parents weren’t home yet, and he was tempted to go back out to the garage and keep working. “I thought you said they’d be home at 5:30, Lexi.”
Just then the door opened, and Lexi’s mother walked in.
“Sorry, I meant 5:31,” said Lexi.
Mrs. Tanner kicked off her shoes and sat down on the couch. “Long day,” she said. “How is everyone?”
“Fine, thank you,” said Kevin after an awkward silent moment—he realized that both he and Cass had assumed Nick would speak, but he remained quiet, soaking his wrist in ice.
“Did you find things to do?” Mrs. Tanner asked.
Nick abruptly pulled his wrist out of the ice and plastic bag and stood. “Mrs. Tanner, I appreciate what you’re doing, but we can’t just sit here. How much longer do you expect our parents to be held?”
“I don’t know, Nick,” she said. “It shouldn’t be much longer, but you have to be patient. They weren’t released today; I was able to check on that quietly. That’s all we know for sure.” She stood and reached her hand out. “How’s the wrist?”
“It’s fine,” said Nick, keeping his arm tucked tight against his chest.
Mrs. Tanner sighed. “Okay, I’m going to change out of my work clothes. Lexi, can you please get the chicken and potatoes ready? Your father should be home any minute.”
“Yeah, okay,” said Lexi. “Come on, Nick, I’ll put you to work. There must be something I can find for a one-armed man to do in the kitchen.”
Lexi rinsed lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and red peppers and handed them to Nick, who began awkwardly chopping them into a salad. They said nothing for a few minutes while Nick fought to cut the vegetables one-handed and Lexi placed a large chicken and six potatoes in the flash oven. She tapped a few commands on the control screen, and the oven began to quietly hum and count down from five minutes.
Nick slammed the knife down onto the cutting board, and the carrot he was working on flew across the kitchen. He cursed. Lexi picked up the carrot, rinsed it again, then pushed Nick aside with her shoulder and began chopping it herself. “You know you don’t have a choice, Nick,” she said. “Every bot and half the people in the City know your face. You need to stay here and fly low.”
“I know that!” yelled Nick. “I can’t help my parents because I can’t leave this damned house, and I sure can’t help them from the woods. So I know, thank you very much, that all I can do is sit here and be useless.”
Lexi pointed the knife at Nick’s chest. “You, my friend, need to not yell at me. I’m on your side.”
“I’m sorry,” said Nick after a few moments. “It’s not your fault. I’ll figure something out.” He took the knife back from Lexi and began cutting the vegetables again.
He noticed Lexi studying his face, and Nick shifted his blind eye away from her.
“Your eye,” said Lexi. “How did it happen?”
Nick set the knife down. He felt angry, but he realized it wasn’t directed at Lexi. It was the old anger he had felt his whole life. “The bots,” he said, turning to her. “It happened when I was a little boy, escaping from a city. A chunk of stone from a lase blast, that’s what my parents told me. I don’t remember it.”
Lexi smiled and said, “You’re getting more and more interesting.” She picked up the knife and began cutting one last carrot. “Farryn,” she said finally, chopping. “Farryn might help.”
“What is Farryn?”
“Not what, who,” said Lexi. “A tech head, kinda like your brother. Someone I know from school. He might be able to help. He knows people. Don’t mention him to my parents, though—they’re not big fans.”
“Can I trust this Farryn?”
“No, probably not,” said Lexi, flashing Nick another smile that made him suddenly remember how pretty she was. “I guess we could just hang out here and wait. You seem to be handling that quite well.”
Nick found himself smiling back at her. “Farryn it
Just then the door opened, and Lexi’s mother walked in.
“Sorry, I meant 5:31,” said Lexi.
Mrs. Tanner kicked off her shoes and sat down on the couch. “Long day,” she said. “How is everyone?”
“Fine, thank you,” said Kevin after an awkward silent moment—he realized that both he and Cass had assumed Nick would speak, but he remained quiet, soaking his wrist in ice.
“Did you find things to do?” Mrs. Tanner asked.
Nick abruptly pulled his wrist out of the ice and plastic bag and stood. “Mrs. Tanner, I appreciate what you’re doing, but we can’t just sit here. How much longer do you expect our parents to be held?”
“I don’t know, Nick,” she said. “It shouldn’t be much longer, but you have to be patient. They weren’t released today; I was able to check on that quietly. That’s all we know for sure.” She stood and reached her hand out. “How’s the wrist?”
“It’s fine,” said Nick, keeping his arm tucked tight against his chest.
Mrs. Tanner sighed. “Okay, I’m going to change out of my work clothes. Lexi, can you please get the chicken and potatoes ready? Your father should be home any minute.”
“Yeah, okay,” said Lexi. “Come on, Nick, I’ll put you to work. There must be something I can find for a one-armed man to do in the kitchen.”
Lexi rinsed lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and red peppers and handed them to Nick, who began awkwardly chopping them into a salad. They said nothing for a few minutes while Nick fought to cut the vegetables one-handed and Lexi placed a large chicken and six potatoes in the flash oven. She tapped a few commands on the control screen, and the oven began to quietly hum and count down from five minutes.
Nick slammed the knife down onto the cutting board, and the carrot he was working on flew across the kitchen. He cursed. Lexi picked up the carrot, rinsed it again, then pushed Nick aside with her shoulder and began chopping it herself. “You know you don’t have a choice, Nick,” she said. “Every bot and half the people in the City know your face. You need to stay here and fly low.”
“I know that!” yelled Nick. “I can’t help my parents because I can’t leave this damned house, and I sure can’t help them from the woods. So I know, thank you very much, that all I can do is sit here and be useless.”
Lexi pointed the knife at Nick’s chest. “You, my friend, need to not yell at me. I’m on your side.”
“I’m sorry,” said Nick after a few moments. “It’s not your fault. I’ll figure something out.” He took the knife back from Lexi and began cutting the vegetables again.
He noticed Lexi studying his face, and Nick shifted his blind eye away from her.
“Your eye,” said Lexi. “How did it happen?”
Nick set the knife down. He felt angry, but he realized it wasn’t directed at Lexi. It was the old anger he had felt his whole life. “The bots,” he said, turning to her. “It happened when I was a little boy, escaping from a city. A chunk of stone from a lase blast, that’s what my parents told me. I don’t remember it.”
Lexi smiled and said, “You’re getting more and more interesting.” She picked up the knife and began cutting one last carrot. “Farryn,” she said finally, chopping. “Farryn might help.”
“What is Farryn?”
“Not what, who,” said Lexi. “A tech head, kinda like your brother. Someone I know from school. He might be able to help. He knows people. Don’t mention him to my parents, though—they’re not big fans.”
“Can I trust this Farryn?”
“No, probably not,” said Lexi, flashing Nick another smile that made him suddenly remember how pretty she was. “I guess we could just hang out here and wait. You seem to be handling that quite well.”
Nick found himself smiling back at her. “Farryn it
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