The Thousandth Floor

This is really happening, she thought, a little stunned, though of course she had known it was coming. Her life was falling apart before her eyes, piece by gilded piece.

She opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out. And what could she tell her friends anyway? “Sorry, guys, I can’t come to Altitude because I’m too poor”? Everyone piled on the elevator to 930, shuffling a helpless Eris along with them. She kept nodding, not registering what anyone was saying. Her mind whirred with excuses to extricate herself, each wilder and more frantic than the last. That she had to go intern at her dad’s office again. That Cord had booty-called her. That her parents had grounded her after Saturday’s party and put a location-monitor on her contacts so they would know her every movement.

They started down the oak-shaded cobblestone lane that led to the Altitude entrance. Eris felt dizzy, her breath coming in abbreviated gasps. She couldn’t walk in—couldn’t face the pity on Jeffrey’s face as he politely but firmly told her she wasn’t allowed inside, the knowing glances and hushed whispers her friends would exchange once they realized the truth. She felt sick at the prospect. But it was as if her feet were moving of their own accord, drawing her ever closer to her own destruction, a weak mechanical smile pasted on her face. She watched as Risha and Leda headed into the elevator and up to the yoga level. Ming hung back, waiting for Avery, who was looking at Eris, a questioning expression on her face—

“I don’t feel well,” Eris blurted out. “I think I’m gonna head home.”

“Are you sure?” Avery frowned.

Ming let out a single, bitter laugh. “Don’t worry, Aves. She’s totally just going for an afternoon workout session of her own. At Cord’s.”

Eris flinched at that. Normally she didn’t let Ming’s little barbs get to her, but with everything else that was happening, it was hard to maintain her calm. And why was Ming calling Avery “Aves” anyway? Everyone knew that was Atlas’s nickname for her.

“That was kind of rude of you,” Eris said, trying not to sound defensive. “I really don’t feel great.”

“Chill out, Eris, it was just a joke.” Ming narrowed her eyes. “You do look pretty terrible, though, come to think of it.”

“Oh my god, leave me alone!” Eris snapped, all niceties gone.

Ming looked to Avery as if expecting her to argue, but Avery just sighed. “I’ll meet you upstairs,” she said, not looking at Ming, digging through her bright red hobo bag. Ming tossed her head angrily and marched into the elevator. “Here we go!” Avery triumphantly produced a silver mediwand.

Eris recoiled. “It’s fine, really,” she insisted. But Avery was already waving the wand over Eris’s head and torso, her wrist flicking as if it were a toy. After a moment the wand beeped, having quickly detected and summarized all Eris’s vital signs, and the bulb at the end of it lit up a bright telltale green. The sign of perfect health.

“Look, you’re clearly just tired.” Avery sounded infuriatingly calm. “Why don’t you come sit by the pool instead? Maybe get a facial while we’re at yoga? Then you can still meet us for smoothies afterward.”

“No, thanks,” Eris repeated, her voice strained.

“You didn’t need to snap at Ming,” Avery admonished gently. “I know her joke was lame, but I don’t think she meant any harm by it.”

Eris shook her head, overwhelmed by a sudden bitter anger. Avery didn’t get it. She was the same as she’d always been, still sailing effortlessly above everyone else’s sordid little problems up there in her thousandth-floor palace, while Eris had lost everything. In their whole lifetime of friendship, Eris had never truly resented Avery until this moment. “You know, I really don’t feel well,” she repeated, overemphasizing each word. “I’m going home.” She saw Jeffrey meet her eyes knowingly, and felt like she might scream.

“Okay. Call me later?” Avery asked, worried, but she didn’t press any further. Eris turned back out of the entryway, contemplating the long, dismal trip to 103.

She hadn’t made it halfway down the block before everything was blurry. She wiped angrily at the tears, but they were coming faster now, in ugly jagged sobs, and the only thing she could do was turn blindly into a side alley and try to pull herself together.

Who was she anymore, anyway? She couldn’t be Eris Dodd. The name didn’t fit her any better than the stuffy, cramped apartment down on 103. Eris crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself tight, and took a few deep breaths to regain control. At least this alley was hidden enough from the main street that no other Altitude members had seen her breakdown.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you’re the type to sit around crying.”

Eris looked up to see Mariel in front of her, hand on hip, wearing jeans and a tight-fitting tank top. “What, are you stalking me or something?”

“Shocking, I know, but the world doesn’t revolve around you.” Mariel gestured at the door behind Eris. “You’re blocking the service entrance.”

Eris stepped aside, racking her brain for a witty comeback, but none came.

“Thanks.” Mariel walked past. “If you’re looking for a better place to cry about your club membership, there’s a nice closet in here.”