there is."
She goes on like I didn't interrupt. "But maybe there are some good things, too."
"Like what?"
But I remember Cory answering that for me.
You're stronger and faster than you were before. You're going to live longer and you won't get sick as easily. All your senses are heightened—smell, hearing, vision. And that's just in your human form .
"I don't know," Marina says. "But this is your life now. If you don't look for the silver lining, then all you're stuck with is the crap."
"Is that what you'd do?"
She looks down at the table, but she nods. "But then, I'm a cup-half-full girl."
"Where would you start?"
"Have you heard of this thing called the Internet?"
"Very funny."
"But I wouldn't go looking up news reports. I'd be looking for blogs. For all we know, some Wildling is out there on WordPress or whatever, talking about the very same stuff you're going through."
"That's a good idea."
She smiles. "It sure beats playing Animal Planet in the halls and spending the rest of the school year in detention."
"If the government doesn't come along and take me away first."
"Yeah," she says, a worried look in her eyes. "There's always that. So promise me you won't do anything stupid."
Not unless it's stupid to just try to be normal again.
"I promise," I tell her.
Speaking of detention, that's where Desmond is when school's over. He was goofing around with some guys out in the hall between classes and Principal Hayden himself busted them, so there was no chance they'd get off easy. And since Marina's mom picked her up to go to the mall, I'm on my own, skateboarding home. I don't mind. Last night after Desmond and Marina left, I was bouncing off the walls of my bedroom, wishing I had someone to talk to. But with the day I've just had, I'm relieved to be by myself, pushing along on my board, hoodie pulled over my head.
Anonymous.
I make the trip across town in record time and I'm not even winded. I guess there's something to say for the stronger and faster part of me. When I get to the pier, I snap my board up into my hand and carry it under my arm as I step from the pavement onto its wooden slats. There's a good wind coming in from the sea and waves are crashing against the support beams below, spraying water. I smell the salt and listen to the conversations around me, the cries of the gulls. Leaning on the north side balustrade, I watch the surfers for a while, then sit down on a nearby bench. I drop my skateboard to the ground. Putting my feet on it, I lean my head back and close my eyes.
I'm really enjoying my solitude, so of course someone has to sit down beside me. I don't bother to open my eyes. Maybe they'll go away.
"Saunders?"
It's a girl's voice. One I don't recognize. But there's something else—a faint animal musk and a little ping inside my head. I remember what Chaingang said— Once you settle into your skin and get used to your new world, you'll see. You won't be able to not tell who's got an animal under his skin —and I figure this must be what he's talking about. It's so slight that I doubt it would be noticed by anybody—. I hesitate over the word, but there isn't another one I can use.
Anybody human .
I turn to look at her. She's a white girl, my age, maybe a little older, with a dark tan and reddish-brown hair in long dreads that put the little ones I have to shame. A tribal pattern is tattooed like a necklace on her chest bone and she has a dozen silver rings piercing the curve of her right ear. Her left ear just has a stud in the shape of a feather. Her feet are bare under khaki capris and a tight white tank top. She's got the greenest eyes I've ever seen and she's so cute that I know this is as implausible as Chaingang wanting to talk to me. How do I know? Because I can tell you exactly the last time a girl this cute struck up a conversation with me: never.
"Sorry," I tell her. "You've got me confused with someone else."
She shakes her head. "Nice try, but your face was
She goes on like I didn't interrupt. "But maybe there are some good things, too."
"Like what?"
But I remember Cory answering that for me.
You're stronger and faster than you were before. You're going to live longer and you won't get sick as easily. All your senses are heightened—smell, hearing, vision. And that's just in your human form .
"I don't know," Marina says. "But this is your life now. If you don't look for the silver lining, then all you're stuck with is the crap."
"Is that what you'd do?"
She looks down at the table, but she nods. "But then, I'm a cup-half-full girl."
"Where would you start?"
"Have you heard of this thing called the Internet?"
"Very funny."
"But I wouldn't go looking up news reports. I'd be looking for blogs. For all we know, some Wildling is out there on WordPress or whatever, talking about the very same stuff you're going through."
"That's a good idea."
She smiles. "It sure beats playing Animal Planet in the halls and spending the rest of the school year in detention."
"If the government doesn't come along and take me away first."
"Yeah," she says, a worried look in her eyes. "There's always that. So promise me you won't do anything stupid."
Not unless it's stupid to just try to be normal again.
"I promise," I tell her.
Speaking of detention, that's where Desmond is when school's over. He was goofing around with some guys out in the hall between classes and Principal Hayden himself busted them, so there was no chance they'd get off easy. And since Marina's mom picked her up to go to the mall, I'm on my own, skateboarding home. I don't mind. Last night after Desmond and Marina left, I was bouncing off the walls of my bedroom, wishing I had someone to talk to. But with the day I've just had, I'm relieved to be by myself, pushing along on my board, hoodie pulled over my head.
Anonymous.
I make the trip across town in record time and I'm not even winded. I guess there's something to say for the stronger and faster part of me. When I get to the pier, I snap my board up into my hand and carry it under my arm as I step from the pavement onto its wooden slats. There's a good wind coming in from the sea and waves are crashing against the support beams below, spraying water. I smell the salt and listen to the conversations around me, the cries of the gulls. Leaning on the north side balustrade, I watch the surfers for a while, then sit down on a nearby bench. I drop my skateboard to the ground. Putting my feet on it, I lean my head back and close my eyes.
I'm really enjoying my solitude, so of course someone has to sit down beside me. I don't bother to open my eyes. Maybe they'll go away.
"Saunders?"
It's a girl's voice. One I don't recognize. But there's something else—a faint animal musk and a little ping inside my head. I remember what Chaingang said— Once you settle into your skin and get used to your new world, you'll see. You won't be able to not tell who's got an animal under his skin —and I figure this must be what he's talking about. It's so slight that I doubt it would be noticed by anybody—. I hesitate over the word, but there isn't another one I can use.
Anybody human .
I turn to look at her. She's a white girl, my age, maybe a little older, with a dark tan and reddish-brown hair in long dreads that put the little ones I have to shame. A tribal pattern is tattooed like a necklace on her chest bone and she has a dozen silver rings piercing the curve of her right ear. Her left ear just has a stud in the shape of a feather. Her feet are bare under khaki capris and a tight white tank top. She's got the greenest eyes I've ever seen and she's so cute that I know this is as implausible as Chaingang wanting to talk to me. How do I know? Because I can tell you exactly the last time a girl this cute struck up a conversation with me: never.
"Sorry," I tell her. "You've got me confused with someone else."
She shakes her head. "Nice try, but your face was
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