The Ordinance || Harry Styles

Three

NORA

I woke up with a splitting headache and my brother and father's voices echoing throughout the house. Climbing out of bed, I stretch my limbs while a yawn escapes my lips. I shuffle towards the door, opening it and making my way into the living room where the voices are coming from.

My brother's eyes meet mine when I come around the corner, a large smile stretching across his face.

"Why are you so happy? It's like 7 in the morning," I ask, rubbing my tired eyes.

"The Prophet met with us this morning; your brother is getting married, sweet pea," my father butts in.

I look at my father with a puzzled face then look back at my brother. "Who are you marrying?" I question. The thing with The Ordinance is marriages are arranged. You get your spouse chosen for you and if you're lucky, you might get a person around your age. If you're not so lucky and you're a girl, you might get a man that is more around your father's age. It is not unlikely for a girl to marry her uncle or cousin, either. If it is "seen in the Prophet's vision" that you are married to this person, then you are to marry them.

I have no idea who Nathan could be marrying because there aren't many girls that have reached the marrying age yet.

"Is it Hailee?" I ask him. He has a secret crush on a girl named Hailee and I hope for his sake that he was chosen for her. She is absolutely stunning and is pretty smart.

"No, Hailee has been chosen for Matthew. But my girl's name is Gemma and she is gorgeous," he says, putting extra emphasis on the word gorgeous.

"Gemma? Who's she?" I question.

"She's new and all mine," he smirks triumphantly.

"Wow, well congratulations I guess," I lightly smile as I walk over and give him a hug. "I hope I get lucky and get a nice guy," I say. It's unfair how these things happen and you can't make a big deal out of it otherwise "you are going against God's will for you" and it opens the door for condemnation.

"Alright son," my father speaks, "It's time to go meet with Gemma to discuss everything."

I bid him good luck as they walk out of the door. I'm happy for Nathan; he deserves an amazing girl. He will be a great husband and father and any girl would be lucky to call him her husband. I just hope she will be as happy as he seems to be. Being with someone who isn't as into you as you are them doesn't exactly boost a person's ego.

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The view of the sunset at the cliff is the most breathtaking sight a person can witness. The colors blend and fade into a beautiful masterpiece that looks like a professional artist sits in the sky, painting the scene as it unfolds. I come here several times a day, mostly in the evening time and night time because it's a place where I can be alone with just my thoughts. No one comes out here because everyone is told it is unsafe but I've never experienced had any accidents here.

"Didn't your parents tell you to never come out here?" I hear a thick British accent come from right behind me. I jolt around to see the boy from yesterday.

I stammer about, too nervous and startled to even be able to form coherent words. He smirks slightly and walks past me towards the dock. I watch as he slips off his shoes on the grass and walks out onto the wood dock and sits on the edge, dipping his feet into the water. He digs a box out of his pocket, pulling out a white stick and lighting the end of it with a pocket lighter. I put two and two together that was what he was doing last night as well as I see the bright red light again when he puts the stick in his mouth and inhales.

"We're not supposed to go into the dock", I finally spit out.

He turns around to me and exhales, a big white cloud releasing from his lips. "Are you going to tattle on me?" He jokes in a mocking tone.

"It's dangerous. The water is dirty and filled with deadly creatures"

The boy lets out a throaty laugh, "And who told you that?" He asks, taking another puff of his white stick.

"The Prophet", I reply in an 'as a matter of fact' tone.

"Well I can guarantee you one thing, love, the creatures aren't in the lake", he says as he turns back towards the water.
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As soon as I step back onto the grounds of the Ordinance I am greeted by Genevieve. She just turned 14 and is probably the most outgoing person on the entire planet. However, she is not the brightest. Hey Nora!" She exclaims as she comes running up to me.

"Hi Genevieve", I reply with a smile.

"Haven't seen you all day, what were you doing coming from that direction? OH MY GOSH were you at the lake weren't you?" I forgot to mention she has the most shrill voice as well.

"Shush Genevieve," I raise my finger up to her lips as I look around to make sure no one heard.

"OH MY GOSH were you with him weren't you?" She says just as loud and points behind me. I turn around to see that boy coming through the trees where I just came from. I turn back around to Genevieve and notice we have caught the attention of several others.

"No I wasn't" I reply before I can stop myself from lying.

He walks up by us and pulls his glasses down so he can peek over them, "Meet up later for another make-out session?" He smirks sending me a wink and pushing his glasses back over his eyes as he saunters away. Both Genevieve and I gasp and I shush her once more before she can even start shrieking again.