Collapsed: Book One of The Illusion of Truth, page 12
It’s quite apparent that Ellie has little say in the matter; she barely has time to open her mouth as to whether she likes a frock or not before someone is whipping a new one over her head.
Amid the bustle I get relegated to the back of the room, which is fine by me. Mrs. Pierce already made her announcement about my tagging along and was declared a saint for having me as a burden, so I’m of little consequence anymore. I just keep my head down to avoid the occasional sneers of the attendants.
“Tenly.” I hear my name and look up from the floor.
Jax is standing near the shop entrance, holding an insulated black bag. I give him a quizzical look, and he waves me over with his free hand.
There’s so much bustle in the shop that no one, including his mother, seems to even notice he’s back.
“I thought you had something to do?” I ask when I get to him.
He holds up the bag decorated with a cow holding an ice cream cone that reads Two Scoops Creamery. “I did. Eleanor loves this place, and I knew that mother would say no to stopping at the shop after we were done here. She hates the whole cartoon cow thing. So to celebrate I went and bought us all some treats.”
I tip my head in interest. “All of us?”
Jax smiles widely. “Of course. What fun is eating ice cream if people you’re with aren’t eating any? There’s one for both you and Isaiah.” He eyes Isaiah, who’s sitting in the front seat of the car outside.
Blood roars in my ears. He really bought ice cream for all of us? The fact that I’ve never even had a frozen treat like that immediately makes me wonder what he’s chosen for . . . but honestly, I don’t care. I’m willing to try anything.
“Is it going to melt?” I ask.
Jax shakes his head. “These bags can keep everything frozen for hours.” He leans toward me. “But we could go eat ours right now.”
“Really?” The thought of the creamy treat I’ve only seen Scarlet kids enjoying in videos sets me alive, and in this moment I want nothing more.
“Sure, but not in here. All these stuffy people will probably get mad.” He gestures with his head to the door, and like my mind is hijacked, I follow without question.
All the way through the door, my eyes remain trained on the bag with the toothy, smiling cow. It seems stupid, but I’m not sure that I’ve been more excited about anything in my entire life.
Jax plops the bag onto the car hood, and Isaiah immediately looks up at the noise. Within seconds he’s out of the car.
“Mr. Pierce,” Isaiah says. “I didn’t believe you’d be back.”
“What good is an outing to the city without stopping at Two Scoops?” Jax tips his head to the bag.
Isaiah eyes it, and his expression remains static. Not at all what I might expect when someone is bearing gifts. “And you plan to eat it out here?”
“They’re going to be in there forever, and Miss Hawkins and I need something to do.”
Isaiah gives me a look I can’t quite read, but I’m not too stupid to know that he’s unhappy about the situation. “Very well,” he finally says and makes his way back to the driver’s seat.
Several pedestrians walk behind us, but my mind is on what’s inside the bag as Jax unzips it. He reaches inside, pulls out some type of creamy frozen drink, and holds it out to Isaiah through the window. The man nods but waves his hands to decline.
“Maybe later,” Jax says and places the frozen concoction back in the bag. He then pulls out the loveliest vanilla sundae with chocolate sauce, topped off with a bright red cherry on top. The dessert is protected with a clear dome.
“For you,” he says.
I’m suddenly aware that the high-class pedestrians have taken notice of what’s going on between me and Jax. With me dressed in my blue uniform, it’s obvious what I am. “Are you sure? Maybe we should have this later.”
Jax clicks his tongue. “You know as well as I that Mother brought you here for a reason today. What better way to prove how well the Pierces treat those in the Premier Workforce than to reward your hard work?” He holds the sundae out to me along with a spoon from the bag.
Biting my lip, I take the treat and hold it until he brings out an identical concoction for himself. With one hand he zips up the bag, then leans back against the side of the car and flips open the sundae dome, which has a tiny plastic hinge to keep the protector affixed to the cup below.
Without hesitation he digs into the ice cream.
Before I take a bite of mine, a few shouts from the next street over ruin the moment. “What’s that?” I gaze over my shoulder.
“Who knows? Probably some disgruntled restaurant patron who didn’t get their meal cooked properly.” He takes a second bite.
I turn back to the shop and crack open my sundae. But the second I do, a well-dressed man passes in front of us. He mutters a few choice words under his breath I don’t care to think about and ends his insult with Bluey.
I gulp. Despite my intense desire to try the ice cream, tears sting at the corners of my eyes and I freeze.
“Hey,” Jax calls after the man. “What did you say?”
The man turns around and sneers. “You heard me.”
“I’ll have you know that my father is Gavin Pierce, and unlike you, our family is taking part in fulfilling our civic duty. Our governess here”—Jax quickly eyes me—“worked her way up and earned a spot on the Premier Workforce. You should be a little more patriotic! Loyal to President Nelson.”
The man turns up the corner of his lip but spins on his heel to walk away.
In shock I stare at Jax. Did he just do that for me? I open my mouth to thank him, but the shouting I heard a moment ago grows louder. I twist my head around to see a fairly large crowd rounding the street corner. They’re yelling something I can’t quite make out, but on one of the signs held above their heads, there are clear words.
CPW is a Sham. Another reads Free the Tenement.
My eyes widen at the sight when several Scarlet sentry vehicles race down the street, sirens blaring after them.
“We need to go,” Jax says and takes my arm, but I don’t budge, mesmerized by the situation. “You don’t want to see this.”
Rich pedestrians race past us to get away from whatever is happening across the street. Apparently, they don’t want to witness whatever is about to happen either.
Suddenly Isaiah is at my side. “We must get Mrs. Pierce and Eleanor out of the shop.”
But just as he says this, the sentries squeal to a stop and at least twenty armed men jump from the vehicles. The protesters barely have a chance to scatter before the guard releases some kind of stun device on the crowd. Those at the front fall to the ground twitching. Several protesters in the back charge the sentries, but the weapons aim again and they too fall, writhing in pain.
The protestors didn’t even do anything to deserve such treatment.
I scream and drop my sundae to the ground, and before I know it, Jax and Isaiah are loading me, Mrs. Pierce, and a crying Ellie into the car.
Chapter 16
My plate of dry chicken and pasty mashed potatoes sits largely uneaten on top of Ellie’s dresser. I’m convinced that the kitchen staff leaves my meals uncovered in the walk-in refrigerator for at least a day before they’re delivered to my room, judging by the weird skin that coats some of the food and the forever dry nature of the meats. There’s no way it’s the same quality of food served to the Pierces or even the other staff.
Most days I barely care, and today is no exception. After what happened in the city earlier, my appetite is completely gone. The dropped and splattered sundae I didn’t even get one bite of was a huge loss, but it pales in comparison to the attack on the protestors.
I wring my hands together in an attempt to soothe the trembling, but it doesn’t seem to last, and every few minutes I’m repeating the process.
Ellie sits in the center of her bed staring into space. She went through the motions of tooth brushing, bedtime story and her nightly hair brushing with barely a word to me. The afternoon had an effect on her too.
I keep glancing at the door, fully expecting her mother to come in and offer some sort of comfort, but so far she hasn’t. Mama wouldn’t have wasted a second making sure that I was okay, but Mrs. Pierce is not Mama . . . not even close. Dr. Pierce is still out of town, so who knows if he’s even aware of what happened.
“Can I brush your hair?” Ellie finally speaks and pulls me from my thoughts.
“What?” I ask and bring my hand to my tight bun.
She shrugs. “You brush my hair all the time, and I thought maybe I could finally have a turn.”
I force a smile and grab the gold-handled brush from the vanity. Brushes aren’t great for my curly hair when dry, but what’s the harm? Maybe it will help Ellie relax from the day. Me too, for that matter.
“Sure,” I say. I walk over to hand her the brush and lower myself to sit on the edge of her bed.
The child gives me a soft smile and begins removing the band holding my bun in place. When she’s finished, my curls fall out over my shoulders and down my back. The release makes my scalp almost itch, and I resist the urge to turn over my head and shake out my hair. Before Ellie puts a brush to the curls, she runs her fingers through them.
“They’re so pretty,” she croons.
I chuckle. “My hair? It’s wild.”
Even without looking, I can feel the motion of Ellie shaking her head. “No . . . they’re like curled ribbons on a birthday present.”
I crane my neck around to get a good look at her, and for the first time since this afternoon, she’s smiling. “Really?”
“Mmm hmm,” she says and starts gently pulling the brush through my hair. “And you are my favorite gift ever, Tenly.”
I’m not quite sure how I feel about Ellie thinking of me as a possession, but she’s only six, so I don’t think she really means the admission that way. “You’re a good friend, too.”
A sweet smile graces her lips, and she touches the chain around my neck. “Ooh . . . you have a necklace.”
My heart jumps at the words, and instinctively I bring my hand to my collarbone. “Um, my parents gave it to me before I left.”
Ellie places the brush on the nightstand. “Can I see?”
I know I should keep it hidden, even outside the Tenement, but there’s no use telling her no. It would only make her more curious. So I unbutton the top fastening of my blouse and reach inside the collar.
Her eyes widen as she sees it. I have no idea how the tiny gold heart might be impressive to her, since Ellie pretty much has every possession that she could ever want.
“I love it!” The child admires the pendant for at least thirty seconds.
“It’s been in my family for a long time,” I say as I slip it under the safety of my collar again and check my watch. “It’s also time for you to go to sleep.”
She whines and her shoulders slump.
“No complaining,” I remind her and stand. “Girls need their beauty sleep.” It’s a stupid phrase and I don’t really know what it means, but it seems like something Mrs. Pierce would approve of.
She scurries under the comforter, and I pull the puffy fabric up to her chest.
“Good night, Ellie.” I place a kiss on her forehead, and she smiles.
“Night, Tenly.” The child yawns and curls to her side, almost immediately drifting off into sleep. Today was a very long day.
Before I leave, I grab my barely touched dinner plate, snap off the lights, and head into my room. All alone, I abandon the meal again and plunk down on my bed.
I know I should review lessons for tomorrow, but my mind is too jumbled for it. Who were those protesters, and what did they mean by their signs that the CPW program was a sham? Obviously the sentries didn’t like the sentiment or they wouldn’t have used that weapon on them.
Frustrated with my unanswered questions, I stand and exit my room. Not that I should be out after tucking Ellie in, but tonight my thoughts won’t let me stay still. I scan the halls for anyone who might give me a hard time, but when I don’t see a soul, I head for the stairs at the end of the hall.
Some fresh air might help me clear my mind.
Up the narrow staircase, I exit onto the rooftop deck, and instantly a rush of cool wind tickles my face and blows my hair off my shoulders.
“Ahhh.” I let out my breath.
“So, we meet here again.” Jax’s voice comes from the side, and I nearly scream but somehow hold it in.
My nervous hand immediately goes to my loose hair. “Oh sorry. I had no idea that you’d be up here. I’ll go.” I turn back to the door and reach for the handle.
“There’s no need.” Jax walks from the telescope to me. “After what happened today, I think all of us need a little break. Mother is freaking out downstairs, and I came up here to get away from her.”
I can only imagine how much Mrs. Pierce must be freaking out. On the way home she barely said two words and then hurried into the house and disappeared. I’m not even sure she joined Ellie for dinner tonight.
Jax gestures to the deck railing. “You came up here to look at the stars. Don’t let me get in the way of that.”
I release a shuddering breath, walk to the edge, and turn my attention to the clear, dark night. Once again the sky is filled with what look like diamonds. A few seconds later Jax joins me.
“It was a shame you had to see all that today,” he says after a short while. “Up till a few years ago, the city was mostly a peaceful place . . . now too often it’s not. But I was surprised to see that display on the upper end.”
“What was it about? The protest.” Although it might be better to talk to Isaiah, I feel like overall it might be safe to ask Jax. He doesn’t have to answer if he doesn’t want to.
“I’m not really sure, but there’s a lot of propaganda out there telling people what they ought to think. So much of it’s not true.”
But this was the first time I’ve ever witnessed or even heard of Scarlets demanding the release of the Tenement. It’s not a topic I want to argue . . . since I agree with the sentiment. But Jax probably doesn’t really know what the Tenement is like, so I can’t blame him. And it’s not like it’s my place to educate him . . .
Before I make any response, he places his hand on top of mine and my back shivers ensue. “All I know is, I don’t want people that I like hurt.”
Jax likes me? I guess it’s not a total surprise. He did buy me that sundae and even stood up for me with that rude man on the street. “Thank you for defending me today.”
He chuckles. “That was nothing. People are just rude sometimes, and they deserve to be told. And you worked hard to be here . . . you shouldn’t have anything ruin it.”
For whatever stupid reason my eyes start to burn with salty tears and before I can stop the flood, several escape onto my cheek. Maybe it’s today, maybe it’s missing home, maybe it’s kind of wishing Jax was Kalib and he was the one here talking to me. I wouldn’t have to hold back with Kalib.
“Are you crying?” Jax says and I think that there’s genuine concern in his tone . . . at least he’s not laughing.
“No,” I lie and wipe the evidence from my face, but there’s no hiding the fact that I was.
Within seconds he’s wrapping me in his warm arms and holding me against his chest. We just stay that way for I have no idea how long, silent.
Finally he pulls back from the embrace and gazes into my eyes. My sadness instantly falls away, and all I want is for him to gather me in close again.
“I’ve seen you working with Eleanor, and she hasn’t been this happy in forever. Mother may have her doubts, but I think bringing a Cobalt into this house was the best decision in a long time.” As Jax speaks, he strokes my hair and my knees weaken. “I knew you’d look good with your hair down.”
Any words I might say won’t form on my lips because at this moment all I want are his on mine. I am fully aware that my mind and body are betraying me, but I barely care. Attentively, his fingers move from my hair to my jawline. I don’t stop him. I want them there.
A gasp exits my parted lips.
“You are so beautiful, Tenly. I want to kiss you right now.”
Beautiful? Kiss? The words spins in my mind, and if Jax didn’t have his other arm around my waist, I think I might not still be standing.
“Then do it,” a girl with my voice but not me whispers.
Without hesitation his mouth is on mine, softly at first, and then he goes deeper. Jax tastes like sugar lingering in his mouth from some type of dessert. And I want more.
I’ve never kissed a boy before, but I’ve envisioned it. Once in a dream I kissed Kalib and spent the entire next day avoiding him since I feared my face might give the secret away.
But this? This is real.
A relationship with Kalib never could have been real. It would have kept me in the Tenement as I probably would have given up on my dream of joining the CPW.
Jax’s needy lips match mine. His hands rake into the back of my hair and hold me securely to him while I dig my fingers into his back and don’t let go. Heat and the best type of belly flops take over any sense of logic I might normally have.
“Tenly,” he whispers and takes his mouth to my jawline and slowly kisses down the side.
My body makes an immediate switch to a raging inferno for more of his touch, but instead of coming back to my mouth, he pulls away and smiles.
Panting, I return the expression. “Wow.”
“Wow is right,” he says under his breath and glances around. “But you should head back to your room before I suggest something stupid.”
“What if I want stupid?” I curse at myself in my mind for saying such a reckless thing, and before he can respond, I pull back from him slightly. “No . . . no, you’re right. I should get back downstairs.”
