Page 179 of Everdoll

Once we cleared the shop, she asked instantly, “How much was it? I was distracted back there.”

“It’s not important. You’re buying it because of me anyway. You were the original owner of these in the first place. Consider it an apology.”

“Is that so?” She held it up into the air. Her pace slowed until she came to a complete halt. I mirrored her. As she marveled at the butterfly, I felt as though I’d been transported back to my fourteen-year-old self. I was still that foolish kid eagerly watching to see if she liked it. The crazy boy who would do anything for her attention.

Except Mina had changed. Her smile was brighter, her eyes filled with more hope. She was more radiant than anything else. As she inspected the butterfly, I subtly reached out toward her, only to draw my hands back.

“Actually… it’s brilliant,” she finally murmured. “People don’t suspect pretty things. No one looking at this butterfly will ever realize their voice is being recorded.”

“Are you going to use it down the line?”

“I bought it to use it, obviously.”

I shrugged. “It’s fake, though.”

“If it doesn’t work, I’ll find someone to make the original. I have a friend who’s good with tech.”

“Is that so?”

I would’ve made it for you, I wanted to say. Mina must have picked up on the shadow crossing my face, because her eyes drifted from the butterfly and locked onto mine.

We were at the top of the Buzz’s longest street, the sprawling dump of a city spread out below us. Yet even that eyesore seemed to glow when Mina was the backdrop—the blue and pink neon lights caught her red hair, making her smile at me like a goddess descended from the heavens.

“What about you? You’re still good with tech?”

“Only the maintenance of my arm.”

“Hmm… but what happens if you don’t maintain it? You’re not going to die, after all.”

My throat went dry; I could only stare at her. Dazzled by her presence, I lowered my gaze to the ground.

“Mina, I…”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me. I’m used to it. You’ve never trusted me enough to open up to me.”

Shocked, I snapped my head up to look at her.

“What?”

“I just… wish I could have been there for you. Like you did. You were there, supporting me, listening to me. You made me feel like I was the most precious thing in the world. You were special to me, but… I could never be that for you.”

My jaw set, but I couldn’t interrupt her. Mina was staring at the ground, absently stroking the butterfly with a gentle touch.

“You didn’t come to me when you were in pain. Even after the robot incident, you didn’t let me see your pain. You know… that was all I ever wanted. I wanted you to trust me. Even if I couldn’t have fixed anything, even if I couldn’t have helped… couldn’t you have at least let me share that pain with you? My support, I don’t know, my very presence… really meant nothing to you?”

“No…” I gulped. “I… didn’t want to bother you.”

“Why would someone who loves you be bothered by you?”

She shouted in anger, but my mind caught on a single phrase.

“Someone who loves you…?”

She seemed to realize what she had just said. She took a deep breath, about to speak, when something strange caught our eyes in the landscape behind us.

Gray smoke was rising. The plume was most likely billowing from the oxygen plants. And if it was coming from the old plants in the Buzz… that was far more dangerous. The government didn’t maintain this place. Nobody did. Energy that had been building up for nearly fifty years was no different from a volcano on the verge of erupting.

Something shot up just above the hill. A glowing object. More people were gathering in the street now, abandoning their shops and rushing downhill. But before we could even make sense of what was happening, the electrical wires along the street began snapping and spitting sparks.