Read Online The Academy - Introductions by C. L. Stone - Free Book Online
Authors: C. L. Stone
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finished up and started
talking again. I was half paying attention to what they were talking about. I
focused on people who appeared to be friends. I watched how they walked
together. Sometimes they touched. Sometimes they had hands stuffed into their
pockets and they bumped the other one in the direction they wanted to go
without talking.
Normal. This is normal. My mind whirled, worrying this day
would end too soon. Who knows when I would get another chance to just hang out
like this? Would they even care to invite me again? It probably didn’t matter.
After today, they’d get over of being nice to the new girl. Either that or my
mom would find out the truth eventually. I shoved those thoughts to the back of
my mind. I was being paranoid and it annoyed me. I was being as
self-destructive as my own mother thinking like that.
Motion across the walkway caught my attention. The guy with
the goatee and his friends were leaning against the wall of a video game store.
The guy with the goatee folded his arms over his chest and he made kissing
faces my way. At first my eyes widened but I tried to adjust myself, attempting
to look bored and disinterested. He laughed but I slowly turned my eyes as if I
hadn’t even noticed. I wasn’t sure if I was able to hide the blush I felt in my
cheeks. I pulled myself back into the conversation, forcing myself to nibble at
another fry even though I was full.
“You can’t be serious,” Victor was saying to Kota. “Not
another physics class. You’ve already taken all of them.”
“Not a particle physics one.”
“Tell me they don’t even offer that class,” Victor pushed a
palm at his eye, looking pained. “It’s so pointless. It’s theoretical. You
won’t use it.”
Silas shook his head. He caught me looking at him and
offered a grin. I shared one back, pointing the open end of my fries at him.
“You don’t want any more?”
“I’m stuffed,” I said.
He reached for the carton, his fingers brushing mine. A
spark started from my fingertips and then ignited in my belly. His fingers were
a little coarse, strong, but warm.
“Thanks,” he said. His voice was softer now. Had he felt
the same thing I did? “What classes are you going to take?” he asked.
I gave a small glance to Kota, who was engrossed in trying
to explain his desired classes that he hadn’t heard Silas. Was I now used to
Kota answering for me? “I think there’s prerequisites, aren’t there? I was
going to fill up on those.”
“You should take something you like,” Silas said. “It can’t
be all work. Unless you’re like Kota.” He jerked his head in Kota’s direction
and then stuffed his mouth with some fries.
I laughed, shrugging a little. “I don’t really know yet. I
only glanced at the catalog and some of the more interesting things I can’t
take yet.”
“Like what...”
“Oh my god,” Victor said, his voice rising. The fire
burned, his eyes narrowing. “Okay, I’m done. Sang, are you finished? I can’t
talk to him.”
Kota looked perplexed. “You were asking...”
“I’m not asking anymore!” Victor raised his hands in the
air, waving in defeat. “You win. We’re good. Let’s just do something else.”
I shared another grin with Silas, even though I wasn’t
totally sure I understood what was going on.
“I’m headed to the bathroom real quick. I’ll be right
back.” Victor stood, pushing his chair away. He grabbed his bag and starting to
walk off. He’d left his trash on the table.
Kota collected his own wrappers and Victor’s and put it all
on the tray. “I’ll be right back. Maybe I should go apologize.” He walked off
after Victor.
“Good luck,” Silas said. He stood up, grabbing the tray and
taking my empty wrapper to add to it. “I’ll get rid of this. Wait here.”
I smiled, shaking my head. The boys were interesting. Silas
looked around for a place to throw trash. He walked around groups of people waiting
in line for their kids at the
talking again. I was half paying attention to what they were talking about. I
focused on people who appeared to be friends. I watched how they walked
together. Sometimes they touched. Sometimes they had hands stuffed into their
pockets and they bumped the other one in the direction they wanted to go
without talking.
Normal. This is normal. My mind whirled, worrying this day
would end too soon. Who knows when I would get another chance to just hang out
like this? Would they even care to invite me again? It probably didn’t matter.
After today, they’d get over of being nice to the new girl. Either that or my
mom would find out the truth eventually. I shoved those thoughts to the back of
my mind. I was being paranoid and it annoyed me. I was being as
self-destructive as my own mother thinking like that.
Motion across the walkway caught my attention. The guy with
the goatee and his friends were leaning against the wall of a video game store.
The guy with the goatee folded his arms over his chest and he made kissing
faces my way. At first my eyes widened but I tried to adjust myself, attempting
to look bored and disinterested. He laughed but I slowly turned my eyes as if I
hadn’t even noticed. I wasn’t sure if I was able to hide the blush I felt in my
cheeks. I pulled myself back into the conversation, forcing myself to nibble at
another fry even though I was full.
“You can’t be serious,” Victor was saying to Kota. “Not
another physics class. You’ve already taken all of them.”
“Not a particle physics one.”
“Tell me they don’t even offer that class,” Victor pushed a
palm at his eye, looking pained. “It’s so pointless. It’s theoretical. You
won’t use it.”
Silas shook his head. He caught me looking at him and
offered a grin. I shared one back, pointing the open end of my fries at him.
“You don’t want any more?”
“I’m stuffed,” I said.
He reached for the carton, his fingers brushing mine. A
spark started from my fingertips and then ignited in my belly. His fingers were
a little coarse, strong, but warm.
“Thanks,” he said. His voice was softer now. Had he felt
the same thing I did? “What classes are you going to take?” he asked.
I gave a small glance to Kota, who was engrossed in trying
to explain his desired classes that he hadn’t heard Silas. Was I now used to
Kota answering for me? “I think there’s prerequisites, aren’t there? I was
going to fill up on those.”
“You should take something you like,” Silas said. “It can’t
be all work. Unless you’re like Kota.” He jerked his head in Kota’s direction
and then stuffed his mouth with some fries.
I laughed, shrugging a little. “I don’t really know yet. I
only glanced at the catalog and some of the more interesting things I can’t
take yet.”
“Like what...”
“Oh my god,” Victor said, his voice rising. The fire
burned, his eyes narrowing. “Okay, I’m done. Sang, are you finished? I can’t
talk to him.”
Kota looked perplexed. “You were asking...”
“I’m not asking anymore!” Victor raised his hands in the
air, waving in defeat. “You win. We’re good. Let’s just do something else.”
I shared another grin with Silas, even though I wasn’t
totally sure I understood what was going on.
“I’m headed to the bathroom real quick. I’ll be right
back.” Victor stood, pushing his chair away. He grabbed his bag and starting to
walk off. He’d left his trash on the table.
Kota collected his own wrappers and Victor’s and put it all
on the tray. “I’ll be right back. Maybe I should go apologize.” He walked off
after Victor.
“Good luck,” Silas said. He stood up, grabbing the tray and
taking my empty wrapper to add to it. “I’ll get rid of this. Wait here.”
I smiled, shaking my head. The boys were interesting. Silas
looked around for a place to throw trash. He walked around groups of people waiting
in line for their kids at the
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