1269_UgliesFreeBook

UGLIES 121
the river was too painful to consider. She had gotten a new
hoverboard, and tricked it up like Shay had taught her, so
at least she could fly at night.
But flying didn’t feel the same. She was alone, it was
getting cold at night, and no matter how fast she flew, Tally
was trapped, and she knew it.
The fourth night in ugly exile she took her board up into
the greenbelt, staying at the edge of town. She whipped it
back and forth past the dark columns of tree trunks, shooting
through them at top speed, so fast that her hands and face
collected dozens of scratches from the branches blurring by.
After a few hours’ flying had worn away some of her
anguish, Tally had a happy realization: This was the best
she’d ever ridden; she was almost as good as Shay now. Never
once did the board dump her for getting too close to a tree,
and her shoes held on to its grippy surface like they were
glued there. She worked up a sweat even in the autumn chill,
riding until her legs were tired, her ankles aching, her arms
sore from being spread out like wings guiding her through
the dark forest. If she rode this hard all night, Tally thought,
maybe tomorrow she could sleep the hideous daylight away.
She flew until exhaustion forced her home.
When she crawled back into her room at dawn, someone
was waiting there.
“Peris!”
His features burst into a radiant smile, big eyes flashing