Was it possible that 0 could have met 1?
9 watched 3 and 4 and 0. The three were so carefree, like the Scientist described the Maggie he so fondly wrote about. 0 would playfully push the Twins when they weren't expecting it then run ahead while 3 and 4 chased her. She would squeal when they were close to tackling her and then she would hide behind 7, laughing with what breath she had left. It made the caravan of stitchpunks stop until 3 and 4 gave up tackling her. Then 0 would lead the way again.
Sometimes she had a hard time keeping up with the Twins because her leg was sewn up so badly. They didn't bring a lot of things to patch themselves up with so what held her leg together was some thin wire.
If 1 did meet her he probably didn't like her.
"0," 9 finally had the courage to ask while 0 was laughing and out of breath.
"Yeah?" she looked at 9, her hand on her chest as if to hold something there. It looked as if she was pushing against it.
"You were made before any of us, right?"
From 9's peripheral vision he could see 7's curiosity peak but she tried in vain to hide it.
"Well yeah. You all should know that. What's this about?"
The Twins tried to get her to play by pushing her forward or grabbing her hands and pulling them roughly but she masterfully ignored their attempts. It looked as if they were dancing around her.
"So does that mean you met 1?"
0 became silent.
9 continued, "Well I figured that since you were created before any of us you must have met 1 at some point. Or even 2."
"Why are you asking me this so suddenly?" Something about her changed. It morphed her into a more mature person.
"I just wanted to know." 9 shrugged as if it were no big deal.
"Sorry to disappoint you but I've never met 1. I was long gone before the Scientist even designed 3 and 4." She was a bad liar. Her body became hunched, her fingers flinched at the touch of 3 and 4, and her eyes became more dilated. It were as if she was trying to make herself smaller and appear more transparent.
Finally 3 jumped on her back and she fell over. 0 laughed like her old self again and when 3 and 4 ran ahead she followed yelling, "Left! Left! Turn Left!"
7 and 9 walked in silence for what felt like a long while.
"She's lying." He finally told her.
"What are you talking about?"
"0 lied to me. She said she's never met 1 but she lied. Why would she lie? She shouldn't have a reason not to trust us, 7."
7 smiled in a motherly way. She always had that motherly smile and instinct that would calm anyone down. She put a hand on his shoulder, "You're just a little protective of the Twins, 9. I understand, I am too, but there's no reason not to trust 0 anymore. If she has secrets to hide it's hers to keep and she must have good reason to not even tell the Twins about it." Her hand squeezed softly before pulling it away.
"You're right," he didn't believe the words even though he said them.
They heard 0 scream. "Guys!" 3 and 4 smiled proudly of them being able to successfully pin down 0. "Get off!" She eventually pushed them off.
"Are we close?" 7 asked 0. "You've been playing an awful lot when you should be leading us.
"Sorry, 7," 0 said sheepishly, "I promise not too far now. But the sun is setting and 3 and 4 are getting tired. We should set up camp. I promise tomorrow we'll be there!"
0 made an awful lot of promises that, to 9, were simply empty words.