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“Although . . . I hope it doesn’t hurt your feelings if I say I miss the way you used to look.”
“Not at all. I kind of do, too.” I smiled and picked up one of Etna’s biscuits and a bowl of seaweed soup.
“Has your father ever told you about the first time we met?” asked Marcus.
“I don’t think so.” I knew he was trying to cheer me up, so I was happy to let him.
“Our son had been hiding Orrin in the house for a week without us noticing. Then one day, we walked in and found him raiding the cupboards. We were about to turn him in. We thought Orrin was some kind of savage,” he said.
I laughed. “Well, he was.”
“I suppose so. But he grew on us once we realized what a good friend he was to our son.”
“It takes time to see his virtues,” I said, “but they do exist.”
“Of course, dear,” said Etna. “We just mean that he had different manners and such, being raised on Tramore.”
“I’m glad he met you. And your son,” I said. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have married my mother.
“I’m sure your father talks about him all the time,” said Marcus.
“Yeah,” I said, “all the time.” But the truth was, my father almost never mentioned his old best friend. It was the same with my mother. He hated to relive his past pain, but I knew he still did, every day, whether he talked about it or not.
“Well,” said Marcus, planting a kiss on Etna’s cheek before standing up from the table. “I have to go. My team’s behind schedule on the new testing center.” He picked up his hat and left the room.
“Another testing center, really?” I asked. “Crazy Academy.”
“I hope you don’t talk like that in public, dear,” said Etna, “especiallynow.”
My face reddened. For the most part, Marcus and Etna had dropped any discussion of my blunder, but it was obviously as much on their minds as it was mine.
“I better go too,” I said. “And don’t worry. I’ve got it under control.”
We said goodbye and I went out the front door, about to take the stairs into the street.
It didn’t take long to realize something was off.
I stopped in my tracks. A crowd gathered near the gates up ahead. And instead of the usual guard, the street swam with Enforcers. One by one, the citizens presented their cards before leaving the quarter.
I darted back inside and shut the door behind me, my hands trembling on the doorknob. They’d never made us show our cards to getoutof the quarter before. There was only one explanation—they knew I was here.
“Is everything okay?” Etna asked from the kitchen as if she could sense my fear even with a wall between us.
“Yes, Grandma.” I hoped she wouldn’t notice the tremble in my voice. “I just forgot something.”
It was only a matter of time before the entire quarter would be searched. I’d have to make a run for it somehow, before they found me here. Before I could decide what to do, Marcus came back inside through the front door, bolting it behind him.
“It looks like you’re stuck,” he said.
“What?” asked Etna, joining us at the bottom of the stairs.
“They’ve started searching the quarter. Someone must’ve recognized the sketch.”
Someone like Graham. My heart sank as I reached for the door. “I have to leave.”
Marcus moved to block it.
Etna stepped forward and touched my arm. “You can’t.”
