he
didn't want that."
"They came here from Outpost One?" I ask. I never
expected this. "Which Outpost are we in?"
"This is Three," he replies as though he's not really
thinking about it. "Neveah joined up with us not much later,"
he says. "We knew her already, and I guess Apollon and Jonas thought
they needed someone to look after me. A girl, I mean." He
shrugs.
"And Miranda?"
Oscar sits up straight and glances at the house. "Jonas
rescued her," he says carefully.
"Rescued her?" I ask. I know this is a touchy
subject, but Miranda's not here, and I want to know.
Again, he looks at the house, but when he looks back at me, his
eyes narrow conspiratorially. He leans a little closer, his voice
hushed. "Donegan hates her," he says, "because of her
mom."
I match his whisper. "Her mom?"
"He was in love with her. Well, that's what they
say. But then she ended up with Miranda's dad. He had a little shop
downtown. He was a mech."
I nod. This explains Miranda's creations.
"Things were OK for them, I guess. But Donegan hated
her. He always tried to make things hard for them. Something
happened-- Idunno. And Miranda's dad died. I guess Donegan thought
her mom would go to him, but she didn't, and he just got madder. He kept
at her, said he knew she loved him and all that. But she'd quit drugs,
see, and she didn't want to be around that stuff." Again, he glances
at the wall behind us. "So she took up with some supplies-runner and
left."
I blink. "Without Miranda?"
He nods gravely. "Just left her," he says.
"And with her gone, Miranda was the only one left for Donegan to be mean
to. He sent his goons after her and they had her cornered in an
alleyway. Jonas kind of stumbled into it, but you know Jonas."
I don't, really.
"He chased them off and saved her," Oscar
finishes. "And she's been with us ever since."
"Wow," I say. "That explains why Miranda
hardly ever goes outside." But really I'm thinking about
Jonas. I'm thinking about how, when I woke up yesterday morning, and
everyone else was still asleep, his arm was still thrown over me. How, in
that moment, I felt safe for the first time I can remember. I wanted to
stay there forever. I had someone to protect me. It didn't matter
that Jonas doesn't seem to care the rest of the time, when we're awake.
That arm was enough. And it's been enough to stand between me and
nightmares, pushing them away when they come, for the past three nights since
I've been here.
Oscar is nodding.
"So why does Jonas want to keep traveling?" I find
myself asking.
Oscar looks like he's about to answer when we hear a noise around
front. He climbs to his feet. "I don't know," he says,
but I can tell his answer is lacking due to distraction. "He just
wants to go somewhere." He heads off around the junk wall.
I sigh, climb to my feet, wiping off mud, and follow him.
***
We walk shoulder to shoulder down the street in broad daylight--
Jonas, Apollon, and me. I keep quiet, noticing now how their eyes scan
the streets, always watching what's going on. Always ready for anything.
I do the same, taking in all the details I can. There are people I
recognize from my days on the streets. Others I don't. One of them,
a pretty girl with caramel colored curls, is flouncing down the street unescorted
toward us. Seriously?
I detect the change in Apollon's stride even though I'm not
looking at him, which makes me immediately want to. It's a subtle change,
but enough. His gaze is steadily on the girl. As we near her, he
makes eye contact and shoots her that cocky grin. He nods and says,
"Hey gorgeous." He winks. I try to contain myself.
The girl, however, blushes and giggles before looking away as she
passes, her chin in the air.
Apollon glances back over his shoulder as we keep moving.
After a while, trying to keep the amusement from my voice, I say,
"Who was that?"
"That," says Apollon,
didn't want that."
"They came here from Outpost One?" I ask. I never
expected this. "Which Outpost are we in?"
"This is Three," he replies as though he's not really
thinking about it. "Neveah joined up with us not much later,"
he says. "We knew her already, and I guess Apollon and Jonas thought
they needed someone to look after me. A girl, I mean." He
shrugs.
"And Miranda?"
Oscar sits up straight and glances at the house. "Jonas
rescued her," he says carefully.
"Rescued her?" I ask. I know this is a touchy
subject, but Miranda's not here, and I want to know.
Again, he looks at the house, but when he looks back at me, his
eyes narrow conspiratorially. He leans a little closer, his voice
hushed. "Donegan hates her," he says, "because of her
mom."
I match his whisper. "Her mom?"
"He was in love with her. Well, that's what they
say. But then she ended up with Miranda's dad. He had a little shop
downtown. He was a mech."
I nod. This explains Miranda's creations.
"Things were OK for them, I guess. But Donegan hated
her. He always tried to make things hard for them. Something
happened-- Idunno. And Miranda's dad died. I guess Donegan thought
her mom would go to him, but she didn't, and he just got madder. He kept
at her, said he knew she loved him and all that. But she'd quit drugs,
see, and she didn't want to be around that stuff." Again, he glances
at the wall behind us. "So she took up with some supplies-runner and
left."
I blink. "Without Miranda?"
He nods gravely. "Just left her," he says.
"And with her gone, Miranda was the only one left for Donegan to be mean
to. He sent his goons after her and they had her cornered in an
alleyway. Jonas kind of stumbled into it, but you know Jonas."
I don't, really.
"He chased them off and saved her," Oscar
finishes. "And she's been with us ever since."
"Wow," I say. "That explains why Miranda
hardly ever goes outside." But really I'm thinking about
Jonas. I'm thinking about how, when I woke up yesterday morning, and
everyone else was still asleep, his arm was still thrown over me. How, in
that moment, I felt safe for the first time I can remember. I wanted to
stay there forever. I had someone to protect me. It didn't matter
that Jonas doesn't seem to care the rest of the time, when we're awake.
That arm was enough. And it's been enough to stand between me and
nightmares, pushing them away when they come, for the past three nights since
I've been here.
Oscar is nodding.
"So why does Jonas want to keep traveling?" I find
myself asking.
Oscar looks like he's about to answer when we hear a noise around
front. He climbs to his feet. "I don't know," he says,
but I can tell his answer is lacking due to distraction. "He just
wants to go somewhere." He heads off around the junk wall.
I sigh, climb to my feet, wiping off mud, and follow him.
***
We walk shoulder to shoulder down the street in broad daylight--
Jonas, Apollon, and me. I keep quiet, noticing now how their eyes scan
the streets, always watching what's going on. Always ready for anything.
I do the same, taking in all the details I can. There are people I
recognize from my days on the streets. Others I don't. One of them,
a pretty girl with caramel colored curls, is flouncing down the street unescorted
toward us. Seriously?
I detect the change in Apollon's stride even though I'm not
looking at him, which makes me immediately want to. It's a subtle change,
but enough. His gaze is steadily on the girl. As we near her, he
makes eye contact and shoots her that cocky grin. He nods and says,
"Hey gorgeous." He winks. I try to contain myself.
The girl, however, blushes and giggles before looking away as she
passes, her chin in the air.
Apollon glances back over his shoulder as we keep moving.
After a while, trying to keep the amusement from my voice, I say,
"Who was that?"
"That," says Apollon,
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