It was like trying to catch fish with my hands. I knew the end goal but had no idea how to get there. I was flopping around in the water trying to see what I might get lucky with.

  My search history was abysmal, mocking me and my ignorance.

  How to make an app

  How to make a mobile app

  How to make a social media mobile app

  What is python

  What is java

  What type of code to use for social media mobile app

  The biggest problem was that I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Until I started researching, I had no clue that there were different types of coding. I thought code was code. Zeros and ones. But no. That was computer talk, separate from coding. My relative inexperience with technology was showing, and it was embarrassing. Lucie watched from her perch with judgy eyes. I was also judging myself, trying to decide if I could actually pull this off.

  I dropped my tablet onto my bed and rubbed at my face. This was exhausting. It was already late, somewhere around eleven at night, and the only things I’d learn was that I knew diddly squat.

  Picking the tablet up again and tapping at the screen with an attitude it didn’t deserve, I favorited some videos that promised to teach me how to do the coding thing. What I needed was an online class, but I worried I’d pick the wrong one, waste my money and time, and have no app to show for it at the end.

  Did I want to ask Leo? No, definitely not. Would I anyways, because this was more important than not proving him right? Yeah.

  I placed the tablet on my nightstand.

  Right next to Alex’s little gift.

  It was taunting me. It appeared innocent enough, but who gave out physical invitations anymore? The only good reason I could think of was to keep something a secret, something that someone didn’t want online. So why would Alex give me one, let alone one that looked so fancy?

  The whole thing was suspicious, giving me conflicting feelings on what to do on top of all the nonsense with this stupid fucking important app.

  Without ceremony, I ripped open the envelope and pulled out the matching card inside.

  Calliope Navie,

  We would like to take this opportunity to formally invite you to meet with us to discuss a possible partnership that we believe to be mutually beneficial regarding your progressing LaShoul’s. We’ve been informed of a new set of symptoms you’ve developed and have the experience and tools necessary to ensure your health and safety while you navigate this additional challenge. If interested, please sign the electronic agreement linked to the back of this card and select from the available dates. Should you believe this invitation was issued in error, simply discard.

  We hope to see you soon.

  - A. G.

  Did A.G. stand for something? Was it the group’s name’s initials? Was it a person?

  I flipped the card over, hoping to find any clues, but there was only a QR code embossed in the same gold leaf as the rest of the design. A six-digit pin was provided underneath, which I entered after scanning the code.

  Coming from Alex, and based off what he shared about the mysterious group he belonged to, I could only assume that it was an invitation to join the same organization.

  Once the password registered and the site loaded, I was surprised by how plain it was. I’d been expecting something similar to the invitation, not a plain cream background and standard black text. Nothing I saw had any identifiers; no name for the organization, no copyright notice at the bottom. All I saw was a simple form for me to fill out, followed by…terms and conditions? Nobody read those. But there it was, the little checkmarks at the bottom where I’d decide if I agreed or disagreed with the—

  I pulled my phone closer. It wasn’t terms and conditions; it was a non-disclosure agreement.

  Scrolling back to the top, I read through the six paragraphs carefully, noting the important details.

  Participation in the meeting is optional. By submitting this form, you agree to the following terms outlined below:

  1. Anything discussed during the meeting is confidential information not to be discussed with anyone outside of the meeting, including but not limited to…

  2. Personal information disclosed during the meeting may be used for the following purposes without limit, including but not limited to…

  3. You have the right to discontinue the meeting at any time, with the above statements still applicable.

  4. Any violation of the above terms, whether accidental or intentional, may result in legal ramifications, including but not limited to…

  I didn’t like it, but understood the caution. As Alex had explained, keeping things on the down low regarding the evolution of LaShoul’s was important right now. I planned to change that, of course, but I could play nice for a while. At the very least, I could learn some things, even if it was just what they were willing to share with me. Perhaps over time I could learn even more that could alter Leo’s work on the bio-screens.

  But this NDA legally meant that I wouldn’t be allowed to talk to him about anything I learned. Would it really stop me, though?

  No, probably not. Though we would be limited to talking about it only at home and not in public, ever. No texts or other written evidence could exist unless it was destroyed afterwards. But I could do that.

  It made me wonder how much Alex had told me that he shouldn’t have. And what he knew and didn’t share.

  If I agreed to these terms and went to this meeting, I would be able to talk freely with him about it. In theory, at least. And maybe instances like the one where I thought Meg had died wouldn’t happen again. Alex knew, the entire time, that she was fine. Yes, it made sense that she moved away, being so close to the end that anyone with eyes would question her sudden recovery.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  I had questions. My fingers itched to send a message to Alex, but I wasn’t sure if I should put any of it in writing. Finishing the form and sending it right now was probably not the wisest choice; I was bone-tired, even though my brain wouldn’t stop. It was best to wait, to sleep on it, and reassess in the morning.

  Leo tripped over my nearly-prone form when he came into the hallway the next morning. Propped up against one wall, I’d just started to doze off after an impossible night of sleep and had missed his door opening. Leo’s surprised shout made me jerk awake, my legs intercepting his feet and sending him careening towards the wall. He caught himself before falling to his ass. Heart pounding with my own adrenaline rush, I got unsteadily to my feet.

  “What the fuck,” Leo whispered, out of breath. He braced one hand on the wall as he bent at the waist.

  “Sorry, sorry,” I apologized, one hand on my chest, the other reaching out towards him without making contact.

  “Were you waiting for me or something?”

  I nodded.

  “Couldn’t you wait in the kitchen like a normal person?”

  I cringed. It was a better idea than mine. I blamed sleep deprivation. “I didn’t want to fall asleep waiting for you and miss my chance. I need to talk to you. It’s important. Like, kept me up half the night important.”

  Leo straightened and rubbed a hand over his face. He looked at me then, and I could imagine the terrifying picture I painted with my messy hair and wrinkled pajamas. The bags under my eyes I’d noticed in the bathroom mirror earlier made me look like I hadn’t slept in a week. And I felt it.

  I’d been unable to fall asleep until late last night, my mind a mush of gray matter, trying to figure out what to do about the invitation. When I did finally drift off, my sleep was far from peaceful. Dreams haunted me, strange ones that I could only half-recall in the emerging morning light slowly creeping its way into the apartment. Vague impressions were all that were left, and I didn’t want to remember any more than that.

  “What’s wrong?” Leo grasped my arm, and it was then I realized I’d started swaying on my feet.

  “Coffee first.”

  I turned away and padded down the hallway. Leo shooed me away from the kitchen, muttering about how he’d make me some before I toppled over. I shuffled to the living room and fell face-first into the couch. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it would work better than a chair if I accidentally fell asleep before the coffee was ready. Thank fuck I didn’t work today. I turned my head to face out at the rest of the living room as the life-giving smell of coffee permeated the air. Leo walked over and placed the mug on the table in front of me before disappearing from my line of sight.

  My body had no fight, protest, or complaint when Leo bent my legs at the knee to sit down at the opposite end of my chosen couch. He let my legs fall back into his lap and draped one of the throw blankets I’d ordered online over me. I lifted my legs a bit to tuck the blanket under my toes, which were feeling cold without my warm fuzzy socks.

  “These must be some decisions if they’re affecting your sleep,” he prompted.

  I brushed my hair out of my face and rolled over to my side. “You know how Alex talked about this mysterious group he was a part of?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’m pretty sure I’m invited to join.”

  “No.”

  I twisted further to shoot him a disapproving look. “You haven’t even heard anything else about it.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “Don’t care. Don’t do it.”

  I considered him a moment. Instead of arguing, which I would probably still do later, I simply asked, “Why not?”

  He hesitated, thinking. “Something doesn’t sit right with me about it all.”

  I let out a sigh, pulling my feet off his lap and sitting up to grab the coffee. “I feel like I should do it. It’s not even a matter of want. I could get some answers, learn more things, even just quietly observe stuff. But there’s an NDA I have to sign first. So, like, technically and legally I can’t talk about it.”

  Leo frowned at me. “All the more reason not to.”

  I ignored his interruption, taking several long drags of coffee even though it nearly burned my tongue. The more I put my thoughts into words, the clearer those thoughts became, the brain fog slowly dissolving. Or maybe it was the caffeine. “The main reason I’m considering it is because I want to be able to talk to some people about actually helping, instead of this waiting around bullshit. You know, get to know them, they get to know me, it comes up in casual conversation…” The last sentence was overly sarcastic, because it wouldn’t work like that, but a girl could dream.

  “You won’t get anywhere.”

  I frowned at him. “Why not?”

  “Because a lot of men in positions of power are set in their ways and think they know best for everyone. Trust me, I work with enough of them to know.”

  “Who says it’s led by a guy?”

  “It’s a woman?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. But what if?”

  Leo rolled his eyes, and I grinned as I took several more sips of coffee. “Then maybe there’s a chance. Though not much better. They’ve already made their decision, and it would take a lot to change that.”

  “If there’s a chance, then I should still try anyways. Thanks for the talk; I’m going to do it.”

  Sometimes all it took was someone disagreeing with me for me to figure out what I really wanted. When I went to stand, he grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

  “What about the NDA?”

  “I mean, I plan to follow it. Mostly.”

  “Mostly?” he prompted.

  I huffed a sigh, settling back into the couch and tucking my feet up under me. “I plan to tell you. And I’m assuming that Alex already knows the things they’ll tell me, so there’s no breaking the NDA with him.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “But Leo,” I said, exasperated, “think of what I could learn. That’s so much information we could put to good use.”

  “Not worth it.”

  “What do you mean? Of course it is! I know you, Leo, and I know you could use the information.”

  He shook his head. “Not if it jeopardizes your safety.”

  I waved him off. “I’ll be fine. As long as we only talk about things here, it’ll be a nonissue.”

  He was shaking his head slowly, like he knew he wasn’t going to change my mind.

  “I see your side of it,” he admitted. “I get that you want to help people, and you think this is a way you could do it. I’m not saying you’re wrong.” He paused, debating his next words. “All I’m saying is that you’re too important to me, and all I want is for you to be safe. This whole thing puts you at risk, and I can’t help you if something goes sideways.”

  I closed my eyes, most of the fight leaving me at his admission. “I get that. But there’s other people out there who need their loved ones in their lives. We’re friends, yes, but…” I trailed off, biting my lip. Opening my eyes, I looked right at Leo and finished, “If something were to happen to me, you’d survive without me. You’d make other friends. But to lose a parent, Leo? We both know what that’s like. And I hate—really hate—knowing that there are other kids out there who are going to lose a parent when I could do something about it.”

  “You’re wrong.” His voice was so soft that it took my muddled brain an extra second or two to catch up. He tilted his head to one side, ever so slightly, and added, “I don’t know that I would survive without you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be dramatic. Yes, you would.”

  Shaking his head, he backed away from me slowly. “You’re not getting it, and that’s okay. Another time. When you’re not dead on your feet.”

  “Getting what?” I frowned up at him.

  “Go rest, Callie. And please, promise me that you won’t make a decision until you’re fully conscious. For me.”

  “Okay,” I reluctantly agreed.

  Leo nodded once, grabbing my empty mug and retreating to the kitchen. I watched him search the fridge for one of the premade breakfasts he liked to keep stocked. Maybe that was something else I could do to pay Leo back for letting me live here. While I would probably be spending much of my free time learning how to code an app, cooking was something I was growing to really enjoy. At least, when things turned out okay.

  Back in my room, I tumbled onto my bed, startling Lucie. She stiffened, eyeing me, before darting off towards the bathroom. I rolled to the middle of the bed, finding my pillow and tucking it under me. Despite the coffee, I wasn’t going to manage to stay conscious much longer. I passed out before I could get under the covers.