1269_UgliesFreeBook

UGLIES 67
roller coaster, the vines crawling up its framework. “I wonder
how long uglies have been coming here.”
“Probably a long time. You pass along stuff. You know,
one person figures out how to trick their board, the next
finds the rapids, the next makes it to the ruins.”
“Then somebody gets brave enough to jump the gap in
the roller coaster.” Tally swallowed. “Or jumps it accidentally.”
Shay nodded. “But they all get turned pretty in the end.”
“Happy ending,” Tally said.
Shay shrugged.
“How do you know it’s called a ‘roller coaster,’ anyway?
Did you look it up somewhere?”
“No,” Shay said. “Someone told me.”
“But how’d they know?”
“This guy knows a lot of stuff. Tricks, stuff about the
ruins. He’s really cool.”
Something about Shay’s voice made Tally turn and take
her hand. “But he’s pretty now, I guess.”
Shay pulled away and bit a fingernail. “No. He’s not.”
“But I thought all your friends—”
“Tally, will you make me a promise? A real promise.”
“Sure, I guess. What kind of promise?”
“You can never tell anyone what I’m about to show you.”
“It doesn’t involve free fall, does it?”
“No.”
“Okay. I swear.” Tally held up her hand with the scar
she and Peris had made. “I’ll never tell anyone.”