by D. K. Dailey
“I don’t have it together. Glad it looks like it, though.” I take a long gulp of orange liquid.
“Why don’t you have a match… a mate?” Finishing her drink, she throws the cup on the floor.
I shake my head. This is Noodle’s house, not the slums. She rests her hand again on my leg and squeezes my thigh.
“Why do I feel like we always talk about this?” I ask.
“Because we do.”
I sigh. “We can’t have girlbuds or boybuds. That breaks two of the five under-eighteen laws: indecency and gatherings.”
She snorts. “Everyone breaks laws, and hardly anyone ever gets caught.”
I’m embarrassed. I’m such a doink for quoting laws. Like I don’t want whatever might happen between us to happen if it means breaking the law. If she only knew that I take risks all the time.
“I guess my dad has these projects for me, and with school, my little sis, and flutterboarding, I have no time for a girl. What’s the point of having one if you can’t be alone with her anyway?” It’s a stacked answer, but it’s the truth…in a way.
“I totally agree.” Then she leans in and throws herself on top of me. My drink falls from my hand. I move to catch it but miss. Noodle will be pissed.
Her soft lips tingle against mine, making me forget the drink…and Efren…and the threat of sickness. A moan escapes her, and she sticks her tongue into my mouth. She likes it. I’d prefer a softer start to my first kiss, but she’s hungry for me, and I like that.
Facing each other, I push my hands through her silky hair and cup her head with one hand, and pull her face closer. She moans, spurting her watermelon smell into my mouth. Then she pulls away for a second. My head swims as she unbuttons her tight-fitting shirt. I can’t help but smile. Boobs.
I don’t normally make assumptions, but I figure we’ll break the law again tonight. First, by coming to this party, and now…well…I’m positive you can guess what law we’re going to break next.
Nell unzips my pants and then completely opens her shirt for business. Boobs.
Calm down. Calm down. My heart gallops. You can do this. No big deal.
An abrupt knock at the door stalls my thoughts. “What? What!”
“Cops!”
Shucky. We are so screwed.
Chapter Five
A piercing scream lingers outside the door. We jump to our feet. Nell buttons her shirt but misses a few. I rezip and adjust my pants, but the action doesn’t hide my excitement. That’s the least of my worries.
Grabbing my flutterboard first, I run to open the bedroom door. I snatch my cap off and stuff it inside one of my jacket pockets and throw my hood over my head. Getting away from a cop squad only to be recognized later by my out-of-place Dreg hat would be a doink move.
Nell’s right behind me, eyes wide with fright. Grabbing her hand to keep us together is instinct, though together we’d be easier to catch. Plus, she’ll slow me down. But buds don’t leave buds to face cop squads. Poor Noodle. This is his house, so he can’t run. He’s so screwed.
I fling open the door, and everyone is barreling out of rooms. Chaos reigns. Cops don’t need Laser-Tasers, Stun-Sticks or guns. Only scanners.
Nell and I move toward the front of the house, but cops are scanning c-chips there, flinging people around and pinning them to the walls, floors, tables, or couches—whatever. The mad rush to scatter puts partiers at the losing end of getting away. Too zozzled to react in the raid’s initial moments, they were the first to be caught and have their wrists scanned. And, once scanned, you’re frozen, subject to citation.
My dad is the head of the only mega technocorporation that provides the government with weaponry, research, and technology. He tried this upgraded c-chip on me when I was younger, like a game of sorts. The upgrade introduced the stuck-in-sand alteration. Unfortunately, when it rolled out to the general population, people suffered seizures and heart attacks during auto-switch trials. Dad couldn’t create a working override switch, so the stuck-in-sand option prevailed.
Back then, c-chip testing was lush and fun, but now the sight is unnerving. Kids resemble seaweed stuck to the ocean floor, waving in the air, struggling to stand, and falling because they’re too zozzled to balance their bodies over stationary feet.
“Come on, Kade.” Clutching my arm, Nell attempts to jerk me back to the other end of the hallway to avoid scanning. But I’m glued to the spot.
“Come on, will you? I don’t want a citation!” Her voice is barely audible over the cop squad’s screams and directives.
Not moving is natural until it dawns on me: I’ve been watching the pandemonium for eons.
Nell has vanished. Can’t blame her. I’m standing around like a doink, mesmerized by cop squad action. I creep back into a hallway and glance around. Where is Noodle?
It won’t matter if he escapes. With his parents away for the weekend and the fact they own the house, he’s certain to get an official citation for breaking under-eighteen law number four: hosting an underage party, which carries a penalty of a citation or jail time and a fine. He might also be charged for the many underage-laws broken under his roof tonight. Cops can be spiteful like that.
Someone shoves me out of their way. People trample each other as another cop squad moves toward us in close pursuit. Shucky. This is the real deal. For my dad’s sake, I can’t be caught in a raid. Not only would he freak out, but I’d be grounded for the next six months until I turn eighteen. It could also affect his job and my future.
Panic sparks inside of me. I drop my board to the ground and hop on. Why run when I have this baby? All hill sector houses are huge, so there shouldn’t be problems maneuvering. The board kick-starts under me, and I join the last of the people scattering different ways.
Like a lot of mansions, Noodle’s house has multiple exits and hideouts. The layout is familiar, so no guessing where to go. Toward the back, a cupboard leads to a hidden stairway. I flutter up the steps and into a more private part of the house. I consider hiding, then decide against it. Must get out now; the cops will inevitably search the house later. I flee to a part of the house being renovated. Covered in white sheets, the furniture looks like immobile ghosts.
Another staircase leads to a back door, but cops linger by it. I swear under my breath.
“Halt.” One looks directly at me. But he has to catch me to scan me. He may be fit, but I’m younger and faster. Untouchable.
“Catch me if you can.” I laugh at his pinched expression. He lunges, surprising me with his agility. Swerving out of the way, I hover in place for a second to gain balance, and he swipes my wrist.
Why’d I have to be a doink?
Should have run away with Nell. She’s probably almost back to her sector.
I’m done for.
I hold my breath, expecting to be pinned to the ground by an invisible force. Instead, a pounding error rings. Another officer runs to help.
The first cop lunges again. Using his momentum, I push him aside and flutter past. The second one grabs my jacket, so I speed up, jerking the fabric from his fingertips. I coast out the door like the BART rocket train falling from the sky, not knowing where to go except down the hill like a cannonball.
No go. Cop-squad bubbles line the bottom. Hill paths lead into dense forestry, and hidden crevices allow for perfect hiding places. But the two paths I’m familiar with are blocked. I’m at a disadvantage compared to the locals.
“Kade.” A voice makes me pause in midair. “It’s Nell.”
Once my vision adjusts to darkness, I distinguish blond hair fluttering in the wind. Gliding over to her, I kick off my board before tucking it under my armpit. I follow her into the crevice between houses. A storage port is hidden within. As I crowd in beside Nell, another girl pushes me.
“Get out! This is my hideout.” In the dark, I only make out the owner’s chest. Big Boobs.
“Make room, Rasa,” Nell insists. So that’s her name, and it starts with an R! Reminds me of Mu
fasa from that ancient stream The Lion King.
“Nice to see you again, Rasa,” I say in an extra-sweet voice.
“Kade!” She throws her long silky brunette hair over her shoulder, now more than willing to make room for us. Still, it’s tight. I’m sandwiched between two girls, and that makes me hot in more ways than one. They clutch my arms, and their boobs press against me. Noodle. Noodle. Noodle. Thinking of him is a guaranteed hormone killer.
Nell coughs. Was she infected by Efren? Some people’s immune systems are that weak. I look down, but it’s too dark to see any signs of sickness yet.
“You okay, Nell?”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine,” Rasa says.
“Hush,” Nell hisses. We fall silent, listening to night noises. A few minutes tick by. It’s getting stuffy. How long will it take for the squads to leave?
“I think I saw kids over this way.” A cop’s voice echoes along with the leaves crunching under his feet. Treading sounds reach our port. The door handle shakes, and I close my eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
My heart skids across my chest. Peeing on myself from this nerve-racking situation might just happen, but at least I’m surrounded by two girls and boobs.
“Reed, I need you over here. Footprints.”
The doors handle steadies, and the cop treks away.
Beads of sweat drip down my face. I wipe them away before opening my eyes. It’s like I’m in a small room with a blasting heater. I pull at my sweaty collar. My pants make my legs itch. I fidget, and dizziness hits me. I’m not quite zozzled but I’m definitely not feeling like myself. Either the alcohol has gotten to me or being in an enclosed space with two girls has.
“How will we know when it’s safe?” Rasa whispers.
“When it’s quiet.” Nell smacks her lips. I can’t see but I’ll bet she silently followed her statement with an internal dummy.
I remain silent, fighting heat-and alcohol-related dizziness. We’ve been cramped in the storage port for what seems like forever.
One of my little sister’s favorite words is “forever.” “You gonna let me keep this forever?” and “How many minutes is forever?” Ems’s “forever” questions flood my head. I should’ve stayed home and followed the rules. That would have been the smart choice because forever is what this feels like.
“I think we’re good now,” Nell says, but I don’t believe her. My mind screams, Grab her arm so she won’t try to leave our safe place. Tell her to wait a little longer. But neither Rasa nor I stop her.
Nell pushes the door open, and we burst out of the storage port. The squads have gone, and disoriented partygoers peek out of their hiding places, too. Only a few remain.
“I can only carry one other person on my board.” I glance between the two girls.
“I live close. I’ll be fine.” Rasa touches my arm, willing me to stare into her gray-brown eyes. They’re luminous against her sweaty skin.
“I don’t live in this sector.” Nell bats her eyes and flips her hair over her shoulder.
“I assumed you did,” I say.
“I’m from Sector One, not Sector Three,” Nell says snootily. Her lips pout as she speaks.
“You’re from my sector? How come I never knew that?”
“You’re at the top—the true rim. I’m at the bottom of One,” she says. But I should’ve known she lived in Sector One. This changes things. Plus, she really likes me.
“Least you can still see the city from the bottom of One.” I smile. “Come to my house and message your parents. Maybe you can avoid getting in trouble.”
She purses her thin lips. “You want me to go up our hill, then back down to my house?”
“Yeah, that doesn’t make sense.” Rasa narrows her eyes.
I ignore her. “It does to me.” I smile, hoping Nell will understand. We can mess around at my house, then she can go home.
“Okay. I’m game.”
Rasa’s eyes turn cold.
“Girls, girls, girls…there’s enough to go around,” I want to say. But instead, I manage, “See you around, Rasa. Thanks for the hiding place.”
I kick-start my board by throwing it to the ground. I step on, and Nell takes my hand and slides on behind me, placing her arms around my waist and her head on my back. I’m reminded of our time on the cliff all over again. I shouldn’t have flown her over the edge like a cuckoo bird.
We fly off into the night, one breath away from the stars. Pulling my hat out of my jacket pocket, I put it back on as we cruise by the market and then up my hill.
Arriving at my bedroom balcony, we step off the board. I grab her hand, and with my other, I place my index finger to my mouth for silence. We sneak into my bedroom. Why did I bring her here instead of taking her home? Well, I know what I’m thinking: another chance to break laws and finish what we started.
Our reflections greet us on the sliding door. Nell is really fine. Her body is a never-ending curve from her chest down to her hips. I smile, placing my hand on the entry pad. The glass doors slide open.
My parents sit on my bed. Not exactly the welcome home I expected.
Chapter Six
No eloquent words come to mind, just…Oh shucky! No explaining this.
My parents’ faces droop with what I recognize as disappointment, and that kills me. I hate disappointing them.
My mother speaks first. “Close your shirt, young lady.”
Nell’s cheeks flush, and she fiddles with the buttons she missed in our hurry to escape Noodle’s house.
I cringe as Dad’s head whips toward me. “Take off that damn Dreg hat.”
I snatch it off and tuck it into my pocket for safety. He’s tried to destroy it more times than I care to remember.
“You’ve graduated, and you’ll start your career soon. But you cannot come home with a girl, especially past curfew. What were you thinking?”
“How’d you know I was coming home right now…?” My voice trails off. I can answer my own question now that I am thinking properly.
“When Efren arrived home, he admitted he was at Noodle’s. And his parents pinged the cops.”
I shift my weight from foot to foot. “But how’d you know I was at Noodle’s?”
“The boy’s biosuit tracked his starting location. You boys are inseparable. Not a hard deduction.”
“What do you have to say for yourself, Kade?” Mom pipes in. Oh no. They’re tag-team parenting me. Great.
“April, let me handle him. We don’t want to wake Ems.”
“You’re right. Let’s all go downstairs.” Mom leads us down the long winding staircase. Her brown ponytail sways atop her head all the way down. Then she takes Nell to another room, and Dad pulls me into the kitchen.
We lean against opposite sides of the clear crystal counter. He stares for a few seconds before laying into me. “You break curfew. You bring a girl into our home. You have no regard for us, do you?” He raises his hand to creases erupting on his forehead.
“Nell’s from Sector One too. Bottom of the hill, but our sector no less.” Trying to impress him is easier than discussing a Dreg, no matter how much I like the Dreg girl or believe she was worth it, Dad would never be impressed.
“That’s not what I’m mad about.” He walks around the long counter so we face each other man to man. My dad is big on that. Man-to-man etiquette: firm handshakes, eye contact, and honesty.
“That kid Efren was what broke up your little party. Whoever sent him home in a biomedical suit may have saved his life, but they also gave away the location he originated from. An unauthorized party at Noodle’s house while his parents are out of town is unacceptable.”
Great. My bright idea got everyone at the party in trouble. But, for Efren’s sake, I’m half grateful I convinced Noodle to do it.
“Do you feel touches of sickness,” Dad clears his throat, “Kade?”
“Of course not. The fertility treatment worked. Why is it that every time someone I kno
w gets sick, you think I’m going to catch it?”
“The fertility wasn’t— isn’t—” He acts like he has something important to say. “We can’t rely on—” He blows out a long breath. “Every good parent wants their child to succeed, to have the best.”
I nod.
“You’re next in line to lead Shaw Technologies. Do you understand that? That’s what we’ve been working with you for since you were little.”
I nod again. I’ve learned that when talking with Dad, less is more.
“With responsibilities come expectations. Do you want to throw your future away?”
“Of course not. But sometimes…” I run my hand through pieces of my hair, pulling it back from my face. “ I need to have a little fun, blow off steam.”
Wrinkles overrule Dad’s brow, and he massages his temples. “A little fun could cost you your future. You better be glad they don’t track c-chips. That bit of freedom almost got denied by the premier.”
It could be easy for them to pinpoint delinquents at parties, rioters, and criminals, but my dad and the council sold the premier on keeping Goldens happy and not violating what few freedoms we have.
“My future’s gonna be fine, Dad. Don’t worry.”
“I’m not positive it is.” He pulls at his collar. Though he meets my eyes, his gaze falters to the marble floor. “You can’t afford to get in trouble. Must I remind you all the time?”
“No. Please. Don’t.” I shrug off his gloomy gaze. “I didn’t get a citation. But if I did, couldn’t you get me out of it anyway?”
He huffs out a breath. “You can’t rely on my relationship with the premier. If you were anyone else’s son—”
Noodle! “What will happen to Noodle?”
Dad’s lips twitch. “Marcus will get two days in jail and a fine. But the next time, it’ll affect his career promotions. Once he starts, of course.”
Shucky! What the zard were we thinking? I should have talked Noodle out of the party. Jail time?