Page 34

AMITY

“Oh my goodness,” I gasp and spring up, rushing down the stairs. I throw my arms around Zeph and we hug. He squeezes me tight and I try not to choke up. I was so worried about him.

I pull back to look at him. He has dark rings under his eyes, and he’s paler than I remember from Baltimore, but he looks okay otherwise. A little thin. Tired. I probably look the same way.

“Amity,” he mutters with a glance up at the porch to where everyone is sitting, watching with interest. “What are you doing up here?”

I glance back and everyone looks down, Ren clearing their throat and asking Moira a question about the mural she’s painting.

“Let’s, um, walk around the block,” I say, taking Zeph’s hand and dragging him.

“We’ll be right back,” I call to the others.

“Everything okay?” Eli’s standing now, watching me .

“It’s my friend Zeph, from Baltimore. It’s okay,” I say, then glance around, not wanting all the neighbors to hear my business.

Zeph looks wary and starts walking. I hurry to catch up.

“I can’t believe this,” he says to me. “I can’t believe you came up here, Amity.”

“Ami,” I correct him. He looks like he’s suppressing a smile. “Ami? That’s what Vale was calling you. Trying out something new?”

I shrug. “Trying to stay under the radar a little bit. My mom and my family… you know.”

“Yeah,” he agrees, and I feel his eyes sweep me as I am searching for signs he’s okay.

“I can’t believe you refused your oath,” he says quietly.

I guess he can’t believe any of this. It’s starting to grate a little. This is when I need to lie. Maybe I can skirt the truth a little bit.

“I can’t believe it either. But also, Zeph, there’s so much I didn’t know about the world. We never left Maryland after the Integration, you know.”

“Yeah.” He nods. “It’s pretty different up here.”

“Everything is different. Canada is…crazy.”

“Did you drive through the Midwest?” he asks.

I shake my head no.

“That part was pretty nice, actually,” he says. “Everyone’s on UBI. And all the citizens are treated…equally.”

When I think about how men are treated back in the PS, I cringe. I was always told there were good reasons for it. Historically, men committed the most murders and acts of violence, and men had biological reasons to be more aggressive and less in control of their emotional state.

I expect Zeph to say how much better it is up here, but when I turn to him there’s worry creasing his brow.

“Maybe you should head there. To the Midwest,” he says.

That’s not what I was expecting him to say.

“Why?”

“It’s not safe for you here. They don’t treat women well at all. The Forge, the other group, the Brotherhood. Women are second-class citizens. And you don’t have anyone looking out for you.”

He doesn’t say “any man” but I know what he means.

“I’m learning to look out for myself,” I argue. “And I have my roommates.”

Zeph rolls his eyes.

“Hey, they’re great,” I say, giving him a little shove.

“I’m sure they are, Ami,” he says my new name a little carefully. “But are you training? Learning to shoot?”

“That’s what I want to learn from the Forge,” I burst out.

Zeph huffs. “They’ll never let you train with the men.”

“You sound like Vale,” I tell him.

“Look, you can’t trust that Vale guy. He’s been up here with his dad, who is vicious, working for him all these years.”

“Says the guy who joined their little club,” I argue.

Zeph shakes his head. “I’m telling you. Stay away from the Forge.”

“How did you find me?” I ask, changing the subject .

“Vale’s phone,” Zeph says a little guiltily. “He doesn’t have very strong security on it.”

“Do they know you can do that?” I ask with a grin. Zeph always could figure out a way to get around cyber defenses and firewalls.

“I’m sure they’ll figure it out eventually,” he returns my grin.

“What if we train together, the two of us?” I suggest.

“I had to sneak out for this. I don’t think I’ll be able to do it again. Besides, I might not even be up here that long.”

I’m puzzled.

“I think we’re moving down to West Virginia,” he says.

“West Virginia? That’s right next to Greater Maryland.”

“They say they’re going to work something out with the PS. Bring the two groups back together.”

“Work something out?” My voice rises. “The Forge is going to work something out with the PS? No way.” I can’t believe it.

He shrugs.

“They’re lying about that,” I say, not willing to mince words at this point, especially if I might not get to see him again. “They’re probably planning an attack. Do you think you could attack your own home?” I say a little accusingly.

“That’s not the plan,” he says defensively. “We’re going to negotiate.”

We turn the last corner. Ren’s house is down the street on the right.

We’ve walked around the block so many times over the years, me and Zeph, but it’s never felt like this. I don’t know how many more chances we’ll get.

“How did this happen to us?” I say, before I can stop it .

Zeph laughs darkly.

“Do you miss Miro?” I wonder.

Zeph doesn’t answer yes or no. “We broke up anyway.”

“Oh, I didn’t know, I’m sorry.”

“He didn’t agree with…this.” He looks up, and around, at the houses, at Anchorage, at the mountains in the distance. And then at me.

“I’m still not sure what I think,” I say, and it’s the truth. “But I know I don’t trust the Forge,” I tell him fiercely.

“Do you trust the PS?” he asks.

I shake my head no. It’s partially true, but I’m still taking orders when they come through the secure messaging app.

“Vale asks about you a lot,” Zeph says a little slyly.

“What does he ask about?” I demand.

“Today he was asking about when you were a kid, what you were like.”

“Did he tell you I knew him back then?”

“Yeah. Sounds like we just missed each other,” Zeph says.

“But you don’t trust him,” I repeat from earlier.

Zeph is quiet, thinking. “I trust him more than his father. He seems to care about you, be worried for you. Maybe talk to him about the Midwest thing, Amity. Promise me you’ll consider it.”

“It’s Ami now,” I say. “I’ll think about it.”

We’re back to the house and Zeph looks around, pulling his hat lower over his face. “I probably need to get back.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come in for tea or something?” I ask a little hesitantly .

“No, I don’t want them to miss me. New recruit and all,” he says.

I nod. “Yeah, okay. Be careful.”

“I’ll be careful,” he assures me. “Don’t worry about me.”

I try to digest everything he said as I walk up the steps. The couches are empty now. Everyone’s gone inside and the sky is finally turning an orangey-pink as it gets later. I go straight to my room and pull the shade down to try to get some sleep.