?” asked Clarine, still standing in the middle of the kitchen like she was lost.
“I’m not hungry anymore.”
Clarine’s eyes suddenly looked glossy. She scrunched her lips together and lifted her head. “Well … this is how the rating system is supposed to work. We’re all accountable to each other. Right?”
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
“I know you are,” she said, taking Rena’s face in her hands. “Oh! I almost forgot!”
The sudden change in Clarine’s voice was startling, and Rena flinched.
“I got ahold of Dr. Mallory last night. She was able to fit us in for this afternoon. So come straight home from school and we’ll go together.”
“Isn’t that just going to cost more?”
“Don’t worry about that, sweetheart. Your father and I talked about it last night, and we agreed. Your health is what’s important. The credits … we’ll work it out. Together. Alright?”
“OK.”
o
It was a long walk to school. Twelve blocks to be exact. But Rena didn’t mind. She liked the exercise. It helped clear her thoughts. And it would have taken just as long to reach the nearest transit station, ride to the one by her school, and walk from there.
The reason for the distance was that Marshall and Clarine lived just inside the outer boundary for this school district. Because the teachers and staff were funded by the citizens in their district, the quality of education generally improved as one moved toward the Center. There were always exceptions to such patterns, of course. Schools that somehow managed to overcome the lack of resources. Teachers who excelled despite the challenges. But on the whole, Rena was more fortunate than kids who lived only one block farther out. And while her parents’ choice of location was a good strategy, it only made Rena feel more like an outsider to attend a school of kids from higher-rated families.
At least I’m not the only one, she thought, spotting Dal as he turned from the sidewalk and headed through the front gates of the school. Rena jogged to catch up, weaving through the other kids who were also just arriving.
“Hey,” she called out, reaching him outside the door to the main building. “I heard you had some visitors last night?”
Dal held up his hand so she could see his 009. “I’m in the single digits now.” The gleam in his eye said he wasn’t too disappointed.
“What about your parents?”
“They each lost two points. That’s what they really got upset about.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. Besides, you saved my life out there. I think a nine is … just slightly better than death. You?”
Rena couldn’t help but smile as she looked down at her hand. “Holding steady at eleven.”
“You know … your conversion will be here before you know it. You need to start taking your future more seriously.” His disapproving, parental expression slowly gave way to a huge grin.
“Shut up,” Rena said, pushing him.
“You first,” he replied, stumbling away with exaggerated movements.
Rena was already feeling better. Dal’s humor had a way of doing that.
“After you,” he said, motioning toward the open door.
Rena walked through the door and into the main hallway. It was packed with students trying to make the most of their last few minutes before classes began. Talking about yesterday. Making plans for after school. Joking. Laughing. Hundreds of conversations creating a barrage of sound. It was the polar opposite of the quiet solitude of the Barrens.
“Do you see Kirti anywhere?” Rena asked over her shoulder.
“Why?”
“I need to apologize to her.”
“You did that last night,” Dal reminded her. “And she ignored it.”
“Exactly.”
Dal’s eyes narrowed before he straightened his posture and began looking out over the crowd. His height gave him an advantage Rena had come to depend on over the years. “At the end. On the right.”
Rena stood on her toes and caught a glimpse of Kirti’s straight, black hair before she disappeared around the corner at the end of the hall. “Come on.”
Rena threaded her way through the crowd, losing Dal in the process. A minute later, she caught up with Kirti outside her first period classroom. Unfortunately, she was already surrounded by several of her friends and engaged in conversation. And judging by the way she had her hand in her pocket, she hadn’t yet told them about yesterday evening. Which meant she probably wouldn’t want to discuss it in front of them.
“Kirti,” Rena called, waving to get her attention.
Kirti raised her head slightly in acknowledgment but stayed where she was.
“Can I talk to you?”
Kirti put up her finger to indicate she’d be another minute.
As Rena waited for her to break away from the conversation, she let her gaze wander up and down the hall. Across from Kirti’s classroom was Principal Jandreau’s office. The short, balding man was standing just inside the doorway, shaking hands with a young man Rena had never seen before. Presumably a new student.
He was of average height, with close-cropped, black hair that was slightly longer on top and sticking up in all directions. His charcoal gray clothing fit tightly over his muscular arms and chest. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said with a smile.
“Excellent,” Principal Jandreau replied. “We’re glad to have you.”
The young man let go of the principal’s hand and turned to the hall. His pale blue eyes suddenly met Rena’s gaze … and hesitated.
Rena felt her heart lurch. She was embarrassed at being caught staring, yet she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Despite the urge to look away and recover some of her dignity, she watched him walk toward her.
The young man never broke eye contact, as if this were a dual of wills. He just kept walking, turning his head as he approached. He nearly brushed Rena’s shoulder as he passed by. At the last second, before he moved beyond Rena’s peripheral vision, he smiled at her.
Rena’s body refused to participate in the bizarre standoff her eyes had initiated. She wanted desperately to turn around and get one last glimpse, but she couldn’t move. There was a tingling sensation dancing over her skin, warming her, like the young man had a wake of electricity trailing behind him.
And then the tingling was gone, and Rena had control of herself once more. She spun around, but it was Dal who stood there, hands in his pockets. He was looking off to one side, trying to appear as though he hadn’t noticed what had just taken place.
“Dal?”
“I gotta get to class,” he mumbled, without making eye contact. Then he turned and walked away.
Rena wanted to say something to make Dal feel better. To explain. But she didn’t even understand it herself.
I’m sorry.
The silent apology suddenly reminded her of why she was waiting here in the first place. Turning around, she found Kirti standing away from her friends, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.
As Rena opened her mouth to speak, the door behind Kirti opened, and the math teacher began welcoming students into her classroom. Kirti exhaled quickly and rolled
her eyes before turning around and rejoining her friends.
A few seconds later, Rena was alone in the hallway and late for class.
005
Rena didn’t see the new student for the rest of the day, which she convinced herself was a good thing. After all the recent commotion, she needed her life to return to normal. Boring even. Fortunately, her communications and math classes provided just that. Then it was on to her elective.
Rena had opted for logistics at the beginning of the school year, because she couldn’t picture herself in any other profession. To be honest, she couldn’t picture herself in any profession, but studying logistics at least helped her understand what Marshall and Clarine did for a living and gave her something to talk about with her parents.
Dal was still acting weird when it was time for lunch, and Rena tried to smooth over the tension by making small talk. During the long, awkward periods of silence, she watched Kirti across the cafeteria as she interacted with her other friends. Her right hand was no longer confined to her pocket, but she kept her number facing away from her friends as she gestured or reached for food. It was fascinating to observe how she navigated her delicate social life, fitting in while keeping her 000 hidden from the other highrates.
After lunch, Rena almost fell asleep in science class as the teacher completed the section on rainwater processing systems. By the time she saw Dal again in social studies, the only class they shared, he seemed back to his normal, joking self. Which was a relief, because they walked home together every day after school, and Rena would have dreaded making the entire trip in awkward silence.
Marshall was home when Rena stepped through