Dissonance Read Free Page B

liked Walkers because they could hear the difference in our frequencies, and we sounded good. Whatever the reason, the dog was all lolling tongue and blissful unrepentance, even when Simon grabbed his collar.
    â€œLeave her alone, Ig.” The dog ignored him. “Sorry. I think he likes you.”
    â€œAnimals do,” I said, pulling at my drenched sweater.
    â€œHe’s got good taste.”
    Addie tapped her watch, her face drawn. The noise was already getting to her. Iggy must have heard it too, pressing damply against my leg and whining.
    â€œChill, boy,” Simon said, scratching the dog’s ears. “Let me make this up to you? There’s a kick-ass band playing at Grundy’s tonight, and we just got new IDs. You should come with.”
    â€œAbsolutely not. Tell him no,” Addie said.
    The real Simon would never go to a bar during basketball season. He had too much to lose. I must have frowned, because his eyebrows lifted, dark lines over dark blue eyes. “Okay, not Grundy’s. What about the Depot?”
    In the Key World the Depot was a coffee shop on the south side of town, in the old train station. After a huge crash decadesago, the city built a new station on the north side, and the Depot became a landmark and a place for locals to get lattes.
    Walkers believed every accident came from a choice. Nearly forty people had died that morning; another hundred were injured, simply because the engineer picked the wrong time to throw the brake. Countless worlds had sprung up in the aftermath, a lesson in the way a single decision could transform the fabric of the multiverse.
    I wondered what choices had shaped this version of Simon, who cut class and used a fake ID. Despite his dissonance, I was tempted to find out. He was definitely the break, and it was just my luck that the one time he noticed me, there was something fundamentally wrong with him.
    Iggy bumped my legs, and I fell heavily into Simon again. His arms came around me, and for an instant I let mine circle him. Then I took a quick, unsteady step back. “I’ll think about it.”
    Now it was his turn to frown. Most girls would have been falling all over him for that kind of invitation, but I wasn’t most girls.
    â€œPlaytime’s over,” Addie said, her expression like a storm front. “Wrap this up.”
    I gave Iggy one last pat. “See you around.”
    â€œCount on it,” he said, scooping up the Frisbee and tossing it toward the pond. Iggy raced away, Simon followed, and I turned, awaiting the wrath of Addie.
    â€œWe’re not here to troll for guys, Del.”
    â€œYou’re not, anyway. I’m sure we could find you someone.” Ipointed to a girl biking on the other side of the pond. “She’s cute.”
    Playing matchmaker for Addie wasn’t a bad idea. Not that the outdoorsy type was right for her. She needed someone as effortlessly polished as herself. But if she had a girlfriend, maybe she’d be too busy to notice my mistakes.
    Her green eyes took on a warning gleam. “Leave it alone, Del. Him too.”
    I shrugged. “He’s a break. I was getting a reading for my homework.”
    â€œSome reading,” she replied.
    â€œHow long have you been spying on me?” I asked, trying to draw her attention away from Simon.
    â€œLong enough to see you get the balloon down. There was nothing wrong with that kid. You should have left her alone.” She crossed her arms, her face taking on the pinched, fussy look that made her look older, and not in a good way. “We have rules for a reason, Del.”
    I studied my nail polish, plum colored and starting to chip.
    â€œShe was miserable.”
    â€œSo? She’s an Echo. It doesn’t matter.”
    It matters to me, I wanted to say. But Addie was right. Echoes weren’t real people, only copies of Originals, no matter how alive they seemed. Still, her response, practical and