“We’ll talk to my dad about this,” Wei said. “He’ll know what to do.” She hooked her arm in mine. “Don’t worry, no one will take Dee. I promise.”
A tiny bit of optimism lodged in my heart. I hoped she was right. I’d been reckless, bold in my conversation with Ed the night before, when I’d challenged his authority to take Dee. In the past, when I mouthed off to him, Ginnie had taken the brunt of his anger. With her gone, I had every reason to believe that given the chance, he’d be more than happy to take a swing at me. Maybe Mr. Jenkins could reassure me that the legal guardianship was something Ed couldn’t ignore.
We picked up Dee and went to TJ’s. She’d never been to a place like that, filled with high school kids.
“Can I tune into the aud, Nina?”
“Sure, DeeDee, you pick.” I swiped several credits into the music box. I was getting low—I hoped the government would start our survivor benefits soon. Dee punched in her picks and tuned her PAV into the channel.
Dee sat in the booth, eating fries, sipping a Sparkle, and moving in time to the music. Her eyes darted around taking in the scene. There were ’letes with their letter jackets acting like, well… like ’letes. Their girlfriends, either real or wannabes, were hanging over their booths or sitting elsewhere, giggling and making eyes at them. A group of techies drew diagrams on napkins, talking in a language only they could understand. Some music guys were drumming on their table and mouthing the words of whatever they were listening to. A couple of people had their viewers on. I thought it was more fun to look at the people instead of a vid you could see anytime. Wei and I sat and watched; it was too noisy to have any sort of conversation.
It was weird—I hardly knew Wei, but I felt so at ease with her. It wasn’t like we were that similar: aside from the connection between her father and mine, we were at opposite ends of the tiers. Although I had to admit, her attitude wasn’t like most high-tier girls. I wondered if she was only being friendly to me because our parents had been close.
I tamped down my insecurity. I didn’t think Wei was like Sal. Wei’s family wanted to meet me, and she was eager to give me information about my father, not just ask me a bunch of questions.
Sal. Why did he get to me so much? I wanted to just be able to forget about him, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him. About how I’d been so eager to be close to him, and now… Heat crept up my neck just thinking about how I’d stood there, waiting for him to kiss me. Wanting him to kiss me. Instead I’d been grilled for information about my dad. The humiliation stung as much as it had the night before.
As we were leaving, Wei asked, “Can you come to my house for dinner tonight?”
“Sure.” My pulse quickened—I could meet her family, I could find out about my dad. “I need to take Dee home first. You want to come with us and meet Gran and Pops?”
“Sure.”
“You’ve gotta watch out for Pops,” Dee cautioned. “He’s kind of silly and sometimes he doesn’t have his leg on.”
“He’s got a bio-limb?”
“Nah,” Dee said. “It’s an old GI leg. The government wouldn’t give him the good kind. He hates the government.”
“DeeDee!” I shot her a disapproving look. “He doesn’t hate the government. He’s just mad…” Ginnie hadn’t been quite as careful about airing her views on the GC around Dee as she had been with me. I guessed I’d have to have a talk with my little sister before she got herself, or anyone else, in trouble.
Wei laughed. “It’s okay with me if he hates the government. No one I know likes it.”
“Doesn’t your dad work for Media? That’s like working for the government.”
“Boy, is it ever. Yes, he does. But… well…” She let that trail off, and Pops’s cautionary words darted through my brain: things are not what they seem. It felt like that was becoming my mantra. Maybe Wei and her family were not what they seemed. I’d just have to wait and see.
We were almost to the apartment when my stomach dropped. How was our low-tier retirement community apartment going to look to someone who lived in a mansion? “Uh, Wei, our place is, well… we just moved and… the government benefits haven’t—”
Wei laughed. “You think I care about all that tier crap?”
I smiled at her. “Some people do.” My heart swelled and I instantly relaxed. I was so used to Sandy—everything tierwise mattered to her. It could be nice to hang out with someone who wasn’t so caught up with tiers and sixteen, to talk with a friend who was more interested in things like music and art. I hoped Wei would want to be friends.
When we walked in, Pops was dozing in his favorite chair. He stirred when I shut the door.
“Hi, Little Bit, Deedles.” His voice was heavy with sleep. He blinked. “Who’s that with you?”
“Pops, this is Wei Jenkins. We’re in school together.”
“Hello, Miss Wei Jenkins.” He straightened up, running a hand through his shock of wiry hair.
I could almost see him collecting his thoughts, like picking out favorite AV chips. Thank goodness he had his leg on.
“Jenkins, hmm. That name sounds familiar.” He called into the other room, “Edie-hon, get out here, I need your memory—and we’ve got company.” He smiled at Wei. “I apologize for not getting up. Old bones, you know. Pretty little thing, aren’t you?”
She didn’t blush, like I most certainly would’ve. “Thank you.”
Gran walked into the room, wiping her hands on a towel tucked into her belt. “I’m making chocolate chip cookies.” She saw Wei. “Hello.”
“This is Wei Jenkins, Gran. She’s a friend from school.”
“Jonathan Jenkins’s daughter,” Gran said.
“I am,” Wei said.
Gran turned to me. “It was Jonathan Jenkins in that picture we were looking at.”
“Wei and I figured that out yesterday. I forgot to tell you.” I didn’t tell her why I’d forgotten—the fight with Sal.
“Wei, it’s nice to meet you. Would you like to stay for dinner?” Gran asked.
“I was hoping Nina could come to dinner at my house tonight,” Wei said. “Is that all right?”
“Of course. But don’t forget it’s a school night.”
“Mom won’t let us. Nina will be home before nine.”
“Take a coat, dear.” Gran fussed over me. “It’s getting cold. And take the transit. I don’t want you walking alone at night.”
“Yes, Gran.” I went for my coat. She didn’t have to worry; I could take care of myself. Hadn’t I been doing that for weeks now?
Minutes later Wei and I were outside waiting for the number 33. As it pulled up, I noticed a green trannie behind it. I craned my neck, trying to make out if it was Ed’s. I couldn’t get a clear view, to be sure. For a second, I wondered if I should not go to Wei’s to watch out for Dee. But I couldn’t not go—I needed to meet Mr. Jenkins. Just then, the green trannie sped up and passed the transit. I had to figure out some way to keep Ed from seeing Dee. At least for the time being, I didn’t have to worry about tonight.
XXI
“I’m a little nervous,” I confessed, which was a huge understatement. My brain was wagging back and forth between jitters and paralyzing panic. Somehow I’d managed to keep my body under control as we walked from the transit stop to Wei’s house.
“Don’t be. My parents are really easy to talk to.”
“Mine, too.” For a split second I thought, I can’t wait to tell Ginnie about this when I get home tonight. Then I remembered. I’d never get to tell her anything again. Just when I’d think I had it all under control, a thought about Ginnie would spring up and I’d forget she was dead. I hoped someday I could think about her without wanting to cry. I struggled to get back into the moment, forcing myself to think about getting closer to finding my father. That was the most important thing I needed to do. I was doing it for Ginnie.