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polite。
It was almost scripted at this point。
“Good morning； Wanda； how did you sleep？”
“Fine； thank you； and you？”
“Fine； thanks。 And… Mel？”
“She’s good； too； thanks。”
We were… sort of happy。 Both Melanie and I。
And then； a week ago； Jared had left for another short raid—mostly to replace broken tools—and taken
Jamie with him。
“You tired？” Ian asked。
I realized I was rubbing at my eyes。 “Not really。”
“Still not sleeping well？”
“It’s too quiet。”
“I could sleep with you—Oh； calm down； Melanie。 You know what I meant。”
Ian always noticed when Melanie’s antagonism made me cringe。
“I thought they were going to be back today；” I challenged。
“You’re right。 I guess there’s no need for rearranging。”
I sighed。
“Maybe you should take the afternoon off。”
“Don’t be silly；” I told him。 “I’ve got plenty of energy for work。”
He grinned as though I’d said something that pleased him。 Something he’d been hoping I would say。
“Good。 I could use some help with a project。”
“What’s the project？”
“I’ll show you—you finished there？”
I nodded。
He took my hand as he led me out of the kitchen。 Again； this was so mon that Melanie barely
protested。
“Why are we going this way？” The eastern field did not need attention。 We’d been part of the group that
had irrigated it this morning。
Ian didn’t answer。 He was still grinning。
“Ian； I’m not in the mood。”
“You said you had plenty of energy。”
“To work。 Not to play soccer。”
“But Lily and Wes will be really disappointed。 I promised them a game of two…on…two。 They worked so
hard this morning to free up the afternoon…”
“Don’t try to make me feel guilty；” I said as we rounded the last curve。 I could see the blue light of
several lamps； shadows flitting in front of them。
“Isn’t it working？” he teased。 “C’mon； Wanda。 It will be good for you。”
He pulled me into the low…ceilinged game room； where Lily and Wes were passing the ball back and
forth across the length of the field。
“Hey； Wanda。 Hey； Ian；” Lily called to us。
“This one’s mine； O’Shea；” Wes warned him。
“You’re not going to let me lose to Wes； are you？” Ian murmured。
“You could beat them alone。”
“It would still be a forfeit。 I’d never live it down。”
I sighed。 “Fine。Fine。 Be that way。”
Ian hugged me with what Melanie thought was unnecessary enthusiasm。 “You’re my very favorite person
in the known universe。”
“Thanks；” I muttered dryly。
“Ready to be humiliated； Wanda？” Wes taunted。 “You may have taken the planet； but you’re losing this
game。”
Ian laughed； but I didn’t respond。 The joke made me uneasy。 How could Wes make a joke about that？
Humans were always surprising me。
Melanie included。 She’d been in just as miserable a mood as I was； but now she was suddenly excited。
We didn’t get to play last time；she explained。 I could feel her yearning to run—to run for pleasure
rather than in fear。 Running was something she used to love。Doing nothing won’t get them home any
faster。 A distraction might be nice。 She was already thinking strategy； sizing up our opponents。
“Do you know the rules？” Lily asked me。
Absently； I bent my leg at the knee and grabbed my ankle behind me； pulling it to stretch out the
muscles。 It was a familiar position to my body。 I stretched the other leg and was pleased that it felt whole。
The bruise on the back of my thigh was faded yellow； almost gone。 My side felt fine； which made me
think that my rib had never really been broken。
I’d seen my face while I was cleaning mirrors two weeks ago。 The scar forming on my cheek was dark
red and as big as the palm of my hand； with a dozen jagged points around the edges。 It bothered Melanie
more than it did me。
“I’ll take the goal；” Ian told me； while Lily fell back and Wes paced beside the ball。 A mismatch。
Melanie liked this。 petition appealed to her。
From the moment the game started—Wes kicking the ball back to Lily and then sprinting ahead to get
around me for her pass—there was very little time to think。 Only to react and to feel。 See Lily shift her
body； measure the direction this would send the ball。 Cut Wes off—ah； but he was surprised by how fast
I was—launch the ball to Ian and move up the field。 Lily was playing too far forward。 I raced her to the
lantern goalpost and won。 Ian aimed the pass perfectly； and I scored the first goal。
It felt good： the stretch and pull of muscle； the sweat of exertion rather than plain heat； the teamwork
with Ian。 We were well matched。 I was quick； and his aim was deadly。 Wes’s goading dried up before
Ian scored the third goal。
Lily called the game when we hit twenty…one。 She was breathing hard。 Not me； I felt good； muscles
warm and limber。
Wes wanted another round； but Lily was done。
“Face it； they’re better。”
“We got hustled。”
“No one ever said she couldn’t play。”
“No one ever said she was a pro； either。”
I liked that—it made me smile。
“Don’t be a sore loser；” Lily said； reaching out to tickle Wes’s stomach playfully。 He caught her fingers
and pulled her closer to him。 She laughed； tugging away； but Wes reeled her in and planted a solid kiss
on her laughing mouth。
Ian and I exchanged a quick； startled glance。
“For you； I will lose with grace；” Wes told her； and then set her free。
Lily’s smooth caramel skin had taken on a bit of pink on her cheeks and neck。 She peeked at Ian and
me to see our reaction。
“Not my business。 Sorry。”
“It’s okay。 It’s not a secret—how could anything be a secret here； anyway？ It’s just really… new to me。
It’s sort of your fault；” she added； smiling to show that she was teasing me。
I felt a little guilty anyway。 And confused。 “What did I do？”
“Nothing；” she assured me。 “It was Wes’s… reaction to you that surprised me。 I didn’t know he had so
much depth to him。 I was never really aware of him before that。 Oh； well。 He’s too young for me； but
what does that matter here？” She laughed again。 “It’s strange how life and love go on。 I didn’t expect
that。”
“Yeah。 Kind of funny how that happens；” Ian agreed。 I hadn’t heard him return。 He slung his arm around
my shoulders。 “It’s nice； though。 You do know Wes has been infatuated with you since he first got here；
right？”
“So he says。 I hadn’t noticed。”
Ian laughed。 “Then you’re the only one。 So； Wanda； how about some one…on…one while we’re waiting？”
I could feel Melanie’s wordless enthusiasm。 “Okay。”
He let me have the ball first； holding back； hugging the goal area。 My first shot cut between him and the
post； scoring。 I rushed him when he kicked off； and got the ball back。 I scored again。
He’s letting us win；Mel grumbled。
“e on； Ian。 Play。”
“I am。”
Tell him he’s playing like a girl。
“Playing like a girl。”
He laughed； and I slipped the ball away from him again。 The taunt wasn’t enough。 I had an inspiration
then； and I shot the ball through his goal； guessing it would probably be the last time I got to do it。
Mel objected。I don’t like this idea。
I put the ball back at center field。 “You win； and you can sleep in my room while they’re gone。” I
needed a good night’s rest。
“First to ten。” With a grunt； he launched the ball past me so hard that it rebounded off the distant；
invisible wall behind my goal and came back to us。
I looked at Lily。 “Was that wide？”
“No； it looked dead center to me。”
“One–three；” Ian announced。
It took him fifteen minutes to win； but at least I got to really work。 I even squeezed in one more goal； of
which I was proud。 I was gasping for air when he stole the ball from me and sailed it through my
goalposts for the last time。
He wasn’t winded。 “Ten–four； I win。”
“Good game；” I huffed。
“Tired？” he asked； the innocence in his tone a bit overdone。 Being funny。 He stretched。 “I think I’m
ready for bed myself。” He leered in