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Zoe
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On Saturday morning I awoke to a girl’s light snoring, which reminded me of Shay and the first time he had spent the night in my bedroom. I wondered what he was doing with his dad and Michael, and then I pictured the worst possible thing: his death. To ease my mind, I pulled out my cell to text him to find how his mission was going.
Me: Everything ok?
I looked over at Cali’s sleeping body. Sidelle was awake and staring at me, so I waved her over to my bed but pointed at our sleeping friend. She silently poofed and reappeared next to me.
“Morning, Zoe-san,” she whispered. “You sore today? You did a number on that program.”
“I feel great, actually.” I rolled my shoulders and head, checking.
“You know, Vash told Kieran that you and Cali mastered Level One, and neither of you should’ve done so well.”
“I guess we’re both naturals, like Vash said.” Maybe joining the cross-country and running clubs had helped my coordination and stamina.
“She is.” Sidelle tilted her head toward Cali. “You aren’t. You’re an Eternal, which may be why you did so fab, too.”
“Can we do some more training today with the Silico?”
“Probably not a bad idea. The more practice you get, the better. Maybe Vash has another Silico we can take with us, and Kieran can keep it at his house. Then you can keep on going with training.”
“How come Cali doesn’t remember what happened Thursday night?” I whispered.
“I wiped hers, Rena’s, Quinn’s, and your sister’s memories of everything after the fashion show.”
“You can do that?”
She looked unsure. “Cali was a little harder, and I’m not sure if it’ll stick with her. She already has her paw mark, so my glamour might not work.”
I’d forgotten about that. Her paw mark was similar to the tattoo I would eventually get, marking me as an Enlighten. But hers meant she was marked as Vash’s mate.
Cali stirred, stretched, and then gave a loud yawn. As soon as she opened her eyes, she blushed and put her hand over her mouth. “Oops. Sorry. I forgot where I was.”
We giggled. “No worries,” I said. “Good morning.”
“Hi,” she said. “Have you guys been up long?” She peeked through the curtains. “Looks like the sun’s already out. You should’ve woken me earlier.”
“We’ve only been up a few minutes.” I threw off the covers. “I’m going to shower before we eat.”
“Wonder what’s for breakfast,” Cali said. “I hope they have apple juice.”
“After last night’s three-course dinner, I’m sure chef will have anything you want.”
Ten minutes later I stepped out of the bathroom with my hair and body wrapped in towels, just in time to hear a light tap on the door.
A pony-tailed head poked through. “Morning.” Era pushed the door open farther. When she saw everyone was awake, she walked over to the window and threw open the curtains. “Did everyone sleep well last night? Breakfast’s ready. The chef will keep most of the cold foods out until lunch time if you don’t want to eat now.”
She plopped onto my bed, and waited for Cali and me to finish getting ready. Then the four of us, led by Era, meandered down to the first floor and stopped at a long kitchen table loaded with platters and bowls of breakfast foods. The chef stood over the commercial-sized stove, making omelets for the boys, who were perched on bar stools.
“How are you girls feeling?” Vash asked. He stood and pulled out a chair for Cali. “Are you sore?”
“Nope,” I said. “Totally fine. I could go another round.”
“I’m okay, too,” Cali said. “The first day of cheer camp was harder.”
“If you guys want to continue, we can do a different program after we eat,” Vash suggested. “We’ll do balance stuff until our stomachs settle.”
“Sounds great.” Cali laid her napkin across her lap.
We stuffed our bellies with eggs, bacon, and hash browns, washing it all down with milk and orange juice—plus, apple juice for Cali and steaming hot chai for me.
I borrowed another yoga outfit from Sidelle for the day’s exercise program, and then Vash and Kieran led the way back to the game room where they helped Cali and me put on the equipment.
A gymnastics beam appeared on the screen with an instructor.
“This program isn’t like the one from last night,” Vash explained. “It strengthens your core but also helps with balance.”
We mirrored the stances. This was easy enough. One foot on the beam, the other suspended a few inches in the air, and then high-step marches to the end and back again.
For the first thirty minutes, it was easy, until random objects flew toward our bodies. The first shoe that soared past my head made me lose my balance, and I stepped off the beam. I had points deducted, but when the couch pillow got lobbed at me, I was ready. Then the program changed. We were no longer on a balance beam in a gym, hovering over a safety pad. Now, I stood on a tightrope wire. My mind knew we weren’t suspended over the Grand Canyon, but try telling that to my body. I had to adjust my footing, another point lost.
I didn’t know how Cali was doing it. She stood like a statue; nothing bothered her.
The wind on the screen picked up, and a real fan or something else above my head made my hair move, and the thin wire beneath my feet swayed back and forth. My arms began to pinwheel, and I knew I was about to plummet to my fake death.
The word “Pause” flashed on the screen.
“Here, Z,” Kieran said. “It’s not fair if you move into this Level without the proper equipment.” He handed me a long, slender balance pole.
“Thanks.” I clutched the smooth rod and regarded the perfectly still Cali. If she can do this, I can, too.
Kieran pressed, “Play.”
Now that I had an object in my hand, I regained my balance against the breeze. The program went on like that for a few more scenes before we were back in the gym and on the balance beam.
“Now,” Vash said, “the object to this next level is to knock your opponent off the beam. Here. Let’s exchange the poles for shorter ones so you don’t actually poke someone’s eye out.” He handed us padded batons, and Cali and I each got our own mock challenger on the screen. “Remember everything you’ve learned so far ... and begin.”
This time it got even more complicated. Not only did we have to remember to balance, we had to recall the offensive and defensive stances from last night. After a while the screen changed yet again, and we were suspended over a mountain pass on a narrow wooden bridge. Wind and snow were factors now, and the stupid fan actually spat tiny ice particles onto our heads. Hours passed, but Cali and I pressed on. We were both really into the simulator, and we were both competitive.
“Let’s take a break,” Sidelle eventually suggested, taking the batons from us. “You’ve been doing this for three hours. You should eat to keep your energy up.”
“But I’m not—” Cali started. Her stomach growled, and she blushed. “Okay, I guess I am a little hungry.”
Vash smiled. “Come on. Chef Victus probably made sandwiches or something.”
“What are you guys going to do today?” Era asked as she sauntered into the game room.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “When’s the bonfire?”
“Not until after dark,” Era said.
“What did you have in mind?” Cali asked as she headed for the door.
“I don’t know. I was maybe thinking you guys could drive me to Minneapolis, and we could go shopping,” Era suggested. “Our school is having a Spring Fling Dance in a few weeks—”
Cali stopped, hand clutched on the doorknob.
“Cali?” Sidelle asked. “What’s wrong?”
Cali’s body remained frozen.
“Cali?” I whispered, stepping toward her. “Is everything all right?” I glanced at Sidelle. “What’s wrong with her?”
Cali’s shoulders slumped before an ear-piercing scream escaped her lips. Her hands flew to the sides of her head, and tears streamed down her face as her small body slumped to the floor, her head narrowly missing the door handle.