“The ambulance is not here yet,” Kai says. I look up as he walks into the room.
“What happened to your face?” I ask as the overhead lights reveal a deep red circle on Kai’s left cheek.
“I met an old friend,” Kai says and he turns to look at the beds on the other side of the room.
I wait for him to say something more, but he does not add anything, instead he picks up the file Doc had given him, holds it out to Doc, and says, “I tried your code thing and I can’t crack it. It’s more complicated than the model, more complicated than anything.”
Doc purses his lips and nods. “Thanks for trying, perhaps we could work on it another day, when things aren’t as busy.”
He pats Kai on the shoulder and walks away.
Kai tries to smile with half of his face, but it ends with a wince.
“I’m going to ask Sara if we can get some ice for your face,” I say. “Your friend must not be very nice.”
“Didn’t you know?” Kai says. “Friends, especially old friends, punch each other all the time. The closer you are to someone the bigger your bruises should be.”
I frown up at him and can’t tell if he is being serious or not. He rolls his eyes at me and says, “I don’t need any ice.”
Sara shouts down that the ambulance has arrived. It doesn’t take much to realize we will be in the way, so I wave bye to Doc and we leave.
As we reach the landing by the front door I hear coughing. Melissa is sitting on the stairs leading up to the first floor with her small hand covering her mouth. The cough sounds much like Jackson’s yesterday and suddenly the house and walls are collapsing around me. I have to get out. I have to breathe, to go to a place where no one is sick and dying. I nearly smash the front door sensor and jog out into the street past the medics prepping a stretcher. Kai keeps a pace behind me, although his head keeps craning to look behind us.
I wander down random roads and wish the wind would blow through my mind and carry my frustrations away. I rebel at the thought of what they are asking me to do. It doesn’t even matter who “they” are, the Compound, the mayor, everyone. They can’t let me be. They won’t let things stay simple. I hate seeing Jackson and Melissa coughing, or finding Tommy’s boy passed out in a box. But I also hate seeing the people locked in rooms and I hate hearing their screams. Even more I hate having to choose. No matter what I decide people will be hurt. I chose not to tell with Heather and she died. I chose to tell what Second Official Whit did to us and he killed himself. It didn’t matter what was right, the outcome was the same. And I carry around their last looks. They are weights pressing around my heart, squeezing dry what life I have left.
A light reflecting off one of the skyscrapers blinds me as I turn a corner. It is made of a shiny metal that glistens and stands needle thin and tall. The suns cast off the angles of the tower making it look like a jewel on a silver stick.
“What is that?” I ask.
Kai squints up. “That’s the Titanium Star. From what I’ve heard it’s one of the most expensive and exclusive restaurants in the city.”
Staring at the restaurant gives me an idea.
“What would you think about dressing up and going to The Titanium Star? We could borrow fancy clothes from the hotel and order whatever we want.” I can feel myself getting excited. Already my body begins relaxing at the distraction.
Kai takes a quick look at the Highton skyline and probably the tower. He raises his fingers to the bruise and rubs it. I can’t tell if he is for or against the idea until he says, “I guess we could. I’ve never eaten in one of those dress-up places. It might be fun.”
When we arrive at the hotel and I tell my idea to the clerk, he immediately begins to exclaim at how wonderful an experience it would be and before I can agree he whisks Kai and me into different clothing stores.
“What do you think of these?” a saleswoman asks and I turn my attention back to the women’s department.
A flurry of gowns in all styles and colors are waved under my nose until they start to look the same. I find myself smiling and nodding without really understanding what the maids and the saleswoman are talking about.
“This pea-style waist will go well with your hair, especially if we dred it and curl it up. What do you think?” one of the maids ask and she holds up this brightly colored dress that looks a bit like Melissa took a pair of scissors and cut huge triangles out of it.
“I was actually hoping for something less...exotic.” I try to focus on the other dresses and then I see this blue material under a stack of red, yellow, and orange. I pull it out and hold it up. The design is slim with a delicate pattern around the neck and sheer sleeves that flow half way down the dress. It is fairly plain, when compared with the other dresses, but it looks perfect to me.
“I like this one,” I say.
I see the one maid’s face fall in disappointment, but the saleswoman says, “Excellent choice. Let me take your measurements and we will make any adjustments needed. We will have it ready for you by the time your hair is done.”
“Thank you,” I say and then the maids pull me away to another room where I am told to sit in a black chair.
A man with long curly, brown hair and a purple button down shirt begins to pour water on my hair and rubs shampoo into it. The chair leans back so he can rinse my hair out and someone grabs my hand. My eyes are closed and at the touch I jerk up nearly bumping the man’s forehead with my own. I see a woman holding my hand and she begins to file my fingernails. I half laugh to myself and try relaxing again.
After what seems like hours with the man pulling and tugging on my hair, we come up with a hairstyle I like, and with a warning not to get my hair wet, I am shown to my room where a bath is waiting for me. I quickly scrub off the scent from the lake and dry myself with a huge towel. Like the saleswoman promised, the dress is waiting for me and I slip into it. Hardly daring to hope, I look at myself in the mirror and it takes me a moment to realize the young woman staring back is really me. A thrill of excitement ripples down from my head and I feel warm inside. Taking a step back I spin slowly hoping to take in the full effect. I spin once and then do an old fashioned bow. I am acting like a little girl, but I am too excited to care.
I leave my room and take the elevator to the tower lobby where Kai and I planned to meet. My hands move to smooth out invisible wrinkles and I straighten my shoulders as the doors open. Kai is standing near the center of the room and when the door dings open he spins around. His hair is slicked back and the black suit shows off his broad shoulders and makes him look taller. I smile and walk toward him. For a moment his face is frozen with his mouth parted open and then he flashes me one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen him give.