Ch. 22 Tracing Unseen Steps
I stare at the ceiling, the weight of everything that happened last Sunday still heavy.
I still struggle to understand how a day that started so beautifully could have gone so very, very, wrong.
My phone buzzes. I glance at the text preview lighting up the screen.
I look back up at the ceiling, counting the non-existent stars in a universe that's crumbling under the weight of its past.
My phone buzzes again. I ignore it in favor of staring at the ceiling all night long.
—-------------------------
A fortnight in, I'm sure something is wrong.
I watch Celeste try a running jump and crash into the soft landing prepared. She winces, but doesn't utter a word.
Vesper from the engineering team says something to her. She simply nods and heads back to the starting point. Micah, the director we secured for testing, is giving everyone instructions.
Celeste is rolling her arm, but no one notices. I find my jaw has tightened, and I'm walking towards the group.
"...And, Celeste, I want you to try the jump, but slide along the floor after landing. Let's see if the model will pick it up and get the scene to where I want it."
Micah is excited. Celeste smiles, but her eyes look hollow. Like nothing touches them.
My stomach curdles. She hasn't said a word to me since that disaster of an intervention. Whenever we cross paths, she simply smiles her empty smile and pretends I don't exist.
I'm not the only one. Kyle is worried too.
He told me she refuses to speak with Legend or Ella. He told me Ella is so worried, Keith had to physically stop her from staking out her place.
Thing is, I've been avoiding them too. Keith's called me multiple times, but I've chosen to text him instead.
Their doubt fractured something within me.
Ella's devastated words as I walked out of there still haunt me.
"I believe you Marcus. I believe that you truly believe she betrayed you. But what if what you think is the truth is a lie she simply can't prove?"
If that's true, then I'll have made the biggest mistake of my life. One I'm not sure I'll ever be able to atone for.
I smile at Micah, when he spots me. "Marcus! Perfect timing! ADAI is finally learning to listen to me. It's only rejecting my direction about twenty percent of the time, now!"
For a brief second, I'm completely thrown. This is one of the most advanced AI systems on this globe—and Micah is calling it ADAI?
Maybe ADAI is onto something when it ignores Micah.
Celeste stands on her spot, gaze lost, silently massaging her arm. I feel sick.
"Let's all take a break. Micah, might I interest you in coffee?" He grins and immediately calls a break.
I turn to Celeste. "Are you okay?"
She turns that hollow smile at me and says one word. "Fine."
Eventually, she slumps to the floor, and smiles at anyone who tries to engage her.
Micah starts talking about why he named our tech ADAI—It's Assistant Director AI—like anyone cares.
I turn back one last time, only to find Celeste has moved to a corner, fidgeting with a loose thread on her sweat pants, eyes completely vacant.
This can't go on. How long am I going to run from the truth? Maybe I've really misunderstood Celeste, maybe I haven't.
I won't know until I find out how the answer keys were stolen.
It's time to get back to my first love—hacking.
—----------------------
The soft landing doesn't do much for the impact on my arm and shoulder. The impact jars my neck as well, so I just rotate my arm.
The only thing I feel these days is nothing.
Ella calls and texts all the time. Legend has called a few times too. I don't answer them. I don't open the chats.
I just let the messages accumulate, their weight sometimes heavier than I can bear.
But I refuse to be my mother. I refuse to cave, even when it's all I want to do.
I made friends once. I can do it again. Better still if I don't need them at all.
Vesper asks me to go back to my starting point, so I do.
This script is no fun. It just requires me to jump around in weird ways. At least it reminds me I'm alive.
At some point, Marcus comes. He asks me if I'm okay and I answer in a single word.
I try my best to ignore his presence as much as I can. It's safer that way.
He's right to want me away from himself and his family. It's crazy how much I'm running into him these days.
I just smile. Like I used to when Mom spent days on a bender. When she sometimes returned with strange men.
When she sometimes hit me with a belt she had lying around— for fighting.
I smile. Because, no matter what I lose, I refuse to let my hurt show.
I still have some fight left in me. It's... just taking a hot minute to find it.
Micah announces a break. Everyone's dispersing.
I go sit in a corner. I'll rest for a bit. I lean against the wall and let the noise wash over me.
"One last tweak, and I think we'll be there. We'll be able to start working on the marketing very soon—maybe as soon as next week!"
One of Nolan's guys is holding court a few feet away, and they're really excited.
"Yes!"
Great. I'll soon be moving to another team for work. Nolan's team. The team that's been giving me an active cold shoulder since I began working.
My chest feels even more hollow.
I just smile wider.
—------------------------
"Keith, I'm worried." I gnaw on a finger, a habit I never had before, but I can't seem to stop.
"Celeste won't answer my calls or texts. And I'm telling you, Marcus was really hurt. He thinks we don't believe him. He's distancing himself from us. Even Kyle agrees!"
Keith pats my back and squeezes my hand.
We're sitting on our couch—my feet gathered in his lap. Everybody left just a few minutes back. Marcus didn't show.
Sure, he was sporadic in his visits, but he always made sure to make up for it. He almost always sent something—wine, flowers, coffee.
This time—nothing.
"We've got to do something! Keith, if Marcus won't find out the truth, then we should. Let's reach out to Westridge Alumni. You went there—surely you know someone?!"
"Ella," he tugs on my hand and gathers me completely into his arms. I love and hate that he's so much bigger than me.
"Babe. Marcus is smarter and wiser than both of us. Until a fortnight ago, he never had any reason to question that Celeste might have lied about the answer keys being hers."
He kisses the top of my head. My heart settles a little, the frantic beat petering out.
"If I know Marcus at all, he's probably already noting all of this and taking steps. He's not one to sit on information.
"Give him our trust, and give him time."
I chew on my lower lip, considering Keith's words. It's true.
Marcus is a lot less of an idiot than both of us.
Keith rolls his eyes but continues. "Still, if he doesn't answer my calls in the next three days, I'll track him down and lock myself in a room with him until one of us breaks. How's that?"
I snort before exhaling a sigh.
Keith will do exactly as he says, and I do feel a little reassured.
I guess I have to trust that Marcus and Celeste will find their way to each other. I just hope it's not too late already.
I pull a thread on my fringed shorts and rip it out completely.
Damn.
"You know, I'm feeling really left out." Keith's complaint pulls me out of my reverie.
"What's that?"
Keith's gaze is dark as he stares at my mouth. "Why are you the only one getting to play with your lips?"
I squeal as he pulls me to him, kissing and biting playfully until I laugh and get out of my slump.
Fine. I'll give Marcus and Celeste two months to get their heads out of their asses before interfering.
They do not want Ella Bryce Ingram all up in their business.
Keith suddenly lifts me up and heads towards our bedroom, making me laugh.
Well, a lot can happen in sixty days.
I'll just have to wait and see.