Under My Skin (Wildlings) by Charles de Lint Read Free Book Online Page A

own."
    "Sweet."
    "Yeah, but that's me. You've still got to put in the time."
    He holds out his fist. I hesitate a moment, then bump mine against his. The difference in size looks absurd, but he doesn't seem to notice.
    "Hang loose, Josh," he says.
    The shades go back on and I realize I've been dismissed.

    "What the hell was that all about?" Desmond says in a low voice as we head for our lockers to put away our boards.
    I can't really tell him, not without also telling him that Chaingang's a Wildling just like me, but I'm not going to be the one to out him.
    I settle for, "He wanted to know how our band's doing."
    "Seriously?"
    I shrug. "I guess there's a part of him that digs surf music."
    "That so doesn't scan."
    "What can I say?"
    He nods. "You know everybody's watching you, right?"
    I do. But I figure it won't last. By lunchtime, some new drama will have come along and I'll be old news.
    Except it does last. The morning drags on and no one treats me the same. It's not just the other kids. Even the teachers seem … I don't want to say wary, but they treat me differently. Maybe they're just concerned because of what I went through—and by that I mean the news reports that said I was chased out of the house by a mountain lion—but they don't seem comfortable having me in their class.
    Dillon catches me in the hall. He's not much taller than me but he's got the longest fingers I've ever seen. He can do a seven-fret stretch like nobody I know.
    "Josh, is it true?" he says under his breath, looking around as if we're about to be jumped. "Did one of those goddamn freaks really come right into your house?"
    "I'll tell you about it later. Got to get to history."
    "Yeah, but—"
    "It's cool," I tell him. "Really."
    I clap him lightly on the back as we part.
    I don't know how I'm going to handle things with Dillon from now on. This is such a drag. I love jamming in the music room with the guy, but he's so down on Wildlings that I don't think I'm going to want to spend much time in his company.
    Just before last period in the morning, Ms. Chandra, the guidance counsellor, stops me in the hall to assure me that she's here for me if I need to talk about my "ordeal." Instead of telling her that all this attention is the real ordeal, I nod and say thanks before I move on to my class. I know I just need to get through this, but I'm starting to wish I'd waited another day before coming back to school.
    I spend a lot of time staring out windows, looking for black SUVs and men in suits. All I see is a lone CSFA van. I was surprised there wasn't one outside the house again this morning, but they probably realized it might be easier to get hold of me here.
    Or maybe I'm just being paranoid and it has nothing to do with me. Could be they finally have some real news to cover around here.

    "Now I know what animals in the zoo feel like," I say to Desmond at lunch.
    "Why's that?" Marina slides into a seat beside me as she asks the question.
    "I feel like I'm on display," I tell her. "Everybody's watching me and wondering."
    "You can't blame them," she says. "You're the new celebrity buzz."
    I have to smile when I see her. Her hair's still damp from the ocean and she's got that glow she always gets when she's been out on her board. She looks so relaxed I wish I'd gone to the beach with her this morning.
    "Yeah?" I say. "I don't think so. I'm more like an accident they're slowing down to stare at to see the damage."
    "How were the sets?" Desmond asks Marina.
    She grins. "Bitchin'."
    We all laugh. Doesn't matter what they were like, that's always her answer.
    Then Desmond leans forward. "Guess who was asking about the band?"
    "Which so needs a name."
    "You're not guessing."
    She scrunches her face as she pretends to think hard, then says, "I give up. Who?"
    "Come on. You're not even trying."
    "Okay," she says. "Principal Hayden, because he wants to hire us for a pep rally."
    " Bzzzt . Wrong answer. It was Chaingang Washington."
    Marina turns to me