Concisus Read Online Free Page A

air and pry her arm from my neck. “Well, it’s true.” Music begins and a hush spreads through the crowd. The Maid of Honor scatters rose petals along the aisle at the feet of the bride in overflowing white silk, who gazes adoringly at her groom while she moves up the aisle.
    My tree is nothing more than a pretty backdrop for the event. I’m annoyed that they’ve taken my spot, but the wedding itself disturbs me. A chill runs up my spine. That could have been me . A couple of months ago, I never would have believed my feelings for Brody were artificial. I want to run up the aisle and scream a warning, but the couple looks head-over-heels in love, and would never believe me. I didn’t feel that kind of deep love for Brody—maybe these two are meant to be together.
    To be polite we stay until the end of the ceremony. Everyone cheers when the bride and groom kiss and then the happy couple leads a procession away from my tree. From the conversations we overhear, we know they’re going to the recreation hall with the dance floor. Wendy waits for us.
    A mischievous look twinkles in Ryan’s eye. “Feel like dancing?”
    I shake my head. “I’m not in the mood.” I motion for Wendy to go ahead without us.
    “I thought all girls loved weddings,” he teases.
    “Only if it’s to the right guy.”
    “You have something against the groom?” His face drops. “You’re thinking of Brody.”
    “Yeah, something like that.” Actually, it’s nothing like that, but I’ve decided to talk to Andi before I share my pod theory with anyone else. “Let’s go see Andi. It’ll be more fun than any wedding reception.”
     
    We quietly enter the lab. Andi and Jeremy are working in the large bay area of the research and development lab on what looks like two small robots. Andi’s spiked hair has grown longer and lays flat all on its own now. Jeremy looks exactly as I remember him, tall and lanky with hair several shades darker than Andi’s platinum blond. All they need are pouty expressions to look more like models than inventors. I motion for Ryan to wait while I enjoy their competitive banter.
    Andi scoops something up off the ground. “And just what good will your puny pincer grasp be when you have to dig? And don’t you dare tell me this toy is going to accomplish anything.” Andi waves a small, metallic shovel in the air.
    Unable to resist, I say, “What if it just wants to play in a giant sandbox?”
    Andi and Jeremy turn around and stare wide-eyed. The metal shovel clanks against the ground, and briefly I worry Andi will faint, but then she remembers to breathe and her color returns. Hurdling over the second robot, she rushes to give me a strangling hug.
    “Brett! I told them to keep looking. I knew if anyone could survive it was you two, but they wouldn’t listen—they wouldn’t let me go out on my own.” I hate hearing the grief in her voice.
    Ryan rescues me from Andi’s death grip by pulling her into a hug of his own. “Andi, you’ve done more than enough for us already.” He steps back and holds her at arm length. “The only reason we’re still alive is because of your inventions. If you hadn’t insisted Brett carry them with her, we’d be dead. Don’t beat yourself up, and thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for saving us.”
    “My inventions?” Andi hiccups. Unexpected tears stream down my face, and blur my vision. I’ve missed Andi and her quirks, including the hiccups that start whenever she’s upset.
    “For starters you need to start mass producing your igloo,” I say. “Every scientific team should have at least one. It’s how we survived the flood. Plus, even after the beating it took, it still worked as a portable shelter. On the colder nights, your sleeping bag kept us warm without the need for a fire, so we could stay completely protected at night. Your jerky still needs better flavoring, but it kept us going when there was no food to forage for. So, you shouldn’t be