Ordinary (Exceptional Book 3) Read Online Free
Author: Jess Petosa
that if she could get closure with Luke, it would be easy to fall in love with him.
"I'll ride up front," Luke said before anyone else could volunteer.
Ally felt uneasy about the arrangement but didn't protest. She climbed back into the transport and settled into a sleeping bag on the floor, letting Lilla have the cot. Stosh and Sabine sat in the corner, looking through some of the books Luke had brought. Sabine knew how to read, and Ally could hear her reading softly to Stosh. Ally would need to go through the books later, and brush up on her own reading. It had been awhile since she had tried to decipher anything other than a map.
"Ally," Lilla said from the cot.
"Yeah?" she responded.
"He still loves you."
"Excuse me?"
"Luke," Lilla whispered. "He still loves you."
"What makes you say that?" Ally tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach.
"He was quiet when we first started driving, but then he started asking all sorts of questions about you," Lilla responded. "I didn't have many answers for him, since I only met you for a few hours before this trip, but then he told me something. He said that he is here because of you. He said that he wasn't about to lose you again. He said that he let you walk away once, and that was one time too many."
Ally's breath caught in her throat and she jumped up from the sleeping bag. Instead of feeling relief, or even joy, she just felt angry. She walked to the wall opposite the back doors and banged her fist on the wall.
Lilla popped up on her cot and Stosh and Sabine watched Ally with wide eyes.
"I know you can hear me, Luke," Ally yelled at the wall. "Tell Max to stop the transport."
"Ally, what are you doing?" Stosh came up behind her.
"STOP THE TRANSPORT."
The transport slid to a stop and Ally counted the seconds until the back door opened. Luke was regarding her with amusement, and Max stood several paces behind him, looking worried.
"Did something happen, Ally?" Max asked.
"I think it's my turn to drive," she responded.
"I've been driving for ten minutes," Max said with a laugh. "Are you sure everything's okay?"
"No," she answered truthfully. "I need to talk to Luke. Alone."
Luke was smirking now, and Ally wanted to slap the look off his face.
Max's eyes narrowed but he finally climbed into the back of the transport. Ally made her way to the driver's side, climbing into the cab and waiting for Luke to catch up. She felt the truck rock back and forth as the back door shut, and soon Luke was in the seat beside her.
She concentrated on the controls for a minute. The transport was already running, so she just needed to move the gear shift to the D and press the gas with her right foot. The transport jerked forward when she hit the accelerator too suddenly, but soon they were moving along smoothly. The road was smoother outside of the towns, with only overgrown grass and weeds to worry about.
"You wanted to talk?" Luke asked.
"Yes," Ally said. "I want you to tell me all about your pregnant girlfriend. And after that, you can tell me why you think you have any right to come here for me ."
Luke raised his eyebrows. "This is going to be one interesting ride."
CHAPTER THREE
[ marnie ]
Marnie woke up in the dark. Then she realized that she had her eyes closed and she slowly opened them, finding that her eyelids felt heavy and lagged several seconds behind her attempts to make them move.
She was strapped to a bed in a bright, white room.
A voice filled the room, coming from everywhere at once.
"Exceptional 9405," a woman said. "What is your given name?"
"Marnie." Her voice caught in her throat, which was dry and scratchy.
She swallowed and tried to clear her throat. "Marnie," she said clearer this time.
"Marnie," the woman repeated. "Welcome to Zone D."
The Ordinarys called the city Zone D, for a reason Marnie didn't know. It had been that way since before she was born, by decades probably.
“Thanks?" Marnie answered the voice.
"You were
"I'll ride up front," Luke said before anyone else could volunteer.
Ally felt uneasy about the arrangement but didn't protest. She climbed back into the transport and settled into a sleeping bag on the floor, letting Lilla have the cot. Stosh and Sabine sat in the corner, looking through some of the books Luke had brought. Sabine knew how to read, and Ally could hear her reading softly to Stosh. Ally would need to go through the books later, and brush up on her own reading. It had been awhile since she had tried to decipher anything other than a map.
"Ally," Lilla said from the cot.
"Yeah?" she responded.
"He still loves you."
"Excuse me?"
"Luke," Lilla whispered. "He still loves you."
"What makes you say that?" Ally tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach.
"He was quiet when we first started driving, but then he started asking all sorts of questions about you," Lilla responded. "I didn't have many answers for him, since I only met you for a few hours before this trip, but then he told me something. He said that he is here because of you. He said that he wasn't about to lose you again. He said that he let you walk away once, and that was one time too many."
Ally's breath caught in her throat and she jumped up from the sleeping bag. Instead of feeling relief, or even joy, she just felt angry. She walked to the wall opposite the back doors and banged her fist on the wall.
Lilla popped up on her cot and Stosh and Sabine watched Ally with wide eyes.
"I know you can hear me, Luke," Ally yelled at the wall. "Tell Max to stop the transport."
"Ally, what are you doing?" Stosh came up behind her.
"STOP THE TRANSPORT."
The transport slid to a stop and Ally counted the seconds until the back door opened. Luke was regarding her with amusement, and Max stood several paces behind him, looking worried.
"Did something happen, Ally?" Max asked.
"I think it's my turn to drive," she responded.
"I've been driving for ten minutes," Max said with a laugh. "Are you sure everything's okay?"
"No," she answered truthfully. "I need to talk to Luke. Alone."
Luke was smirking now, and Ally wanted to slap the look off his face.
Max's eyes narrowed but he finally climbed into the back of the transport. Ally made her way to the driver's side, climbing into the cab and waiting for Luke to catch up. She felt the truck rock back and forth as the back door shut, and soon Luke was in the seat beside her.
She concentrated on the controls for a minute. The transport was already running, so she just needed to move the gear shift to the D and press the gas with her right foot. The transport jerked forward when she hit the accelerator too suddenly, but soon they were moving along smoothly. The road was smoother outside of the towns, with only overgrown grass and weeds to worry about.
"You wanted to talk?" Luke asked.
"Yes," Ally said. "I want you to tell me all about your pregnant girlfriend. And after that, you can tell me why you think you have any right to come here for me ."
Luke raised his eyebrows. "This is going to be one interesting ride."
CHAPTER THREE
[ marnie ]
Marnie woke up in the dark. Then she realized that she had her eyes closed and she slowly opened them, finding that her eyelids felt heavy and lagged several seconds behind her attempts to make them move.
She was strapped to a bed in a bright, white room.
A voice filled the room, coming from everywhere at once.
"Exceptional 9405," a woman said. "What is your given name?"
"Marnie." Her voice caught in her throat, which was dry and scratchy.
She swallowed and tried to clear her throat. "Marnie," she said clearer this time.
"Marnie," the woman repeated. "Welcome to Zone D."
The Ordinarys called the city Zone D, for a reason Marnie didn't know. It had been that way since before she was born, by decades probably.
“Thanks?" Marnie answered the voice.
"You were
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