The Blood Between Us Read Online Free Page A

sister, but she’s not family to me, Viktor. She’s not even human. Has she shed a single tear since finding out Mom and Dad died?” I knew I was raising my voice, but I didn’t care.
    “Have you?” Viktor’s words gave me a start. When he continued, he placed a hand on my shoulder, his fingers dipping into the water. “I’m just saying, we all grieve—”
    “I know, I know. We all grieve in our own ways.” I rolled my eyes. “She cried buckets in the common room when she got the letter saying her stupid hamster died. And last year when that girl in our class died in a car accident, she was almost inconsolable at her funeral. They weren’t even friends, Viktor. The only difference between then and now is that no one popular is watching this time. As soon as we get back to school . . . you just wait. The waterworks will be in full service then.”
    I was just so done with this place. So done with my sister and the way that she was. “She hates me, y’know. She always has. From the first moment Mom and Dad brought me home, she’s made her feelings toward me very clear. She’s not normal.”
    Viktor pulled his hand from my shoulder and dried it ona nearby towel. “There is no such thing as ‘normal.’ But yes, I suppose your sister is unusual. You both are. Extremely gifted, intelligent, curious young minds. Of course, it would be nice if you’d apply yourself more, so that the rest of the world could see what I see. What your parents saw. You’re better than Cs, Adrien.”
    I frowned. “Are we really going to have this conversation now, Viktor?”
    He stood up and walked over to the basin, putting the towel on the counter. He turned around, leaning against the cabinet. “There aren’t many thirteen-year-olds who could carry themselves through school while living away from their parents with barely a casual shrug. In that regard, neither of you is so-called normal. I think that’s why you struggle to get along. You’re so similar, but neither of you can see those similarities. Grace dives into her work, hiding between the pages of her textbooks. You hide in the only way you know how, by defiantly refusing to apply yourself. But the truth is, Adrien, you’re just as bright as your sister.”
    I couldn’t take any more. I sank down into the water, letting it cover my head. Bubbles escaped my lips as I blew air out of them. I hoped that by sheer force of will I might be able to trigger some dormant gene that had lingered hidden in human DNA ever since we evolved from slimy swamp creatures, and spontaneously develop gills.
    Before long, I felt Viktor’s hand in my hair, gently pulling me back into the world of the air breathers. As if there had been no interruption at all, he continued, “It’s like placing magnets together, end to end. They’re two of the same exact thing, but they resist being close to each other. Why?”
    A heavy sigh escaped my lungs. “If you’re looking for the scientific explanation, it’s because of their polarity. But to follow your metaphor, they resist each other because, on the atomic level, the particles that make up the metal in the magnets are incompatible. The subatomic particles push against one another until the movement creates enough force to push the other magnet away. Much like Grace has been pushing me away our entire lives.”
    His voice quieted for a moment. “But it’s only the like poles that repel each other. You see what I’m saying?”
    “It’s not like I didn’t try with Grace when we were kids. I wanted a sister. I wanted a family. But she kept pushing me out. I did everything I could think of to earn her approval, her affection. But she cut me off at every turn. And now that Mom and Dad are gone, I’m done. I just can’t try anymore. I want to be away from her, Viktor. I need to.” I held his gaze with determination, refusing to budge on the issue.
    Viktor sighed, at last giving in to my request. Supportive, as always, even when he