Exceptional

by Jess Petosa

  When Luke saw the Exceptional Guards sneak up behind the girl and treat her roughly, it had lit a fire inside of him. He had never felt so angry over the treatment of an Ordinary before, and right then and there, he knew he had to do something about it. Pax and Maver had argued with him for a few minutes, claiming that they would get in trouble for being outside the City. But Luke’s father was a powerful man, and he found that he could bend the rules more easily because of it.

  Now he had claimed an Ordinary and was leading her through the entry tunnel that led into the City. He kept telling himself that he had done it because of the pressure from his parents, but deep down he had felt another need for claiming this girl. Ally, she had said her name was. He had felt drawn to her from the moment he laid eyes on her at the creek. With her dark features, bright green eyes, and the sheet of dark hair that blew behind her in the wind. Her image was beautifully haunting.

  But as they walked into the courtyard that served as the first checkpoint into the City, he was beginning to rethink the choice he had made. Ordinarys were given the opportunity to volunteer their way into the City, and this girl had not made that choice. He wasn’t even sure why the Exceptionals had taken her in the first place. It wasn’t a normal practice, and something about it made Luke wonder what the Guards had really had planned for her; if they were even planning on processing her into the City at all.

  They passed through the courtyard and entered double doors that were built into a smaller version of the outer wall. As they stepped into the outskirts of the City, Luke took hold of Ally’s arm again. She was busy gazing around them, taking in her new surroundings. Her head shot up at the sight of the large buildings that towered over the suburban homes.

  “Luke.” Corporal Byron, a solider he knew well, walked toward their group. He held a porta-comp in his hand, which meant the other Guards had most likely sent him an e-comm about the situation. “Care to explain this to me?”

  Byron motioned at Ally with his hand, talking as if she were not standing there.

  “It was a simple misunderstanding. I met this girl at the boundary line and she told me that she had wanted to volunteer when the caravan last came through, but had missed her opportunity. Knowing it would please my father, I decided to step forward and claim her. I had to walk away for just a moment and the Guards pounced on her in my absence. We worked it out, though.”

  Byron narrowed his eyes. “I would hope so.”

  He raised the porta-comp and slipped his finger along the touch screen. Ally would receive a temporary ID until the paperwork for her permanent position went through. Since they were going through this process backwards, things would be more complicated than usual.

  Byron turned toward her. “Name?”

  “Allona,” she responded. “Allona of the family of Luella.”

  Luke had forgotten that Ordinarys did not take last names. They identified themselves with the name of their oldest surviving family member.

  “Settlement?” Byron continued.

  “Oakwood.” She stood there with her hands clasped in front of her, her head held high. Her green eyes peered up at the Corporal, never lowering.

  Byron punched more information into the porta-comp and pressed a button on the side. A white identification bracelet printed from the bottom and he took Ally’s arm, securing it tightly around her slender wrist.

  “Her permanent paper work should arrive in a week or two. Shall I have it sent to your house?” he inquired.

  Luke nodded. “That sounds perfect. Good evening, sir.”

  He led Ally away from the entrance; Pax and Maver close on his heels. They walked several blocks, making sure they were far from the guards, before stopping.

  “What were you thinking?” Pax hissed under his breath.

  “I’m normally all for adventure, Luke, but this is a bit much, don’t you think?” Maver added.

  “I’ll see you both tomorrow,” he responded, not wanting to openly display his feelings to his friends, or Ally, at the moment.

  His friends stood in place a minute longer before stomping off in the direction their respective homes. He counted to ten in his head and then turned to face Ally, who was looking at something down the street.

  “I’m not even sure what to say,” he said slowly, watching her carefully.

  She tore her eyes from the buildings and looked up at him. “How many are there?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Of those large buildings. They stretch so high up. There are too many trees in the settlement to view them from home, this is the first time I’ve seen them.”

  “Oh, I guess I’ve never thought about how many there are. A dozen or two maybe. Those are nothing. Apparently back before the virus, those buildings stretched almost one hundred stories high. Now the tallest building stops at twelve stories.”

  She looked upward once more. The buildings reflected the bright orange sky, a result of the setting sun. It was the start of summer and the days were still lengthening, which meant the sun wouldn’t disappear completely until well after dinner.

  “Follow me.” He realized he was still holding onto her arm and withdrew his hand, giving her some space.

  She walked beside him quietly, showing no signs that she would attempt an escape. He led her out onto the main road, the one that would take them to his house the fastest. Most of the City citizens were inside for dinner, but a few still wandered the street. He watched as Ally observed them, turning her head sometimes to catch a second glimpse. Every now and then she would notice an Ordinary that walked through the street, carrying groceries or laundry bags, and a small smile filled her face.

  Luke had only seen her smile once, and it was after she landed the jump across the boundary, when she thought no one but the other male Ordinary was watching. It had quickened the pace of his heart, and made him wonder what else it took to make her smile like that. It was genuine and kind, something many of the female Exceptionals in the City seemed to lack.

  They passed the cramped town homes of the outer suburbs and turned into his neighborhood, one of the only areas with large homes that were spaced out. His parent’s house was one of the first on the block. He led Ally up the walk and through the unlocked front door.

  “Wow,” Ally whispered as they stepped inside. “My whole house could fit in your foyer.”

  Luke felt uncomfortable by her comment. He had never thought much of his home before, since he hadn’t any friends that lived in the cramped town homes. In fact, he had never given much thought to Ordinarys until a few weeks ago, and here he was bringing one home. What type of homes did they live in the settlement? Some of the Exceptionals he attended the Institute with went as far as to suggest Ordinarys lived in huts made of sticks and dried mud.

  “Lukin!” His mother danced into the foyer, her voice chirping as she greeted him. “I’m so glad you are home. I was starting to worry. You weren’t out getting into trouble again?”

  Her long, silver hair was piled high on her head, held in place with a black headband. Her cheeks and lips were bright pink, and she had painted her eyelids a bright blue. She wore a bright yellow robe that dragged on the floor as she walked.

  “No, mother,” he responded.

  “And who is this?” She took notice of Ally, who was still standing still by his side.

  “This is Ally, mother. The Ordinary I have chosen.”

  His mother squealed, “Oh Lukin, your father will be so pleased. Did you visit the ORC this afternoon? Is that where you were? Why didn’t you tell me? I would have gone with you. Although you picked out such a beautiful girl on your own.”

  His mother reached her hand up to stroke Ally’s face but he pushed it away. “Let’s not scare her too much, Mother. Let me show her to her room and then we’ll join the others for dinner.”

  His mother shrugged and danced back out of the room. She had always been eccentric and spacey, and he didn’t need Ally’s first impression of his family to be his mother in all her glor
y.

  “This way.” He started up the staircase that spiraled around the foyer. At the landing he led her down the hall to the right and stopped at the end. He pushed open one of the doors and stepped in.

  “This will be your room while you are here. You’ll be sharing with Sabine, whom I think you’ll enjoy. She is about your age, and has been with our family for a long time. She runs the majority of the errands and does the laundry.”

  “It’s huge,” Ally said, walking toward one of the twin beds and running her fingers along the white comforter.

  Luke didn’t want to show her his room after her reaction to this. It was at the opposite end of the hall, and at least three times this size. He had his own bathroom, a TV, and a great view of the city. Ally’s new room had two beds, a sofa, a reading corner, and a view of the backyard. She would share a hall bathroom with the other Ordinarys who lived here.

  “I’ll have Sabine bring you a few sets of clothes in the morning. She can also show you around while I’m at the Institute,” He said, leaning against the doorframe.

  Ally just nodded, still running her hand back and forth along the comforter. She took a seat and looked toward him, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes. “Institute?”

  He opened his mouth to explain but just shook his head. “It isn’t important. We should go down to dinner.”

  She nodded and stood, rubbing her hands on her pants. “Should I wash up?”

  “You can wash up down there. Mazzi, the cook, will come looking for us if we don’t show soon.” He laughed slightly but stopped when Ally just stared at him, her face void of emotion.

  By the time they got to the kitchen, his parents and the other Ordinarys were all gathered, waiting on dinner. Luke was surprised to see his father, since he spent most of his nights at the office. He wondered if he would be required to eat in the dining room with his parents, or if he could stay and dine in the kitchen with Ally.

  “Father,” he said, waiting.

  His father looked up at him, seeming annoyed that he was interrupted. “Lukin.”

  “I would like you to meet Ally.”

  His father noticed Ally for the first time now, studying her carefully.

  “Ally, this is my father,” Luke announced.

  “Mr. Mathias,” His father corrected.

  “I know who you are, sir.” Ally stepped forward. “You’re Aden. The city leader.”

  His father smirked and put his porta-comp into the pocket of his suit coat. “Good. Then you’ll truly understand your place in this house. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll be dining in my bedroom this evening.”

  Luke watched his father leave the room with his plate of food, and waited until he heard him close his office door before he turned to Ally. “Sorry about that, he isn’t always the most pleasant person to be around. Especially after a long day at the office.”

  Luke’s mother seemed oblivious to everything that had just happened. She took her plate of food and left the kitchen, wandering down the first floor hall.

  Ally shrugged. “It isn’t anything I haven’t seen in the Exceptional Guards outside the City. I’m just glad he didn’t push me down.”

  Her tone told him that she was joking, but her words still bothered him. He had seen first hand a Guard pushing her down in the woods, and he wondered if it was a regular occurrence in the settlements. He shook his head, turning toward the kitchen.

  “This is Mazzi, our cook and my second mother.” He motioned to Mazzi, a plump Ordinary who always dressed with an eccentric style that could compete with his mother’s.

  Ally waved at Mazzi and turned to the others.

  “This is Sabine, your roommate, and Asher and Flint. They are all Ordinarys that work in the house, so you’ll get to know them very well over the next several weeks.”

  He never took his eyes off her, watching her expression carefully. Her smile seemed to falter when he mentioned a length of time that she would be here, but it only lasted a second.

  “Hi, I’m Ally,” she said, looking them over.

  They seemed to be doing the same, attempting to figure out her place in the house. Since Ally hadn’t come from the ORC, she didn’t know as much as any other Ordinary would have coming into an Exceptional home. Because of this, he would need to warn the others not to mention anything to her. He wanted to tell Ally about her purpose here on his own, but he didn’t think it would be best to give her that information right from the start. She needed some time to acclimate to the household, and hopefully, find a place in his family.

  Chapter Four

  When Ally awoke the following morning, she had almost forgotten where she had fallen asleep. The night before had been a blur, especially after Aden had stalked out of the room. Luke had introduced her to the other workers in the house before they all sat down for dinner. His presence seemed to make the three younger Ordinarys somber, and they ended up eating the majority of the meal in silence. Luke’s father called him into his office toward the end of the meal and he excused himself quickly. Asher and Flint, the two boys, shoveled their food down fast and disappeared to work on their final chores. Sabine had gone to finish some laundry, which left Ally in the kitchen with just Mazzi. In the end, Ally went up to their room on her own and settled into bed, falling asleep quickly.

  The events of the previous day still floated through her mind like a fog. She’d been so overwhelmed by the sight of the City, Luke, and her new home, that she hadn’t processed many emotions last night. Luke had tried to be kind to her, had even tried to make her laugh, but she had felt nothing. Hadn’t she thought about volunteering to come here just a few months back? She decided that there would have been more preparation involved. She would have been ready to enter the City and take on her new job. But yesterday she had fully expected to be back in the settlement with her family. Today was Tuesday, a workday, and she probably would have been up and getting ready for a long day of gathering.

  She battled her way out of the overly plush blanket on the bed and swung her feet over the edge. She noticed a fresh pair of clothes sitting on the dresser near the door. Had Sabine put those there or someone else? She looked down at her own clothes. They were ratty and dirty, and she was sure they smelled worse than anything else in this house ever had. She grabbed the clean pile of clothes, which she realized were the same muted gray color she had seen on Luke yesterday, and found her way down the hall and into the shared bathroom.

  Back at the settlement most bathroom needs were taken care of outside since the houses didn’t have running water. They did have electricity though, which was provided by the City. It was a foreign motion for her to grab onto the handle of the faucet and turn it on. The water even came out warm, which didn’t happen at home unless they boiled it under a fire. She splashed some on her face, letting it drip down her cheeks and onto her worn shirt.

  “You’re up!” The voice startled Ally, and she turned around with her arms raised protectively.

  Sabine stood in the doorway, a large grin on her face. She was dressed in the same gray clothes that Ally had taken from the dresser, and her long, red hair was pulled back into a braid. Ally relaxed almost immediately, happy to see a friendly face.

  “I’m supposed to show you how the shower works, and where your supply of clothes will be held,” Sabine said, stepping into the bathroom.

  She walked over to the shower in the corner and opened the glass door. Ally had a shower in the bathroom she shared with her mother, but it was nonfunctional so they used it to store extra belongings.

  “You grab this handle and turn it to the left. Try to match this arrow up with the middle of the red area, which seems to be a good shower temperature in my opinion. When you are finished you just turn it all the way to the right.” She stepped away from the shower and flashed Ally another smile. “The white bottle there is a cleanser for your hair, and there is a fresh bar of soap in the corner. Got it?”

  Ally just nodded, thinking it sounded simple enough.r />
  “Good. Your clothes are kept in the dresser where you found today’s pair. You’ll have seven sets of clothes since laundry goes out to be done once a week. Mr. Mathias might eventually give you a chore list, but I’m not sure when, or if he even will.”

  “Aden?”

  “Luke,” Sabine said slowly.

  “Oh, so I should call him Mr. Mathias as well?”

  Sabine giggled. “That or Mr. Lukin. You’ll catch on quick. Soon it will be second nature to call him something so formal.”

  Sabine rambled on about Ordinary meal times and rules for behavior. According to Sabine, they were only allowed to leave the property on work order, but they could go into the backyard at any time. They were also never to address the housemasters unless spoken to first. Ally had already broken that rule yesterday when she addressed Aden, and all the times she had spoken to Luke the day before. Finally, Sabine slipped from the bathroom and left Ally in peace.

  She slipped out of her clothes and put them in a pile by the door. She would need to throw those into the trash once she was ready to go downstairs. She stepped into the shower and walked through what Sabine had shown her. Ally heard the pipes creak as water sprinkled from the showerhead up above. Cold water fell over her body, but she didn’t mind. She was used to taking cold baths, and in a matter of seconds the water heated up to a comfortable level.

  She grabbed the bottle that Sabine had said was hair cleanser. Back in the settlement they rinsed their hair with water from the creek, nothing additional. She twisted the cap off the bottle and tipped it toward her free hand. More than thought she might be required to use poured out into her hand, but she worked it all into her long hair anyway. The substance changed as she worked it in deeper, leaving Ally’s hands covered in white foam. She rinsed the foam from her hair and then used the bar of soap, something she at least recognized from home.