Part 39 (2/2)
Maddy shook her head, managing a smile. ”David needed you these last two weeks.”
Tally swallowed and stepped away, looking at the city. ”He still needs me.”
”Tally-”
”I'll go tonight, all right? But I know that David will be the one who brings me back.”
Down the River
Before leaving, Tally wrote a letter to herself.
It was Maddy's idea, to put her consent in writing. That way, even as a pretty, unable to comprehend why she would ever want her brain fixed, Tally could at least read her own words and know what was about to happen.
”Whatever makes you feel better,” Tally said. ”As long as you cure me, no matter what I say. Don't leave me like Shay.”
”I'll cure you, Tally. I promise. I just need written consent.” Maddy handed her a pen and a small, precious piece of paper.
[image]
”I never learned penmans.h.i.+p,” Tally said. ”They don't require it anymore.”
Maddy shook her head sadly and said, ”Okay. You dictate, and I'll write it.”
”Not you. Shay can write it for me. She took a cla.s.s, back when she was trying to get to the Smoke.”
Tally remembered the scrawl of Shay's directions to the Smoke, clumsy but readable.
The letter didn't take long. Shay giggled at Tally's heartfelt words, but she wrote them down as directed.
There was something earnest in the way she put stylus to paper, like a littlie learning how to read.
When they were finished, David still hadn't come back. He'd taken one of the hoverboards in the direction of the ruins. As she put away her things, Tally kept glancing at the window, hoping he would return.
But Maddy was probably right. If Tally saw him again, she would just talk herself out of this. Or maybe David would stop her.
Or worse, maybe he wouldn't.
But no matter what David said now, he would always remember what she had done, the lives she had cost with her secrets. This was the only way Tally could be certain that he had forgiven her. If he came to rescue her, she would know.
”So, let's get moving,” Shay said when they were done.
”Shay, I'm not going to be gone forever. I'd rather you...”
”Come on. I'm sick of this place.”
Tally bit her lip. What was the point of giving herself up if Shay was coming too? Of course, they could always s.n.a.t.c.h her away again as well. Once the cure was proven to work, they could give it to anyone.
Or everyone.
”The only reason I've been hanging around this dump is to try to get you to come back,” Shay said, then lowered her voice. ”You know, it's my fault you're not already pretty. I messed up everything by running away. I owe you.”
”Oh, Shay.” Tally's head began to spin. She closed her eyes.
”Maddy always says I can go anytime. You don't want me to go back all alone, do you?”
Tally tried to imagine Shay hiking to the river alone. ”No, I guess not.” She looked at her friend's face and saw a spark in her eyes, something real ignited by the idea of going on a trip with Tally.
”Please! We'll have a blast in New Pretty Town.”
Tally spread her hands. ”Okay. I guess I can't stop you.”
They rode together on one hoverboard. Croy came along on another, to take the boards back when they reached the city's edge.
He didn't talk the whole way down. The other New Smokies had all heard the fight outside, and finally knew what Tally had done. It must have been worse for Croy. He had suspected, and she'd lied to him face-to-face. He was probably wis.h.i.+ng he'd stopped Tally himself before she'd had a chance to betray them all.
When they reached the greenbelt, though, he forced himself to look at her. ”What did they do to you, anyway? To make you do something like that?”
”They said I couldn't turn, until I'd found Shay.”
He looked away, staring at the lights of New Pretty Town, bright in the clear cold of a November night.
”So you're finally getting your wish.”
”Yeah. I guess.”
”Tally's going to be pretty!” Shay said.
Croy ignored her and looked at Tally again. ”Thanks for rescuing me, though. That was some trick you guys pulled off. I hope that...” He shrugged, and shook his head. ”See you later.”
”I hope so.”
Croy stuck the boards together and headed back up the river.
”This is going to be the best!” Shay said. ”I can't wait for you to meet all my new friends. And you can finally introduce me to Peris.”
”Sure.”
They walked down toward Uglyville until they found themselves in Cleopatra Park. The earth was hard underneath their feet in the late autumn chill, and they huddled close against the cold. Tally wore her Smoke-made sweater. She'd wanted Maddy to keep it for her, but she'd left her microfiber jacket behind instead. City-made clothes were too valuable to waste on someone going back to civilization.
”You see, I was already getting popular,” Shay was saying. ”Having a criminal past is the only way into the really good parties. I mean, no one wants to hear about what cla.s.ses you took in ugly school.” She giggled.
”We should be a hit, then.”
”Duh. When we tell everyone about your kidnapping me right out of Special Circ.u.mstances headquarters? And how I talked you into escaping from that band of freaks? But we're going to have to tone it down, Squint. No one's ever going to believe the truth!”
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