Parallel (Travelers Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

me what he wanted back at Battle Grounds? And how did he know to ask for me here at Dominion House? It just doesn’t add up. I can’t think of a possible reason for him to come looking for me.
    Unless… “Hey, do you think…” I know I’m letting my imagination get the better of me, but my thoughts come stumbling out, “…do you think maybe he’s some sort of relative or something?”
    Jaime springs up from bed with a wide-eyed expression. I can tell she looks sorry for me. “Oh, Etta. I don’t think so. If that was the reason, don’t you think he would have said so from the start?” She then turns away from me and faces the wall. “You know, I have thoughts like that too. That some long lost family member will realize I’m in this hell-hole and take me home.”
    I can hear her sniffle under the sheets and I realize I’m not the only one who daydreams about being reunited with a family that simply doesn’t exist. I know it’s a long shot, but why can’t it be possible? “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I finally agree and turned over in my bed, staring back at my own barren side of the wall.
    Tonight, I dream about going to a fancy ball. I’m wearing a knee-length silver formal and I feel like a princess. I can’t tell who my date is, but I’m positive he’s cute.
    •  •  •
    At school, I try to keep my thoughts of Cooper and his mysterious entrance into my life out of my head. A small part of me still holds on to the belief that he’s here to tell me I have family out there, waiting for me to come home. But I know Jaime’s right. If that’s the case, he would have gone straight to the administration office to discuss the matter.
    “Miss Fleming, are you still with us the morning?”
    “Sorry, Mr. Duncan.” I’m a bit embarrassed at being caught daydreaming in English class. Mr. Duncan is one of my favorite teachers and the last thing I want is for him to think I don’t care about his class.
    Jaime is in the same class and she leans over her desk to poke me when Mr. Duncan isn’t looking. “Hey, are you okay?”
    “Yeah,” I whisper back. I don’t want to tell her I’m thinking about Cooper. She’ll give me another lecture for sure. I settle back into my chair and listen attentively to Mr. Duncan’s lecture on Shakespeare’s
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
for the remainder of class.
    As soon as the bell rings, Jaime and I hightail it to the cafeteria, which is the only time we get to hang out during the day—as if sharing a room back at Dominion isn’t enough face time. But since English is the only class we share together, we take advantage of the lunch hour and spend it catching up on idle gossip.
    “So, did you hear, Amy Pierce is preggers,” Jaime says in a hushed voice. I don’t know why she bothers to whisper. There’s no one else at our table to overhear our conversation. Because we’re orphans and live over at Dominion House, it pretty much seals our fate as social pariahs at school.
    “Really? I thought she was all religious and stuff.” Then again, isn’t it always the pious ones? Amy is president of the Bible Fellowship Youth Ministry and spent the latter part of last year trying to convert all of us heathens. By the time she got to me, I told her I was Catholic and didn’t need to be saved. I don’t actually know what I am, but I figured that would shut her up. It didn’t though. After that, she and her ministry pledged to save my soul. The finally gave up last semester after their group was nominated to head up the high school’s beautification project.
    “Pretty sure. Bridgette all but confirmed it the other night at Battle Grounds.”
    “Well, it could be worse, it could be us,” I laugh. People always think the worst about us.
    “Speaking of, do you think Alex would notice us if we weren’t orphans?” Jaime slides her lunch tray across the table, eyes focusing on the table situated at the other end of the cafeteria.
    I guess even girls like