by Julia Karr
“How about after school we all go to TJ’s? Does Dee like tofu fries?”
“They’re her favorite.”
“Mine, too.” She stopped in front of a three-story brownstone, the really cool kind with the curved windows and gargoyles on the gutter spouts. “This is where I live. It’s almost three hundred years old.”
“Wow!” Derek said. “I love old things, like houses and music.”
“Me, too.” Wei gave him a sweet smile.
It’s funny, there was such a difference between her smile and the one Sandy’d aimed toward Sal at the zoo. Sandy’s had been so ... fake and sixteen. Wei’s was so ... I wasn’t sure what, but definitely different from Sandy’s. They were both pretty, but Wei was ultra. Guys definitely noticed her, but not in a leering way, the way they noticed Sandy. Even though Wei was sixteen, she didn’t act like it. At least not like the sixteens in my old school, the ones Sandy was desperate to be like. And definitely not like XVI Ways said sixteens acted. Was it because she was upper tier, or was it just her attitude?
A wave of longing for Ginnie washed over me. I shook it off. Sometimes I couldn’t help being mad at her for dying.
“There’s my dad.” Wei pointed up to the second floor on the right and waved. The silhouette of a man waved back. “I’ll share him with you, Nina—like you’re sharing Dee with me—okay?”
“Sure.” I squinted up at the dark figure in the window. I had to fight back the urge to suggest going inside right then so I could meet him. I didn’t want to push it, afraid of blowing my chance at getting more information about my parents, maybe even a lead on my father’s whereabouts.
“What’s he doing home now?” asked Derek.
“He’s a writer.”
“That’s cool,” Derek said. “Wish my dad did something neat. He’s just a tech at Onadrell.
“Wish my dad did something, period.” Mike kicked a rock, sending it halfway down the block.
“My brother, Chris, is a tech,” Wei said. “You’ve got to be really smart to be one.” She looked right at Derek when she said that, and his neck turned crimson. I thought it was cute, and I hoped it meant that he found her interesting. Even though he hadn’t said anything else to me about his feelings, I didn’t think I’d dodged that laser yet. It’d make everything easier if he and Wei ... well, it would keep my friendship with him on the right track.
Wei leaned in to me and whispered, “If you ever need help, someone’s home almost all the time.”
Her words should have made me feel better. Instead, they scared me half to death. I didn’t want to admit, even to myself, that things were getting beyond my control. But Wei had noticed. And if a girl I’d just met a few days before was concerned enough to offer her house as a safe place, I couldn’t deny it any longer.
Nothing happened at school except school. I didn’t see Sal, which was good, because I was still angry—at both of us.
On the way to pick up Dee I told Wei about Ed calling me. “I didn’t have time to tell Gran and Pops, and I don’t want to worry them. They don’t need any trouble because of me or Dee.”
“We’ll talk to my dad about this,” Wei said. “He’ll know what to do.” She hooked her arm in mine. “Don’t worry, no one will take Dee. I promise.”
A tiny bit of optimism lodged in my heart. I hoped she was right. I’d been reckless, bold in my conversation with Ed the night before, when I’d challenged his authority to take Dee. In the past, when I mouthed off to him, Ginnie had taken the brunt of his anger. With her gone, I had every reason to believe that given the chance, he’d be more than happy to take a swing at me. Maybe Mr. Jenkins could reassure me that the legal guardianship was something Ed couldn’t ignore.
We picked up Dee and went to TJ’s. She’d never been to a place like that, filled with high school kids.
“Can I tune into the aud, Nina?”
“Sure, DeeDee, you pick.” I swiped several credits into the music box. I was getting low—I hoped the government would start our survivor benefits soon. Dee punched in her picks and tuned her PAV into the channel.
Dee sat in the booth, eating fries, sipping a Sparkle, and moving in time to the music. Her eyes darted around taking in the scene. There were ’letes with their letter jackets acting like, well ... like ’letes. Their girlfriends, either real or wannabes, were hanging over their booths or sitting elsewhere, giggling and making eyes at them. A group of techies drew diagrams on napkins, talking in a language only they could understand. Some music guys were drumming on their table and mouthing the words of whatever they were listening to. A couple of people had their viewers on. I thought it was more fun to look at the people instead of a vid you could see anytime. Wei and I sat and watched; it was too noisy to have any sort of conversation.
It was weird—I hardly knew Wei, but I felt so at ease with her. It wasn’t like we were that similar: aside from the connection between her father and mine, we were at opposite ends of the tiers. Although I had to admit, her attitude wasn’t like most high-tier girls. I wondered if she was only being friendly to me because our parents had been close.
I tamped down my insecurity. I didn’t think Wei was like Sal. Wei’s family wanted to meet me, and she was eager to give me information about my father, not just ask me a bunch of questions.
Sal. Why did he get to me so much? I wanted to just be able to forget about him, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him. About how I’d been so eager to be close to him, and now ... Heat crept up my neck just thinking about how I’d stood there, waiting for him to kiss me. Wanting him to kiss me. Instead I’d been grilled for information about my dad. The humiliation stung as much as it had the night before.
As we were leaving, Wei asked, “Can you come to my house for dinner tonight?”
“Sure.” My pulse quickened—I could meet her family, I could find out about my dad. “I need to take Dee home first. You want to come with us and meet Gran and Pops?”
“Sure.”
“You’ve gotta watch out for Pops,” Dee cautioned. “He’s kind of silly and sometimes he doesn’t have his leg on.”
“He’s got a bio-limb?”
“Nah,” Dee said. “It’s an old GI leg. The government wouldn’t give him the good kind. He hates the government.”
“DeeDee!” I shot her a disapproving look. “He doesn’t hate the government. He’s just mad ...” Ginnie hadn’t been quite as careful about airing her views on the GC around Dee as she had been with me. I guessed I’d have to have a talk with my little sister before she got herself, or anyone else, in trouble.
Wei laughed. “It’s okay with me if he hates the government. No one I know likes it.”
“Doesn’t your dad work for Media? That’s like working for the government.”
“Boy, is it ever. Yes, he does. But ... well ...” She let that trail off, and Pops’s cautionary words darted through my brain: things are not what they seem. It felt like that was becoming my mantra. Maybe Wei and her family were not what they seemed. I’d just have to wait and see.
We were almost to the apartment when my stomach dropped. How was our low-tier retirement community apartment going to look to someone who lived in a mansion? “Uh, Wei, our place is, well ... we just moved and ... the government benefits haven’t—”
Wei laughed. “You think I care about all that tier crap?”
I smiled at her. “Some people do.” My heart swelled and I instantly relaxed. I was so used to Sandy—everything tierwise mattered to her. It could be nice to hang out with someone who wasn’t so caught up with tiers and sixteen, to talk with a friend who was more interested in things like music and art. I hoped Wei would want to be friends.
When we walked in, Pops was dozing in his favorite chair. He stirred when I shut the door.
“Hi, Little Bit, Deedles.” His voice was heavy with sleep. He blinked. “Who’s that with you?”
“Pops, this is Wei Jenkins. We’re in school together.”
“Hello, Miss Wei
Jenkins.” He straightened up, running a hand through his shock of wiry hair.
I could almost see him collecting his thoughts, like picking out favorite AV chips. Thank goodness he had his leg on.
“Jenkins, hmm. That name sounds familiar.” He called into the other room, “Edie-hon, get out here, I need your memory—and we’ve got company.” He smiled at Wei. “I apologize for not getting up. Old bones, you know. Pretty little thing, aren’t you?”
She didn’t blush, like I most certainly would’ve. “Thank you.”
Gran walked into the room, wiping her hands on a towel tucked into her belt. “I’m making chocolate chip cookies.” She saw Wei. “Hello.”
“This is Wei Jenkins, Gran. She’s a friend from school.”
“Jonathan Jenkins’s daughter,” Gran said.
“I am,” Wei said.
Gran turned to me. “It was Jonathan Jenkins in that picture we were looking at.”
“Wei and I figured that out yesterday. I forgot to tell you.” I didn’t tell her why I’d forgotten—the fight with Sal.
“Wei, it’s nice to meet you. Would you like to stay for dinner?” Gran asked.
“I was hoping Nina could come to dinner at my house tonight,” Wei said. “Is that all right?”
“Of course. But don’t forget it’s a school night.”
“Mom won’t let us. Nina will be home before nine.”
“Take a coat, dear.” Gran fussed over me. “It’s getting cold. And take the transit. I don’t want you walking alone at night.”
“Yes, Gran.” I went for my coat. She didn’t have to worry; I could take care of myself. Hadn’t I been doing that for weeks now?
Minutes later Wei and I were outside waiting for the number 33. As it pulled up, I noticed a green trannie behind it. I craned my neck, trying to make out if it was Ed’s. I couldn’t get a clear view, to be sure. For a second, I wondered if I should not go to Wei’s to watch out for Dee. But I couldn’t not go—I needed to meet Mr. Jenkins. Just then, the green trannie sped up and passed the transit. I had to figure out some way to keep Ed from seeing Dee. At least for the time being, I didn’t have to worry about tonight.
XXI
“I’m a little nervous,” I confessed, which was a huge understatement. My brain was wagging back and forth between jitters and paralyzing panic. Somehow I’d managed to keep my body under control as we walked from the transit stop to Wei’s house.
“Don’t be. My parents are really easy to talk to.”
“Mine, too.” For a split second I thought, I can’t wait to tell Ginnie about this when I get home tonight. Then I remembered. I’d never get to tell her anything again. Just when I’d think I had it all under control, a thought about Ginnie would spring up and I’d forget she was dead. I hoped someday I could think about her without wanting to cry. I struggled to get back into the moment, forcing myself to think about getting closer to finding my father. That was the most important thing I needed to do. I was doing it for Ginnie.
“You okay?”
I blinked furiously, trying to stop the tears. “Yeah.”
With every step I willed myself back to that place where missing Ginnie was almost bearable. By the time we got to Wei’s building, I’d succeeded.
There was a regular security panel on the front, but Wei didn’t use it. She pressed a series of numbers into a keypad hidden behind the brass house numbers. A light beam shone into her eye and a moment later the door clicked open.
“What’s that?”
“Retinal scan. Dad installed it. He loves gadgets.”
The foyer of the brownstone was like a museum. The pink marble steps leading upstairs had deep depressions worn from centuries of people’s feet climbing up and down. The brass rail was burnished to a shine by countless hands that had gripped it. A huge crystal chandelier illuminated the whole area, throwing shadows and shimmers everywhere.
“Wow!” My breath caught in my throat. “This is beautiful. I love it!”
“Me, too. Some people don’t because it’s so old. My sister, Angie, hates it. She couldn’t wait to move out to some neo-mod in Grand Isle. Her husband’s a tier-seven. She can be a real snob sometimes.” She shook her head. “They could’ve lived here, on the first floor, but she didn’t want to. So Dad put his office down here.” She pointed to the right. “And that’s a guest apartment.” She pointed left. “You wanna see?”
“Sure.”
Wei tried her father’s office. “Locked.” She shrugged. “We’ll try the apartment.” She turned the knob, and we walked in.
“Everything in here’s kind of old,” Wei said. “It’s mostly furnished with things we don’t use anymore.”
Old things? Everything I saw was ten times nicer than anything I’d ever had, or ever hoped to have. Even when we were tier five, our furniture wasn’t this nice. I supposed high-tiers, like Wei, didn’t think about things like that. I reddened as I imagined what she must have thought of where I lived now.
“Our whole house is safe, you know.” Wei smiled. “You can say anything here and no surveillance will pick it up.”
As she gestured, I noticed her tattoo. I wondered if she’d had sex.”Can I ask you something?”
“Anything. I’m an unlocked text chip.” She grinned at me. “Dad says people used to say, ‘I’m an open book.’ But hardly anyone reads books anymore, since they’re all on chips or downloads.”
“Ginnie did,” I said. “Read real books, I mean. After she died, B.O.S.S. came to our house and confiscated most of them.”
“No kidding? That’s weird. I wonder if they go looking at everyone’s stuff after they die.”
“I don’t think so,” I said. Her XVI caught my eye again and I decided I’d better ask while I had the nerve. “Have you ever had, you know ... sex?”
“No way.” She put her hands on her hips. “And I won’t until I’m ready. No guy better try to force himself on me, or he’ll be sorry. I’m not a Cliste Galad student for nothing.”
“Cliste what?” Her flashing eyes were evidence enough for me that any guy would’ve been a fool to mess with her.
“Cliste Galad. It’s a kind of martial arts I’m learning. It’s a combination of Eastern mysticism and Celtic warrior fighting.”
“Is it hard to learn?”
“Not for me,” she said. “But I guess it could be. I think it will come in real handy for keeping guys in their place.” She laughed. “I bet you don’t want to have sex yet either, do you?”
I shook my head. “I’ve seen—” I started to say something about Ed’s sex vids, but stopped myself. I wasn’t sure how much I should or shouldn’t say to Wei. I didn’t want to ruin what could be a good friendship by telling her how typical my low-tier life had been.
“Mom has drilled into my head that women are not sex objects, and that sixteen-year-old girls are not walking sex-bots, like Media portrays them. And those vids in Health class? If some guy tried that stuff with me, I’d send him on a one-way trip to the moon. We’re supposed to like guys talking us into having sex? I don’t think so. Not this girl.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. The how-to sex vids that we watched in school were pretty ridiculous.
“We should get upstairs,” Wei said, walking toward the apartment door. “They’re probably waiting for us.” She shut the door carefully, and we climbed the stairs.
I had the strangest sensation as my hand glided up the brass banister. “Do you ever feel like you are somehow touching all those people from the past who used to live here?”
“Uh-huh. It’s like this continual connection with history. Mom says that people carry the wisdom of the ages inside them. But mostly no one wants to look that closely at themselves. Mom practices ancient healing methods and uses herbs and charms and all kinds of things that the world has forgotten. She’s got all kinds of strange stuff up on the third floor. She’d show you sometime, if you wanted to see.”
We stopped in front of a pair of dark wooden doors th
at had huge ornate brass doorknobs. A U-shaped object hung in the middle of one.
“What’s that?” I pointed to it.
“A door knocker.” She demonstrated its purpose by lifting and then dropping it. There was a sharp retort that echoed down the hallway. “Before viewers and buzzers, there were these. I live in an antique. See that?” She pointed to a little brass circle with a thick glass lens in the middle, right above the knocker. “It’s a peephole, a primitive viewer. You look through it and can see whoever’s on the other side.”
I leaned in close to try it out. Just then the door opened, jerking me off balance, and I fell inside. A man caught me on the other side.
“This must be Nina.” He didn’t let go until he was sure I had my feet under me.
“Hi, Dad. Yep, she’d never seen a peephole before.”
“Didn’t bother to tell her they work much better from the other side, did you?”
She grinned at me. “Sorry.”
“No biggie.” I blushed.
Wei’s father surveyed my face. “You look like your father ... but those dimples. They’re your mother’s. She used to blush all the time, too.” He winked at me.
That was news to me. Ginnie’d always been so self-assured, nothing ever seemed to rattle her. Maybe there was hope for me yet.
“Jade,” he called out, “Nina’s here.”
Wei’s mother was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Her straight dark hair swung across her cheeks as she put her arms around me and hugged me tight the way mothers do. It felt so good, my heart ached. I could almost imagine she was Ginnie.
After a moment, she held me at arm’s length and, like her husband, studied my face. “You are your father’s daughter.” She ran a perfectly manicured finger by the corners of my mouth. “And I see Ginnie here.” Her eyes clouded. “Your mother was the best friend I ever had.”
“Really?” I choked back tears. “I didn’t know that. She never—” I stopped, thinking it would be rude to say Ginnie’d never mentioned her.
“Of course you wouldn’t have known. We hadn’t seen each other since ... well, the last time we were together, you were this big.” She held her hands about a foot or so apart.
