Oasis (The Last Humans Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

this? We used to be friends—”
    “Are you finally building up the courage to call me a snitch to my face?” Grace’s usually melodious voice sounds like a hiss. “You think I don’t know that’s what you and your little band call me? All I’m trying to do is help Mason before he hurts himself or someone else. Just grow up already.”
    And before I can respond, she storms off.
    “That’s odd. I think she’s running—a breach of the rules,” Phoe says, sounding as confused as I feel.
    Liam finally catches up to me and stares at Grace’s disappearing figure. “What the uckfay was that about?”
    “Dude, you can’t just say the f-word in Pig Latin,” I say in Pig Latin. “It doesn’t take a genius cryptologist to figure out what you mean based on the context.”
    “Owblay emay,” Liam says in code, then normally adds, “How’s that? That’s two words: ‘blow,’ which is perfectly allowed, and ‘me,’ which is also allowed.” He grins as I shake my head, then says more seriously, “Listen, dude. Something’s going on, and you have to tell me what it is.”
    “Fine,” I say. “I’ll tell you on the way back to the Dorms.”
    As we leave the Lectures Building, I begin my tale, speaking Pig Latin throughout and keeping my voice low. Campus is overflowing with Youths, and as we walk, I have to politely refuse an invitation to play hacky sack. A short while after, Liam not-so-politely refuses to join a paired badminton game. It’s not until we’re halfway to the Dorms that I finish explaining Mason’s predicament.
    “What did you expect from that itchbay?” Liam says as we approach the soccer field. “He shouldn’t have told her anything. I mean, what the f—”
    Liam doesn’t finish his sentence because at that moment, a soccer ball hits him in the crotch.
    With a gasp, my friend bends at the waist, clutching the injured area.
    Before the ball can roll away, I pick it up and look around.
    Several Youths are approaching us.
    “Are you okay?” asks Kevin, a Youth we rarely interact with. He looks genuinely concerned.
    “Yeah,” says the all-too-familiar, hyena-like voice of Owen. “Are you going to cry, Li-Li-Kins?” he says, using Liam’s despised childhood nickname. “I’m so sorry,” he adds, winking at me.
    A mix of growls, speech, and Pig Latin escapes Liam’s throat.
    Owen sneers. “Usually, hitting sucker balls is a lot more fun than this.”
    Liam takes a step in his direction.
    Still holding on to the ball, I step between them preemptively. I’ve seen this routine play out a million times before.
    Owen and his band of three other misfits hate our trio. The feud goes back to when we were little, when Owen and co. bullied any kid they could. We weren’t such easy prey, though, thanks mainly to Liam. Our crew back then included a few more Youths—Grace among them, if you can believe that. We didn’t allow ourselves to be bullied; we fought back.
    In those early days, things were both simpler and more savage. The Adults closed their eyes to mild violence, considering it an unavoidable side effect of the developing brain. A push was met with a push, a punch with a punch.
    Of course, things changed when we all turned seven and started getting Quietude sessions. The penalties for bullying got so steep that Owen could no longer do it openly, nor could we retaliate without incurring the Instructors’ wrath. On top of that, our desire for violence ebbed, situations like this one aside. Instead of outright bullying, Owen plagues us with pranks, trash talk, and nasty surprises—and we make sure to respond in kind.
    “No reason to get a Quietude session,” I say to Liam with as much calmness as I can muster. “Not over this unfortunate accident.”
    “Yeah, Li-Li-Kins.” Owen is watching my right hand, the one with the ball. “You listen to Why-Odor.”
    Upon hearing my own annoying nickname, I’m tempted to throw the ball at Owen’s face. The only reason I don’t is