Glitch

gently shutting the door be-
    hind me. My face suddenly fl ushed with heat. I put a hand
    to my cheek and hurried past him. Red cheeks meant em-
    barrassed, I remembered, and fl ushed all over again.
    I turned my attention to the room where Max and Molla
    were sitting. The room was full of crates and chairs and desks.
    Some were stacked up neatly and others were broken and in
    disrepair, all under a layer of dust. Max and Molla were sit-
    ting on metal chairs at one side of the room and Adrien was
    across the room along the other wall. Molla looked terrifi ed
    and clutched Max’s arm.
    I looked back and forth between Molla and Max, sur-
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    prised to see her holding on to him so tightly and even more
    surprised that he was letting her. He didn’t look exactly
    thrilled to have her hanging on him, but still— he was mak-
    ing an eff ort. I smiled at Max, at the same time feeling awash
    with guilt. He was being so kind to Molla. The memory of
    last night with Adrien seared through me.
    Max looked up at me and I quickly dropped my eyes. I
    was lying to him. After everything we’d been through, all
    he meant to me, I was hiding something from him. It was
    not a good feeling, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him.
    Not yet.
    “Hi Molla.” I walked over to her. “It’s so good to see you.”
    She looked up at Max, trembling.
    “It’s okay,” he said. “You can trust Zoe. She’s the one who
    contacted you in the fi rst place, remember?”
    She nodded and smiled shyly at me. “Yes, I remember.”
    “I’m so glad we could all get here together,” I said, taking
    one of her hands and squeezing it. “It’s important to know
    we aren’t alone, that there are people out there just like us
    who will help keep us safe.”
    “Just so we’re clear,” Max spoke up, “I’m here because
    Zoe and I are in this together. And if that means we have to
    escape with this Re sis tance, then so be it. But what I want
    to know is, what exactly will they want from us in return?”
    Adrien brought two chairs closer to the middle of the
    room, taking one and gesturing for me to take the other. I
    didn’t like the dynamics of how the room was parceling up,
    so I grabbed the chair and pulled it closer to the middle of
    the room. Neutral territory.
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    Heather Anastasiu
    “The Re sis tance wants just what Zoe said— for you all to
    be safe.”
    Max smirked, then leaned toward Adrien, something men-
    acing suddenly in his gaze. “Yeah right. They just want to use
    us for our powers.”
    Adrien inclined his head, staying calm. “I won’t lie. They’re
    interested our powers, too. But even if you didn’t have Gifts
    and were glitching, we’d still want to help you.”
    Max rolled his eyes. “So how big is it? Exactly what kind
    of numbers are we talking about?”
    “I don’t know the details of all the cells. Only cell leaders
    are entrusted with that information.”
    “Well isn’t that con ve nient,” Max scoff ed. “What do you
    know?”
    “Max,” I said sharply. “Adrien’s trying to help us.”
    “Really?” Max stood up. “I’m not so sure. Think about
    it, Zoe. Your problems started right after he got here— that
    offi
    cial calling you in for the diagnostic, the new Chancellor
    showing up— no one had noticed you before.”
    “The way my glitches and powers were behaving, it was
    bound to happen sooner or later. And to you too,” I said.
    “To any of us, or all of us. That’s why we need to work
    together—”
    Max cut me off . “He shows up out of nowhere, but he
    knows all about you. Then he makes all these perfect prom-
    ises about a place we can live free and help others. Doesn’t
    that all seem a little too perfect? Like he’s just telling you
    what you want to hear so you’ll go along with him? Why
    can’t you see—”
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    G L I TC H
    “Stop it, Max.” My voice was sharper than I intended,
    but he was speaking such nonsense!
    “And what about your powers?” Max said, turning to
    Adrien, who was still calmly seated. “Visions of the future?
    Tell me, Future Boy— what do you see? What’s my future?”
    “I don’t know,” Adrien said calmly. “I don’t choose what
    visions I get and I haven’t seen you in them.”
    “But you see Zoe,” Max said. “What’s her future?”
    Adrien’s eyes fl ickered over to me briefl y. “Her future is
    what ever she wants it to be.”
    “What the hell does that mean? Either you’ve seen it, or
    you