[Perception 01.0] Perception by Lee Strauss

Author:Lee Strauss [Strauss, Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781927547144
Publisher: La Plume Press
Published: 2013-12-11T07:00:00+00:00

19

I messaged Noah Brody. Meet me at the church?

In seconds he texted back. When?

I answered Now and sneaked into the garage without anyone noticing. I instructed the pod to take me to the gate, where I exited Sol City on foot and walked through the crowds on the outside, over the pedestrian bridge.

Noah was waiting on the front steps of the church when I arrived. I tightened my ponytail and smoothed out my little black dress, feeling self-conscious.

His eyes smiled when he saw me, and he said, “I’ve got something to show you.”

He took my hand and led me through the bramble to the back of the church, opening the door to let me in.

“I’ve been here before, you know,” I said.

“Not where I’m taking you.”

“Ooh, sounds mysterious.”

On the far side was a wooden door, hard to see because of the way the shadows crossed the room. It opened to a set of dusty, steep, spiraling steps.

“The clock tower?” I said.

“Just wait.” Noah took the lead up the narrow steps, checking back every few seconds to make sure I was okay.

“I didn’t realize you could climb up here,” I said.

“It was for the clock master, so he could fix the clock and change the time twice a year.”

He lifted the flat door-panel above his head which opened like an attic hatch. He climbed through and then reached for my hand to help me up.

What you couldn’t see from the ground was that the back of the tower had a small terrace. It was a tight fit, barely room for two people. From where we leaned against the rail, we could see the lights of L.A. and watch the people as they scurried across the square, catching the trains and pods or just meeting up with a friend or a lover. There was a twelve-foot section between the buildings that towered around the church to the west where you could watch the sun set over the ocean.

“Thanks for bringing me here,” I said.

Noah tapped his fingers along the top of the rail. “I like to come here to think. To remember.” He looked back at me. “You’re the only other person I’ve brought up here.”

I pulled back in surprise.

“It’s not like I come up here a lot,” he added.

“Noah...”

“Yeah?”

I stared at my hands. “I can’t imagine what you must think of me now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s no secret how you feel about GAPs. And I’m even worse than that now.”

“Zoe,” Noah said softly. “I don’t care.”

“You don’t?”

He shook his head.

“I don’t get it,” I said. “You are adamantly opposed to GAP policies. Have your views changed?”

“No. My views regarding GAP policies haven’t changed. My views regarding you have. You didn’t choose to be GAP. Your parents chose that for you. You can’t help that the GAP world is all you knew until now.

“I like you as a person, Zoe, despite your GAP status.”

There was a moment of awkward silence. Then Noah pulled open his bag. “Here, I have something for you.

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