Chapter 3
“He wasn’t there tonight, Vidalia.”
“Why’s it always have to be about you?”
“You’re right. What’s new on your side?”
“My posts fell flat.”
“I hit you with a ‘rave.’”
“I know, Emmy. Thank you. No one else responded.”
“It’s still early.”
“No, it isn’t. Or you wouldn’t be back online. You’d be out looking for tongue boy.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You’re always there for me. Except when you’re out with Marco.”
“Thanks for not calling him a transit. He has a home.”
“Sorry about that.”
“No worries.”
“So what happened?”
“He wasn’t there.”
“I thought you said you went on intuition; that if you’re both there, then you’re both there together.”
“After the other night, I thought it’d be different.”
“Because of the tongue?”
“And because of the patrol. Thought he wouldn’t want me to worry. And the inverse.”
“Maybe he got picked up on the way home?”
"That’s the worry: if he didn’t make it back the other night. If they got him, I might never see him again. They could sentence him to life as a transit.”
“They wouldn’t do that the first time. Sentencing guidelines. Can’t you check? Don’t you know where he lives?”
“A tailor shop somewhere on the other side of the meet. Could be anywhere. I don’t have access to directions, and what would I do once I got there?”
“What about your parents? Adults have access to map apps. Addresses. Shops. They found the shop in the first place. You could pretend you were looking for another dress.”
“My parents would figure out what I’ve been doing. They’re too logical. Once they figured me out, I’d be done. They’d probably send me away.”
“Where?”
“You know, the places we hear about. The in-person colleges for students who struggle with the rationale.”
“Wouldn’t want that. What about his sign?”
“I searched everywhere. Without him, I could only travel so far. Just getting to the lot each night is terrifying. That’s why he picked the spot closest to me. First time he led me there from outside my parents’ tower. Said we were lucky that the patrol was too busy monitoring transits to suspect college students would start wandering out from their parents’ flats. The Mod assumed restricting the range on minis to within our buildings would keep us indoors using social apps. Marco planned our first meet the day at the dress shop. He knows the territory. Everywhere mapped in his mind. He found my parents’ tower, the first night, where I was waiting outside. Unless the patrol got him, he would have found me last night.”
“Maybe he found another girl.”
“Don’t say that.”
“That.”
“Seriously, Vidalia. I’ve got feelings.”
“Maybe he did find another girl. Maybe he just wanted to get his tongue in your mouth. Now he’s had his full.”
“The kiss felt like a beginning, not an end.”
“Then where is he?”
“He could have been stopped in either direction.”
“You’re right: too many variables. Try again tomorrow.”
“You’re getting some responses to your post, Vidalia.”
“Finally.”
“They must have just finished their nightlies.”
“I hate nightlies.”
“They used to call it homework.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Just something Marco said.”
“Enough about Marco.”
“Go ahead. Enjoy the responses to your post.”
“Thank you. And %%-“
“I’m going to need it.”