Cornerstone 02 - Keystone

by Misty Provencher

  “What’s Clint’s problem with the Ianua? Is his family from the blood lines?” Garrett asks. Zane shrugs.

  “There’s all kinds of rumors, but nobody knows if any of them are true. Somebody said he’s from an old Ianua family that cut him out because he was Simple. Somebody else said he was always Simple but turned to the Fury, got out of it and then wanted nothing to do with any of it. I heard he was Ianua blood, but went Simple when he fell for a Simple chick, but then she went and ditched him for someone in the Fury. I also heard that he came out of a hard core Fury family, so who knows what’s true.”

  “You’re quite the little gossip,” Robin says.

  “Whatever the truth is,” Garrett says. “It sounds like we’re going to have to be careful talking to him. He could be with the Fury.”

  Deeta touches my arm on purpose this time. “If it’s dangerous, maybe we shouldn’t find out who’s in the picture. Is it that important to know?”

  “It is,” I say. I glance at Garrett, to see if he’s ready for me to spill the beans about searching for the Key. He gives me a tiny nod of encouragement, but I’m saved from making the final decision by a knock at the door.

  Chapter 11

  “PROBABLY SEAN,” GARRETT SAYS, HOPPING up. But when he finally opens the door, Principal VanWeider is on the other side, holding what looks like a cardboard briefcase with a plastic handle and standing beside a boy who is about the same height as Garrett and who is also holding a box like the one the Principal has.

  “Well, good evening,” Principal VanWeider says when he walks in. The boy follows him, silent but with a strong, straight back, as if he’s trying to take up as much space as he can. Their boxes have pictures on the side of a student working at a laptop.

  Deeta, her eyes scoping the boy from head to toe, does a little squeak of appreciation beside me. Even Zaneen looks entranced. “I didn’t expect everyone to be here, or I would’ve just brought all of your Quantus systems with me, instead of having FIXI deliver them.”

  “Good thing he didn’t, or I would’ve had to carry all of them,” the boy says with a chuckle. No one laughs, but Deeta smiles at him like a mental patient.

  “And what are you doing here?” Robin’s question is too sharp to be considered friendly. Her eye, the one I can see outside the black sheet of her hair, is pressed flat in a suspicious squint. Principal VanWeider sets down his laptop box.

  “I’d like to introduce Milo Frangere,” he says. “He’s come from Addo Chad’s Cura and he’s been authenticated. Freddie gave him the room next door.”

  Garrett leans a shoulder against the wall and Zane stretches one leg leisurely beneath the coffee table, the other is bent with his elbow resting on it. Robin settles back against the couch and unloops her arms from around her knees. The whole room looks so uncomfortably comfortable that the apartment could be a wax museum. Except for Deeta and I. We’re perched together on the loveseat like a couple of nerved-up birds.

  “Who authenticated him so fast?” Robin asks. Principal VanWeider chuckles.

  “Your skepticism is going to make you an incredible Emen someday, Ms. Middleditch, but you can rest assured that he’s safe, since I authenticated Mr. Frangere myself. His mother and I were third cousins, so I’ve remained in touch with Milo through Addo Gita, until her unfortunate passing.”

  “Who’s your mother?” Zane says.

  Milo pauses, his tongue rolling inside his cheek as he stares at Robin. He finally grins and says, “Elaina Mulshevitz.”

  I only hear Deeta’s gasp because she’s so close, it almost happens in my ear. The name ripples through my head. Garrett mentioned her before, when he and my mother were arguing about a long-standing conspiracy theory that had been floating around the Ianua. Elaina Mulshevitz married a man in the Ianua, but had a baby with someone from the Fury. The baby was born the same year I was. But the man Elaina married had shot her, and then himself, after finding out the baby wasn’t his.

  “Elaina Mulshevitz went to the Fury.” Robin’s voice is dead flat. Obstinate. Rude. Accusatory. All of it, dumped in a metal pot and brought to a boil in her vocal cords. She doesn’t blink when she says, “She was a traitor.”

  “Now, just a minute,” Principal VanWeider begins, but I block out anything else he says. What Robin said is a big enough brick in my stomach. I look sideways at her, wondering if this is what she’s been thinking of me too. My father went to the Fury. He was a traitor. All the hope, that I was actually making some new friends, dissolves.

  Milo just lifts his shoulders in the smallest shrug ever. It’s as if he hears this all the time and he’s already giving up on trying to explain it. Maybe he’s been tagged as some kind of Waste too.

  “People can say whatever they want,” he says. “My parents were bound, and my father went to the Fury. My mother didn’t follow him. She married Steven Mulshevitz to escape going to the Fury like my father did. She committed herself to the Ianua.”

  “She did it by deceiving Steven.” Robin corrects him. “He didn’t even know she was bound to someone else because she switched Curas. The whole thing was a fluke and now we all know why. If the Addos had been doing what they were supposed to at the Indiciums, it would have never happened. But it did, and she was able to dupe Steven into believing you were his…for a while.”

  Milo tilts his head to one side, nodding at Robin with his own annoyed squint.

  “That’s right,” he says. “You got it. She was with Mulshevitz until my dad showed up and clued Steven in. What do you want me to say? I should’ve stopped it all? I was a year old.”

  “Steven Mulshevitz was my uncle,” Robin says. “And what’d you say your last name was?”

  “Frangere,” Milo pulls his spine straighter.

  “Exactly. You didn’t even keep an honest man’s name on your birth certificate.”

  “I had nothing to do with it. My aunt changed it after my mother died. The rest of my family didn’t deserve to be punished. They wanted my last name to be theirs.”

  “And Steven didn’t deserve what your mother did to him. So I couldn’t give a crap about jumping on your welcome wagon.” Her unblinking eye moves over the rest of us. “But what I’m thinking right now is that there’s a Cusp starting up and I think we should be a lot more suspicious of who shows up on our doorstep. Especially if it’s a Frangere.”

  “Suspicious, not rude.” Deeta barely whispers it. “I think he’s right. It’s not his fault what his parents did.”

  Milo rewards her with a nod and she beams like she’s going to start drooling.

  “There’s no reason for any of this,” Principal VanWeider’s voice is as sturdy as it always was over the school intercom. “I said, I authenticated him and therefore, we should all put aside our differences, as we do, and accept him.”

  But Milo shakes his head at Robin. He’s not letting it go that simply either.

  “I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of,” he tells her. “It’s not like I got to pick who brought me into the world. And whatever my father was, my mother was redeemed for sixteen years before she was killed by one of our own.”

  “For cheating on him, with one of the Fury! You’re going to tell me she was that close to the Fury and not in it?” Robin counters. Milo’s eyes widen and his shoulders drop down. He becomes a solid wall, but his voice remains shockingly calm.

  “She wasn’t a traitor,” he says.

  “How would you know? Being a year old and all…”

  “It doesn’t mean he’s like them,” I say. My voice echoes in my ears and everyone’s eyes are suddenly on me, like spotlights, heating up my face. Milo’s grim expression releases.

  “No,” he says softly. “It doesn’t.”

  “But it does mean that you’re at higher risk. Those are just the facts,” Garrett says. His index finger is over his lip, the other on his chin as he studies Milo.

  “Exactly,” Robin says.

  “That’s enough,” Principal VanWeider snaps. His voice i
s more serious now than I’ve ever heard him, even when he’s corrected students in the hall, even at pep rallies. Everyone shuts their mouths. “I said that I authenticated Mr. Frangere. That is all the assurance any of you should need. I am very disappointed that this is the kind of welcome you would give to one of your own.”

  No matter what Principal VanWeider says, it’s obvious that Milo is going to be the outsider. No one says anything else, but Robin blinks her gaze away, while Zaneen and Zane just continue to stare. The side of Garrett’s finger continues to traces the top edge of his lip as he stares at Milo too, but Deeta rises off the couch.

  “You’re right, Mr. VanWeider,” she gushes, with a smile so large it could be a full set of piano keys. She grabs Milo’s hand. “I’m Deeta. Deeta Houle. If your mom was Elaina Mulshevitz, then that means you’re one of the Alo. Like me!”

  Milo gives her a kind, but faltering, grin.

  “I am,” he says, but his eyes travel around the room, starting with Zaneen. He skims her blond-and-pink hair and he swallows, like he just swallowed a cup of lemon juice. He skips over Robin until they finally land right on me. His brow relaxes. “Any other Alo? Like us?”

  “No,” Garrett says and Milo’s eyes flick away from me. “The rest of us are Contego.”

  The room feels weighed down with the look they exchange. It’s as thick as a box stuffed full of dryer lint, even though Garrett still lounges against the wall and Milo has his fingertips tucked in his front pockets.

  “Well then,” Milo says, with a grin that seems more challenging than friendly. His eyes flick back to me. “At least I know I’m in good hands.”

  Principal VanWeider shows us how to open up the school’s new Quantus program on the laptop he brought, before excusing himself for the night.

  The second I’m logged on, a Q-chat box pops up. I click on it and a familiar face fills the screen. Literally. Cora’s sitting too close to her screen wherever she is and I’m looking right up her nostrils.

  “Is that you, Nalena?” Her shriek blasts out of my computer speakers. And I smile. I kind of seriously miss Cora’s nostrils.

  “Yeah, it’s me,” I say. Everyone gathers around the screen and when Deeta tries to get closer to Milo, he moves over to make room and ends up with his thigh against my ribs. And then Garrett moves him aside.

  “How are you?” She yells like I’m deaf, but it’s still good to hear her nasally voice. Makes me feel normal. And, just like normal, Cora doesn’t wait for me to answer. “I’m so sorry to hear about your mom and dad. I didn’t know your dad even wanted anything to do with you! Are you going to be coming back to school in the fall? Well, I mean are you going to be doing Quantus? Is that Garrett?” She runs her head so close to the camera that her eye takes up the entire screen for a second. Her voice drops to what she must think is a whisper. “Are you living with Garrett?”

  “No.”

  “Wait…are you…are you having a party? Where are you?”

  “I’m at the Hotel Celare…”

  “With Garrett?!” she shrieks again.

  “He’s here,” I say, but an embarrassed tingle races over my cheeks at the insinuation. I add a little too loud and a little too fast, “But we’re not alone. Zane and Robin and Zaneen and…”

  Cora’s nostrils nearly press against the screen.

  “Who’s the boy behind Garrett?” she asks. “Do I know him?”

  “I don’t think so. His name’s Milo,” I say and I have no idea what else to say. I don’t know a thing about Milo except what his mother did and that he smiles whenever I look at him. Lucky for me, Cora fills in the blanks on her own. Her nostrils bob as she whispers as if he can’t hear her,

  “He’s almost as hot as Garrett.”

  Garrett and Milo answer at once, but in different tones, “Thanks a lot.”

  “Oh my God…did he hear me?” Cora shrieks.

  “I don’t think so,” I laugh.

  “Oh my God. Oh my God. Well, you’re having a party? Can I stop by?”

  “Everyone’s leaving,” Zane pops up from the back.

  “Some other time, alright?” Garrett leans down, resting a hand on the table so that our faces fill the screen together. If I turned my head, my lips could touch his skin. My whole body shakes inside, even though I stay as frozen as a frightened animal beside him. I trace his veins, measure the width of his knuckles in my mind and wish that no one else was in the room so I could break the rules. I’ve never wanted to do anything more in my life than touch him right now.

  Garrett turns his head to glance at me with a grin and his hair accidentally brushes my skin before he pushes away from the desk. I have to hold my breath so I don’t pull him back to me.

  “Ok,” Cora says. “Some other time. Just don’t forget to invite me!”

  And then she logs off and I’m just left with a blinking cursor and a blue screen that says she’s gone.

  “I’m going to call it a night too, if no one minds,” Milo says and if it wasn’t for me and Deeta, I think there would just be crickets.

  “Already?” Deeta frowns.

  “Don’t feel like you have to go,” I say, turning from the computer. And even though Garrett’s eyebrows only mildly pop up, I catch it, so I add, “Deeta’s dying to talk to another Alo.”

  But then Zane jumps in.

  “Yeah, about that,” he says. “Where is everyone else from your Cura? How come Van only brought you in?”

  “Because my old Cura doesn’t know who to trust either. With all the Addos gone, it’s chaos out there. I was in the process of switching Curas anyway and Van was going to let me crash at his place…”

  “Why were you switching?” Zaneen asks. There isn’t as much suspicion as curiosity in her voice. Robin shoots her a glare, as if Zaneen’s a traitor just because she tips her head a little and smiles when she talks to Milo.

  “Because I was in my father’s old Cura,” Milo says with a little laugh, “and his mistakes were assumed to be mine.”

  Before Robin can open her mouth, Milo continues, “And I know what the statistics are, but I can tell you that what really makes it tough is living in a community where no one will let you forget about something you didn’t even do. Especially when everyone keeps citing the statistics as if there’s no chance that you’ll ever go any other way. Van agreed to sponsor me in your Cura because he and my mom were related and because he knew what I’d go through once I received the sign that I was one of the Ianua. Van’s a good guy.”

  “So you were living with your aunt?” Deeta asks, her brows knit in concern.

  Milo nods. “She was Simple, so it kept me out of the way.”

  “Was?”

  “She’s gone.” He lowers his eyes and I’m glad no one asks for details.

  I’m annoyed that Robin won’t cut him some slack. I can totally identify with what Milo’s been through, from our rotten fathers to always being the outcasts because of our parent’s choices. Even the way we were both raised away from the community. I watch Robin from the corner of my eye, sitting on my couch as she glares at Milo and I want to glare at her.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Deeta says with her piano key smile.

  “Thanks,” Milo grins at her, but his eyes float back to me again. “I appreciate you giving me a chance.”

  “Sure we will,” Garrett says, pushing his shoulder off the wall. He gives Milo a thin smile, grabbing the laptop box near his feet. “So, you’re next door?”

  Milo returns a thin smile.

  “Yeah,” he says. “Right next door.”

  “I’ll help you carry your stuff over then,” Garrett says.

  “That’s alright. I’ve got it,” Milo says, reaching for the box. Garrett hands it back easily enough, but their eyes remain locked. “Thanks for the hand anyway, Tiger.”

  “Any time,” Garrett says.

  I’m kind of glad that the party is breaking up. I keep yawning and can’t stop. Milo flashes a dry smile around the roo
m before he leaves, but the minute the door closes behind him, Deeta squeals.

  “He’s ALO!” She wraps her arm around me, pulling me so close that her squeals ring in my ears.

  “He’s gorgeous is what he is,” Zaneen says and Deeta stops pulling. She lets go of me and sits up straight.

  “He’s Alo…” Deeta frowns.

  “I’m not looking to marry him,” Zaneen shrugs. “Just date him a little. Besides, he couldn’t marry me if he wanted to. Well…unless he went Simple, but I don’t think he’d go Simple, do you? But look, if you’re into him that hard, Deets, then he’s all yours.”

  Deeta blushes.

  “Not hard,” She almost whispers the denial. “I just think he’s cute.”

  “Ok,” Zane says. “While you two are busy drooling all over the new kid, I’m getting bored. Who’s up for a ride on my Free Ball?”

  “What is that?” I ask, yawning, even though I don’t care. I just want to crawl into bed.

  “You’ve never seen anything like it,” Zane says. I hate the way he grins at me, like I’ve got to stay awake for another ten minutes. I don’t care what a Free Ball is. I just want him to say I’m a drag and ask who else wants to go. Any scenario would work really, besides taking me with them. But Zane’s eyes spark with excitement as he says, “It’s a huge, round, rubber-coated pipe frame that’s filled with gases that make the ball float. Think of a soccer ball, but with all the hexagons poked out. Come and see for yourself. You can sleep in the van, Nali Girl, if we can sneak out of here. And we’ll hit the junkyard first thing in the morning to talk with Clint.”

  “I’m sure we can’t,” I say. Besides being tired, floating around on a ball that’s only made of rubber pipes sounds absolutely life-threatening. “We shouldn’t. Garrett’s mom might need us. We’re not supposed to...”

  “We wouldn’t have to sneak out,” Garrett says. He tips his chin down and winks. “I can let my mom know about the photo and I’m sure she’ll let us go, once she clears it with the Addo.”