Payback by Melinda Metz - Fingerprints - 7 Page A

it?
    “I guess they’re a little lighter than mine…” Anthony began. “Am I supposed to be seeing something else? I told you, I don’t know anything about- ”
    “They’re Yana’s eyes,” Rae interrupted. “I drew Yana’s eyes in your face.” She turned the sketch pad toward her and stared at the familiar eyes. Looking at them made the back of her neck prickle.
    “So erase them,” Anthony said.
    “Yeah, okay,” Rae answered. She grabbed a big eraser off her desk but couldn’t touch the paper with it. Her hand started to shake.
    “What?” Anthony sounded impatient. “What, Rae?” he asked again, more gently.
    “They look so scared,” Rae told him. “Yana’s eyes look so scared.” She couldn’t stay away. She knew it then. She’d promised Anthony she would, even after what he told her about Yana’s intention. But she was already in this too deep, and there was just no way she could keep her distance.
    “Can I come in?” Rae asked.
    “No,” Yana told her, trying to hide her shock. The last thing she’d expected when she swung open her front door was… this. And the last thing she’d wanted, too. She could feel her friggin’ eyes stinging already. Wasn’t there some kind of limit on how much you could cry in a day? ’Cause there should be.
    Rae raised her eyebrows. “Um… okay. So what if-what if I just stand here and talk to you for a sec?” There was fear in her eyes and in her voice. Rae was stil afraid of her.
    Yana nodded in reply, as if someone else was making her head move for her. She wanted to say no again-just looking at Rae got her way too close to losing it-but how could she? Yana should be doing anything Rae wanted. Anything. And she wasn’t even letting her in the house. So if Rae needed to stand here and blast her the way Anthony had, tel her what a despicable person she was, then Yana would listen.
    “I’l keep it fast,” Rae said. “Anthony told me that you’re going after the agency. Don’t do it.”
    Yana blinked. “Why do you even care?” she blurted.
    “Good question.” Rae looked at Yana steadily for a moment, like she was trying to come up with an answer. Trying and having a hard time. “Because…” Rae let out a long sigh. “Because… You know what? I don’t even know. I shouldn’t care. You tried to kil me. Thanks for saying you’re sorry, by the way.”
    “There wasn’t-what exactly was I supposed to say?” Yana demanded. “There should be, I don’t know, different words. Sorry’s what you say when you step on someone’s foot.” And yes, ladies and gentlemen, Yana was crying again.
    “So you could have gotten me a Hal mark card,” Rae said, the anger drained out of her voice.
    Yana snorted, trying to regain control before she started to bawl. She couldn’t believe this. Rae was actual y being nice to her.
    Was the girl even human?
    “Going back to your other question, I care because a lot of the same things happened to you and me. But I had it easier. I had my dad. Who knows what…” Rae’s words trailed off.
    “Who knows what you would have turned out like if you’d had a dad like mine?” Yana asked. “That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it?”
    Rae shrugged helplessly. “I guess so,” she admitted. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter why I care. I’m here, and you should listen to me. You’re only one person. You can’t go up against the agency and win.”
    “I can’t just do nothing,” Yana said. She wiped off her face with the neck of her T-shirt.
    “What’s going on in your head? Do you even have a plan?” Rae asked.
    Over Rae’s shoulder Yana noticed an unfamiliar car slowing down as it approached her house. Her heart turned to rock as it pul led into her driveway.
    “What?” Rae asked.
    Yana’s heart slowly returned to beating flesh as the car used the driveway to start a U-turn. But that could have been anybody, Yana thought. God, the agency people could have me under 24/7 surveillance for all I