Chapter 6
Three days after my argument with Salene she called a tribe meeting. When everyone was loosely assembled around the café she began. "Mega has a suggestion which may help us"
"Great, another brainwave from the Technos" muttered Lex
"Lex just for once could we start a meeting without you winging" snapped Amber
"Fine" muttered Lex exhibiting his usual air of brooding annoyance "Don't listen to me or my opinions"
"Go on Mega" encouraged Jay
Mega stepped forward with his usual air of coolness still intact. When I had met Jay I had thought he was cool headed, but Mega, he was so cool headed he was inhuman, I didn't trust him an inch.
"I suggest you put me in charge of the Technos" he said, his voice perfectly calm
"You have got to be kidding," shouted Lex standing up agressivly
"Lex will you please hear him out" begged Amber
Lex sighed and sat back down folding his arms, Amber nodded at Mega to continue, and despite the interruption his voice didn't wobble.
"This would satisfy the Virts and from there I could gradually close down the games and the Technos from inside"
"Right" said Lex "yeah, we get rid of his old boss and put him in charge, great plan"
"Lex is right, for once" I said, "This sounds like a set up"
"Well I trust Mega" Amber said, "he could have destroyed us, he didn't"
Salene put her hands up as a fierce argument started up "Lets just vote on it" she said "All those in favor" Everyone except me, Lex, Siva and May put their hands up.
"Right, that's settled then" said Salene "Anything else?"
Trudy stood up "I want you to know, as soon as the mall is reopened me and Brady are leaving with the Ecos"
Hawk put his arm around her, "We need to start rebuilding our home"
I wondered why Amber was not mentioned "What about you Amber?" asked Pride echoing my thoughts
"I'm staying here," she said, "At least until Bray comes back, this is where he will come when he returns" she smiled and her eyes drifted over to Jay, I saw the eye contact between them and the look on his face, part hopeful, part happy and part guilty, and then I knew, somehow I knew. I couldn't stay there any longer watching them, I had to leave. I stood up and stalked out, I felt the eyes following me but I wasn't bothered, all I wanted to do was go somewhere and cry like a little girl. She had won, as usual she had won.
There was no way I could safely leave the mall so I climbed the steps up to the roof. Standing there I could see the city spread below me. The wind whipped around me, sending my braids flying, not the strange unnatural winds of Zoot but a natural wind that made me stronger, that carried me away on it surrounding me, freeing me. I stood like that for a while, letting the winds console me and harden my heart.
Finally I heard footsteps on the stairs behind me. I knew who it was so I didn't bother turning around
"What happened?" I asked my voice frosty
"Ebony." he said his voice pleading, but it didn't work, I had hardened my heart against him. "What happened?" I asked again. He didn't answer so I turned around and looked into his eyes, they were full of sorrow and regret and pleading, but it was over and didn't let myself care anymore; I had hardened myself against him.
"Tell me Jay," I said my voice icy "What happened between you and Amber?" I said it slowly to let every word sink in.
He hung his head "We kissed" he whispered "Once" he said trying to make it better "A couple of days ago"
"Thank you Jay," I said
"Ebony." he caught hold of my arm. I looked at his hand and then daggers at him
"Don't. Touch. Me." I said each word a separate dagger "Its over Jay, you knew how it was" I walked off the roof leaving him standing there. As I descended the steps I turned back and looked at him, he was standing in the middle of the roof, a look of desolation on his face but I didn't care, I wouldn't let myself care.
Three days after my argument with Salene she called a tribe meeting. When everyone was loosely assembled around the café she began. "Mega has a suggestion which may help us"
"Great, another brainwave from the Technos" muttered Lex
"Lex just for once could we start a meeting without you winging" snapped Amber
"Fine" muttered Lex exhibiting his usual air of brooding annoyance "Don't listen to me or my opinions"
"Go on Mega" encouraged Jay
Mega stepped forward with his usual air of coolness still intact. When I had met Jay I had thought he was cool headed, but Mega, he was so cool headed he was inhuman, I didn't trust him an inch.
"I suggest you put me in charge of the Technos" he said, his voice perfectly calm
"You have got to be kidding," shouted Lex standing up agressivly
"Lex will you please hear him out" begged Amber
Lex sighed and sat back down folding his arms, Amber nodded at Mega to continue, and despite the interruption his voice didn't wobble.
"This would satisfy the Virts and from there I could gradually close down the games and the Technos from inside"
"Right" said Lex "yeah, we get rid of his old boss and put him in charge, great plan"
"Lex is right, for once" I said, "This sounds like a set up"
"Well I trust Mega" Amber said, "he could have destroyed us, he didn't"
Salene put her hands up as a fierce argument started up "Lets just vote on it" she said "All those in favor" Everyone except me, Lex, Siva and May put their hands up.
"Right, that's settled then" said Salene "Anything else?"
Trudy stood up "I want you to know, as soon as the mall is reopened me and Brady are leaving with the Ecos"
Hawk put his arm around her, "We need to start rebuilding our home"
I wondered why Amber was not mentioned "What about you Amber?" asked Pride echoing my thoughts
"I'm staying here," she said, "At least until Bray comes back, this is where he will come when he returns" she smiled and her eyes drifted over to Jay, I saw the eye contact between them and the look on his face, part hopeful, part happy and part guilty, and then I knew, somehow I knew. I couldn't stay there any longer watching them, I had to leave. I stood up and stalked out, I felt the eyes following me but I wasn't bothered, all I wanted to do was go somewhere and cry like a little girl. She had won, as usual she had won.
There was no way I could safely leave the mall so I climbed the steps up to the roof. Standing there I could see the city spread below me. The wind whipped around me, sending my braids flying, not the strange unnatural winds of Zoot but a natural wind that made me stronger, that carried me away on it surrounding me, freeing me. I stood like that for a while, letting the winds console me and harden my heart.
Finally I heard footsteps on the stairs behind me. I knew who it was so I didn't bother turning around
"What happened?" I asked my voice frosty
"Ebony." he said his voice pleading, but it didn't work, I had hardened my heart against him. "What happened?" I asked again. He didn't answer so I turned around and looked into his eyes, they were full of sorrow and regret and pleading, but it was over and didn't let myself care anymore; I had hardened myself against him.
"Tell me Jay," I said my voice icy "What happened between you and Amber?" I said it slowly to let every word sink in.
He hung his head "We kissed" he whispered "Once" he said trying to make it better "A couple of days ago"
"Thank you Jay," I said
"Ebony." he caught hold of my arm. I looked at his hand and then daggers at him
"Don't. Touch. Me." I said each word a separate dagger "Its over Jay, you knew how it was" I walked off the roof leaving him standing there. As I descended the steps I turned back and looked at him, he was standing in the middle of the roof, a look of desolation on his face but I didn't care, I wouldn't let myself care.
