The Broken Code

by LJ Byrne

  Regardless, I work on my laps, taking breaks because I’m not used to swimming this much. I’m down to my last lap when something – no, someone – grabs me around the ankle and pulls me under. I swallow water in surprise, choking and panicking as I’m pushed under. I can’t make out anything other than a few blurry arms and the feel of hands pressing me under. Everything begins to hurt, and I flail in panic. And then I blackout.

  My head throbs and a strange din of sounds makes the throbbing worse. Slowly, I open my eyes. And then my memory returns. I flail, sitting up.

  “Mira!” Ethan is right there with Darcy. Ethan’s blond hair is a mess like maybe he was pulling at it in worry. He brings me a small cup of water. “Tiny sips.”

  Darcy’s lips are pressed into a thin line. “You passed out when they pulled you out of the water,” she says. “They said you started drowning and no one noticed. Celeste was in a panic.”

  “They?” I croak.

  Ethan and Darcy exchange glances. “Ingrid and Victoria,” Ethan tells me. “Did you see anything?”

  I shake my head. “I think someone pushed me under,” I whisper. Just saying it makes me tremble. “Ethan…”

  “I’ll handle it,” he tells me. “Darcy, can you help her back to her room?” My cousin stands up, his eyes distant. “I’ll handle it, Mira. Don’t worry.” Without saying goodbye, he leaves abruptly.

  Darcy and Brittany baby me, fluffing my pillows and making hot tea. Brittany takes my temperature five times before making me down a cup of chamomile tea sweetened with honey. They refuse to let me talk after I tell them several times what happened and stay with me until Celeste is done with classes. Then Celeste takes over. She tells me that someone in my lane started screaming that I was not moving in the water. Another girl pulled me out, and I spewed water immediately. In tears, she tells me that Ingrid and Victoria stood by innocently, but she thought they looked happy with my accident. Because people are in swimsuits, there aren’t security cameras by the pool – this is the explanation I’m given when I ask. As such, the school decides to believe that I panicked in the pool.

  Celeste and I spend a few minutes shoulder to shoulder, taking comfort that I’m okay. Finally, Celeste begins to fuss and tells me to take a nap, which I promptly do.

  When I wake, I hear voices outside my room. I quickly brush my teeth and brush the tangles from my hair to see what’s going on.

  “No, no, no,” I hear Celeste say as I leave my room.

  I pause in my doorway. Ryder Cabot, Xander Morrison, and Conner Van Doren are all talking to Celeste. From her stance and the set of her shoulders, she’s clearly arguing with them.

  All eyes turn when I make my presence known. Celeste covers her mouth. “You see what you did,” she accuses the boys. “You woke her up!”

  “I woke up on my own,” I manage to say, my voice scratchy and weird sounding to my ears. I’ve never nearly drowned before, but I feel lousy.

  Connor holds up a container. “We brought chicken soup,” he says, blue-gray eyes scanning me from head to toe. “We’re here—”

  Ryder cuts his cousin off. “We want to know what happened during gym class.”

  I roll my eyes. I had to repeat the story more than once to Darcy, Brittany, and then Celeste. Why they need to hear it exactly from me is beyond my comprehension. “I was swimming. Someone grabbed me. Someone kept my head underwater.” I cross my arms. “The nurse said I probably panicked when people were trying to help me and that no one tried to drown me.”

  Ryder and Xander exchange a look. “Someone? Just one person?”

  I wander listlessly to the couch and flop down without any grace. “I didn’t see. I was busy drowning.” I’m normally not this sassy – in fact, I’m usually meek. But I’m not in touch with my emotions yet. It’s like I’m here but not here emotionally.

  Connor puts the soup down on the table. “You should have something to eat. I threw in extra saltines.”

  I try to smile and fail miserably. “Thank you.”

  Xander and I rarely speak to each other as I don’t have him in any classes and only see him during mealtimes. But he walks over to sit next to me. “Did anything happen before the incident? Anyone talk to you?”

  “I told Ethan that Ingrid and Judy slapped me in the locker room.” Celeste stifles a gasp at my words, but Ryder’s arm trembles at my words.

  “It was just Judy and Ingrid?” Tension lines Ryder’s jaw. He seems almost angry about it, but I can’t tell if he’s angry for me or angry that it was executed poorly.

  “That’s what she said!” Celeste emphasizes her point by stomping her foot. She’s livid and snarling like a protective tiger mom.

  Weary, I lean my head on the back of the sofa. “Yes.”

  Without saying goodbye, Ryder storms off so abruptly that even Xander stands up in surprise. “Um, I guess we should let you rest,” Xander mutters awkwardly.

  Celeste makes a shooing motion, but she lightly touches Connor’s arm. “Thanks for stopping by.”

  Connor tips my chin up. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  I sigh as the boys leave. Celeste gives me a speculative look before saying, “Shall we have some soup?”

  000101

  Ne0Ranger21: Angel, where are you? I could use your help right now.

  Out of perverse defiance, I go to the soccer game. I’m a glutton for punishment, but I mostly do it because Ethan begs me to. After my near-drowning, there is a shift in the Royals and their Court. I presume it has to do with Ethan giving everyone an ultimatum. Regardless, the viciousness from Cage, Arthur, and the Royal girls abate.

  Just as I’m about to sit down next to Darcy, I hear my name. Connor jogs up to me, grinning. “Hey, you came.” He hands me a jersey he’s carrying. “It’s mine,” he says, looking shy. “Will you wear it? It’s supposed to be lucky if a girl wears your jersey.” When I frown, fingering it gingerly, he adds, “It’s clean. Freshly laundered.”

  I notice that Darcy is wearing Ethan’s jersey. “Um. Okay.” I put the jersey on over my long-sleeved shirt before I think about it too much.

  Connor grins before running back out to the field while I sit down. Darcy gives me a sly smile while Celeste observes the exchange quietly. I bury my head in my hand, embarrassed by the scrutiny. “I think he likes you,” Darcy whispers teasingly, laughing when I turn bright red.

  On the field, I see Ethan talking with Ryder and Xander. Ethan waves at us, and Ryder follows his gaze, but Ryder’s body stiffens when he sees me. He storms over to his cousin. Ryder and Connor exchange a few heated words before Nate Jacobs intervenes with placating gestures. I shrink in my seat. “Maybe I should give the jersey back,” I say to no one in particular.

  But Darcy just smirks. “No way. Keep it on. If it upsets Ryder, it’s a good thing.”

  Celeste doesn’t say anything.

  The game turns out to be fast-paced and interesting. Connor scores twice and Ethan blocks every attempt to score. Celeste helps me understand what’s happening on the field as we win easily. Erin, surrounded by a host of Court students, leads everyone in a raucous cheer when Ethan is hoisted up. Once he’s set down, he bounds up the steps to us.

  “You were amazing, babe,” Darcy murmurs, kissing him.

  Ethan notes the jersey I’m wearing with surprise, but he doesn’t seem upset. Maybe wearing Conner’s jersey is a bad idea. It’s garnering me attention I don’t want.

  Connor joins us, sweaty and triumphant. “You did bring me luck, Mira. We’re just going to clean up and celebrate at the house. You’re coming, right?” There’s a sweet earnestness to Connor that is hard to dislike.

  “Absolutely,” Darcy responds for me with an evil wink. “Now, both of you, get cleaned up. You guys are gross.”

  Darcy takes me and Celeste to Ryder’s home. The place is… grotesquely huge. I mean, Aunt Erika’s place is big, but this is like the American version of the Palace of Versailles. The home is made of stone and brick, giving i
t an almost European feel, and there’s a lot of symmetry in its design. The heavy wood doors have steel grates made to look like wrought iron.

  “Ryder lives here with his cousin,” Darcy says. “His father hasn’t been around for years. Ryder’s been raised by nannies almost all his life.”

  I find that rather sad. Mom was always there for me: at every parent-teacher conference, at every show, at every party. “His mother?”

  We step out of the car and stare at the impressive home. “Died in childbirth,” Darcy says. “Ryder and Connor have always been close – more like brothers than cousins. Connor’s parents don’t spend a lot of time with him. They sent him here to live with Ryder and his nanny when he was twelve.”

  It doesn’t soothe the pain of missing Mom, but I can’t imagine not knowing a parent’s love. Celeste chimes in quietly, “I think one of the reasons why Ryder hates Ethan so much is because his parents are so cool. And they’re still in love. You can see it. They’re totally into young love and all of that.”

  My eyes grow wide at that revelation. Perhaps under that exterior is a boy who yearns for his parents’ affection. Darcy points to the other cars here to let us know we’re not the first ones here. Ethan’s Bentley isn’t here yet, but I see Ryder’s McLaren GT and several other cars that I can’t identify. I only know Ryder drives a McLaren because Ethan told me.

  A butler opens the door. I mean, my aunt has a cook and a household staff, but she opens her own doors. This isn’t a party per se – when I look around, it’s more like a bunch of kids hanging around. Arthur Huxley and Cage Bennett are talking with Erin on the couch. They both have drinks that don’t appear to be sodas. In the corner, Nate chats with Victoria. He gives me a slight wave, but Victoria ignores me.

  I’m still wearing Connor’s jersey, and when he sees me, his face is downright smug. “There she is, my lucky charm,” he says, hugging me with his hand on my lower back. I pat his back awkwardly, ignoring Darcy’s muffled laughter. With friends like these... Yeah, I’m smooth that way.

  Celeste furtively glances at Connor and that’s when I see the shine in her eyes when he talks to her. She likes him! How did I not notice this before? When he says something that makes her laugh, her color rises. I’m no expert at romance, and Celeste isn’t the type to look at someone with stars in her eyes, but I know I’m right. When he grabs my hand, the light in her eyes dim, and the smile on her face wavers. I’m the worst person ever. Celeste has been nothing but kind to me, and the guy she’s crushing on is flirting with me. “Let me give you a tour. This place is monstrous,” Connor says, blue-gray eyes brimming with excitement.

  I’m dragged away, my mind racing a million miles a minute. This is bad. Connor likes me – is that conceited? I don’t know, but when he entwines his hand with mine, I get nervous and yank my hand free, covering the suddenness with a smile when he seems surprised.

  “Here’s the pool,” he says, trying to gauge my reaction. His eyes linger on my lips before he gestures to the enclosed pool. “The roof opens up if you want fresh air, but during the winter months, we keep it closed. Obviously.”

  Why are we by the pool? Far away from everyone else? Am I panicking for no reason? “Connor, I–”

  I’m interrupted by Ryder showing up, and he looks pissed. “What the fuck are you two doing in here?!” he practically rages at us. His eyes fixate on the jersey I’m wearing and the muscles in his neck tighten.

  “I’m showing her the place,” Connor says, his lower lip jutting out belligerently.

  Ryder’s nose flares. “Ethan’s looking for his cousin. Nate is waiting to challenge you to darts. I’ll take her to Ethan.”

  Connor is about to argue when I intervene. I can’t imagine what Celeste is thinking right now, and the sooner Connor is away from me, the better. “It’s okay, Connor. I’ll find you later?” I say with false brightness.

  Connor bites his lip with indecision. “After you check in with Ethan, come find me in the amusement room. Maybe I’ll beat Nate at darts because you’re there.” His eyes are warmly flirtatious.

  With a sinking feeling, I agree, and he heads off with one last glare at Ryder. As soon as he’s gone, Ryder rounds on me. “Take that off,” he demands coldly.

  “What?”

  “The jersey. Take Connor’s fucking jersey off!” Ryder reaches out and yanks the jersey harshly.

  I make a sound of protest and try to slap him, but he grabs me by the wrist and yanks me towards him. “You are such a jerk!” I blurt angrily.

  “Take it off or I will fricking rip it off you!” My eyes widen. His words are so intense that I believe him.

  Shakily, I nod, and when he releases me, I lift the jersey off and then straighten my long-sleeved shirt. Before I can say anything, Ryder grabs the jersey from me as if the sight offends him, breathing heavily. He turns away for a moment before he straightens his body and faces me again.

  “I’ll return this to Connor.” He runs a hand through his hair and grimaces. He throws the jersey into the corner, but when he reaches for me, I flinch and step back nervously. He drops his hand to his side. “I won’t hurt you. I’ll take you to Ethan,” he says in a calmer voice.

  I turn away, trying to hide my tears. “I’ll find him myself,” I whisper. “Could you just leave now? I did what you wanted.”

  Ryder swears behind me. “If you’re expecting me to apologize, you’ll be waiting for a long time. I don’t apologize.”

  “Just leave me alone, please.” Weak. Pathetic. God, grow a spine, Mira!

  A long pause. “Are you recovered from what happened at the pool?”

  I remain silent. Did they talk about it? Ethan never told me what he discussed with the other Royals, but I know he thought Ingrid was responsible.

  “I’d never hurt you.” Silence. He shifts. Then very gently, “I’ll tell Ethan you’re here.”

  I don’t move. I don’t move until Ethan and Darcy find me, and even then, I don’t say anything. I let Ethan take me home. I let Aunt Erika coddle me. I don’t leave my room until it’s time to return to school.

  000110

  Ne0Ranger21: You’ve been busy.

  Arch4ngel101: I found an exploit. Sent to company with recommended patch.

  Ne0Ranger21: gg. Lucky you work for the gud guys. See RReagan’s message?

  Arch4ngel101: Yes. Want to take first shot?

  Ne0Ranger21: He must be desperate to trust us with this.

  Arch4ngel101: Or he knows who we are.

  Ne0Ranger21: Unlikely.

  Arch4ngel101: Sending you code screenshots now. Look familiar?

  Ne0Ranger21: Real familiar.

  Arch4ngel101: what is he up to now?

  I close my laptop and look at the dresses on my bed. Aunt Erika went shopping and she wants me to wear one of these tonight because she invited two special “guests” to dinner. Even Ethan doesn’t know who’s coming, although we know Darcy will be eating with us tonight.

  Mom and I cooked and baked a lot together. Feeling adventurous, I convince Aunt Erika to let me do this baked apple dish for dessert. It’s apples wrapped in pastry, baked in this gorgeous syrup. We came across the dish at an apple festival in Wisconsin one summer and spent the rest of the summer trying to deconstruct the recipe.

  I narrow the choices between a pink sheath dress or a soft-knit mini dress with a V neckline and empire waist. I go with the minidress. It’s a bit shorter than I’m used to, but the three-fourths length sleeves are modest. Besides, the pink one is too girly for me. The mini dress is in deep green and seems more elegant.

  I skip down the stairs feeling better than I have been in a while. When Darcy sees me, she grins. “Girl, those legs go for miles!” she squeals, giving me a hug. She’s in a pretty wrap dress with a dark floral print, and she’s left her chestnut hair loose and shiny. “It’s probably some old friends of your uncle coming. You’ll get used to being dragged to these dinners – we’re basically there to prevent your aunt from dying of boredo
m.”

  I giggle a little, but I step back when Ethan arrives, looking handsome and older than his eighteen years in a dark blue suit. I sigh inwardly, wishing he’d picked anything other than blue.

  Aunt Erika smiles at me fondly, complimenting how I look. “Ethan will tell you that I’ve been dying to shop for another female,” she says with a roll of her eyes. There’s a strange nervous energy in her voice. “I hope you don’t mind, but I heard Darcy telling Ethan that she thought Connor Van Doren was interested in you.”

  I feel the blood drain from my face.

  Ethan and Darcy exchange a horrified look as the doorbell rings. Aunt Erika continues blithely, “Those boys live a mile away and they lack parental supervision. I invited them over for dinner. To my surprise, they accepted.”

  “Oh, my God,” Ethan mutters, closing his hazel eyes. Darcy clutches his arm like she’s afraid she’s going to fall.

  “Mrs. De Vries, thank you for having us over,” I hear Ryder say, entering the room arrogantly with Connor in his wake.

  Ryder is holding flowers and he hands them to my aunt before handing me a single red rose. “I wasn’t aware Darcy was going to be here, but this is for you.” His fingers brush mine when I take the flower from him. He notices the pallor and the slight flinch. The jerk seems faintly amused. Unlike Ethan, Ryder’s wearing a charcoal gray suit without a tie. He’s gorgeous, which is totally unfair because he’s not very nice. His cousin’s outfit is similar, but with fine pinstripe detailing.

  “I’ll just go and put this in some water. Ethan, why don’t you take them to the solarium until dinner is ready. We’re still waiting on Robert,” Aunt Erika says, shaking her head in mock despair.

  Both Ryder and Connor fall behind me as Ethan, his face tense, walks briskly ahead of us. I pause with Darcy right before the solarium, letting Connor and Ryder enter first. Connor flashes me a tight grin as he passes me. Darcy whispers in my ear, “I swear those two were checking out your ass.”