I never made contact with my father or triggered the clones. The good thing was that when I entered the apartment near curfew my mother didn’t notice the slightly different tunic and leggings through the darkness. I had also made sure to remove the red star from my sleeve before I exited the subway car.I lay awake most of the night thinking of the way Nyx pulled me close to him. I kept imagining him naked in the community shower and suddenly Darla’s parents pressed against each other in that tiny bed seemed innocent.No public displays of affection.This meant that what Nyx and I did inside the subway car was forbidden. We were just holding hands. It seemed harmless, if not perfectly magical.When I changed into my own tunic and leggings, pulled from our dresser at home, the musty scent of unwashed clothing felt like shackles confining me to this dull world.Mother cocked her eyebrow as I entered the kitchen. “Don’t you want me to braid your hair?” she asked, as I reached for a dingy glass in the cupboard.“No, thank you.”
