Read Online A City Called Smoke: The Territory 2 by Justin Woolley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Justin Woolley
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different now that she was a girl. She wouldn’t like that, though. He knew she didn’t like it when people said anything about her being a girl.
Squid realized he’d been standing there thinking for much too long so he just said, “What?” as if he hadn’t heard but really just to fill up the empty air.
“I said what’s wrong?”
Squid felt for the key around his neck, rubbing the shape of it between his thumb and forefinger. “Nothing,” he said.
“Why are you doing that then?”
“Doing what?”
“Playing with that stupid key of yours?”
Squid dropped his hands to his sides, forcing himself to let go of his mother’s key and act normal even though he wasn’t sure what normal was or how to act that way.
“Well, come on then,” Lynn said, sitting up on the mattress. “Out with it.”
Lynn stared at Squid in that way that meant she knew he was going to give in eventually and if she looked at him like this it would just happen faster.
“It’s just that,” Squid said, “you’re a girl now.”
He waited for Lynn to get annoyed and start telling him that just because she was a girl didn’t mean anything and she could do anything a boy could do and probably do it better besides, but she didn’t say any of that. She just sighed. He wasn’t sure what that meant.
“I’ve always been a girl, Squid,” Lynn said.
“I know, but –”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not weird or anything. We’ve been through a lot, you and me, we’re just friends. You don’t need to worry about sharing a bed.”
Squid took a moment. “Yeah,” he said. He felt something sink inside him, a heaviness that he’d never felt before. “We’re just friends.”
“Exactly,” Lynn said. “Now hurry up or it will be morning.”
Lynn lifted the blanket again and waited as Squid slid in underneath. Once he was lying on the mattress Lynn rolled onto her side, facing away from him. Her body was close to his. Squid felt her back press against his arm and her legs against his own. He wasn’t comfortable, there was a lump beneath the mattress pushing up into the small of his back, and he preferred to sleep on his side, but he didn’t move. He didn’t know whether it was because he didn’t want to risk making more body contact or less. Even through the leftover emu Squid could smell Lynn beside him. He swallowed against the lump in his throat.
“Good night, Squid,” Lynn said.
“Good night,” he replied, pleased that his voice didn’t squeak or break.
Squid lay there unmoving long after he could tell Lynn’s breath had slowed into the steady rhythm of sleep. Eventually, though, he too succumbed to the pull of tiredness.
*
Squid woke to feel Lynn’s hand on his shoulder, gently nudging him awake.
“Squid,” she said. “Did you hear that?”
“Huh?” Squid said.
“Shhhh,” Lynn whispered. “Listen.”
It was dark. Squid didn’t know how long he’d been asleep but it was clearly still hours before morning. He lay still, listening for what had startled Lynn. All he could hear was the drone of the bio-truck, the sound of the trailer rocking gently on its wheels and a sudden pop as the engine gave one of its now familiar sounds of protest.
“I don’t hear anything,” Squid whispered.
“Maybe it was nothing,” Lynn said, “but I could’ve sworn I heard footsteps.”
“Where?”
“On the roof.”
Even as Lynn said those words and Squid was about to say that he didn’t think it would be possible for anyone to be on the roof of a moving bio-truck, the sliding door on the side of the trailer creaked and opened slightly as if someone was pulling it from the outside.
Squid and Lynn both sat bolt upright. Lynn clambered up and grabbed her sword from where it sat on one of the upturned wooden crates nearby. She pulled it from its scabbard and stood watching the door. It creaked again, the wheels giving a squeal as it moved, stopping when it was open maybe two feet.
“Who’s
Squid realized he’d been standing there thinking for much too long so he just said, “What?” as if he hadn’t heard but really just to fill up the empty air.
“I said what’s wrong?”
Squid felt for the key around his neck, rubbing the shape of it between his thumb and forefinger. “Nothing,” he said.
“Why are you doing that then?”
“Doing what?”
“Playing with that stupid key of yours?”
Squid dropped his hands to his sides, forcing himself to let go of his mother’s key and act normal even though he wasn’t sure what normal was or how to act that way.
“Well, come on then,” Lynn said, sitting up on the mattress. “Out with it.”
Lynn stared at Squid in that way that meant she knew he was going to give in eventually and if she looked at him like this it would just happen faster.
“It’s just that,” Squid said, “you’re a girl now.”
He waited for Lynn to get annoyed and start telling him that just because she was a girl didn’t mean anything and she could do anything a boy could do and probably do it better besides, but she didn’t say any of that. She just sighed. He wasn’t sure what that meant.
“I’ve always been a girl, Squid,” Lynn said.
“I know, but –”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not weird or anything. We’ve been through a lot, you and me, we’re just friends. You don’t need to worry about sharing a bed.”
Squid took a moment. “Yeah,” he said. He felt something sink inside him, a heaviness that he’d never felt before. “We’re just friends.”
“Exactly,” Lynn said. “Now hurry up or it will be morning.”
Lynn lifted the blanket again and waited as Squid slid in underneath. Once he was lying on the mattress Lynn rolled onto her side, facing away from him. Her body was close to his. Squid felt her back press against his arm and her legs against his own. He wasn’t comfortable, there was a lump beneath the mattress pushing up into the small of his back, and he preferred to sleep on his side, but he didn’t move. He didn’t know whether it was because he didn’t want to risk making more body contact or less. Even through the leftover emu Squid could smell Lynn beside him. He swallowed against the lump in his throat.
“Good night, Squid,” Lynn said.
“Good night,” he replied, pleased that his voice didn’t squeak or break.
Squid lay there unmoving long after he could tell Lynn’s breath had slowed into the steady rhythm of sleep. Eventually, though, he too succumbed to the pull of tiredness.
*
Squid woke to feel Lynn’s hand on his shoulder, gently nudging him awake.
“Squid,” she said. “Did you hear that?”
“Huh?” Squid said.
“Shhhh,” Lynn whispered. “Listen.”
It was dark. Squid didn’t know how long he’d been asleep but it was clearly still hours before morning. He lay still, listening for what had startled Lynn. All he could hear was the drone of the bio-truck, the sound of the trailer rocking gently on its wheels and a sudden pop as the engine gave one of its now familiar sounds of protest.
“I don’t hear anything,” Squid whispered.
“Maybe it was nothing,” Lynn said, “but I could’ve sworn I heard footsteps.”
“Where?”
“On the roof.”
Even as Lynn said those words and Squid was about to say that he didn’t think it would be possible for anyone to be on the roof of a moving bio-truck, the sliding door on the side of the trailer creaked and opened slightly as if someone was pulling it from the outside.
Squid and Lynn both sat bolt upright. Lynn clambered up and grabbed her sword from where it sat on one of the upturned wooden crates nearby. She pulled it from its scabbard and stood watching the door. It creaked again, the wheels giving a squeal as it moved, stopping when it was open maybe two feet.
“Who’s
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