Last time on Matched.com, Cassia is still obsessing about Ky. Also, she aces a sort, which means…something.

The sun blinking through the last of the clouds dares the birds to sing, and they do. It dares me to let the light in, and I do. Who wouldn’t rage against the death of something so beautiful?

In a way this sort of thing is really fitting for a teen who doesn’t have much experience with reading many poems, let alone interpreting them (if they even bother with interpretations, it’s a matter of just being told what the poem is supposed to mean, so she’s not going to know how to work it out for herself). And since the poem feels so important for her, she’s going to try to connect it to her life every way she can.

Ky gives her the compact.

I feel the touch of his fingers and I think he leaves them there, on mine, the smallest bit longer than necessary.

God, Cassia.

Here’s a question – can people choose not to be matched? We know they’re matched years in advance of the actual marriage. Does Cassia have the option of breaking up with Xander or not? She really should be thinking about this, because it’s pretty relevant. If she can, she should be considering it, if she can’t, I’d expect that to play heavily into how she acts (either trying harder to break it off or conversely, rationalizing that since she can’t break up with Xander it’s not the same as regular cheating, where you do have the other option).

Still, she’s really glad to have it back. But then she starts emoing because Ky runs off the way you’re supposed to do when hiking starts instead of waiting for her, because Cassia is terribly unreasonable when it comes to Ky.

So she starts going on her own (somehow, all hiking is done alone) and discovers that she doesn’t have her compact after all. It’s a similarly sized and colored compass, though she doesn’t know what it is.

I didn’t think that Aberrations could have access to artifacts, but Ky obviously does.

Why wouldn’t they? The artifacts are just useless reminders of the past. Even if this was some attempt to free up some of the presumably dwindling supply of artifacts, the fact aberrations can only be single means that he has no kids to pass it on to. It’ll have to go back into the normal population upon his death. Why antagonize aberrations or make regular people more sympathetic toward them?

She gets to the top, then someone else shows up to say that another kid was injured and they need the hiking officer guy to help. Huh, maybe most of the kids are walking together.

So now she’s alone with Ky. She decides she’s happy to keep his artifact for a bit For some reason so she doesn’t say anything about that. She sees him doing something and he says he’s writing.

He is writing in an old-fashioned, curved kind of writing, like the script on my compact. I’ve seen samples of it before but I don’t know how to do it.

For fuck’s sake, learn to draw.

We could try to imitate the figures, but with what? We don’t have any of the old tools.
But I realize as I watch Ky that you can make your own tools.

You know what would have been nice? Her figuring this out on her own. It’s not like they’re completely unable to improvise. Remember her brother making thunder by jumping up and down on the stairs? Drawing in the dirt shouldn’t be that hard to work out.

This is the difference between us. I live to sort; he knows how to create. He can write words whenever he wants.

I guess you can say this is a change because at least she’s broken and needing the boy to fix her in a way other than emotionally. But still.

Furthermore, there’s been no sign she can’t type whatever she wants on the computer. She hasn’t really explained much about that, but we know they’re computers and you type into them. Maybe they’re all locked up so you can only type into forms or whatever, which would sound quite possible for this society, but it needs to be said. So far, all we know is that she’s said she’s completely unable to do so even if she had the opportunity and her grandfather expressed disappointment she didn’t type up the letter on her own which implies it’s entirely possible.

Ky explains they’re trading secrets, apparently. I assume this is meant to be more bonding and less MAD reasoning.

At least Cassia is capable of some initiative now that she’s seen Ky doing it. She tries to draw a letter on a leaf using some water, although it doesn’t come out well. Ky then draws a proper C. Cassia, how are you fucking up C? I remember fucking up many letters as a child, but C is just half a circle.

She asks if he’ll teach her. Cassia, you basically just need to try practicing a bit, you already know the alphabet.

Ky says he’s not supposed to.

“We’re not supposed to be doing any of this,” I remind him.

“Any” is a bit much, Cassia. You are supposed to hike to the top of the hill and then sit around. You are supposed to converse civilly with others.

So she begs him to teach her right as some other people start approaching, which ends the conversation without a reply.

Turns out injured kid just twisted his ankle.

I wonder why the Officer bothered hauling Lon to the top at all until I hear him muttering something to Ky about “making quota so they don’t get after me.” It surprises me, even though I know Officers must report to people, too.

But the idea that he’s required to ferry kids to the top for no reason just goes without comment?

(Also it shouldn’t surprise you. Earlier you were hoping the official talking meanly to your dad would get cited for it despite your dad doing something to make everyone mad and the official being in charge, as if you treat it as an article of faith that no one is above the rules.)

I walk with a girl named Livy who is getting better and better at hiking as the days go on and who acts enthusiastic about everything. She talks and talks, and I imagine Ky’s hand making that sweeping curve of the C for my name and my heart beats faster.

Cassia continues to ignore the perfectly nice people around her in favor of Ky.

They all go to their different trains but Ky whispers “Yes” to her quickly, so great, we’ll be getting more Ky in upcoming chapters. Maybe the government will disappear him soon. That’d make a much better motivation for Cassia than just spending all her time thinking about his deep sue eyes.