Nice Day to Die Read Online Free PDF Page B

back? What a joke.
    I continue watching the events on the screen, with my back to the students.
    Suddenly, everything goes quiet in the hallway as if the world behind me has disappeared. Everyone stops talking. Silence floods my surroundings.
    I look behind me and see why everyone’s so silent. It’s Leo. He is walking amongst the students again.
     

Chapter 4
    A Boy Named Leo

    Since Woo’s death I’ve never felt as curious about someone as I am about Leo.
    His lips seem relaxed now, and slightly parted. The tension in his face is gone. His hands are cuffed behind his back, but his legs are free.
    Everyone is looking at him. It seems like no one in the hallway can breathe. We watch him push one of those iSees away.
    One of the boys stops him, trying to pick a fight. Leo ignores him and keeps on walking.
    Somehow, I take a couple of steps forward and stand in his way. What has gotten into me? I stare at him with my chin held up high. He stops in front of me…
    All I see is his face. Everything in the world around him is just gone. I feel as if there is a magnet pulling me from my chest toward him. I only see his eyes now, as if we’re both connected through some kind of an invisible tube filled with golden light, the color of the tint in his eyes. I feel dizzy. My eyes shift from his eyes to his lips, and back again. It’s too tense in here. Too hot. I feel like I need to break free from a spell.
    “Are you Decca?” Leo asks in a musical voice. Although he sounds like he wants to punch me, his voice has a certain texture; like fine wool. It has soul, as if sandpaper could sing. It’s just the kind of fine voice that makes you want to brush your cheeks against it. What’s happening to me?
    “How”— I clear my throat — “do you know my name?” My voice is so low it might be only in my head.
    “Don’t do this.” He says without flinching. For all his beauty he is just so rigid, as if he’s in pain but trying not to show it.
    “Do what?” I grin back at him. I hate beautiful boys. They are mostly dumb, but my body betrays me and I find myself leaning forward again.
    “Don’t enter the games,” He lets the words pass painfully from between his pressed teeth. “It’s a dumb thing to do.” His eyes move sideways as if he doesn’t want anyone to hear him.
    My mouth is hanging open but I am speechless. How does he know? Words refuse to come out.
    I feel as if I am in a dream, and someone is calling to me from the waking world. I start surfacing to the real world, reminding myself that other teens exist here with us. We’re not alone and I am not supposed to feel attracted to him like that.
    Someone is calling for Leo. It’s the soldiers. He is not pleased, as if he doesn’t want the soldiers seeing him talking to a normal girl from Eve, the same way most Nines do when they talk to me. That look that says that I am a Seven and they are Nines. I could be one of their fans and they could play superstars, but we couldn’t really be friends — except Ariadna. Why is this happening? How does he know my name? How does he know about me switching the iAms? Why doesn’t he want the soldiers to see me with him?
    “Stay away from me.” Leo grits his teeth. I have to tiptoe to look him in the eyes. Suddenly you don’t want to have anything to do with me? Boys will be boys. He feels like a monster to me . Ariadna says that all boys, sooner or later, turn into monsters.
    I am shocked and confused. The blood returns to my once-numb hands. It’s like waking up from a beautiful dream with a twist, or even worse, a bad ending.
    One of the soldiers storms in from behind Leo, and presses a button on a remote control in his hand. Leo snaps, and something happens to his mouth again. His lips are sealed again. His cheeks are tense. He is angry but can’t do anything about it. His eyes are still fixed on mine.
    The soldiers drag him back. His hair falls over his eyes again. I think he does it on purpose. He does not