Walking Ghost Phase (31 page)

“
Delay me? Why?”

“
Matthew Holcomb failed to think something through? He didn't see the trap?”

“
Trap? What are—”

“
You're a guy in the girls' corridor,” she interrupted. “Just imagine all the things I could scream to get the MPs' attention. You may have won the Sim tonight, but tomorrow no one will believe you did when you walk around with two black eyes and a limp.”

He
sat. “You're right.”

The answer, his sudden fold to her threat, seemed too quick.
“That's it?” she asked. “No argument? No putting me in my place?”

“
What's the point?”

“
You always have a point. Some grand plan. So what would happen if I called the MPs?”

“
Just what you said.” His cheek twitched.

“
They would beat you senseless?”

“
Yes.”
Twitch.

Her eyes widened.
“They would beat me senseless?”

“
What? No.”
Twitch.

Emily backed in the corner.
“Who the hell are you?”

Matt rubbed his cheek.
“You could always catch me in a lie. When we were growing up, I hated that you could see through me so easily.”

“
When we were growing up?”

“
Em, am I lying now?” He looked straight at her. “I want to tell you everything, but I can't. I need you to trust me. If I say I can't talk about something, I'm not trying to hide the truth from you.” He sighed. “I mean, I am hiding the truth, but I don't have a choice. At least not yet.” His cheek didn't twitch.

No choice in hiding the truth. Just like Mom.
“Who are you?”

“
Your friend.”

“
Prove it.”

“
You were born in Centennial Hospital three weeks after me. I was actually a month premature, so you always joked that I only had you in age because of a technicality. Our first meeting occurred in the nursery. Our parents lived a few blocks from each other. You on Hinkleberry and me on Mulberry. We played as children. Went to the same elementary, middle and high school. We've been friends pretty much since birth.”

She stared at him. Either he spoke the truth or he actually believed what he was saying.

Emily inched toward the bed and sat on the edge. “Why can't I remember, but you do?” She cupped her hands around her temples. “Ever since I signed that paper, it's like someone stole my memories of everyone I cared about. Like the procedure targeted those specific places in my mind.” She looked at Matt. “I missed you when you were gone. I forgave you when you deserted me. And Raven. I knew her all of five days. Why do I keep seeing her face?” Tears welled in Emily's eyes. “Why does it hurt so much?”

“
She grew up with us.”

“
Were we in Washington together? Summer vacation, right? Our last one before college.”

“
You remember?”

“
No, Raven told me. In my dreams, I'm walking along a deserted road. I hear her voice. She is apologizing. The trip was her idea, right? What happened there?”

“
In the ten days you've been here, have you written your mother?”

The question caught Emily off guard, and her mouth gaped.
“Why are you changing the subject?”

“
I'm curious. Have you visited the post office?”

“
Why does it matter? We're talking about Washington.”

“
I always liked your mom. She once caught me sneaking into your bedroom. I don't think I'll ever forget the lecture she gave us. Your dad sat on the couch and laughed during the whole thing.”

“
My dad? How long ago was this?”

He hesitated.
“Never mind.”

“
You're holding back, and if you want me to feel guilty for not writing her, you've succeeded.”

“
Em, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to help you see the truth.” He sighed. “The day I missed class, I wasn't sick. Damon didn't lie. The MPs took me somewhere. Apparently, a few scientists realized I had most of my memories. They warned me what might happen if I tried to help you, Raven and Sar—” Matt shook his head. “Dammit.”

“
Sar? You meant to say Sarah, didn't you?” Emily narrowed her eyes in deep thought. “She was with us?”

Matt grabbed Emily
's wrist. “You can't tell her anything. She's going to find out on her own and soon. Don't mess with her mind.”

“
How do you know those scientists weren't messing with yours? You're holding out on a big part of our lives. Now you expect me to play along?”

“
Yes—No!”

Emily jerked her hand from his grip.
“Which is it? If we're really friends, you'll give me a straight answer.”

“
Yes,” Matt said. “The answer is yes.”

“
I can't keep this a secret,” Emily said. “I won't. Sarah deserves to know.”

He nodded slowly.
“She does deserve to know, but we can't tell her yet.”

“
You've seen her. She's withering away. She thinks you're playing a part in her misery. The truth might snap her out of this mood. She might actually be happy for a minute or two.”

“
I doubt it.”

“
Why do you say that? Do you like seeing her miserable? If you won't tell her, I will. It just seems it'd be better coming from you since you're the one with the answers.”

“
Fine.” Matt glanced at the ceiling. “Stay quiet for the next week and I'll tell her myself.”

“
What happens in a week?”

“
Do you accept or not?” He held out his hand for her to shake.

She looked at it.
“Another deal? No thanks. You'll just have to trust
me
this time.”

He lowered his hand, grazing hers.
“I always have.”

For a moment she was silent. His touch seemed familiar.
“Tell me the truth. How are you doing this? Your victories, I mean. The way everyone around base talks, no one won the Sim before you arrived. Why did you desert your squad the first few nights?”

“
Because they're idiots.”

“
You've said that. And remember, you deserted me, too.”

“
I wanted to see the defenders' tactics up close. Let's just say they're—
predictable
. It was only a matter of time until someone else also figured it out.”

“
Yeah,” she said. “They do seem to attack the same way. I guess they got their training from the same place.”

“
Something like that.”

“
What the hell does that mean?”

“
Next question.”

“
Oh, come on. How could their training have
anything
to do with me?”

He didn
't answer.

She sighed.
“I probably wouldn't care anyway.” She snapped her fingers. “Okay, how do we always end up in the same squad? The odds of that alone must be astronomical.”

He inched closer to her.
“I requested it from the scientists.”

“
You requested it? Next time can you ask for another favor? Maybe some real food? A hot bath?” She scratched her arms. “Or get them to replace their soap. That stuff is murder on my skin.”

Matt leaned close to her ear.
“You look pretty good to me.”

“
So how good of friends were we?” Her voice was a whisper.

Matt kissed her neck.
“What do you think?”

*****

At 02:28, the hallway lights flooded the bedroom and woke Emily. She squinted, trying to make out the figure in the doorway. Then her thoughts began to slice through the tired haze. The leg resting atop hers. The conversation last night. Her roommate. “Oh, shit,” she said.

Matt sat up, lifting Emily with him, and they both looked at Maggie, who was standing between the beds.

“I'm so sorry,” Emily said. “I—we—nothing—”

Maggie grinned.
“It's okay. I don't care.” She stuck her head into the hall. “But the other girls might not like it if he stays until morning.”

“
Oops,” Matt said, and slid around Emily, dropping his feet off the bed and inside his boots. “See you in the morning?”

“
Of course,” Emily said.

He shook Maggie
's hand. “Nice to meet you and goodnight.”

After he left, Maggie crashed face first into her mattress.
“Should I expect to see him often?”

“
Something like that.”

“
What the hell does that mean?”

Dizzy from the concentrated dose of sugar in the shake, Emily swayed as she entered the classroom. Matt was already there, sitting alon
e in the middle row, resting his elbows on the table. A glistening drop of sweat trickled down his forehead.

Emily glanced at the clock—5:55.
“Did you run here?”

“
My morning exercise ended in this corridor.” The excuse raced through his lips.

Emily studied him, hearing his short, rapid breaths. She didn
't need to see the cheek twitch; his bluish face told her all she needed to know. “Liar.”

He lowered his head and gasped for air.
“One of these days you're going to be wrong.”

“
Not in this lifetime.”

For the next few minutes, soldiers piled into the classroom. Their faces glowed with a kaleidoscope of bruising, and their eyeballs appeared to have soaked for hours in a bowl of red dye. At 5:59, Sarah strolled through the door, also sharing the same spectrum of bruises, but her stride—the Queen of Everything waltz, as Matt called it—had returned in full force.

She froze in mid-step and looked at Matt. “Why's your face red? Did you lose last night?” Her eyes hopped to Emily, to Matt and then back to Emily. “Ohhhhhhh. Why am I not surprised?”

“
You're not?” Matt asked.

She plopped down on her usual stool.
“Not really. I knew I should have started a pool on when it happened. Could have made some good money.”

“
You're definitely in a better mood,” Emily said.

Sarah scribbled something in her notebook.
“I think I was making this place out to be worse than it is.”

Emily
glanced at Matt and shrugged. Sarah continued writing.

Stallings entered the room and, as usual, went straight to his computer. Results time. Sarah died in thirty minutes; not too bad but definitely not worthy of a cheerful morning. Damon placed near the top, still yet to achieve victory. Matt and Emily didn
't get the same applause as the previous day's announcement of their victory, but a few soldiers clapped. Once more Stallings emphasized how the end of the four-member squads made the win meaningless. In the front row, Damon nodded in agreement. Stallings then moved into his lecture.