UPRISE

008

            Noah and Wren are surprised to find that, other than the group of three, they are the first to arrive. Since Noah is still feeling sheepish after having introduced himself to half a dozen strangers, he sits down against the fence.

"How'd it go?" Pluto looks up at Wren. She reaches her foot out and plays with the bottom of his pantleg.

Wren resists the urge to look at Pluto. He has heard of the kind of girl that she is, (one with music vibrating off her in waves, and winks that could make even the most stone-hearted fall) so the grin stretched from ear to ear is all too familiar. Though Wren might have the best poker face in history, his body does not. If he lets himself relax into her touch, it will betray him, and it will betray him to her.

So, he looks at Viola when he answers. "No sign of him."

Only Noah frowns.

Though Aeryn is disappointed, she remains hopeful that Edison is still to come.

Next, Jasmine and Corbin arrive. They both share a smile, which causes Pluto to cock an eyebrow.

"No Edison?" Noah asks the pair.

Corbin shakes his head, not that he minds. He watches Jasmine bend over to sit with Noah. His eyes don't leave her. Not the small strand of hair that she tucks behind her ear, not the curves of her body, not anything.

When Wren elbows him, finally Corbin manages.

The group turns to listen to the chatter behind them as Harper and Reagan walk back to the gate. Reagan's sweet laugh rings out over to them as he steps forward.

"Aren't they all cute," Pluto says. "Money's on them fucking first."

Wren feels his stomach tense.

When the two finally reach the group, Harper is the first to speak. "Any of you find him?"

Noah feels his heart deflating. He is already forgetting what Edison looks like. After all, he was in the middle of panicking when they two first laid eyes on each other. Only impressions are left. Cold, angular, mysterious. Edison Darby is a character in a Sherlock Holmes novel, not a real man.

"Maybe we shouldn't be talking about this in public," Corbin warns. He watches reds walking in and out of the Complex. Perhaps they picked the worst place to meet up, since there are more reds than there are anywhere else.

"We could go to the park," Aeryn suggests.

Both Harper and Corbin shake their heads too quickly. Corbin catches the gesture but doesn't wonder what secrets Harper is holding. After all, he doesn't care about Harper. He doesn't care about anyone, or anything other than himself, obviously.

"I mean, there aren't really many other places," Jasmine notes, rubbing her arms beneath her coat. "The forest is crawling with clears."

Reagan leans forwards, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. He flicks his brown hair out of his eyes without touching it. "Now... now I don't mean to be a bother, but the forest has got to be a hundred acres, give or take twenty or so. I'm not a mathematician, not by any means, but there is probably space for us."

Jasmine crosses her arms, shoving her fingers beneath her armpits. "Are you suggesting we hang out in there?"

Without thought, Reagan shakes his head. He had only meant to point out that the forest was, in fact, not crawling with clears, as Jasmine so aptly called them. After last night, he is less inclined to fear clears than he might have expected, but he still is not keen to run into their den.