“She’s a cheerleader. That’s what they wear.”
“Why would anyone wear that? I’m new at this, but according to Dalia, I’ve got a great eye for fashion.”
“Do a quick search.”
Iris looked away to cover up her rapid eye movement as she searched high school cheerleading. Thousands of images and text streamed before her mind’s eye. A few seconds later, she exhaled, her eyes finding Gage and Shannon again. “I want one of those skirts.”
Adam laughed. “No, you don’t. You’re not cheerleader material. You’re not loud, and you barely tolerate dancing.”
“That’s not true. I loved playing DP the other day.”
“Yeah, for one very specific reason.” Adam leaned over, his eyes slanted toward her and then back at the tall, hazel-eyed boy across the gym.
Iris’s cheeks warmed, her gaze homing in on Gage’s muscled form. She did enjoy being with him and wanted to get even closer. Which was why she wanted one of those skirts. “I can learn to be loud.”
“No. You’re here to watch the game and be nice to Shannon. Now, come on.” Adam jogged over to Gage and Shannon.
Iris groaned and followed at a much slower pace. She wore her new favorite heeled boots, and she wasn’t about to risk scuffing them. Besides, she needed a few extra seconds to gather herself. She knew it was in her best interest to listen to Adam. He’d been mingling with humans for a lot longer than she had. But she couldn’t deny the twinge in her stomach that made her want to snap Shannon’s neck like a twig and take her skirt. Would she ever lose that part of her that assessed how to eliminate someone? How did normal people deal with these possessive feelings? She made a mental note to ask Evie about jealousy.
Iris sidled up next to Adam. When her eyes met Gage’s, her voice stuck in her throat so she smiled instead.
“Hey, Iris,” Gage said, smiling.
Her name on his lips felt intimate. Her heart, or whatever she had ticking inside her, skipped a few beats. She took a step toward him so that they were only a few inches apart. “Hi.”
He cleared his throat and took a step back.
The others shifted nervously around her.
Adam grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back to his side, resting his arm around her shoulders. “Shannon, have you met Iris?”
“I think so. You were behind me in line at lunch the other day, right?” Shannon’s ponytail tilted in unison with her head, making Iris wonder if there was anything but air between her ears.
Iris recalled every moment of her life, and she had no memory of standing behind Shannon at lunch any day. She shook her head. “No, I was not.”
Shannon frowned. “Oh, huh. I guess I’m thinking of someone else.” She shrugged. “Sorry, I’m the worst at remembering people. You know how that goes, right?”
“I do not know how that goes,” Iris said dismissively. She glanced up at Gage and smiled. “I’m very good at remembering people.”
Shannon’s jaw jutted out, a huff leaving her pouty lips. Under her breath, she muttered, “How rude.”
Iris glanced back at her, her eyes narrowing. Her neck was looking more and more breakable by the second.
“Right, so, why don’t we get started?” Adam moved between her and Shannon.
“Sure,” Shannon said, “and thanks again for all your help with choreography. I love the eighties’ vibe.”
“No problem.” Adam smiled and turned back to Iris. “You can watch from over there.” He pointed to the bleachers, which had some scattered students chatting and watching the cheerleaders.
She gathered his meaning. She was to sit quietly and be a good robot. “Fine.”
“Uh, nice meeting you, Iris,” Shannon said.
Iris opened her mouth to reply, but Gage pulled her away toward the bleachers. “See ya, Shannon.”
Gage climbed over a few rows away from everyone else and patted the seat next to him.
Iris assessed her pathway up to Gage. She stepped over the first bleacher, wobbling on her heel until she found her balance. She glanced up at him. Why did he have to go up so high? She was very nimble on her feet but not in these boots. She took a deep breath, saw her path, and traversed the rest of the steps, sitting down next to him.
“Those are some serious boots,” Gage said.
She looked up at him. Adam had given her a list of recordings to watch to help her understand human nonverbal cues better. If she had to guess, his eyes read somewhere between mirth and sincerity, but she couldn’t be sure. She’d not heard of boots being referred to as serious.
“They’re new in Dalia’s store. She said I can wear things from the store to draw in business.” Iris moved her legs from side to side as if to show off every angle. She smiled. “I like them.”
“That’s cool. Just be careful.” He leaned closer to her, and she could feel his breath near her ear. It sent tingles down her spine. “I wouldn’t want you to fall.”
She turned, and their noses almost touched. “Don’t worry about me,” she said, wetting her lips. “I’m extremely capable.”
He smiled, arching his eyebrow, causing Iris to inadvertently access a memory file. She shuddered and dismissed the image of the boy from her past and focused back on the boy next to her.
Gage leaned back on the riser behind him, resting his arms on either side. “I have no doubt.”
She stared at his right side. The perfect spot for her to lean into him. Was that what he wanted? Before she could decide, music started playing over the loudspeakers. She identified it as “Hey Mickey” by Toni Basil.
Adam, stood in front of the cheerleaders in a pyramid formation with Shannon dead-center in front. He snapped his fingers to the beat and counted down from five. The girls started to dance in unison. In sync, they moved around the gym floor, sliding, jumping, and swaying to the rhythm under his instruction.
The cheerleaders paused, and another song started. Then they were moving again to a different beat. On and on they danced, changing songs two more times. When the last song ended, the girls were back in their pyramid formation, frozen in the same pose. Quiet applause came from the small group of students around them on the bleachers, including Gage. Taking their cue, Iris clapped.
“Wow, they’ve gotten really good,” Gage said.
“Yes, Adam did a great job.” Too good. Iris groaned inwardly, wondering if Gage was focused on one skirt in particular.
“Hey, do you want to go out sometime?”
She turned toward him as her chest clenched and butterflies took to flight in her stomach. Was he serious? “You want to go on a date with me?”
He nodded, smiling, his eyes hopeful. Gage Strickland was asking her out on a date for real. She blessed Adam a thousand times for all the cultural rituals and norms of human research he made her do. She wanted to stamp her feet and scream. She had no idea why she desired to do such a ridiculous thing, but it was there in her processor nonetheless.
“If you don’t want to—” Gage glanced down.
“Yes.”
He smiled. “Yeah?”
“Yes, I would like to go on a date with you.” She side-eyed him and winked ever so slightly. She didn’t have her killer laser activated anymore, but she could still snap a pic with her internal camera—she wanted to remember this.
“Okay, cool.” Gage relaxed against the bleachers behind him.
A date. A real date. She fidgeted, not sure what to do with all the energy welling up inside her. She couldn’t wait to tell Adam. She found him on the gym floor, cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, “Adam, I’m going on a date with Gage!”
The gym fell quiet as Iris’s voice reverberated off the walls and ceiling. She covered her mouth and looked at Gage. His cheeks were a shade darker. “I’m sorry.”
He smirked. “Well, at least I know you’re excited about it.”
8
Friday Night Hoops
Gage
Gage had a quick dinner at Dixon’s with some o
f his teammates before heading back to the school to get dressed for the game. Tip off was scheduled for seven. After pulling on his jersey with the number ten on the back, he sat down on the bench in the locker room. Luke was next to him, slipping his jersey over his head. Loud chatter wafted into the locker room from the gym. Most of the students and teachers at Ashwater attended the games. Also, some families without kids came out to support the team too. Gage could always count on his granddad to come if he didn’t have to work late. Tonight, he said he would be here.
“So, you and Iris, huh?” Luke sat down to tie his sneakers.
“You heard.”
“We all did.” Luke laughed.
“What was I thinking? She’ll probably end up kicking my ass or something.”
“She has all her internal stuff turned off though, right?”
“Yep. She’s completely harmless now.” Even as he said it, he knew it wasn’t true. She was still strong and had the knowledge to kill someone with her bare hands. What could possibly go wrong? He ran his hand through his hair. Maybe asking her out was a mistake.
“You nervous about the game?”
Gage shook his head. “Nah. What’s up with you and Celia? I saw you two talking. You looked awfully close.”
“Nothing. She works at the diner. That’s all.” Luke’s cheeks darkened.
“Oh, okay, I—”
“Besides, even if I was interested, she would never be into someone still in high school. Although, I am eighteen.”
“Yeah, you’re probably—”
“Because, you know, a girl as hot as Cece could have any guy she wants.”
Cece? Gage raised his hands. “Okay, look, that’s your business. Sorry I asked.”
Luke looked at him as if realizing only now that he was present. “Oh, yeah. No big deal.” He stood and extended his hand toward Gage. “All right, let’s do this.”
Gage took his hand and stood. “Let’s go kick some Cougar ass.”
When the boys emerged from the locker room, there was a large crowd seated on the bleachers on the home team’s side. Opposite was a smaller group rooting for the Highmore Cougars. Coach Smith was waiting for them at the home team bench. Gage looked up at the sound booth, where the eighties’ music was coming from. Adam and Derrick were both wearing earphones, bobbing their heads in unison. They were a great addition to game night. Their music made the games a lot more entertaining, and the fans liked the eighties’ music too.
As if sensing Gage’s eyes on him, Adam looked down and smiled.
Gage nodded back. He looked up at the stands for his granddad. He recognized Evie sitting with her dad, Mac, and Luke’s mom, Athena, sitting next to...Mr. Garcia? He groaned. What could those two be talking about? First he weaseled his way back into Ashwater High, and now was chatting up Athena Dixon? Super weird.
He continued to scan the risers until he reached the opposite end where Mazy and Sloan were. They were standing at the foot of the bleachers, smiling and laughing. He sometimes felt bad about how he and Mazy ended, but the reality was they were just friends.
His granddad wasn’t here, which probably meant he was still working. He sighed and dropped his gaze. Gage worried about how much his granddad worked. He was getting older now, and he was the only family he had left. Oh wait, that wasn’t true anymore.
“Hello, Gage,” a female voice said behind him.
He turned around. It was Iris. She looked even prettier than she did earlier—she’d let her hair down. He liked her that way. “Hey.”
“I’m going to sit with Evie.” Iris clasped her hands together as if she weren’t quite sure what to do with them. She walked toward the bleachers.
Gage grinned. Okay, good to know.
She turned and came back, returning his smile. “What I meant to say is good luck.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, leaving.
He watched her ascend the bleachers. Damn, she still had those boots on. How girls walked in those things was beyond him. She found her seat next to Evie, who looked down at him and waved. He waved back.
The cheerleaders ran out onto the court to get ready for their opening cheer while Coach called the players over to discuss game play.
Gage was half-listening to his coach. They’d been playing the same way since the start of the season, and he didn’t foresee any reason to change that. Instead, he glanced back and forth at the entrances to the gym, hoping his granddad would magically appear.
“Gage.”
He looked down at the floor, his elbows on his knees, and sighed.
“Gage!”
He jumped, startled by the loudness of Coach’s voice. “Sorry, Coach.”
Coach’s face was already red, but now it was extending to his bald head. He was a house of a man and nothing to mess with. “I said, they have a last-minute sub. You’re guarding the new guy. You can’t miss him. He’s got your number.”
Gage nodded. “Got it, Coach.”
“All right, go warm up,” Coach said, standing.
The cheerleaders left the court so Gage and his teammates could shoot around. The Cougars would be coming out of the lockers soon to take the other side of the court.
Gage was passing the ball to Luke when he heard a voice in his head, Hey, bro.
He looked around for the source of the intrusion in his mind. When he found the person he was looking for, the air left his lungs, like he’d been punched in the stomach. Standing behind Mazy was Steel staring back at him, a sneer on his lips, eyes narrowed.
A song started to play on the sound system. It was “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Some of the crowd cheered and swayed along to the lyrics. Gage’s gaze didn’t leave Steel’s. He didn’t need to look up to know Adam was telling him to keep his cool.
Covertly, Steel leaned over and smelled Mazy’s hair.
Mmm…she smells delicious. He lifted his head and arched an eyebrow at Gage. Why you didn’t hit that, I’ll never understand.
A growl left Gage’s lips. His eyes travelled to Steel’s shirt. No, it wasn’t a shirt. It was a jersey. A Cougar jersey, and the number ten was on the front. Son of a bitch! Rage built inside his gut, pushing him toward action. If Steel wanted a fight, he’d give it to him.
Steel leaned over and whispered into Mazy’s ear.
She turned toward him, her eyes and mouth wide, and raised her hand, ready to strike. Steel grabbed her wrist mid-flight, ready for her response. He smiled down at her and then back up at Gage.
Gage took a few steps forward. Steel released her wrist, his gaze focused on Gage’s, and strode toward him, leaving Mazy to stare after him. Gage advanced, ready to take his head off. The nerve of this guy. He’d hurt his friends and tried to kill the sheriff. Yet here he was, strolling around Ashwater High like he owned the place.
Just as the two were about to meet, mid-court, Sam Strickland stepped between them. “All right, you two. Enough.”
Gage scowled, glancing between his granddad and Steel. Now he decides to show up? “Did you know about this?”
“I found out a little while ago.” Sam sighed. “Given our agreement about your, ah, friends” —he looked up at Adam— “some concessions were made.”
Steel’s smile grew, and Gage thought for a second that he might actually have it in him to kill his own brother.
“Is this a joke? He tried to kill Mac Grayson,” Gage said.
“Keep your voice down,” Sam said, his blue eyes flashing. “The only person who can identify him happens to be an android. Do you think that kind of exposure is good for us or your friends?”
Gage exhaled loudly. Damn it, he was right. Calling out Steel meant exposing Adam and maybe Iris. “No but—”
Sam waved his hand. “No buts. You have to let this go. I’m sorry, Gage. I truly am.”
“Truce?” Steel reached out his hand toward Gage, his mouth turned down in a mocking pout.
Gage bared his teeth, seething. Never.
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Coach Smith approached. “Hey there, Sam. What seems to be—” He looked between Gage and Steel. “I’ll be damned. You two are a spitting image of one another. How—”
“I can explain that,” Sam said. “Gage and Steel are twin brothers. We’ve just recently discovered it. It’s a long story.” He put his arm around Coach. “I’ll fill you in another time.”
“Okay,” Coach said, continuing to stare at Gage and Steel. Before he could ask another question, Sam led him back to courtside.
“Thanks, Gramps,” Steel called after them.
Gramps?
Sam’s shoulders went rigid, but he didn’t turn around.
Steel turned his attention back to Gage. “So, what do you say? Should we let it play out on the court? I’ve heard you’re, like” —Steel rolled his eyes for maximum sarcastic effort—“the best in the county.”
Gage’s fist itched to connect with Steel’s face. He was testing him hard. He looked up at Adam and then Iris. He needed to deal with this on his own. He couldn’t risk their exposure. He sighed. “Fine. But if you do anything crazy…”
“Who? Me?” Steel raised his palms and shrugged. “Let’s play.” He turned and headed toward his new teammates.
Gage put his hands on his hips. He had a brother, and he was a complete douchebag. He looked up at the ceiling. Seriously?
His chest heaved, his hands on his knees, staring at his opponent. Steel glared back, winded too. The score was 32-30, Ashwater Saints on top. The buzzer sounded, indicating half time. They had been playing man-to-man for most of the game, and things had gotten physical more than once. Gage was surprised about how much the ref was letting them play without calling a technical.
Not bad, Steel said in Gage’s head.
And then there was that—Steel’s voice in his head, trying to throw him off. He’d had enough of it. “Stay the hell out of my head.”
“Jealous.” Steel stood up and took a deep breath then walked toward the visiting locker room.
Gage scowled in frustration.
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