Chapter Ten
Wednesday, June 21
Mid-Morning
Rena woke up early to meet Blaze for their trip to Market, but Anata kept adding “can yous” to her morning chores. Can you get more water for the dishes? Can you help the twins find their androg? Can you make sure the twins put on enough sunblock? Can you help the boys find their sunhats?
When the boys were out of the house, or more importantly her room, she got her backpack out of the trunk. By then, she was already an hour late and ran the whole way. She debated whether she should show Blaze her portrait, partly to brag about Trace’s talent and partly because the two of them were as close as sisters, but who actually liked each other. Blaze most likely needed to brace herself, too. The drawing in and of itself was innocent. The drawing plus an explanation was condemning. She liked Trace too much to risk accidentally outing him as Other and decided to keep his secret.
When Rena reached Blaze’s house, she found her perched on the front steps, tight-lipped and red-faced.
“What happened to ‘be there at seven’?” Blaze jumped to her feet. “It’s already half past eight. I’ve been waiting for over an hour.”
“I know. I’m sorry. The twins.” She hooked her thumb under her backpack strap and moved back to give the redhead some space.
“I had half a mind to go without you,” Blaze said, storming off down the uneven sidewalk toward Quad 4. “It’s already hot. We could’ve been there by now.”
She jogged to keep up. “My brothers—”
“You always blame it on them.”
“You don’t have siblings. You don’t know what it’s like. I have to help them with everything—getting up in the morning, making breakfast, washing dishes, getting ready for outdoors. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get sunscreen on those wriggling bodinks?”
Blaze stopped mid-step, her hands balled in fists by her side. “They’re ten!” She took off walking again in short, fast strides. “They should be able to do all those things by now.”
“They can. Anata babies them, but makes me do all the hard stuff.”
“When are you going to stand up to that woman?”
Her dad’s arm around Anata’s waist flashed through her mind and she knew the confrontation between them would never happen. “I think she might be a permanent fixture in my house. The two of them were practically making out in front of me in the kitchen.”
“Ugh. Sorry.” They walked in silence for a few minutes before Blaze asked, “What’d you bring?”
“The bird and two books. I think the brown one is an old-time video album, but the power source must be drained. I couldn’t get it to activate. Had some pretty interesting images.”
“Hmm. Let’s bargain that one first.”
“But it’s broken,” Rena said.
“If we show them the good stuff first, they might not want to buy the video album.”
Rena immediately picked up the train of thought. “But, if they’re willing to buy something that’s broken, then—”
“They’ll pay more for thing’s that aren’t,” Blaze finished. “Only by then, they will have already agreed to buy the broken thing and pride won’t let them back out of the deal.”
Rena tapped her temple, in a ‘smart move’ gesture. “That’s clever.”
They made it through Quad 4 and to Market in a little over an hour. On either side of the entrance to the underground cavern, the people who couldn’t afford to rent stalls inside set up rickety tables. Sunshades constructed of sewn together clothing, blankets, and upholstery stretched overhead. No cash ever changed hands under the patchwork tents. Their bargains fell strictly in the ‘This for That’ category.
Rena and Blaze bypassed the tables of useless knickknacks, stinky shoes, and tattered garments. Homeless people lined both sides of the worn path down to the market. They begged for what little passersby could spare. Rena squeezed to the center of the crowd to avoid any potential pickpocketing. The farther they walked into the cavern, the lower the temperature dropped, making it the perfect location for maximum protection from the Burning.
Once inside the market, the crowd fanned out. Rena and Blaze rolled their hats and stashed them in Rena’s backpack before moving deeper underground. The first booth on their left belonged to the Buyers. A banner with an image of Overlord Andrick surrounded by a crowd of smiling Hollowcrest residents hung on the back wall. Buyers bargained with customers selling or pawning goods. Rena searched for the black-haired Topaz and was slightly disappointed when she didn’t find him.
Blaze squeezed Rena’s hand. “He’s not here.”
“Topaz? I know.”
She clicked her tongue. “No, Grunge.” She pointed to the booth opposite the Buyers.
“Sign says he’s on break.”
“Let’s go look at some clothes.” She gave the Buyer booth one last glance before they made their way down the L-shaped path toward Katya’s Korner, which had the best quality used clothing. They started in the section at the back.
Rena picked up a pair of blue jeans. “Do you think we can get enough to buy a pair of these?”
“Probably.”
Blaze walked to the shirts next to the wall bordering Old World Fashion, but Rena knew she wasn’t looking at shirts. Not yet anyway. She was peeking through the slats at the guys perusing the sock bins.
Rena unfolded the jeans, holding them up in front of her hips. They were faded, but not holey.
“Are you sure? These cost a thousand units.”
Blaze leaned her hip against the shirt table with her arms crossed. “The video album should cover that and a shirt.”
“But it’s broken.”
“Doesn’t matter. I can sell it.” Determination burned in Blaze’s eyes.
Rena hid the jeans at the bottom of the largest pile. Satisfied no other customers would find them, she joined Blaze at the shirts.
“What about the other stuff?” Rena asked.
“Should cover new parade dresses for both of us. If you’ll parade with me, that is.”
“You must be really good at bargaining.”
“Yes, I am. Plus, the stuff from the cave is unique and in great condition.”
Someone knocked over bottles in the Old World Fashion booth. Rena glanced through the partition, but a post blocked her view.
Blaze, on the other hand, stood slack-jawed.
Rena leaned forward in time to see a black-haired man in a tan t-shirt leaving the booth in a hurry. “SME. That looked like Topaz.”
“It was,” Blaze whispered.
She picked lint off the top sweater on the pile. “He see you?”
She shook her head. “He looked so different without his suit. Like a regular person. I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t him.”
“But you wish it was.” She nudged Blaze’s hand. “Let’s go see if Grunge is back.”
“Give me the backpack, first.”
Rena hesitated. What if Trace’s drawing accidentally fell out?
“It’ll work better if he thinks it’s my stuff.”
“Fine.” Hoping she’d stashed the picture deep enough to hide, she handed it over.
“And once we get started, please don’t interrupt. I’ll need to concentrate,” Blaze said.
“How hard can it be?”
“It takes finesse. Watch and learn.” Blaze hooked the strap over her shoulder.
They pushed their way back through the crowds to the Grunge’s booth. Rena caught a whiff of a few people in desperate need of a shower. Unpleasant as it was, she focused on that to draw her attention away from the irritating and sporadic ground sensation from people walking around.
Blaze smoothed down her hair, straightened her spine, and pushed her shoulders back as they neared Grunge. The man sat hunched over a bunch of tiny metal parts, diligently working on a clock. The short, tube-like magnifying glass scrunched between his bushy eyebrow and his chubby cheek made him look like an old-time android. Black smears covere
d every part of his face.
Blaze drummed her fingers on the tabletop. Grunge scowled at her, curled his lip, and spoke in a low grumble. “You again?” He looked back at the clock in his hands. “See you brought the other one.”
Rena pretended to examine a necklace made of cogs and gears inside the Grunge’s glass display case when she was really looking at the reflection of the Buyer’s booth. One of their customers had raised his voice at the light haired woman behind the stand. Her face remained unchanged, like a Syn.
When Rena turned to double check, she noticed Topaz approach the pair. He wasn’t wearing a tan shirt like the guy they saw in Old World Fashion, but instead, a fitted dark business suit with a white button up shirt, which accentuated the perfection of his smile. He took some kind of tool out of the woman’s grasp, handed it back to the customer, and sent the man on his way.
Grunge’s foul breath wafted across the small space between them, drawing Rena’s attention back to his table.
“I have more valuables.” Blaze held her hand inside the backpack for a few seconds and glanced around, as if checking to make sure no one else would see before Grunge had his chance to make an offer. She slowly pulled out the brown book and set it on the table. Her fingers flitted to the cover.
“A well-preserved video album. One of a kind,” she announced in a soft voice only loud enough for his ears.
He set the clock down and removed the black magnifying glass before studying the book cover. The corners of his mouth curved upward for a brief second prior to resuming his standard scowl. He leaned closer, putting on a pair of rectangular-rimmed glasses with one hand while the other inched across the table toward the book.
“Well…” Blaze scooted the book away from his grimy fingers. “You gonna deal with me or what?”
He sat back, arms crossed, and narrowed his beady eyes. “How do I know you and your accomplice aren’t lifting from the Nest?”
Blaze tucked the book under her arm. “Perhaps you’re not the vendor I was looking for after all.”
When she turned her back on Grunge, Rena gasped.
“Wait,” Grunge said. “Lemme have a closer look.”
Blaze stood the book on the table, slipping her fingers between the pages to give him a glimpse. “It’s contingent. It’ll cost you.”
He perched on the edge of his chair, his neck stretched for a better angle.
Blaze snapped the book closed and eased it down on the table.
“How much?” he asked as he wiped his hands clean with a nearby towel.
“Fifty units. Two minutes.”
His jaw muscles flinched. Without saying a word, he pulled the money out of his pocket, tossed it on the table, and snatched up the book.
Back at the Buyer’s booth, a young woman selling a set of dishes batted her eyelashes at Topaz. Rena shook her head and re-focused her attention on Grunge. He picked up his magnifying glass and squeezed it between his brow and cheek. His hands trembled slightly as he rubbed a page between his fingers. He poured over the book, turning the pages as if they might break.
Blaze seemed to grow an inch taller as she peered down at him, her arms crossed. “What’s your offer?”
He cleared his throat before he set the magnifier to the side. “This is no video album. It’s a...the condition of it is…” He gave a pointed look at the Buyers’ booth, then leaned forward and whispered. “There’s no way anyone in Hollowcrest would have something this mint. You have a code for this?”
“It belonged to my grandmother,” Blaze said, without missing a beat.
“I seriously doubt that. I should report you.”
Rena glanced at the reflection on the glass to find Topaz watching the transaction. She wondered if she should tell Blaze, but decided not to interrupt.
Blaze spoke in an equally low voice, “You won’t report me because you want this for yourself.”
He shifted in his chair yet kept one hand on the book. “I’ll give you 1,500 units.”
“I can get that from any vendor without even trying.”
“Twenty six thirty-five.”
Keeping her arms crossed, Blaze shifted her weight. “Don’t insult me.”
“All right, twenty-eight fifteen.”
“Maybe I should go make a deal with the Buyers.”
Rena struggled not to undermine her by grumbling.
“You don’t want to deal with them.” Grunge cut his eyes at their booth. “I sit across from them all day. I know what kinds of deals they make.”
Luckily, Topaz had another customer and most likely didn’t hear the insult.
Blaze slowly reached across the table, her fingers stretched toward the book.
“Three thousand forty,” he offered.
“I’m thinking something more along the lines of thirty-three fifty five.”
“What!” Grunge jumped to his feet, capsizing his chair. His face turned cherry-red between the black smudges.
“Make it an even five thousand,” Blaze said, reaching in the backpack, “and I’ll throw in another rare book and this bird.”
He raked his hands through his hair. Blaze remained motionless, her eyes trained on him as he pondered.
“Deal.”
“Good.” Blaze uncrossed her arms. “I knew we could come to an understanding.”
“Don’t go anywhere. I don’t keep that kind of money out here. I’ll be right back.” He whipped out a mass of keys and disappeared behind a locked door.
Rena couldn’t hold back any longer. “You’re amazing. How did you know you could charge them for looking at stuff? What’s contin…contig…”
“Contingent. Means it depends. It’s a trading term I learned from my dad. And I didn’t know I could charge for looking. I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
When Grunge returned, he had a roll of cash in his hand. He held it out to Blaze. “This is contingent.”
“On what?”
“I wanna know where you got these.”
“Nice try.” Blaze snatched the money from his hand, turned, and led Rena away in a rush.
After cashing in, they went on a shopping spree at Katya’s Korner, then hurried to Rena’s house. Thanks to Blaze’s packing skills, they were able to compact their purchases so no one would notice the amount of stuff they’d bought. Sitting upstairs in Rena’s room with the door locked, they laid out their new outfits—shoes and a new blue hat for Blaze included.
“Let’s try ‘em on.”
“Wanna start with the parade costumes or the clothes for after?” Blaze said, as she pulled off her shoes and socks.
“After,” Rena said as she put on the Thousand Unit Blue Jeans. “These actually fit me, and look, I still can’t believe there’s not a hole in them.”
Wearing her own newer pair of pants, Blaze strolled to the mirror and ran her hand over her hips. “Let’s see your jeans with the shirt,” she called out over her shoulder.
Once Rena adjusted her apple-red top, she turned to face Blaze.
“Wow, Rena. Nevan will definitely notice you.”
Joy swelled inside her heart, flooding her cheeks with heat. He would notice her, and maybe the sight of her in this shirt would somehow replace his first impression of her with twigs in her hair and dirt under her nails. It still didn’t make her an Aggie, but maybe seeing her looking so pristine would make him forget. “I’ve never worn anything this…bright before. I couldn’t have done this without you. You’re the best friend ever!”
“Duh. I’m excited. I can’t wait ‘til Friday.” Blaze stood to put her regular clothes on again. “Guess it’s time to head home.”
“I’ll walk you to the halfway point,” she said as she changed clothes.
“That’s okay. I have to stop and pick up something for my mom.”
“Okay, but we should definitely meet there tomorrow. Four o’clock, so we’ll have plenty of time to walk to South Lake.”
“You still okay with going alone? I’m sure Torley has a friend.�
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Rena thought about asking Trace, but if she couldn’t go with Nevan, she didn’t want to go with anyone. “I’ll be fine.”
Blaze picked up her new bag, filled with merchandise, and walked to the bedroom door. “Make sure you’re on time. I don’t want to be standing around in my costume waiting for you.”
“I’ll be there.”
“I’m serious, Rena. Torley will be waiting for us, too.”
“I promise. I’ll be on time.”
Chapter Eleven
Friday, June 23
Late Afternoon
In the time it took the twins to put on their shoes, Rena managed to get completely ready for the Solstice Celebration. She changed into her newly purchased parade costume and fixed her hair in an up-do that accentuated her long neck. She even had time to apply some make-up she’d inherited from her mother—a light coat of bronze eye shadow, one application of pink coral with gold pearl lipstick, and two layers of concealer to hide her freckles in case she ran into Nevan. She managed to find a pair of matching clip-on earrings that complimented the cat-eye ring she’d found in the cave, but hid the birch leaf necklace inside her backpack for later. Anata would ask questions she didn’t want to answer about it.
Foot tapping and eyes rolling, Rena waited by the front door. “Come on, you two. We need to leave. Now!”
Her father walked into the small foyer. “Don’t yell at your brothers, Rena.”
“But Dad, they’re making me late.” She shifted her backpack. “Again.”
“Be patient.” He sat on a stool by the door and pulled on his shoes. “I’m sure Blaze’ll wait.”
“That’s the problem; she’s always waiting on me because of those two bodinks.” She flung her arm out, thrusting an accusatory finger toward the stairs. She just knew the twins were up there goofing off. “I’m already ten minutes late. Why do I have to take them anyway?”
“Because Anata asked you to. Besides, she’s busy preparing the casserole.”
Rena checked the clock, her impatience making her brave. “I know she asked if I can take the twins, but don’t you think they’d like it better if you took them? Spend some bonding time with their dad? I’m sure they’re sick of hanging out with me.”
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