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"Then don’t," I said,is going tointo"

"I know," I whispered "But I have to And by the tiet out of here Go anywhere ant You’ll have your pick of assignain Until then…" My rip on his hand "Until then, I think we should break up"

Benjy stiffened beside me, but he didn’t say a word

He didn’t have to

"You’re right," I said "You deserve better than this

Better than havingme ruin your life So--let’s not anymore Not until it’s over When you’re a VI, if you still want me…"

"I’ll alant you," he said, and he looked at me, his face red and his eyes filled with tears "I will alant you no matter what rank I am, no matter what rank you are, and no ht his hand up to my lips and kissed his knuckles "Then when you’re a VI, you can choose me But you deserve to have that choice in the first place So-- so I’ it to you"

"By breaking up with me" It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway

"Until you’re ranked And then you can choose what kind of life you want One of us should"

His shoulders slumped, and he leaned toward ainst the front door ed a look Without a word, he went to shove a chair underneath the doorknob while I grabbedand climbed a bunk to reach the nearestIf I was lucky, they wouldn’t have the whole place surrounded If I wasn’t-- "Tabs!" Nina’s greeting echoed through the thin walls

I relaxed and ju with a thud

"It’s her," I said, trying to reach around Benjy for the door "I have to go"

He didn’t e

"Please, Benjy--this is the only way," I said "It’s only awill be better"

"You don’t know that for sure," he htly over his chest

"No, but I know that whatever happens, it’ll be better than going to Denver and losing you forever Please"

I sethim to move I didn’t want this If I’d hadwould be okay But I’d failed a single test--the only test that ever mattered--and now I had to face the consequences And because Benjy loved me, he did, too

At first he didn’t respond After a few seconds, however, he gave in and hugged me

"Come see me too to the beach We’ll swiet this ever happened Promise me"

I nodded If I didn’t, he would try to trackmouth would probably be more than happy to tell him exactly where I was "I will I love you"

Finally he stepped aside I gave hi kiss and touched his clenched jaw, and before he could say goodbye, I was gone

The night air was cool on h an alleyway full of overflowing trash cans and leering men Now that I was marked, I could leave home after dark, and there was a sense of tension that unnervedevery face that passed I kept round and my hair in my face as I followed Tabs, who balanced precariously on stiletto heels that er, all the way up to the few inches of skirt she’d squeezed into I was dressed similarly, but because I was half a foot shorter, the skirt covered h She wore red lipstick and charcoal around her eyes that made them stand out, but I’d refused when she’d tried to dothat it nearly touched her skirt I’d run a coht?" I said quietly as we passed another Shield who kept his hand on his gun holster "So"People drink too ets really bad on the weekends"

"Today’s Tuesday"

"Whatever" She eyed ht as sooodbye, did you?"

I shook my head "I broke up with hiry boyfriend getting in the way" She stopped at a door and knocked four times In the moment that passed, she must have seen the look on"It’ll be fine, Kitty It’s scary your first ti to it at all You’re not actually afraid he won’t forgive you, are you? Because he will He’s Benjy"

The door opened before I could answer, revealing a man with a pointy chin His eyes took in the curves Tabs was flaunting, and when he focused on lare

"’Lo, Tabs Who’s your friend?"

"Freshto let us in? Marion’s expecting us"

He glanced over our shoulders, undoubtedly to check for Shields, and then stepped aside Tabs took me by the elboe entered a narrow hallway, and the door slammed shut behind us "Welcorinned to reveal atooth

I averted my eyes as Tabs pulled iven a perfectly ordinary assign but norh, and instead she’d chosen this

There was no audition for this job Anyone brave enough to risk it could find a place at one of the clubs scattered around the city, and even though it was highly illegal, everyone knew that the VIs whobody of society frequented these places Noit, it was a reliable lifestyle, at least until you grew too old to be wanted I didn’t knohat happened then, but at that hts until Benjy turned seventeen