Read Online The Future of Our Past (The Remembrance Trilogy) by Kahlen Aymes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kahlen Aymes
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call you later?” I said softly into the phone.
Julia’s voice was stiff when she answered after a brief hesitation. What the hell was she thinking?
“Um…I’ll be busy the rest of the day, Ryan. Seems like you are, too. Let’s just…talk when we talk. Bye.”
“Julia…” the phone went dead in my hand.
I sat staring angrily at Liza as she opened her backpack and took out her notebook. “So? What’s good here?” She completely ignored my irritated expression and prattled on.
“Liza, I thought we were meeting at the library, in what? 20 minutes?” I was annoyed and didn’t care if it showed.
“Oh, we were, but I thought this would be more fun.” It was apparent in the way she was dressed, her facial expression and how she looked at me that she was hoping to turn this into a date, one that ran beyond morning coffee or tutoring.
I had my notes out already, so I flipped a couple of pages back and waited.
She got up and ordered a beverage and then looked at me. I hastily got up and paid for her coffee. I felt irritated at being forced into this situation but my mother would kill me if I didn’t act properly.
“So Ryan, where are you from? Claire told me that you were from Illinois, but what part?” Her cheeks flushed as she watched me stare at her. My eyes were hard but I sighed.
“Chicago. Look, Liza, let’s just get to the books, ok? Do you have questions?” I asked sardonically.
She pouted as she looked at me. “I just want to know you better, is that so bad? I saw that movie, Chicago .”
Seriously? I inwardly cringed. The movie was set in the 1920’s and didn’t show any of the city as it was now.
“Anyway, it looked sort of pretty, but so much crime, right? Ick.”
Not any more than any other major city, dipshit. “Make sure never to move there, then,” I said flatly. The fine rein I held on my annoyance was slipping fast. “Liza, it’s important that I remain focused on school during my time in Boston. You should, too, judging by the trouble you’re having in microbiology. I’m really, uh, not looking…”
Her lower lip trembled, her feelings clearly hurt. Instantly I felt contrite, but I was also worried about the repercussions with Julia.
“Look…I’m sorry. I’m just preoccupied. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“My micro teacher hates me. When I ask for help, he just tells me to read the book. I hate reading!”
I wondered how in the hell she ever got into Harvard at this rate. Fuck, she made my head ache.
“Who was on the phone?” she asked coyly, trying to gauge my expression. I stopped digging in my backpack for a pen and glanced up at her quickly before resuming what I was doing.
“That isn’t important. We’re here for microbiology, so…”
“Ryan!”
I pulled the pen out and opened the book to the chapter on viruses and how they attached to human cells. “Yeah?”
She reached across the table to put a cold hand on mine. “Can’t we be friends? We’re forced in that damn lab together, and I just thought we might make the best of it. What’s wrong with that?”
Nothing, if that was what she wanted.
I pulled my hand back and picked up the coffee as I leaned back in my chair; as if getting farther away from her physically would make her back off. Her perfume was making me gag anyway. It was sweet and flowery and made my nose burn.
“Look, Harvard has always been my dream and friends are just…not a priority for me. It’s nothing personal.”
“All work and no play make Ryan a dull boy. And besides, whoever was on the phone was a friend , so…” she began but I cut her off shortly.
“No. She was not a friend. More like a lifetime commitment.”
For a brief moment I saw disappointment and hurt flash across her features before it changed into a calculating stare.
“But she’s not here…in Boston?”
I bit my lip and waited. “Are we studying or not? You have ten seconds to decide or I need to leave.”
“Ok, we’ll study, Mr.
Julia’s voice was stiff when she answered after a brief hesitation. What the hell was she thinking?
“Um…I’ll be busy the rest of the day, Ryan. Seems like you are, too. Let’s just…talk when we talk. Bye.”
“Julia…” the phone went dead in my hand.
I sat staring angrily at Liza as she opened her backpack and took out her notebook. “So? What’s good here?” She completely ignored my irritated expression and prattled on.
“Liza, I thought we were meeting at the library, in what? 20 minutes?” I was annoyed and didn’t care if it showed.
“Oh, we were, but I thought this would be more fun.” It was apparent in the way she was dressed, her facial expression and how she looked at me that she was hoping to turn this into a date, one that ran beyond morning coffee or tutoring.
I had my notes out already, so I flipped a couple of pages back and waited.
She got up and ordered a beverage and then looked at me. I hastily got up and paid for her coffee. I felt irritated at being forced into this situation but my mother would kill me if I didn’t act properly.
“So Ryan, where are you from? Claire told me that you were from Illinois, but what part?” Her cheeks flushed as she watched me stare at her. My eyes were hard but I sighed.
“Chicago. Look, Liza, let’s just get to the books, ok? Do you have questions?” I asked sardonically.
She pouted as she looked at me. “I just want to know you better, is that so bad? I saw that movie, Chicago .”
Seriously? I inwardly cringed. The movie was set in the 1920’s and didn’t show any of the city as it was now.
“Anyway, it looked sort of pretty, but so much crime, right? Ick.”
Not any more than any other major city, dipshit. “Make sure never to move there, then,” I said flatly. The fine rein I held on my annoyance was slipping fast. “Liza, it’s important that I remain focused on school during my time in Boston. You should, too, judging by the trouble you’re having in microbiology. I’m really, uh, not looking…”
Her lower lip trembled, her feelings clearly hurt. Instantly I felt contrite, but I was also worried about the repercussions with Julia.
“Look…I’m sorry. I’m just preoccupied. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“My micro teacher hates me. When I ask for help, he just tells me to read the book. I hate reading!”
I wondered how in the hell she ever got into Harvard at this rate. Fuck, she made my head ache.
“Who was on the phone?” she asked coyly, trying to gauge my expression. I stopped digging in my backpack for a pen and glanced up at her quickly before resuming what I was doing.
“That isn’t important. We’re here for microbiology, so…”
“Ryan!”
I pulled the pen out and opened the book to the chapter on viruses and how they attached to human cells. “Yeah?”
She reached across the table to put a cold hand on mine. “Can’t we be friends? We’re forced in that damn lab together, and I just thought we might make the best of it. What’s wrong with that?”
Nothing, if that was what she wanted.
I pulled my hand back and picked up the coffee as I leaned back in my chair; as if getting farther away from her physically would make her back off. Her perfume was making me gag anyway. It was sweet and flowery and made my nose burn.
“Look, Harvard has always been my dream and friends are just…not a priority for me. It’s nothing personal.”
“All work and no play make Ryan a dull boy. And besides, whoever was on the phone was a friend , so…” she began but I cut her off shortly.
“No. She was not a friend. More like a lifetime commitment.”
For a brief moment I saw disappointment and hurt flash across her features before it changed into a calculating stare.
“But she’s not here…in Boston?”
I bit my lip and waited. “Are we studying or not? You have ten seconds to decide or I need to leave.”
“Ok, we’ll study, Mr.
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