The following day.....

The next day, Nahlia and I, decided to go the sky platform. We were getting far away from the lunchroom incident as possible. It was still fresh on our minds and I think she just wanted to rebel against all life had handed her.

Free-ride the dune buggy. Jump the hill and raise your fist. Shout loudly back at life and smear the tires into the road. That's how they do it on the ground. I look over at Nahlia and at the sky platform above us. It blocks out the clouds more than you would think. James always always said it blocked out his sunlight. That's why it's called Barry the bullet's instead of Tan n Sexy's Antiques n more.

Static brawls it out with hissing wires. Woven rope burns with friction and knots dangle with wads of gum in their crevices. I look around me. The day was a busy one for the rope operators and it isn’t long before we make it to the front of the line. The ropes leading up to the sky platform were crammed full with passengers in waiting. It was a good sight. With all the people around it meant the ground dwellers would back off. There were too many of us sky-dwellers here to mess with. There were too many guns. Every Neandelerian with some money to spare and some common sense had a gun. It made the day a hell of a lot easier. Nahlia was with me so she'd be fine. We're not as petty up in the sky, and by hanging out her, she had some acceptance. I knew who to avoid.

I look back at the lines of people. We were next.

The long lines of people were just the icing on the cake for me. Nahlia was finally coming to my house. Maybe, I'd get lucky too.

“Ah bummer. I should've cleaned my room....”

My vision bounces. I keep my balance on the landing cushion. The skyscraper top was windy today and Nahlia was having trouble standing.

The Sahari rope company finally got their act together and now there were more ropes going up. That meant shorter lines and faster money. They even added some entrances at the top too. I look around. Company guards were issued to protect the the new equipment. They would be around for a few days as part of the anti-vandalism insurance policy the company had. It was one backed by armored plating, electronic visors, and heavy machine guns. There wouldn't be any vandalism on the new stuff, for a while.

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“So what’s so great about the sky?” asks Nahlia

“You’ll just have to wait and see.” I say. I take out my harness and give it Nahlia.

You’re going first,” I say. The hard plastic rattles against the metal.

“I’m definitely not giving you the chance to back out now.”

Nahlia messes with some straps on the harness. I help fit it to her body. It fits snug against her denim and presses tight against the shark's teeth on her stomach. Nahlia leans back and dangles.

“You’re doing it wrong,” I say

I pull a loosened strap tighter and demonstrate.

“Stay put and let them pull you up. Keep your body straight in the beginning,” I say.

Nahlia rolls her eyes at me and thinks to herself. I put my gloves on her hands and quickly fix her positioning. She holds tight to the rope just in time.

“Next,” says a static voice.

“Oh and I’m taking this,” I add, as Nahlia prepares to jump. I pull a petal from her Neandelerian corsage with a clink.

“No, Tayt. I needed that petal!” she says angrily.

“Then, why did you wear it, stupid?” I laugh. “I'm saving it for later.”

Nahlia makes a reach for her corsage petal, but I hold it away.

“Next!” says a static voice.

I push Nahlia forward to the spot. She looks back and stares. Nahlia shakes her head and refocuses on what was happening in front of her.

“First jump?” smiles someone near us. It was obvious Nahlia was from the ground. She had no clue how the whole apparatus worked.

“You’d better take off your shades, the ride will knock ‘em off,” the stranger adds. It was something she didn’t want to do. Nahlia moves her mouth to the side and removes her sunglasses, revealing two, small, diamond piercings by her eyebrow and her healing black eye. She pushes some glossy bangs away from her eyes and grips tightly to the rope.

“Like this, Tayt?” she says to me mockingly. I don't get a chance to reply.

A loud hiss follows.

I watch Nahlia's body being jerked into the air. The air left a slight whistle behind from her harness. She was really quiet on the way up. I cold tell she was nervous. There wasn't any shouting or screaming. I squint and watch her dangle at the top as the grabber tries to grab her and pull her in. She was too scared to reach out to him.

“Ahh....whatever. she'll be fine”