“If there was even the slimmest chance of an accident happening, do you think they’d have had us out there?”
“I suppose there’s always a chance of an accident. Transport breaking down, building catching on fire.”
“Maybe the whole thing was only supposed to look dangerous. Like it was all a setup to see how we’d react.”
Ethan shook his head. “Accidents happen, that’s all it is.”
Before I could reply, a hush fell over the dining hall. Angelyn had entered the room and went to the kitchen for her tray of food. She must have decided she’d had enough of the infirmary, too. Everyone was staring at her like they’d stared at me. She looked okay—the color had come back into her face, she was clean, her hair washed and done up in a braid. A big gauze bandage covered her elbow where she’d cut it on a rock. It looked incongruous with her otherwise neat appearance.
She scanned the tables, and when her gaze found me, her eyes lit up. She came over to join us, and I shifted to make room.
“Hey, how’re you feeling?” I said.
“Better. It’s hard to believe it even happened now. Seems like a dream.” Her smile was pensive.
“Oh, my gosh,” Ladhi said, pointing at the bandage. “How bad did you get hurt?”
Angelyn shrugged, blushed. She’d probably been hoping no one would notice. “A few scrapes. It itches a little.” Ladhi seemed very impressed. “I think Polly got hurt worse than I did—cracked ribs, the nurse said.”
“Oh, my gosh,” Ladhi repeated. “And you didn’t even say anything.”
“I get out of PE for two weeks,” I said.
“And she just shrugs it off,” Angelyn said.
We ate, then it was time to go to class. As we were cleaning up and shoving our trays back through the window to the kitchen, Angelyn stayed close to me.
She bent her head, lowering her voice to tell a secret. “The psychologist thinks I should go out again. Hiking, rock climbing, something. Overcome my fears or something like that. I wanted to ask you—will you go with me?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said.
“Good,” she said. “Thanks.”
I should have said no. I’d passed that test, I’d proved myself, I didn’t want to go through that again. But I said yes without thinking, just like I threw myself off that trail without thinking. Because we had to help each other. Despite all the competition, we did.
Well, most of us had to help each other. On my way out of the room, after dropping off my tray, Tenzig sauntered up to me, walking with me into the hallway.
“What do you want?” I said, more surly than was probably necessary.
“What you did yesterday? Totally slick,” Tenzig said. His smile seemed genuine, like he was really impressed, but with him it was hard to tell. “Rescuing someone like Angelyn? That’ll erase any black marks on your record. Good job.”
“I didn’t do it to erase any black marks,” I shot back. “I did it because I could—anyone could have done it.”
“Don’t bet on it. A lot of people just don’t have the guts for it,” he said, and I scowled. “Polly, don’t look so sour. I’m serious. Piloting programs love that sort of thing. It shows you have what it takes.”
“I already know I have what it takes.”
“Yeah, and now they will, too. I was wrong—you won’t need my help at all.” He stuck out his hand for me to shake.
I had to wonder what the joke was. In his world, I didn’t have enough status or pull to be able to get him anything, so why would he be nice to me? Then again maybe, just maybe, he was being nice. I took a chance and shook his hand. His grip against mine was warm and sure, not too loose, not too tight—not trying to start some kind of contest.
Then, instead of letting go, he pulled himself close, leaned in casual-like, and kissed me on the cheek. Not a big kiss. Just a light press of dry lips on skin that sent a spark flying to my scalp.
He turned and walked away, head bowed, expression hidden, as if the whole thing had been spontaneous and innocent and he was afraid of what I was going to think. What did I think? I touched my face; I could still feel where he’d kissed me, and smell the soap on his skin.
I wondered: What was that?
16