It was the next morning when Zack burst into the dorm, panting and sweating.
"What's wrong?" Margo asked, shooting out of bed. Any other time she'd be embarrassed of her flimsy nightgown, but he looked terrified.
"It's Freya and Holland," he said, gripping the doorframe.
"What?" Kiori said. She sat up groggily, a tank top hanging loosely on her thin frame.
"They've been kidnapped," he told them. He sat down on the little mattress beside Kiori and Margo and explained the whole story. Willis—the guy from the party— was heading over to visit Freya when he heard shouting. He said that he hid behind their house as a group of Spartans gagged Freya and Holland and dragged them away, presumably to the Spartan camp.
"The Raiders would go, but they're not coming back until tomorrow morning," Zack added.
"We need to look for them!" Kiori said.
"Yeah, kiddo. We do. I already have a group put together."
Margo looked up at him. "Who?"
He listed a bunch of names Margo didn't know, then said, "And me. Then you."
She gave him an appreciative smile because he included her, but Kiori clearly didn't feel the same.
"Why can't I come?" she asked.
"Because you're twelve," Zack told her.
"Almost thirteen."
"It's not safe for you," Margo said.
"Not for you, either."
Zack squeezed Kiori's foot beneath the blanket. "We won't be long. And we'll be safe."
They made Kiori promise she wouldn't secretly come, and she reluctantly agreed to their terms.
Kiori sighed and brought her legs to her chest. Margo began to braid her hair—it seemed to calm her. Zack scooted up beside Margo and fingered her hair, and after a while she realized he was trying to copy her braid.
She went slower in demonstration. He finished and tied it off with one of Margo's few elastics.
"Boom," he said, pretty proud of himself.
Margo smiled and kissed his cheek.
Kiori rolled her eyes and stood, stretching. Her shorts were boxers with little cartoon characters on them, but she clearly didn't mind Zack seeing her. Margo, meanwhile, was itching to get into her real clothes.
Zack noticed, suddenly very conscious, and his ears turned red. "I should, uh—I'll just—"
"I'll meet you tonight?"
"Sunset."
Margo nodded and started to prepare herself for the night to come.
YOU ARE READING
Bliss
Science FictionMargo Loveridge lives with the Unimplanted kids of a town called Crud. True to its name, Crud is the run-down place where people are kept until they reach the age of sixteen, when they will become Implanted and given the ability to feel happy emotio...
