What do you think?
Rate this book
365 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2013
"Just eat it and quit bitching about it," Lissy snapped from a few seats down.You tell him, Lissy!
My eyes shifted back to his face to see a smile spreading across his lips. Why was he smiling? This didn’t seem like an appropriate time to be smiling.And...
...when he caught me looking a smile broke out on his face, followed by a pout.He pouts, he smiles, his eyes sparkles, he winks. I want to strangle him.
"Do it again," he said, bouncing up and down in happiness.
"Do what?"
"Laugh."
"Make you a deal. If you're able to punch me, I'll laugh."
"You're so weird."
I buttoned my pants and sat down in a chair next to him, quickly strapping myself in. My hands shook as I folded them in my lap, and I glanced over to see Callum staring at them. I pressed them together tightly to make the shaking stop, but it didn't work.
Ever caught my eye when I raised my head, and gave me a sympathetic look that made the pressure in my chest worse, not better. I focused my gaze on my lap.
When the shuttle landed, I trailed out last. My trembling legs didn't work right anymore. I fell behind as the other Reboots marched across the roof and down the stairs.
Callum stood at the top of the stairs and waited, holding the door open for me. I gripped the rail as I wobbled down the stairs on my stupid little legs.
I wrapped the leash around my hand and ignored her protests as I hauled her to her feet and dragged her down the street past the crumbling wooden shacks.
"It wasn't me! I didn't kill nobody!" Her movements became wild, almost convulsive, and I turned to glare at her.
"There's something human left in you, ain't there?" she asked, craning her neck to look at the number above the bar code on my wrist.
She froze. Her eyes flew from the 178 printed on my skin to my face and she let out another shriek.
No. There was no human left in me.
It was true that all Reboots were attractive, in a way. After death, when the virus took hold and the body Rebooted, the skin cleared, the body sharpened, the eyes glowed.
"When we do have sex, there will be none of this keeping-your-shirt-on nonsense."
"But––"
"Nope, sorry. I don't care about the scars and neither should you. All or nothing."
He slid the door open and we marched out into the dark, a soft breeze ruffling my ponytail.
Twenty-two stared, his lips parted, his neck pulsing strangely.
His eyes were big and round, like a puppy begging for a treat.
It was true that all Reboots were attractive, in a way. After death, when the virus took hold and the body rebooted, the skin cleared and the body sharpened, the eyes glowed. It was like pretty with a hint of deranged.
Giving humans a chance was a dumb idea.
”I’ll try and sleep,” he said, closing his eyes. He cracked one eye open and held his arm out to me. “Want to come closer?”
“I can’t. One of us has to stay up and keep watch.”
“One cuddle. Maybe two. Fifteen, max.”
“Callum,” I said with a laugh. “Go to sleep.”
“All right,” he said with an exaggerated sigh, a smile twitching his lips.