Fledgling Read Online Free PDF

for talking to them.
    His mother was concerned he wasn’t hanging out with his old friends, or any friends, so he made an effort. Graduation was coming soon and he wouldn’t have to keep up appearances any longer.
    Voices called after him while he walked away.
    “Hey, wait, man! We’re just fooling around!”
    “Come back!”
    Chance flung his bag over his shoulder as he passed through the courtyard. His attention was pulled back to the pretty girl he’d been staring at. He had never seen her before.
    Long dark hair fell around her face and she seemed preoccupied trying to hide behind it. Her eyes remained down, but he thought he caught a glint of green.
    Whatever , he thought. Girls were the furthest thing from his mind. He wouldn’t complicate his life any more than it was already.
    A pretty face was just a distraction. A distraction he didn’t want. He liked keeping things simple. Well, as simple as he could.
    He pushed through the door to his next class, enjoying the dark. The bell rang a moment later and he heard people shuffle into the building. He dropped his bag beside his seat before removing the camera his mother bought him after she had encouraged him to take a class more creative than mechanics. She said he could learn all he needed on the job from Kenny and he might as well get a little culture. He figured it would be an easy class to pass, so he went along with it.
    Students filed into the darkened classroom, while their teacher sat in the corner appearing to be napping, but Chance knew he would be on his feet by the start of class.
    Everyone settled and Mr. Frisk rose to his feet as expected, and rubbed his eyes.
    The door opened once more and light streaked across the dark room. A figure stood and hesitated before entering, and approached the teacher.
    Chance caught the scent of pine and rain, giving him the sweats. His eyes bore into the white sheet hanging from the wall in front of him; ignoring his feverish neck and ears he crossed his arms and exhaled the smell from his lungs, but the fragrance lingered.
     
    Ana wandered up the steps in search of her photography class, her legs grew tired by the time she reached the top stair, and she paused to catch her breath. People blew past her as she clung to the rail and she remembered the elation and relief she felt when she discovered gym was no longer a requirement in her junior year. Having to sit out most classes was boring and a constant reminder she was different. Of course, she hadn’t always been so worn down and unathletic.
    Pushing herself forward she shook her head; she yearned to be normal like the rest of her classmates. Their ability to climb a mountain or think about a limitless future was something she envied.
    Though everything she had, she appreciated. Family meant everything to her and she didn’t want or expect more. She liked things simple. It hurt less that way.
    She eyed clouds moving and arching through the blue sky above a large window as she neared her door. With one last doleful look, she walked into the darkened classroom.
    Dazed, she stood in the doorway waiting for her eyes to adjust before moving forward. A shaft of light was provided by a lamp clamped to a desk in the corner of the room. There, Ana spotted the teacher, who appeared to have just woken, his hair smashed to the side of his head and his clothes wrinkled. He waved her over to his cluttered desk.
    She handed him her form and he grasped it in his stubby hands, and leaned down to sign it. As he handed it back to her, he smiled a warm creased grin and directed her to an empty chair.
    Ana sat down, tilting her head forward to shield her from the humiliation of being drawn out yet again by another unabashed teacher. With great relief, she soon discovered that he had no interest in introducing his new pupil. Instead, he began a slideshow from a projector pointed at a white sheet hanging on the wall.
    Darkness soaked into her and she began feeling comfortable for the