Free The Ylem by Tatiana Vila

can’t wait.” He
turned and I watched him walk away as he disappeared into a cluster
of cars. An orange beam caught my eye amid the sea of metal and my
heart leaped. I spotted Tristan's speedy-wheel-machine between a
huge black truck and a blue SUV (the most popular car around here).
I couldn’t see him, though. He was definitely in school, but not
outside. None of his friends were around either.
    Feeling reassured, I sat down on the
neatly-cropped grass and fished out As you like it from my
tote. But I never got to read any pages.
     
     
     
     
    6. BAD
MOVEMENT
     
    “Great story, isn’t it?” said the voice I’d
been fearing to hear. My heart jumped. I hadn’t expected him to
come and talk to me. Of all the infinite situations I’d imagined
since spotting his car, this one had escaped me.
    I closed my book and turned to look up at
him. He was smiling at me. “Hi.” I’d been half-reclined and I
pushed myself up. “Um, yeah, it’s a great story,” I said, glancing
at the book.
    “But not my favorite one.” He gave a soft
shake of his head.
    I smiled. He liked Shakespeare. “Same for
me,” I said, dropping my eyes to the grass.
    “How are you feeling after that fierce
attack on Friday?” he asked, amused.
    He totally thought I was stupid. “Oh, um, I
wanted to thank you for that.” My face began to blaze. “I left
without saying thank you. So—” I forced my eyes to look back at his
“—thank you…very much.”
    His beautiful lips formed a breathtaking
smile. “Don’t worry. That was nothing.”
    “Nothing? If it wasn’t because of you I
would be lying on a hideous hospital bed right now—or in some
dreary coffin under layers and layers of dirt.”
    He laughed, the sweet sound caressing my
ears. “Well, I'm glad I helped you, then.”
    “Yeah…I'm glad, too,” I admitted, dropping
my eyes again.
    “It happens that I tend to be a lifesaver
from time to time,” he said, taking his smile into the edge of
sexy. “And I'm sorry to say that jackets don’t make the cut, just
humans.”
    “Oh…” My brain wasn’t working. I couldn’t
think of anything clever to say. “Lucky…me then…”
    “You can say that.” He had the most
beautiful eyelashes. “But don’t play with your luck so much.”
    “No…I…um…” I took in a gulp of air. “It’s
going to be really difficult to go near a wolf-thing from now on. I
don’t want to face death again.”
    His sexy smile faded and his lips flattened
into a straight line. Had I said something wrong? He stared at me,
his eyes displaying an intensity so deep it could’ve melted metal.
Something in them showed frustration and disappointment, colliding
with the peacefulness of his heavenly gray ocean-colored eyes. And
I couldn’t understand why, but I was unexpectedly overtaken by the
most piercing sadness I’d ever felt. My chest hurt as if a deep
iron ball was pressing my lungs. My nose warmed and my eyes got
cloudy with tears.
    I turned my head away, unlocking my eyes
from his. I sensed a tear sliding down on my cheek, escaping my
eyelids and turning cold. Why in the world was I crying? Did I even
have a reason? I felt completely lost, confused
and…embarrassed.
    I wiped the frosty tear with the back of my
hand, wishing he hadn’t notice my bizarre reaction, and pulled my
tote from the grass. The odd pain in my chest began to fade. I
shoved the book inside and placed the strap over my shoulder.
    I was now facing him again. “Um…” My mind
was blank. “Nice weather, huh?” I said, keeping my eyes away from
his. It was a really pathetic thing to say, but I couldn’t think of
anything better.
    “Yes,” he said with a troubled voice, almost
talking to himself.
    Curiosity got the best out of me and pushed
me to look back at him. He was looking down; his hands stuffed into
his jeans pockets. His dark eyebrows, slightly covered by some
strands of his hair, were pulled together, as if he was pondering
something. But what?
    Maybe