Behind the Walls. NOVEL By Claire Darcy.

26. Midnight Memories.

ACE.

The night was clear and the air was cold. Had it been any other night, I would have had my windows shut tight, trying to keep warm. But tonight was different.

It had been about four hours since I had stood with Josh on the sidewalk, struggling to bear the weight that sat atop my shoulders. I'd told him I just needed some time, and he let me go. But I couldn't forget what he'd said.

"I love her."

As in, me. He loves me.

I felt a giddy feeling swirl in my stomach and tried to suppress it. He meant it platonically, of course. Like a best friend.

Besides, I couldn't get distracted. I had things to do.

I lay on my bed, staring up at the roof. I wasn't asleep. I didn't want to be. I was fully dressed, and not in Academy clothes, either. My own sleeveless denim hoodie and baggy jeans, my trusty red high-tops, looking vibrant and clean. It was time to channel the past.
I held my hands above my head and sighed. In the blue glow of the moon, it was pretty dark in my room. Room 18. Level 8 in Building 8.

It still amused me how I was put there. It also amused me how whoever was in the dorms adjacent to mine, was either always out and about or didn't exist. I was isolated, and I felt like that was for a reason.

In the darkness, I could see my fists clenching, and relaxing... clenching, and relaxing. If I looked closely enough, I could still see the letter H, burnt into the palm of my right hand, like I'd been branded.

On that same hand was the watch, white and plastic-looking, yet stronger than any plastic I'd felt. I tapped its glowing face and some holographic numbers appeared in the air. 11:40. Josh and Frankie would be here soon.

I tapped a few more buttons and the messaging screen popped up.

Josh: G'night Ace, hope you sleep well.

Ace: Sweet dreams, Josh.

Of course, those messages didn't actually mean what they appeared to. It was a code Tyler had taught us; the rebellion used it when messaging or calling on the watches so that even if the Council was listening in, they wouldn't know what was being said.

The conversation really consisted of Josh asking if the plans for tonight were still on, and me saying that they were. If I'd said, 'See you in the morning' instead, it would have meant that the plan wouldn't go through.

I shivered and adjusted my position, rolling onto my side. I had a giddy feeling in my stomach. Tonight was the night I would meet Agent Lux at midnight, on a bridge behind the arena. My first real step towards rebellion.

Clank!

I sat bolt upright at the sudden noise, my eyes immediately darting to the source of the bang. There, sitting on my carpet, was a strange high-tech gun. I leapt off my bed and grabbed the weapon, moving quickly towards my open window. Inside the frame appeared a face; pink cheeks, grey eyes, and a mop of dirty blonde hair.

"Hello, Ace. Fancy meeting you up here," he grinned.

"Hey Josh," I whispered, helping him through the window. Suddenly it occurred to me that I was on the 8th floor and that the 8th floor was very high, "How the heck did you get up here!?"

Josh dusted himself off and stretched his legs for a second before he held out his hands. He wore silver, fingerless gloves, with strange glowing circles on them. The toes of his shoes were capped with the same metallic features.

"They're like magnets, but for any surface," he whispered, "You know, we've got an inventor on our side... but I guess he never told you that."

"Who?" I asked, regretting the question the second it left my lips. I already knew who had a knack for gadgets and technology, and all I needed to do was look at my right palm to prove it.