Shade grabbed her phone and tapped something in. Waited. Then read aloud:
“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”
Malik groaned. “Yeah, I know the poem, we read it in AP English Comp.”
Cruz again raised her hand, still feeling like she was in school. “I don’t.” Shade handed her her phone.
“The best lack all conviction,” Shade said to Malik. “It’s the worst who are full of passionate intensity.”
Cruz read aloud the final lines:
“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
“Well, that’s cheerful,” Cruz said.
“I saw one rough beast,” Shade said. “Its name was Gaia. Now we’ve seen another. More are coming. The center isn’t holding. Maybe I’m not the best, but I’m not the worst, either.”
Malik’s stony expression softened. “Of course you’re not, babe. You’re totally obsessed, a bit ruthless, and God knows you’re manipulative, but you’re also decent and basically kind. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t . . .”
They exchanged a look full of history, a look Cruz envied. Shade and Malik might not be dating, might argue constantly when they were together, but the first time Cruz saw Malik she had known he was still in love with Shade. And if Shade didn’t quite mirror that emotion, she was at the very least fond of Malik.
“I am what I am,” Shade said to him. “There’s no way to change what’s happened. Anyway, we were talking about Cruz.” She pulled a baggie from her purse and held it up. It contained a small amount of gray powder. “I ground some more.”
“You’re like a drug dealer offering free samples,” Malik said, but Cruz saw that his eyes followed the baggie with glittering interest.
“Cruz was there with me in Iowa,” Shade said. “She has a right, if that’s what she wants.”
“I don’t really want powers,” Cruz said. “I just want . . . You know what I want.” The last part came out in a low, embarrassed mutter.
“We both had bad luck in life, Cruz, me the day the dome came down, you with, well, parents who don’t appreciate God’s little joke.”
“They have an operation that can solve that problem,” Malik said. “I get that it’s expensive—”
“My parents won’t consent,” Cruz said bitterly. “Even if I suddenly had the money. It’s a whole long process, not just some quick operation. And that’s if I even get to the point of being sure, which would be way easier if the whole world wasn’t yelling at me. Aaarrrgh!”
“Cruz is somewhat conflicted,” Shade said dryly. “Multiple-choice in a true-false world. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Of course I understand,” Malik snapped. “It’s an obvious metaphor.”
“There you go, Cruz, now you see the condescending Malik. He always has to think he’s the smartest person in the room.”
“Riiight. Unlike you,” Cruz said, but she whispered it.
Malik shook his head, but he was already accepting defeat. “Whatever. You’ve got your shovel, and I know you, Shade, you’ll keep digging.”
“Might dig straight through to China,” Shade said, trying to lighten the mood.