There was a big militia presence on the street. They were all wearing the same gear she’d seen yesterday, full armour, full face shields. They went in rigid twos and threes, never alone, and never walking when they could be on motorbikes. She heard one of them say in a raised voice to someone, “I’m just doing my job. I’m just doing my job.” Camilla gave them a wide berth.
Nona felt sorry for the city: it wasn’t its fault. It was as tall and tumbledown and snaggletoothed as always. They took the long way around, avoiding arguments, immediately beelining away from raised voices and certain sets of the shoulders until, by the time they reached the school, the sun was basically risen.
When Nona cupped her hands over the glass and looked into the foyer, she saw movement. Nona buzzed the door and it unlocked to Honesty, who was waiting there with Kevin and Beautiful Ruby; she was delighted, and clapped her hands.
“You’re here! You’re really here! I thought you wouldn’t come,” she said ecstatically. She threw her arms around Honesty’s shoulders. “You said you wouldn’t come anymore, Honesty. You said you were going to get a job.”
“I need to get fed, don’t I. I’m a growing man,” said Honesty, who had gone red staring at Camilla, who loitered in the foyer a little way away from them. “Get out of it, Nona, stop being in love with me.”
But she was already hugging Beautiful Ruby, who coped better with it, saying: “Nona, you crim! Did you really sneak off to the—” and for his pains was jabbed in the ribs by Honesty and Nona, so he said at the top of his voice, “Toilet,” and they all dissolved together into a huddle of whispers, with Kevin right at the bottom.
“She doesn’t know! Don’t tell her,” hissed Nona.
“Whew, lad, good save there,” said Honesty.
“Don’t be sarcastic at me,” hissed Ruby. “It’s not my fault, I just wanted to know how Nona was, you know they could’ve still been getting her off the road with a spatula. I walk past that road and they’re cremating people, like, right there, I saw somebody’s arm.”
“Ew,” said Kevin.
“I didn’t get to see anything,” Nona whispered. Kevin was right there and she wanted to hug him but it was impossible in the huddle, so she reached down and he placidly took her hand while the other worked the zipper of his jacket up and down. His hand was exactly as sticky as she had suspected. Nona said, “Hot Sauce and I left, we didn’t get squashed.”
“Why didn’t Hot Sauce take me?” hissed Honesty, still injured. “I’m her lieutenant and you get out of puff if you walk down the stairs.”
But Beautiful Ruby was saying more urgently, “The Angel drove us home—the Angel was madder than hell when Noodle came upstairs with that note, that was badass. I thought you’d catch it. Where’s the boss?”
“Slept over with the Angel, I think.”
Both boys exclaimed, not caring of the noise now. Camilla, leaning against a leprous pillar, didn’t react. It was horribly easy to forget Camilla was there when she didn’t want you to remember. Nona said eagerly, “The Angel said she wasn’t to sleep by herself and she dropped us both off in the truck, she had a driver and everything.”
Hearing that, they groaned in envy.
“She’s probably got her own screens,” said Honesty.
“I bet she lives in one of those outer neighbourhoods with a gate,” said Beautiful Ruby. “Not fair. Your people should’ve given you a massive hiding.”
“She wouldn’t get a massive hiding, she’s nearly a grownup,” said Honesty, but Beautiful Ruby said, “She’s a titch though, so maybe they forgot. That pimp of hers scares me shitless.”
Nona gave an outraged look over Ruby’s head, but Camilla was staring out through cracks in a boarded-up window over on the other side of the reception area, which was a long way away. She dithered terribly and then said, “You can’t tell anyone, but my—Pyrrha hasn’t come home since yesterday. You can’t tell anyone.”
Beautiful Ruby said instantly and kindly, “Won’t tell. Don’t worry, Nona, pimping is long hours and you have to go all over,” and she turned on him and something in her eyes and face made him stop immediately and say, “It was a joke! It was a joke. Oh my God, don’t be crazy at me, stop it.”
“We’re going to go look,” she whispered, once she had calmed down. “Me and Camilla.”