Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters
Authors: Daniel Waters
Tags: Fiction, General, Death, All Ages, Children's Books, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, Social Issues, Interpersonal relations, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9), Young Adult Fiction, Zombies, Love & Romance, Monsters, Death & Dying, Friendship, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Schools, First person narratives, High schools, Social Issues - Friendship, Emotions & Feelings, Prejudices, Triangles (Interpersonal relations), Goth culture
Ads: Link
different."
Right leg. Left leg. Master Griffin's hand on my arm pressure is there pressure stars in the sky breeze can't feel no shoes can't feel cold ground beneath my no shoes feet can't feel.
"Good," said Master Griffin. "We are going to relearn the forms, and your body will begin to obey you. The body will remember. You will regain control through the discipline of practice. Do you remember your forms?"
Master Griffin moves moves like water arm rigid crosses body right arm right arm right Master Griffin bends knee drops shoulder arm down lift arm lift arm lift arm.
"Again," said Master Griffin.
Again, again said Master Griffin can't move didn't lift arm lift arm lift arm.
"Again," said Master Griffin.
Lift arm lift arm lift arm look Phoebe's light is on Phoebe books and music Phoebe's hair the memory of the smell of her hair lift arm.
"Good," said Master Griffin, "feel your focus return."
110
Lift arm. Lift arm move arm focus move arm. Arm, motionless.
"Excellent," said Master Griffin. "Focus. You are the only-one that can do this."
Focus. Lift arm. Move arm bend knee bend knee drop fist. Lift arm.
Lift arm.
Lift arm!
Hand moves.
"Excellent," said Master Griffin, smiling. "Again." Lift arm.
"You know, I've missed you at the dojo."
Focus.
Lift arm.
111
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The'd just sat Adam down in the back of the van when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. She turned and saw that Tommy, who, driven by an old-world sense of chivalry, was normally the last one on. "Hello, Phoebe," he said. "Adam."
Phoebe hesitated. Adam tried to wave in the cramped quarters. He got the arm motion right, but the wrist and fingers weren't really bending just yet. Progress is progress, she thought.
"Can I...talk to you?" Tommy said. "Alone?"
He motioned to the pair of seats behind the driver. Looking at Adam, she hoped he'd shake his head, or reach for her hand, but instead he nodded.
"Okay," she said, crouching as she slid into the seat before Tommy. He had to lean so the other students could climb in, and she was acutely aware of her pulse as he pressed against her. He was so solid and unyielding; his arm like a rock against her.
112
"I've been thinking about what you said ...Phoebe," he said, shifting back as Kevin climbed aboard.
"Oh?" she replied, glancing over her shoulder as the rest of the class settled in their seats. Her skin was tingling from where Tommy had leaned against her. Karen had taken Phoebe's usual seat and was leaning against Adam, whispering something that brought a phantom smile to the corner of his mouth.
"I've thought ...about a lot," Tommy said. "I want you ...to know ... I still have feelings ...for you."
"Tommy," she warned, turning to face him as the van started up. "Let's not do this here, please?"
Thorny and Margi were complaining loudly about some experiment gone awry in their biology class. Colette's shrill laughter filled the vehicle.
"I'll be ... brief," he said. He was whispering, at least. Even so, she couldn't help but risk a self-conscious glance over her shoulder. Karen was still talking to Adam, but he was looking right at her.
"I just wanted ...to ...thank you."
"To thank me?" She was conscious that he hadn't taken his eyes off her from the moment they sat down. If he was angered by her darting eyes he didn't show it.
"For trying," he said. "With me. It was ...a ...brave ...thing to do."
"It wasn't an act of charity, Tommy," she said, anger raising her voice. "I was just as ..."
She didn't get to complete her sentence, because Thorny shouted to Tommy from the last row of the van..
"Hey, Tommy!" he called. "What do you think, would
113
you let us dissect you for a differently biotic class?"
"Why ...not?" he said, trying to smile. "Learn more than ...with ... a fetal ...pig."
Phoebe looked away, out the window at the trees whose yellow and red leaves were muting to brown. Won't be long, she thought, before they started to fall. Last year there were storms in
Right leg. Left leg. Master Griffin's hand on my arm pressure is there pressure stars in the sky breeze can't feel no shoes can't feel cold ground beneath my no shoes feet can't feel.
"Good," said Master Griffin. "We are going to relearn the forms, and your body will begin to obey you. The body will remember. You will regain control through the discipline of practice. Do you remember your forms?"
Master Griffin moves moves like water arm rigid crosses body right arm right arm right Master Griffin bends knee drops shoulder arm down lift arm lift arm lift arm.
"Again," said Master Griffin.
Again, again said Master Griffin can't move didn't lift arm lift arm lift arm.
"Again," said Master Griffin.
Lift arm lift arm lift arm look Phoebe's light is on Phoebe books and music Phoebe's hair the memory of the smell of her hair lift arm.
"Good," said Master Griffin, "feel your focus return."
110
Lift arm. Lift arm move arm focus move arm. Arm, motionless.
"Excellent," said Master Griffin. "Focus. You are the only-one that can do this."
Focus. Lift arm. Move arm bend knee bend knee drop fist. Lift arm.
Lift arm.
Lift arm!
Hand moves.
"Excellent," said Master Griffin, smiling. "Again." Lift arm.
"You know, I've missed you at the dojo."
Focus.
Lift arm.
111
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The'd just sat Adam down in the back of the van when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. She turned and saw that Tommy, who, driven by an old-world sense of chivalry, was normally the last one on. "Hello, Phoebe," he said. "Adam."
Phoebe hesitated. Adam tried to wave in the cramped quarters. He got the arm motion right, but the wrist and fingers weren't really bending just yet. Progress is progress, she thought.
"Can I...talk to you?" Tommy said. "Alone?"
He motioned to the pair of seats behind the driver. Looking at Adam, she hoped he'd shake his head, or reach for her hand, but instead he nodded.
"Okay," she said, crouching as she slid into the seat before Tommy. He had to lean so the other students could climb in, and she was acutely aware of her pulse as he pressed against her. He was so solid and unyielding; his arm like a rock against her.
112
"I've been thinking about what you said ...Phoebe," he said, shifting back as Kevin climbed aboard.
"Oh?" she replied, glancing over her shoulder as the rest of the class settled in their seats. Her skin was tingling from where Tommy had leaned against her. Karen had taken Phoebe's usual seat and was leaning against Adam, whispering something that brought a phantom smile to the corner of his mouth.
"I've thought ...about a lot," Tommy said. "I want you ...to know ... I still have feelings ...for you."
"Tommy," she warned, turning to face him as the van started up. "Let's not do this here, please?"
Thorny and Margi were complaining loudly about some experiment gone awry in their biology class. Colette's shrill laughter filled the vehicle.
"I'll be ... brief," he said. He was whispering, at least. Even so, she couldn't help but risk a self-conscious glance over her shoulder. Karen was still talking to Adam, but he was looking right at her.
"I just wanted ...to ...thank you."
"To thank me?" She was conscious that he hadn't taken his eyes off her from the moment they sat down. If he was angered by her darting eyes he didn't show it.
"For trying," he said. "With me. It was ...a ...brave ...thing to do."
"It wasn't an act of charity, Tommy," she said, anger raising her voice. "I was just as ..."
She didn't get to complete her sentence, because Thorny shouted to Tommy from the last row of the van..
"Hey, Tommy!" he called. "What do you think, would
113
you let us dissect you for a differently biotic class?"
"Why ...not?" he said, trying to smile. "Learn more than ...with ... a fetal ...pig."
Phoebe looked away, out the window at the trees whose yellow and red leaves were muting to brown. Won't be long, she thought, before they started to fall. Last year there were storms in
Similar Books
