Fear Me Not (The EVE Chronicles) by Sara Wolf Read Free Book Online Page B

to allow you to call it a poop-rock!”
    “What’re you gonna do, give me detention?” I smirk and motion around at the fact I’m already in detention. He silently fumes until I sigh.
    “Okay, sorry. It’s not a poop-rock.”
    “It’s a masterpiece of intergalactic technology,” He says slowly, and I repeat it with him.
    “ – masterpiece of intergalactic technology.”
    Seemingly satisfied but still a little peeved, he passes me another basketball a little harder than necessary. I catch it and wince.
    “You guys must’ve wrecked it bad to be taking this long in repairs.”
    “We hit the Earth at over a thousand miles an hour. Even with our polarized field cushioning the bottom of the ship, gravity ripped right through the hull. It’s a miracle we all lived. Well. We didn’t all live. The Executioner sotho’alev died.”
    “Shadus’ mom,” I clarify. Taj looks surprised.
    “Yes. How did you –”
    “Shadus told me.”
    “Shadus doesn’t tell anyone anything.”
    “He told me.”
    Taj takes me in, like he’s seeing me in a whole new light. I’m quiet. I watch him dribble a ball with practiced expertise. His gold eyes reflect the polished floor.
    “I still remember it like it was yesterday. Yulan and his team had just finished transferring me to my new body. My human legs wouldn’t work right - I couldn’t understand how to make them move. The sirens of the ship were wailing. We were crashing. Things were falling. I couldn’t even put my arms up to shield my face.”
    He seems to jolt out of his memories, and frowns at me.
    “We’re working as hard and as fast as we can to rebuild. It’s simply difficult to find the proper materials, and your government delays us by studying every facet of our space travel technology. You don’t think we want to leave as soon as possible? This world is annoying, and practically hostile - ”
    “Hale! What’s going on here?” Targe’s voice booms as he comes back. Taj trots up to him and they begin talking.
    My arms are sore when I finally push out of the gym, and the scar under my ribs throbs with the dull pain of exhaustion. It really does react to how I feel. I can’t decide if that’s scary as hell or sort of interesting. The EVE clinic I’d tested at took some blood and my measurements, and though they talked about how my body would react to the organ, they never really said anything about how the organ would react to me . It’s like a small, amazing creature inside me, mirroring my every feeling.
    No protestors clog the gates today. It’s a relief to not see the angry words and hear the chanting. The groundskeepers sift leaves into piles. I watch them work from the dumpster alcove where I smoke. The groundskeepers are adult Gutters - hair tied back and pale eyes hidden behind sunglasses. They look peaceful, and I catch some of them stopping and admiring the trees and hills. I wonder if their home planet had trees. I wonder if they remember their home planet at all.
    “You.”
    I look up. Shadus stands where the sun meets the shadow. I choke on my smoke and crush the cigarette under my foot.
    “‘Sup, Creeps?”
    “You were smoking.”
    “Aw, that’s nice of you. I don’t get called hot all that often.”
    His face is blank, like the joke flew right over him. I mentally beg the cold wind to wick away the smell of smoke faster. A car putters over the sound of rakes scraping.
    “You’re my cultural partner.”  He turns to fit between the dumpsters and get to me. I pull my hood around my head tighter. My EVE organ burns with an acid nervousness.
    “Kinda knew that already, Creeps.”
    “Give me them,” Shadus demands.
    “Give you what? I don’t have anything.”
    He puts a hand against the wall over my shoulder and leans in. From under his dark bangs, the red irises stand out like two pools of blood. At this close range, the color makes my stomach churn. I can handle him at a distance - but this is not distance. This is his jacket and