by Gwynn White
“You want to meet up? With me?” I asked, totally blown away. Part of me wanted to squeal with joy. I mean I’m not going to lie… he’s very cute. Another part of me was wondering if he was going to include me in something diabolical. Something that would get us both in trouble.
Blayze leaned closer to the monitor and lowered his voice. “I need to talk to you about something. It’s important. Very important.”
“Oh. Okay. Where do you want to meet?”
He looked at his watch. “Get on the next sky-bus leaving your building. Number Eight.”
I was going to ask him how he knew what number I’d be on when I remembered that his ex-girlfriend, Emily, used to live in the same building as me. At least I think she had. “Okay.”
“My stop is the second one after yours. If I’m right, the bus should be pulling up to your building in… about fifteen minutes.”
“I think you’re right,” I said. “I’d better get over there before I miss it. I’ll see you soon.”
“Wait… Alex, whatever you do, don’t tell anyone that you’re meeting me. Not even your parents. Promise me?”
I wasn’t sure why he was acting so Cloak & Dagger, but it gave me the chills. “Okay. No problem. See you soon.”
He nodded and ended the transmission.
Excited, I pulled on my running shoes and grabbed my backpack, which had my portable oxygen tank and mask. The sky-bus boarding stations were all indoors, but my parents always insisted that I never go anywhere without the tank. Just in case the sky-bus broke down, or there was some other kind of emergency.
“I heard voices. Who were you talking to?” asked my mom, who was standing in doorway.
“Just a friend from school.” I smirked. “What, are you spying on me now?”
Her eyes widened. “No, of course not. I just overheard you talking to a guy in your bedroom. I was just curious. Have you met someone special?”
I laughed. “No. It was just someone from school,” I said, walking toward her. “No biggie. Where’s Jimmy? It’s been way too quiet around here.”
My younger brother, Jimmy, was nine and usually the one spying on me. He liked to pretend that he was some kind of space-ranger and I was an alien life-form that that he was stalking. I once caught him planting a small microphone in my room and chewed him out, making sure that he understood how much I needed my privacy. It didn’t stop him from using his invisible ray-guns on me whenever he felt the urge. It was usually pretty annoying, but he hadn’t been bugging me for the last couple of days, which wasn’t like him.
“He’s playing with Steven again. He’s supposed to be back for dinner.”
Steven lived in the pod below ours and they’d been friends for years.
“You know, Jimmy is going to be lost without Steven,” I said. “And vice-versa.”
“Unlike you, your brother is excited about the trip. He’s driving me crazy with questions about the planet.”
“I bet. He’s a space-ranger, right?”
“Exactly. So, where are you going?” she asked, nodding toward my backpack as I stepped around her and headed toward the doorway.
“Just out. I’ll be back later.”
“Just out?” she repeated, following me. “Out where?”
“Probably to the mall. Since there aren’t going to be any of them on Planet Z. I thought I’d do some shopping. Is that okay?”
“Of course. When are you going to be home?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make it back before curfew.”
“What about dinner?”
“I’ll just grab a bite to eat there.”
She sighed. “Okay, just be careful. Your tank is full, right?”
I laughed. “Of course. Mom, I’m eighteen. I can take care of myself. You’re acting like I’ve never went anywhere alone before.”
“I just get worried about you,” she said, smiling.
“Well, don’t,” I answered, opening the door. “I’ll see you later.”
“Contact me if you need anything!” she called as I hurried down the hallway.
I waved my hand and turned the corner to the elevators. Fortunately, someone was just getting off on my floor, so I slipped inside and pushed the button to head down to the Mezzanine. When it closed, I stared at my eyes in the mirror and sighed. I’d forgotten to put my dark blue contacts back in. The ones that made me look halfway normal.
My real eyes had a purplish hue, unlike anyone else’s. I wasn’t born with that way, however. Apparently, when I was a baby, I’d developed some kind of virus that had left me nearly blind. Fortunately, one of the surviving scientists had been able to repair my sight, but something had happened during surgery. Something that permanently changed my irises. My mother had said that it had been because of some new laser they’d used. The latest and greatest in technology for correcting vision and blindness at that time. The machine was also capable of giving the patient any color eye they wanted. Any at all. Although my parents had wanted my real color to stay blue, a different color code had been programmed into the machine in error. When the operation was over, I had eyes like no other, and there wasn’t really anything they could do about it. Apparently, a second surgery would have been too risky and my parents didn’t want to take any more chances with my eyes.
When I was growing up, I didn’t know any better and my parents never made a big deal about my eyes. I assumed that there were others who had the same color and had actually thought my eyes were pretty. It wasn’t until I started going to school that I found out how different my irises were compared to everyone else’s, and became self-conscious. Especially when other kids pointed them out and made a big deal out of them. Then, one day, a couple of boys had teased me so much that I couldn’t take it anymore. They’d called me weird, even telling me that I was an alien from another planet. I hid my tears, but that night, I begged my parents to do something about them so I no longer felt like such a freak. My mother had protested, telling me they were beautiful and to not be ashamed, but… she eventually relented. The next week, they brought me to a lab where I was fitted with colored contacts. I began wearing them right away and even made up a story about waking up with blue eyes whenever someone asked what happened. I’d been wearing them for seven years, and this would be the first time since I’d gotten the contacts that I’d be out in public without them. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to do anything about it.
When the elevators opened up, I walked quickly to the sky-bus station. There were two other people waiting for it – an old man and a woman close to my mother’s age. I quickly averted my eyes when the old man glanced at me, and walked over to the large window of glass. He was nice and I’d talked to him before, but I was in no mood to socialize. In fact, I found myself getting more and more anxious about my meeting with Blayze.
Don’t tell anyone that you’re meeting me…
I wondered what that was all about and if it had to do with the Isolation Precinct. Maybe he wanted to finally confide in someone?
But why me?
Chapter Three
The sky-bus pulled up two minutes later, and I took a seat in the back. After setting my backpack on the seat next to mine, I ran my fingers through my hair, wondering if I looked like a total wreck. Then I thought about my makeup. I’d taken out my contacts, but hadn’t removed any eyeliner or mascara. I wondered if it was smeared under my lashes. It wasn’t like we were meeting for a date or anything, but I didn’t want him to think I was a slob. I rubbed my index finger under both eyes, but didn’t see any traces of black. Satisfied, I sat back and watched as we stopped at the next building and more passengers boarded. I recognized one of the guys, Dave Blanchet, who was a year younger than me, and our eyes met. I quickly looked out the window, ignoring him. Thankfully, he sat down a few seats in front of me and didn’t make any comments about my purple eyes.
The sky-bus took off again and I knew the next stop would be Blayze’s. I sat up straighter as we drew closer to his building
, my stomach feeling jittery. I wasn’t exactly sure why I was getting so nervous, but I found myself tapping my foot as the bus came to complete stop. I watched as the passengers began to board, expecting to see Blayze’s familiar face. When he didn’t get on, I stood up and rushed to the front of the sky-bus.
“Did you want to get off?” asked the driver.
I searched for Blayze in the terminal, but couldn’t find him.
“Miss?” asked the driver. “Are you staying or going?”
I bit my lower lip and made a quick decision. “I’m getting off,” I said, feeling as if it was the right thing to do.
He opened up the door again. “Watch your step.”
“Thanks,” I replied, getting off.
The door closed and as the bus started leaving the terminal, I realized that I’d forgotten my backpack.
“Oh, no,” I groaned, closing my eyes. “Crap, crap, crap.”
“What’s wrong, dear?” asked the voice of an elderly woman.
I opened my eyes and looked at her. She was sitting in one of the chairs and knitting something a pale blue color. “I forgot something on the bus.”
Her mouth opened up as she stared at my face. “My goodness, what’s going on with your eyes?”
I quickly looked away. “Nothing.”
“I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” said the woman. “I think they’re lovely.”
I looked back at her. She had kind eyes and a warm smile. I could tell that she was being sincere. “Thanks,” I replied softly.
“Extraordinary,” she said, squinting. “Are those contact lenses? They really stand out.”
“Uh, yeah,” I lied, relieved that she’d given me the idea. I laughed nervously. “Everyone thinks they’re real, but they aren’t.”
She began to knit again. “I’m sure they do. They do look very exotic, I must say.”
I nodded and sighed as I thought about the oxygen tank. They weren’t cheap and I knew my mother was going to kill me when she found out I’d lost it.
As if reading my mind, the old woman began talking again. “If you’ve forgotten something on that last bus, it will be around again in about an hour. If you have time to wait for it?”
“I guess I’m going to have to,” I said, looking around and then down the hallway. There was still no sign of Blayze. I wondered if he’d gotten on the last bus instead.
“You don’t live in this building, do you?” she asked, looking up at me again.
“No. I was supposed to meet a friend.”
“Oh? Someone from here?”
Blayze’s warning flashed through my head. I wasn’t to mention his name to anyone. “No,” I lied once again. “Actually, I think I may have gotten off on the wrong stop.”
“Who were you supposed to meet?” she asked. “Maybe I know the person?”
She was asking a lot of questions, but something told me that she was just lonely and looking for company. The fact that she was sitting in the sky-bus terminal, knitting and drinking something out of a mug, made me believe that she spent a lot of time here.
“Dear?”
“Oh,” I laughed nervously, my mind racing. I decided to just continue with the lies. “It was a girl from school. Shelly Wong.”
“Hmm… I guess I don’t know anyone by that name and I really do know quite a few people living in this building.”
Shelly Wong was in my Economics class. I wasn’t sure which pod building she lived in, however.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’ll just see her in school tomorrow.”
“Would you like to come upstairs and use my tele-communicator?”
“No,” I replied quickly. “It’s okay.”
“Are you sure? It’s no trouble.”
“I’m sure, but thank you,” I said, watching as a couple got off the elevator nearby. They were both wearing shorts and carrying tennis rackets, obviously heading to the indoor fitness center. “She’s probably not home anyway. I’m sure we just missed each other.”
“Don’t you have a cell phone?”
Of course I did. In my backpack. I smiled weakly. “It’s on the bus, too.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “My, it’s not your day, is it?”
“Not so much.”
“You know, I have a cell phone that you can use,” she said, opening up her purse. She pulled it out. “Would you like to use it?”
“I don’t have her phone number memorized,” I replied. “It’s just programmed in there, you know?”
“I understand. Well, if you change your mind, I live just down the hallway and you can try her on the tele-communicator. I may be a stranger, but I don’t bite.”
I laughed.
She stared at me for a few seconds and smiled again. “My name is Ellie, by the way.”
“Thanks, Ellie,” I answered, not giving her my name. I turned and looked down the Mezzanine hallway. “You know, I think I’m going to use the restroom.”
“Go ahead. You know where it is,” she said, going back to her knitting. “They’re all the same.”
All of the buildings were identical. Each had a fitness center, a small library, and public restrooms.
“I’ll be back,” I said, walking away. I turned the corner, but instead of going into the restroom, I headed to the main part of the building where I knew that there would be a tenant list. When I saw the Watkins’ pod number listed, number forty-six, I sighed in relief. I was definitely in the right building.
So, where was Blayze?
I chewed on my lower lip, wondering if I should dial up his pod. I could pretend I was someone else if one of his parents answered.
Sighing, I picked up the telephone, punched in the number to his pod, and waited. After a few seconds, a woman’s voice answered.
I cleared my throat and found myself talking in a strange voice. Almost shrill. “Uh, yes… is Blayze home?”
“No,” answered the woman. She paused. “Who is this?”
“A friend from school. I’ll just talk to him tomorrow.”
“He won’t be in school tomorrow, I’m afraid.” she said in a troubled voice. “Maybe I can relay a message to him?”
“Why isn’t he going to be in school?” I asked, thinking out loud.
She didn’t say anything.
“Is he sick?”
A man got on the phone. “You’re calling for Blayze? Why don’t you come on up here and we’ll talk about it?”
Talk about it?
Something didn’t feel right. Couldn’t they just give me a straight answer without inviting me upstairs to talk about it? “I’m sorry. I really have to get going,” I said quickly and then noticed the camera pointed at me. I groaned inwardly, wondering how I could be so stupid. I’d forgotten all about the security system and they probably knew who I really was now.
“We weren’t aware that you and Blayze were friends,” the man said. “You’re Alexandra Logan, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am, but we’re not really close friends,” I stammered. “I… we… we’re lab partners and I couldn’t find my notes for a test we’re taking next week. I was in the neighborhood and just thought I’d stop by to see if he could share his with me.”
“You can come up and look through his school things,” said the man brightly. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
Something deep in my gut told me not to go to their pod. I wasn’t even sure why. “It’s okay,” I said, forcing a smile. “In fact, I think I remember where mine are now. I’m almost positive, actually. Wow, what a relief.”
“Are you sure?”
I looked at my watch. “Yes. It’s getting late, anyway and I have to catch the sky-bus. Let him know that I stopped by?”
“Of course,” he replied. “Are you sure you don’t want to just come up and copy his notes? In case you don’t find yours? Why make a wasted trip?”
“No, I’m pretty sure I know where I left them. Anyway,” I laughed nervously, “I really need to get going. My mom’s
going to be angry if I don’t make it home for dinner.”
“I understand,” he said, sounding a little distracted. “Maybe, another time?”
“Yes. Of course. Well, goodbye,” I said, hanging up before he tried getting me to come upstairs again.
Ellie was gone when I returned to the terminal, although her knitting items were still lying on the chair. I walked over to the large glass panel and noticed that another sky-bus was headed toward us. I decided to just go home and worry about my oxygen tank later. I knew that I could call the lost-and-found in the morning.
“Oh, you’re back,” said Ellie.
I turned around and noticed that she was limping slightly. She was a small woman, definitely under five-feet, and walked with a cane. “Yes.”
“We must have missed each other near the bathrooms,” she said, settling back into the chair.
I smiled sheepishly. “Actually, I took a wrong turn on the way back. Silly me.”
She laughed. “You sound like me. I’m always forgetting things or getting lost. In fact, what did you say your name was?”
“Alex.”
Her dark watery eyes widened. “Alex? Your parents gave you a boy’s name? You’re too pretty to be named after a boy.”
I laughed. “Thanks, Ellie. Actually, it’s short for Alexandra. Everyone calls me Alex, though.”
She tilted her head, studying me. “I’m sorry, but I like your full name better. I’m Ellie,” she repeated.
I chuckled. “Nice to meet you, Ellie.”
“You too, dear. Oh, here comes your bus,” she said, waving her needle. “You’d better get moving.”
“I’d better. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye,” she replied as the bus stopped in front of the terminal.
I waited for a couple of passengers to get off and then I hurried onto the bus, taking a seat in the middle. I sat back and stared out the window toward the building. I could see that Ellie was now talking to a man. I watched as she motioned toward the sky-bus and the stranger turned to look. The windows were tinted but I almost felt as if he could see me as clearly as I could see him. As he stared, it dawned on me that he had the same facial features as Blayze, and that it had to be his father. I sunk deeper into the seat, feeling my heart beat faster as he turned around and headed toward the bus entrance.
