Dusk

Chapter Twenty

"I do?"

Neo nods, but he's quick to raise his hands up, palms toward me. "Don't get offended, alright, but that was why I was so interested in you in the first place. You two even look alike."

Ouch. My pride takes a little hit from that. Before I know it, my voice is coming out as abrasive as steel wool.

"Okay, so I look like your girlfriend. Big deal. How do you expect me to get you out?"

Neo doesn't seem to notice the coarse notes of my tone. He just smiles and blushes like a maniac, tugging on a strand of his pale hair.

"Well, she's not my girlfriend. I just see her often."

I raise an eyebrow. "Wait, how do you see her often if you can't even leave the Inner Ring?"

At this, he manages to look sheepish. "It's embarrassing."

I scoff. "We've come this far already. You've told me all about your desire to leave the Inner Ring, which I'm sure could get you in serious trouble. I think we're past the point of embarrassment, now. Don't you?"

Neo clears his throat and rocks back and forth on his heels. "I, um... well, I watch her."

I blink. "Watch her? Like on a Stream or something?"

"Something like that."

When his blush grows even more pronounced, I roll my eyes. I probably remind him of a girl in some porno he's been obsessively watching. Red flag if I've ever seen one.

But I gloss over the topic. "Alright, well, you still haven't told me how we'll get out there."

He grins. "That's the really fun part. You don't have to do much. Just convince your attendant to take you and a friend out to the Outer Ring for a day. I'll do the rest."

"And you... presumably... would be that friend?"

"Of course."

I circle the chair, arms crossed over my chest. I mustn't look very convinced, because Neo sends an impish smile my way.

"I'm not going to be going with you looking like this. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Tricks that can fool scanners?"

What could fool a scanner? I think. I haven't heard of anything that could do it except for that holotech that Anden uses. Where'd Lex get it again?

He shrugs. His eyes gleam in the half-light. "Maybe."

From a friend, she'd said. Now I have to wonder if that friend was Neo.

When I don't reply to him, Neo puts a hand on my shoulder.

"If this all goes well, I have something for you."

My confidence in this odd boy is growing by the second. If he's the genius behind that holotech, then we're getting out of here no problem.

"I do enjoy gifts..." I say.

"Doesn't everybody?" He squeezes my shoulder. "We'll get on with the plan this Saturday, Cassandra. You're a dear."

--

Neo's car stops in front of my new home. He leans over and manually unbuckles my seatbelt, his blue eyes lowered in concentration.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?" I ask.

He nods, the seatbelt sliding over my body and tucking away safely behind my head. "Should I pick you up again?"

I smooth my clothing and brush away imaginary dust like I've seen Lex do time and time again. "No, that's fine. I'll see you at The Academy."