Read Online Under My Skin (Wildlings) by Charles de Lint - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Charles de Lint
Tags: Fantasy
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meat."
"So you've never met her before?"
"No, sir."
He starts to say something, then puts a hand to the headset in his ear, obviously listening to something.
"I'll be right there," he says.
I pretend I don't know what he's talking about.
"Excuse me?"
"Not you," he says to me. He takes a business card out of his pocket. "If she should approach you again, please call the number on the card."
I look down the length of the pier.
"What's going on?" I ask. "Is she in trouble?"
"Just call the number if you see her again."
Then he motions to a couple of the SWAT team guys and the three of them set off at a jog down the pier. I watch them for a moment, then I put a foot on my board and get the hell out of there before someone changes their mind.
We have band practice that evening in Desmond's garage. While Desmond and I are tuning up, I tell them what happened.
"I've seen that girl around," Marina says from behind her drum kit, "with her dreads and that tattooed necklace. She's a total skank."
"What makes you say that?"
"You know the kind. She's just always mooching for stuff. Like she's trying to get guys to buy her a coffee or lunch, panhandling along the boardwalk, or she's trying to borrow stuff. One time she actually asked Stu if she could use his board."
"Not cool," Desmond says.
"She's homeless," I tell them.
Desmond shrugs. "So how's that our problem?"
"Her parents kicked her out of the house because she changed," I say. "What happened to me happened to her, except her parents just threw her out to fend for herself."
"Dude," Desmond says, "I hate to rain on your parade, but your mother doesn't even know you're a Wildling."
"Yeah, but if she did, she wouldn't do that to me."
"Probably not," Marina says. "Yours should give good-mom courses."
Desmond nods in agreement. "Except for the jerk boyfriends thing."
That hurts, but it's true, so I let it slide.
"And while I can see why you sympathize with that girl," Marina goes on.
"Elzie. Her name's Elzie."
"Okay. Elzie. I just think you should be careful if she comes around again. Some people are takers and she seems like one of them."
"I don't know," I say. "She seems to care a lot about the environment and stuff. So that doesn't seem like a taker to me. I don't really agree with everything she says, but you can't pretend things aren't pretty messed up."
"Things are totally messed up," Marina agrees.
I nod. "And at least she seems committed to do something about it."
"I just don't trust her."
"You don't know her."
"And neither do you," Marina says. "I get it. You're both Wildlings. But that doesn't mean you have to automatically get involved in whatever she's doing."
I'm a little surprised. Marina usually sees the best in people, so I can't figure out why she's so down on this girl she really doesn't know anything about.
"Guys, guys," Desmond says.
We both turn to him.
"You know Marina's just looking out for you," he says to me. "It's not like she's jealous or anything. And Marina. Come on. Cut the dude some slack. He's just had his world turned on its ass. So let him enjoy a bit of attention from some cute little Rasta girl. It sure beats him mooning over Rachel Armstrong."
I look at Marina. Jealous? That'd be the day.
"You're right," she tells Des. She gives me a peace sign. "We're cool, right?"
"Of course we're cool."
"So let's play some music."
Marina
Every beat on my drum kit lets me blow off some of the steam I feel about Josh hooking up with that girl Elzie. I hate the fact that it's her and Josh making Wildling alliances instead of him and me. I know. It's my own fault. But still.
I am so not a fan of jealousy, but it's one of those emotions that worms its way under your skin. I've never been all that bugged by his mooning over that stupid jock-magnet Rachel Armstrong. She never gave Josh a second look before he was on the news.
But this is different. He only just met Elzie and it's already like he's all connected with her,
"So you've never met her before?"
"No, sir."
He starts to say something, then puts a hand to the headset in his ear, obviously listening to something.
"I'll be right there," he says.
I pretend I don't know what he's talking about.
"Excuse me?"
"Not you," he says to me. He takes a business card out of his pocket. "If she should approach you again, please call the number on the card."
I look down the length of the pier.
"What's going on?" I ask. "Is she in trouble?"
"Just call the number if you see her again."
Then he motions to a couple of the SWAT team guys and the three of them set off at a jog down the pier. I watch them for a moment, then I put a foot on my board and get the hell out of there before someone changes their mind.
We have band practice that evening in Desmond's garage. While Desmond and I are tuning up, I tell them what happened.
"I've seen that girl around," Marina says from behind her drum kit, "with her dreads and that tattooed necklace. She's a total skank."
"What makes you say that?"
"You know the kind. She's just always mooching for stuff. Like she's trying to get guys to buy her a coffee or lunch, panhandling along the boardwalk, or she's trying to borrow stuff. One time she actually asked Stu if she could use his board."
"Not cool," Desmond says.
"She's homeless," I tell them.
Desmond shrugs. "So how's that our problem?"
"Her parents kicked her out of the house because she changed," I say. "What happened to me happened to her, except her parents just threw her out to fend for herself."
"Dude," Desmond says, "I hate to rain on your parade, but your mother doesn't even know you're a Wildling."
"Yeah, but if she did, she wouldn't do that to me."
"Probably not," Marina says. "Yours should give good-mom courses."
Desmond nods in agreement. "Except for the jerk boyfriends thing."
That hurts, but it's true, so I let it slide.
"And while I can see why you sympathize with that girl," Marina goes on.
"Elzie. Her name's Elzie."
"Okay. Elzie. I just think you should be careful if she comes around again. Some people are takers and she seems like one of them."
"I don't know," I say. "She seems to care a lot about the environment and stuff. So that doesn't seem like a taker to me. I don't really agree with everything she says, but you can't pretend things aren't pretty messed up."
"Things are totally messed up," Marina agrees.
I nod. "And at least she seems committed to do something about it."
"I just don't trust her."
"You don't know her."
"And neither do you," Marina says. "I get it. You're both Wildlings. But that doesn't mean you have to automatically get involved in whatever she's doing."
I'm a little surprised. Marina usually sees the best in people, so I can't figure out why she's so down on this girl she really doesn't know anything about.
"Guys, guys," Desmond says.
We both turn to him.
"You know Marina's just looking out for you," he says to me. "It's not like she's jealous or anything. And Marina. Come on. Cut the dude some slack. He's just had his world turned on its ass. So let him enjoy a bit of attention from some cute little Rasta girl. It sure beats him mooning over Rachel Armstrong."
I look at Marina. Jealous? That'd be the day.
"You're right," she tells Des. She gives me a peace sign. "We're cool, right?"
"Of course we're cool."
"So let's play some music."
Marina
Every beat on my drum kit lets me blow off some of the steam I feel about Josh hooking up with that girl Elzie. I hate the fact that it's her and Josh making Wildling alliances instead of him and me. I know. It's my own fault. But still.
I am so not a fan of jealousy, but it's one of those emotions that worms its way under your skin. I've never been all that bugged by his mooning over that stupid jock-magnet Rachel Armstrong. She never gave Josh a second look before he was on the news.
But this is different. He only just met Elzie and it's already like he's all connected with her,
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