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Chapter 82: Dork Face
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The True Nature Series Chapter 83: Officially
THE MORNING PASSED QUICKLY and soon it was lunch break. As I reached the path leading to the quad, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me around the corner of the building. I twisted away and swung my backpack at my attacker. Zander blocked me."What the heck?" I gasped."Sorry," he said, backing away with his hands up. "I just wanted to talk to you alone before you went to lunch.""All you had to do was ask." I smiled, hoping he wanted to sneak a kiss between classes."I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to ask about Isaac." He gave me a guarded look. "Did you work things out with him yet?" He cupped my shoulders, his touch gentle, as he pulled me toward him."Why are we hiding?" I whispered, bringing my hands up to his chest. We were tucked between the science building and a hedge that separated the campus from the Redwood forest, and it made me feel sneaky. I giggled."Tru, I saw you and Isaac laughing together this morning. What's going on with you two?""Seriously?" H
The True Nature Series Chapter 84: Mrs. Jackson
LATER, ON MY WAY to my last class for the day, my heart fluttered in anticipation of seeing Zander again. I thought about how patiently he had listened as I confessed that it was my fault Bobby was depressed again. Of course, he'd insisted that it wasn't possible that I'd broken Bobby. I didn't believe him, but I felt better anyway. I looked across the path and the smile I'd been fighting fell away when I noticed Bobby stumbling around like a rudderless boat. I called out."Bobby!" He stopped, but frowned when he saw who it was. I rushed up to him before he could take off. "Bobby, I'm sorry I was a jerk. You caught me in a bad moment. I'm really, really sorry."He continued to scowl at me. I gulped, trying to swallow the sour taste in my mouth."You know what?" muttered Bobby. "I thought my troubles started with Dante, but maybe they started with you. Forget I ever said anything. In fact, just stay the hell away from me." He tightened his grip on his backpack and took off, leaving m
The True Nature Series Chapter 85: Playboy Peter
"FOR THE LOVE OF puppies!" piped Ruthie as she strolled out to the parking lot with Zander and me. After Mrs. Jackson's very public insinuations, my nerves were already on edge. And, the scene in front of me didn't help ease the spiraling tension in my shoulders. Zander followed my gaze, his face going still. Several cars away stood Phoebe and Peter, talking. No, make that flirting. I still owed Zander's psychotic brother a black eye or a kick in the kidney. But I couldn't do anything about it. If I did, then he might do something worse than give me the mother of all headaches, which is how it felt when he had tried to erase my memories. If I faced off with him, he would find out that I knew about his mind-wiping ability. Peter was still under the impression that he'd erased my memory and knocked me unconscious for hours. Zander knew the truth but didn't want Peter to know I'd heard the conversation, which had revealed to me the existence of usemi and akharu for the first time, and m
The True Nature Series Chapter 86: Secret Date
MY ALARM WENT OFF at eight-thirty a.m. I stretched, feeling wonderful and recalling no dreams whatsoever. Sometimes I forgot what normal sleep was like. It felt fabulous. I thought I'd have trouble sleeping after worrying so much about the substitute in English yesterday. Had I done anything different? I retraced my bedtime preparations, hoping that I could recreate my restful night by repeating whatever I'd done. Dinner with Dad, laundry, a half-hearted attempt to clean up my bedroom, and then off to bed. Normal stuff. Except ... when I was lying in bed, I had been thinking about something Zander said, that I was so much more than his girlfriend. And it had conjured up all sorts of warm feelings. Maybe he was my dream catcher. I couldn't wait to see him again. He could be on his way over already.The thought of seeing Zander this morning sent a swirl of excitement zipping along my skin. Today was like a secret date. I felt my mouth stretch wide with a grin of anticipation. But it qui
The True Nature Series Chapter 87: The Set Up
THE TRAIL CURVED THROUGH the tall trees for at least a mile. The air smelled alive with the scent of redwoods, eucalyptus, and damp air. Blue jays darted through the trees, chasing smaller birds with loud caws. I soaked in the freshness of the forest, feeling grounded by its simplicity. Exhilarated, I ran faster and Zander and I settled into a comfortable pace that allowed us to still chat. Occasionally, Zander ran backwards. My fast pace was barely a trot for him, but he didn't seem to mind.As we jogged around a corner, the path straightened and Zander took the opportunity to turn around again, grinning. Before he could say anything, I gasped and pulled to a stop to stare at a tree off to my right. I could have sworn that it had moved, that the bark had bulged like something inside of it was trying to break out. Zander halted in confusion. He looked around to see what had caught my attention just as something flew through the air from the opposite side of the trail. It landed in Zan
The True Nature Series Chapter 88: To Be Decided
WE SLOWLY HEADED BACK along the path to his truck, both of us wanting to prolong our time together. When I asked about the akharu and the bulging tree, he explained that akharu could camouflage their bodies by emitting a type of oil that caused people to hallucinate. Their musk tricked your mind, making you imagine things."Like they turn into Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie on you?" I asked, twisting my face into disgust.Zander laughed. "Yes, they can make you see them as someone different.""That's some seriously trippy oil. Sounds like magic.""What we don't understand, we call magic." He shook his head with a smile. "We've studied it enough to learn how it works. Nature always has a reason for what it does. For akharu, it's a lure to draw people into a trap. But you have to be close enough to be affected.""The problem is, you don't know you're too close until it happens." We had walked right into their trap."Exactly why they are so dangerous," agreed Zander. "Plus, they have a
The True Nature Series Chapter 89: Brink of Extinction
ZANDER'S EYEBROWS SHOT UP, as if he'd finally realized he had stepped into a minefield. "No! Of course, I don't. I think they're ... great.""But you were taught that idimmu are mutants."He looked down at the ground, kicking a rock across the trail. "My teachers said that sometimes nature screws up and creates things that become detrimental to the rest of us. Sethians, the Nasaru, are just weeding out these mistakes so the rest of us can thrive.""Weeding out?"Zander sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Okay. Listen. Crossbreeding across species creates weaknesses. For instance, in the animal world the environment eradicates undesirable mutations, right? That's nature taking its course. But unfortunately, nature isn't doing what it's supposed to and the weak anomalies are propagating, which puts everyone, human and supernatural, in danger. But why let that happen if we can stop it? That's where the Nasaru comes in.""How?" My stomach felt sick. "How is the Nasaru doing this?"He hesi
The True Nature Series Chapter 90: Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire
"I SUSPECT THAT YOUR aunt was a highly coveted research subject," said Zander. "And I don't think she's on the Most Wanted List because she's a criminal.""Then the Nasaru made everyone believe she was a criminal so that they could lock her up and do whatever they wanted to her.""I'm sorry, Tru. It was wrong." His face drooped with regret. At least he knew right from wrong, despite his father and his upbringing. "You didn't know. But she must have been so miserable," I said. "I'm not surprised she ran away when she got the chance."Zander seemed lost in thought. Perhaps his imagination was running wild like mine. I thought about how terrifying it must have been for Caroline. In my mind I saw myself being forcibly fastened down on a gurney as heartless doctors drew my blood or worse, screaming as they performed questionable experiments on me. I shivered. "I hope they never find me," I whispered. For a split second I reconsidered running away with Zander."Tru, I won't-- No, I c
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