Bliss

Chapter 21

Freya and a group of Edenites went to the river in the morning. They found Holland on the ground, missing his left ear and he had a bloody nose. He was unconscious, but that wasn't the worst part. Around his neck was a stiff band.

"A tracker," Benson concluded.

Freya attempted to take it off, but it choked Holland. "What do we do?" she cried.

A boy with SmartEyes named Gadget fiddled with the collar. He couldn't get it off either.

"What about the saw?" Freya asked desperately.

"Won't do any good," Benson said. "This is steeline. Used in buildings and aircraft. It's indestructible."

Freya was a mess. Clearly Holland couldn't be brought back without exposing the location of Eden. And there was no way Freya was leaving him behind.

So that lead to the building of a cabin a mile away from Eden and Crud, secluded so no one would find Eden even if Holland was tracked. It was basically a death sentence to Holland and Freya, since they were staying together.

Margo began to read Benson's manuscript.

In my years of working at the Laboratory, I realized that the Implant wasn't everything my colleagues said to be. It's darker and more sinister than my twenty-year-old self wanted to believe. So here I, Benson M. Rew, will explain the truth behind the Implant.

The Depression was a ruse. It was to create panic among people and install fear. I myself did not receive the Implant, for I was a part of the SIC (Scientific Implant Construction). In this, I've learned that the Implant creates a false sense of bliss and comfort. No, this wasn't to help the citizens. If one is constantly unaware and happy, there are no rebellions. The government has complete control.

The Implant is located in the brain, where it feeds the emotional system positive energy. It denies negative emotions, unless the emotions are incredibly strong. This upset is called Emotional Arrest. It's symptoms include extreme headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and blurred vision. It can be deadly.

This is why the Implanted remain secluded from the bothersome children of Crud. If the children create situations of intense emotion, the Implanted will enter Emotional Arrest.

Margo quit reading. Benson's manuscript was earth-shattering. Could he really be right? Was the Implant a way of controlling people?

"Look Margo," Kiori called with a wave. She dove into the lake with an especially cool spin. It was something she'd been working on for a while, and she finally perfected it.

Margo clapped. "I'd give it an eight!"

Kiori crawled out of the water and turned to Zack, who unfortunately sat right next to Margo. She'd been trying her best to avoid him considering their argument and almost-kiss. He didn't seem to notice.

"I'd give it a nine point six, kid," he told Kiori.

She shot a look at Margo. "This is why he's my favorite." But she said it while sticking her tongue out, so Margo knew she was joking. Even though Kiori constantly tagged along with Zack, she still spent more time with Margo. They were best friends.

"Are you done reading your papers?" Kiori asked, peering at the manuscript.

Margo tucked it in her bag. "Just the first page."

Zack's eyes were eager. "What'd you think?"

"I don't know," Margo replied, though she knew exactly what she thought, which was "I've been lied to my entire life." But she didn't want to give Zack the satisfaction of being right.

Zack began to say something but Kiori cut him off.

"I can't believe this is the last time swimming," she complained. "We have to wait till April."

"Yeah," Margo said. She didn't go swimming today; she was reading the manuscript.

"Aren't you going fishing with Casen?" Zack asked Kiori.

"In twenty minutes."

"I think he wanted you to get more worms," he said, almost urgently. "Maybe you should go find him."

"So you can have snuggle time with Margo?" she teased.

Margo's face lit on fire. "Shut up!"

Kiori raised her eyebrows and mouthed something that made Margo want to strangle her. Luckily Kiori skipped away to Eden, singing some 80's song that Casen taught her, off to grab some worms.

"She's really something," Zack said, not quite meeting Margo's eyes.

"I know. Last night she told me about what she did to Skyla that day before I got to Eden. She kept hiding Benson's candy wrappers in Skyla's shoes and blankets." Margo laughed. "It was funnier when Kiori told me."

Zack studied Margo. "You glow different when you talk about her. It's cute."

She blushed. "She's like a sister to me."

Zack reached for Margo's hand and she entwined her fingers with his. He held her gaze. "I like you, Loveridge. You're the reason that keeps me going. You're the reason I wake up smiling in the morning—the reason I stay up at night. And it kills me—I swear, it kills me—that you don't feel happy like I do."

"Zack . . ."

"I don't wanna rush you, you know I wouldn't do that. All I want—well, I guess—"

"Zack," Margo repeated, "I like you too."

His hopeful smile was absolutely adorable. Until he frowned. "But?" he prodded.

"I don't know. What does this"—Margo motioned between herself and Zack—"even mean? What would we do with it?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I guess—if you wanted to—we could date? What do they call it now? Boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Margo laughed. "Something like that."

"And have you," Zack began, raising his eyebrows, "ever been a girlfriend?"

Margo had, in fact, dated a guy named Jesse mostly because Avrilyn pressured her to. The relationship hardly lasted a month. They broke up the day before Jesse's Implant. It was easier that way, and Margo hadn't really cared for him anyway.

"For a month," Margo replied. "I'm assuming you've been a boyfriend?"

"Why would you assume that?"

Take a look at yourself, Margo wanted to say. But of course she held that back and shrugged.

"No," Zack answered cautiously, slowly. "I haven't. But I'm hoping I will be one soon?"

She looked up at him with a racing heart, her gaze darting from his dark brown eyes to his lips and back again. This feeling was not new to her—she'd kissed Jesse before—but she didn't want to rob Zack of his first.

"Do you want to?" she asked.

"More than anything," he said.

So she placed a gentle hand on his cheek, tilted her head as he did the same, and ever so softly pressed her lips against his.