Breaking Sky(69)

Heat-seeking.

Inevitable.





31


    PUCKER FACTOR


   What to Be Scared Of


The next morning, the Streaker teams were scheduled for full physicals to clear them for the trials. Chase dragged herself through breakfast, her stomach remaining empty.

She’d also dodged Pippin, not wanting to hash out what was still bothering her when they had supposedly made up. She had to pretend like everything was all right. They had to get through the trials, and then? Find a way to face Ri Xiong Di.

“You all right?” Tristan asked when they met at the door to the infirmary.

“Not looking forward to being poked and prodded,” she said. “And I’m a little…you know?”

“Yeah.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, but his fingers tickled the back of her neck. She grabbed his thumb and flipped it behind his back, but that only brought her chest against him, his other hand reaching behind for her waist.

Pippin turned the corner to witness, and he gave Chase a look that made her feel like she’d done wrong. He was getting too good at judging.

“I need a word with my RIO,” she told Tristan.

“Course.” He cast a quick glance at Pippin and turned into the infirmary.

Pippin leaned against the wall. “Looks like things are going well with Cadet All-Shoulders and Flowing Mane.”

“No,” she said. “I turned him down last night. You’d have been proud.”

Pippin laughed. “You thought I’d be proud that you’ve been making out with people you barely tolerate for years, and the one time you have real feelings, you manage to abandon them? No, Chase. I’m not proud of you.”

“I already know what you think of my love life.” She crossed her arms tight. “But you know what, yours doesn’t shine that much brighter, does it?” She waited, but like his affectionate quirk, his comebacks were MIA. “I want to help you, but first, quit lashing out at me, will you?”

“Help?” One of Pippin’s hands flew to his chest, his fingers drumming an about-to-lose-my-temper beat. “How is it that you’re planning to help again?”

Sylph and Riot turned the corner, catching Pippin’s glare and the tail end of their heated words.

“Get along now,” Riot said. “We’ve got to save the world tomorrow.”

Sylph hauled him into the infirmary before he could say anything else.

Through the awkwardness that followed, Chase looked over Pippin. He’d been an acne victim when he arrived at the Star, but his face was now clear except for the temples. She was surprised to realize he was combing his hair a little differently. Maybe taking more time with his shaving too. She was even more surprised to find tears in the corners of her eyes.

“You should try truth, Pippin. You think people know about you, but that’s different than being out. Being open.” The idea seemed even better when she said it. “Being honest worked with Tristan. I’ve been talking to him about Tourn, and it makes me trust him—”

“You’ve been talking to Tristan about your father?” Pippin sprang from no emotion to radiating. “That’s perfect. Tell him everything. Even though I’ve been here from day one, supporting you, keeping your secret. Like one of your lovesick tailers.”

“You know you’re not like that.”

“Then don’t treat me like one!” Pippin slammed into the infirmary.

Before Chase could get herself together, Romeo sauntered around the corner. “Pretty lady at twelve o’clock,” he declared. “Want to find a quiet place and get busy?”


Chase caught him by the arm and shoved him against the wall. “You always have to talk like that? To everyone? Don’t you ever worry about leading someone on?”

“It’s my natural state of irresistible.” He looked at the way she was holding on to him. “Are we going to kiss? Because I will get decked by my pilot. Not that it wouldn’t be worth it.”

She let go. “If one of us had a crush on you, would you want to know?”

Romeo looked delighted. “Of course.”

“And it’d change your behavior? Make you act like a human around that…person?”

He held up his palm like he was taking an oath. “I’d be the perfect gentleman. Je jure.” He dropped his hand. “So are we going to make out? No? Were you talking about Sylph? It’s Sylph, isn’t it? Come on. Tell me quick.”

Chase left him spinning out in the hall.

? ? ?

The cadets sat around a too-white bed next to a curtained-off section. The doctor was seeing them one at a time behind the white sheet, which meant entirely too much waiting.

It was painfully quiet. Chase thought it had to do with the fact that the threat from Ri Xiong Di had spread through the Star, and everyone was incapable of talking about anything else. She tried to convince herself it wasn’t because the Streaker teams knew she was still fighting with Pippin.

Tristan sat on the bed with his back to Chase, and she turned, pleased when he leaned his shoulder into hers. Sylph lounged across the foot of the mattress. Riot was being seen first, and they heard him yelp from behind a curtain.

“Nut-sack inspection,” Romeo joked. No one laughed. He checked his watch. “Twenty-three hours. Less than a day.”