Julia Karr - XVI

“Well, old man?” Danger dripped from her words.

Pops glared back at her. The air between them was thick with secrets.

“It’s okay, Pops. I think I know what you mean.”

“Really?” He set his cup down and rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding Gran’s eyes.

“It’s just one of those things people say—right?”

Pops nodded and Gran gave him a look I couldn’t read before she turned back to the cook center to finish scrambling up the tofu. I sipped my orange juice quietly, watching them both.

Mike, Derek, and I walked Dee to school like normal, but Ed was still foremost in my thoughts. I needed help—this was not something I could do alone. They had to know something was up, since I dragged them along with me to Dee’s school. As far as I was concerned, they could get used to it, because I was planning on walking Dee from the transit stop to school every day for the rest of my life.

As soon as Dee and her friends turned down the street to school, I told Mike and Derek about how I’d promised Ginnie I’d keep Dee away from Ed, my conversation with Gran, and Ed’s phone call to Dee.

“I’d say Gran’s right,” Derek said. “He probably feels guilty for being such a jerk.”

“Who’s a jerk?” Sal walked up behind us.

“Ed,” Mike said.

“Who’s Ed?”

“He’s Dee’s father.” I filled him in on what I’d told the others. “I’m worried that he wants her for a Cinderella girl.”

There had been two Cinderellas in my school in Cementville. They were never on time, always looked tired, and left right after the final bell. I don’t think I saw them talk to anyone. Not that anyone, even tier-ones, wanted to associate with Cinderellas. No way was I going to let that happen to Dee.

“Don’t you think he just—” Sal began.

“Listen.” Derek jumped in like he used to when we were little and I needed protecting from some bigger kid who was picking on me. “You don’t know the whole story. Ed’s worse than a dog with Dark Side fever.”

Sal’s forehead wrinkled. “Nina?”

“I’ll—Derek’s right. Ed’s no good.”

“Maybe he thinks Ginnie had a bunch of credits stashed somewhere and he wants them,” Derek said.

“Maybe he’s a government spy and Ginnie was really a NonCon?” Mike said, laughing. He couldn’t have had any idea of the effect his words had on me. It wasn’t like I hadn’t thought that myself sometimes, especially lately. Ginnie certainly wasn’t shy about her views. And Ed was a Chooser—that was a government job. My heart beat faster.

“Maybe you guys have been watching too many detective AVs,” Sal said. “Dee’s his daughter and he’s just looking out for her.”

“Seriously, Sal.” Mike shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Nina’ll tell you—that Ed skiv makes my dad look like a hero.”

A sharp gust of wind crashed into me and I heard Pops’s words again. Things aren’t always what they seem. I was afraid he was right.

Wei caught up with me in the hall after the last bell. “Nina! Where are you going?”

“I was looking for Sal.” I had a little bit of time before I had to meet Dee.

“He might have left after fourth period. I didn’t see him on the way to my last class. I usually do.”

“Oh.” Apparently my disappointment showed.

She studied me through her choppy black bangs. “You like him, don’t you?”

“He’s nice.” That sounded lame even to me. But at least I wasn’t being all sex-teen and gushing about him.

She smiled. “Yeah, he is. Come on, I’ll walk with you.”

Outside in the late fall sun stood Mike and Derek, and Sal, too. My heart made a little leap when I saw him and I couldn’t hide the smile that played around my lips.

“Thought the teacher kept you after school,” Derek teased me. “You been bad?”

“Shut up.” I poked a finger into his ribs.

He jumped backward. “Hey now… watch it.”

“Yeah,” Mike said, “you might bruise his tender widdle body.”

Derek shoved Mike and Mike shoved back. Wei and I just rolled our eyes at that kind of mock fighting guys start doing when they’re little kids and never seem to stop. When Mr. Haldewick appeared on the top step, tapping his ever-present pointer and frowning at them, they quit.

Sal took my arm and steered me away from everyone’s chatter. “Let’s go to the park.”

“I need to make sure Dee gets home okay from school first.”

“I’ll go with you.” We said good-bye to the rest of the crowd, and he walked alongside me, close enough to make my insides smile no matter what we were talking about. “Tell me about this Ed guy.”

In the ten minutes it took us to get to the transit stop where Dee would meet me, I told him pretty much everything about Ed. Except the vids. I couldn’t talk about that with Sal.

We got to the transit stop, and I spotted Dee on the other side of the street, looking in a shop window. At the same time I saw Ed sitting in a green transport—one that looked just like the transport that had narrowly missed me the day before. He wasn’t alone, though. There was a woman in the passenger seat, but I didn’t recognize her.

“Sal—that’s Ed.” I grabbed Sal’s arm and pointed to the green trannie idling at the intersection, close to Dee. Panic rushed over me. “DeeDee!” I yelled, and threw my arms up in the air, waving. “Here! I’m over here!”

I dashed across the street. Luckily, no one was coming. The trannie screeched into gear and sped off. Sal followed.

“Neens!” Dee cried. “Are you crazy? You could’ve got hit!”

“I’m fine, Dee. I—I didn’t want you to miss us, because… uh…” I leaned over, panting. “Help me out here,” I whispered up to Sal, who was looking at me like I’d lost my mind.

“Because Nina and I are going for a walk and she can’t wait to be alone with me.” He winked at Dee.

“Are you her boyfriend?” Dee said.

“Maybe.” Sal grinned at her. “Does she need one?”

“All girls do,” Dee said. “Especially when they’re practically sixteen.”

I’m sure I turned as red as my jacket. I wished someone would invent blush control.

The number 33 transit pulled up. Dee boarded first. I was getting on when Sal whispered, “So, Nina. Do you need a boyfriend?”

The feel of his breath on my neck and the faint smell of some kind of aftershave, maybe Orion, made me all quivery inside. I couldn’t deny that it felt good. I didn’t need a boyfriend—I was not a sex-teen. But maybe I wanted one? It had to be possible to like someone and not go crazy over them. I hoped so, at least.

Sal took my hand, twining his fingers between mine. Much too soon, we were home and the three of us got off the trans.

“Dee, tell Gran I’ll be up in a bit to help with dinner.”

Sal and I watched Dee until she got in the elport.

“Walk?” he asked.

I nodded. The Chicago River was across the street, just south of the apartment building. That’s the direction Sal took.

“So are you sure that the green trannie was Ed?” Sal asked.

“No doubt. I’d never forget someone I despise as much as him.”

“Okay. Don’t worry, Dee’s fine right now and we’ll figure out something to make sure she stays that way.” He gave my hand a squeeze; I squeezed back.

The river was lined on both sides with small green oases divided by grimy stretches of concrete. The one we stopped in had a maple tree with a few faded yellow leaves hanging on against the chill wind. Chipped planters held what had once been flowers, but were now brown, withered pom-poms quivering atop brittle stalks. The river rolled by, the promise of winter riding its dark choppy waves.