Read Ordinary (Anything But) for Free Online

tongue. The rain did nothing but make her thirstier. She bowed her head, the liquid snaking through her hair and onto her skin, dampening her clothes.
    Honor sat like that for a long time, scared and tired , her thoughts an unpleasant jumble. Was Honor’s short-lived life over the moment they caught her? She wanted to go back to two days before, even to the day before. That moment when her mom pulled her into her arms before she left for work last night, wrapped her cinnamon sugar scent around her, and told her she loved her— she wanted to even go back to that moment and stay there.
    And home—s he wanted to go home. Honor blinked her stinging eyes. She’d probably never see her mom again. Or Scarlet. Her lower lip trembled and her vision blurred . I’ll never get to do Scarlet’s hair for her again. I’ll never feel the warmth of my mom’s arms around me and know I’m safe. I won’t even graduate or go to college. Anna will never forgive me for getting killed. Ryder will have to find some new girl to torment. Her lips began to curve in a sad smile and she forced it away. And Christian; what had they done with Christian? Was he even alive? Honor had a terrible feeling he wasn’t. The tears threatened again and that time they won, trickling down her cheeks and onto her lap to mix with the rain.
    Honor didn’t know much about him. She knew Christian liked to write and was good at it. He had a younger sister and brother. His parents were married. Were his parents now wondering what had happened to him? His mother had seemed like she’d known something was going on. At least, her behavior had led Honor to draw that conclusion. What if Honor had been the last one, other than the two guys that took him, to see him alive? Was that why his mother had acted so odd? Had Christian’s family been threatened somehow?
    I can’t give up. I’ll keep going for Christian, and if Christian’s gone, then for his parents. They need to know what I saw, even if it doesn’t matter. She wiped her dirt-stained hands on her wet shorts and got to her feet, creeping around the shed and glancing at the street sign. She was near Locust Street and Sunshine Drive, which put her nowhere near anywhere she wanted to be. She was smack dab in the middle of the town. Wasn’t that always the wrong place to be in movies, the place least likely to offer escape?
    Honor heard a car engine and fell back against the shed, waiting until it passed. It was an old white Buick. Its taillights looked like two glowing red eyes in the rain. She shuddered. Almost immediately she heard another car engine and leaned around the shed, hands splayed against the cool siding to keep her anchored in the slippery rain and sludge mixture she stood in. A police car slowly drove down the road. Honor couldn’t believe she’d never thought of going to the police station. They’ll help me. I’ll tell them about the two men and Christian. Everything will be okay. Relief swooped over her in dizzying waves.
    Honor ran into the street, waving her arms. “Stop! Please!” The rain came harder now, drenching her instantly. It looked like nighttime though it couldn’t have been five yet. The squad car pulled over to the side of the road. Honor’s shoes squished and made sucking noises as she hurried to the vehicle.
    The car door opened and a uniformed officer stepped out. He was tall with brown hair, looked to be in his mid-forties, and had a kind face. It was too dark to read his nametag. “Miss? Are you okay?”
    She wrapped her arms around her midsection, shivering. “No. I don’t know.”
    He reached for her and gently pulled her toward the car. “Let’s get you out of the rain and you can tell me what happened.”
    She nodded. When he opened the back door she hesitated. “Why do I have to sit in the back? Why can’t I sit up front?”
    The officer smiled. “Standard procedure. In you go. Watch your head.”
    Honor looked at his smiling face, decided she had no