Bliss

Chapter 28

"Why would you hide this from me?" Zack exclaimed, holding up Margo's black-hearted wrist. It wasn't the lie that she told—it was the fact that she'd been hiding the truth behind her tattoo.

"Because I knew you'd freak out like this!" Margo snapped. "It's just a stupid tatto, Zack! Get over it!"

"It changes color when you lie! Do you realize what that could do to you? What if Jael captures you again? What if she asks you questions and you can't lie to her? What happens then, Loveridge?"

"I don't know," replied Margo numbly.

"Exactly! That's why you should've told me earlier! Does anyone else know?"

"Well . . . Orabelle made me—"

"You told my grandma before me?" Zack took a step back. "How many times have you lied to me? What are you hiding anymore?"

"Nothing!" Margo shouted.

Zack grabbed her wrist, which had a red heart. She almost slapped him. He couldn't even trust her now?

"Get away from me," she hissed.

He let go of her, his eyes clouding with guilt and regret. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lash out like that. I had a fight with my mom last night—"

"Save it." She wrenched away from him and raced to the Sequoia dorm. Tears blurred her vision as she passed her doormates, ladies calling out to her for help with lunch, little kids asking to wrestle them. She ignored them all.

She found Kiori trying to fight Benson over a pastry. When Kiori spotted Margo, she stopped short. Benson stuffed the pastry in his mouth.

"What's wrong?" Kiori asked, following Margo up the stairs and into their room.

Margo plucked her pillow from the ground and stuffed her extra clothes into the pillowcase. She blocked out Kiori's desperate pleas and reminded herself why she was doing this. She was a burden with that tattoo. No good to Zack or Eden.

"Margo, stop," Kiori cried.

Margo whipped toward her, tear faced and frustrated. "I'm running away. If you're coming, grab your pillow, too."

Kiori picked it up. "Why are we running away?"

"Because I'm a burden to society," Margo replied simply. "And I know you'll follow me if I don't invite you."

"You're right."

"I know." Margo pulled her hair into a ponytail. "I don't belong here. I belong in Pure City as an Implanted. I know that's not possible anymore, and I'm not even sure if I'd want that. But I can't breathe. The world's suffocating."

"Okay. Can we sit down for a second, though? The air is perfectly fine in here and I want you to braid my hair before we go." Kiori plopped down on the cardboard.

"But—"

"Please. Just for fifteen minutes. Think for a bit, then if your mind is made up, we'll go."

Margo sighed and pulled her hairbrush from her pillowcase. She divided Kiori's long hair into sections, braiding them while thinking. She didn't want to run away. She wanted to stay in Eden. But she had a tattoo that could potentially kill them all.

"Don't pull so hard," Kiori complained.

"Sorry."

Margo just finished the braid as there was a soft knock on the door. "Lovey?"