Read Online Return Once More by Trisha Leigh - Free Book Online Page B

that if we ever advanced to a point like ours—scientifically, medically—that everyone would lead healthier, longer,
not anxious,
perfect lives. The truth was, our geneticists and medics
could
ensure all of us were put together in a way that made us live longer, and that no one was born with any kind of disorder at all. That wasn’t practical, though. So, we got to deal with Oz and all of his awkward.
    â€œShe’s in the toilet,” Analeigh supplied, taking pity on him.
    Oz fidgeted in the doorway, gazing down at his hands. After his third longing glance at the empty hallway behind him, I couldn’t take it anymore. “You don’t have to lurk in the doorway, Oz, for goodness’ sake. Sit down and talk to us.”
    Analeigh and I stared as he shuffled toward Sarah’s desk and perched gingerly on the edge of the chair. Oz wasn’t that tall but he was strong. His broad chest filled out the tight clothing, showing off his muscular arms, and his fingers tapped an impatient rhythm on the back of the steel chair in the silence.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with him? He’s even jumpier than usual.”
Analeigh’s whispered voice popped into my head, surprising me. Oz sat close enough to hear the sound of us whispering, but probably not to catch the words.
    Scientists on Earth Before had discovered that our throat muscles make the involuntary movements to form words even when we only think them. Not everyone on Genesis had this enhancement, but for Historians, it was necessary. We might need to communicate in a scenario where talking was prohibited or our language program might glitch. We had the most bio-enhancements of anyone in the System—unlike the universal wrist tats, the ones connected to our throats and brain stems were unique to our Academy.
    The throat tattoo worked exactly like talking—limited range, a few feet, usually line of sight—which meant anyone close by sporting the same tech could overhear. Oz was a little close for comfort, but I decided I didn’t care that much if he did overhear.
    â€œI don’t know.”
But maybe I did, I thought, my mind flicking back over where his dot placed him earlier today. “So, Oz, how was Pearl Harbor?”
    The question sounded innocent enough to my ears, but his sharp gaze snapped to mine. It felt as though he could see right through my skull, knew that I’d seen his dot hovering elsewhere. I tried a smile, which only seemed to irritate him further, pulling his full lips into a frown.
    â€œLoud and bloody. As expected.”
    He was lying. The cut of his eyes toward the bathroom, the way he licked his lips. His anxiety rose even higher and diffused into the air, urging my own into a climb. The bio stats didn’t lie, even if Oz did, and now I was sure what I’d seen in the Archives hadn’t been a glitch. Oz
had
been in Asia today, watching the Mongol invasions when he wasn’t supposed to be.
    The question of
why
intrigued me more than a little. And if the stats hadn’t been wrong about where he’d been, they also weren’t wrong about him being alone.
    Which meant I wasn’t the only apprentice with an unauthorized cuff.
    The sound of running water abated a moment before the uncomfortable silence actually killed me. I wondered if he and Sarah talked when they were alone. Maybe they were too busy making out, although I had a hard time picturing Oz relaxing his lips enough to kiss anyone.
    Sarah’s lilting singing voice crawled underneath the closed door and helped eased the tension in the room before she banged loose from the bathroom, tugging the towel tighter around her chest when she spotted Oz. “Oh. I didn’t realize how late I was.”
    A wrinkle appeared between Oz’s eyebrows. “It’s okay.”
    Sarah tossed a knowing look toward us girls, grabbing her suit off the bed and retreating back into the bathroom. “I’ll be five