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‘You know I can’t do that.’
Jack doesn’t say anything but gives me this look – as if to say, ‘and why can’t you?’ A look that’s very, very ‘so what?’
‘I just wish the glitch never happened,’ I say. ‘That’swhat I want. More than the vortex. More than anything. Then I wouldn’t be on jacket potato duty, or being part of thethrone-disruption. Or screen-gate. Up for scrutiny.’
‘Well, I think you were on the right track when you said you wanted to forget it ever happened. Remember?’
I nod, bring the side of the cold-water bottle to my cheek. I’m so hot. It’s the heatwave. But, it definitely is also Jack and my little spark of a crush that’s burning hotter by the moment. ‘When I told you not to investigate? Or reach out to a nerd?’
‘Reach out to a nerd,’repeats Jack. ‘A very important charity, that one.’
I laugh, as Jack swipes his phone screen into life, and starts replying to an email, still smiling.
Silence stretches between us, and we watch for a few moments as, below, crew stand patiently behind cameras, people rush around, meandering in and out. There are a few players now, just straggling, taking a look at the pitch, shorts and shin-pads, but hoodies and sunglasses which will soon, no doubt, be removed ready for the game.
‘Did you ever talk to that mate?The nerd?’
Jack hesitates, doesn’t look up from his phone. He’s writing a work email.Dear Calvin,it says,thank you for your email.‘I did speak to my mate, Matt, yeah.’
‘And what did he say? About the glitch?’
Jack sucks in a breath, lets it out between his words. ‘Um. Not a lot really.’ He continues typing. ‘Just – theories.’
‘Theories?Like what theories?’
‘Just – interference, you know? Being compromised. Morethat, than a glitch.’
I find myself sitting up, in the slippery, plastic seat, back straightening. Distant music comes from down on the pitch, then stops again. ‘What – what do you mean?’
Jack gives a slow shrug. ‘Just – I mean, none of this really matters. He can’t be sure, and he doesn’t work for Flye, doesn’t know our systems—’
‘But what theories? Like, whatexactlydid he say?’
Jack takes a breath and there’s something in that pause, the way he stops typing, looks at me, that makes my stomach tense with a mini electric shock. ‘He .?.?. he said he hadn’t come across it before, but he isn’t too sold on it being a glitch. Even with the timings of the servers going back on. That, if it happened where he works, the most likely explanation he personally would have is that someone sent them. Manually.’
The words land there between us like a misfired firework.
‘Someone?’
Jack nods almost hesitantly, watches my face, as if preparing for me to do .?.?.something.Judder off into the sky like a panicked rocket. Burst into tears? ‘That’s what he said. Not me.’
‘So, you’re saying don’t shoot the messenger.’
‘No, I’m saying if he had to, he would lean more towards a person, not a computer. But, well, you didn’t send them, so, I feel like his theory falls apart a bit.’
I stare down at the pitch, as if doing an invisible sum in the air. I feelsickall of a sudden. Hotter than I was in that tiny room, even though it’s cool out here, up high, with the breeze.
‘Millie?’
‘So, is he saying – someone else did it? But .?.?. but who would even do that? Surely you’d have to know my password, unlock my laptop .?.?.’
‘Well, yeah, exactly. Which is .?.?.a real reach.Matt did ask if you could have sent them accidentally.Unknowingly.Not on purpose somehow.’ Jack holds his hands up, showing two palms. ‘OK,nowI’m saying don’t shoot the messenger.’ He gives a small, apprehensive smile, but I don’t smile back. ‘But they’re just hypotheses. I would have never said if you hadn’t asked, Millie. Because it’s just .?.?. surmising you know? And what use is that?’
‘Yeah, no, of course, I know, I’m – I’m glad you said.’
Jack nods slowly, watches me carefully, but I feel strange, now. Unsafe. Like I’m suddenly walking on ground that’s shifting under my feet, like someone has yanked the curtain back to reveal something unexpected that’s been hiding in the wings of my life. Because yes, it might be ‘a reach’, but say if someonedidpress send on my emails. Who would ever do that? And why?
*
