Free The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern Page A

up, receive membership cards and that allows them to take out books. I go to the towns where there aren’t any libraries.’
    ‘Or life forms,’ I said, and he laughed.
    ‘You’re finding it tough here, city girl?’
    I ignored that comment and kept studying the books.
    ‘You know what people around here would really appreciate instead of books?’
    He smiled suggestively at me.
    ‘Not that,’ I laughed. ‘You could actually make some money out of this thing if you got rid of the books.’
    ‘Ha! Now that’s not very cultured,’ he said.
    ‘Well, there’s no bus service around here. Apparently there’s a town fifteen minutes drive away—how is anybody supposed to get there?’
    ‘Eh…the answer would be in your question.’
    ‘Yes, but I can’t drive because I’m—’ I stalled, and he smiled. ‘Because I’m not able to drive,’ I finished.
    ‘What? You mean Daddy didn’t get you a Mini Cooper yet? That’s totally uncool,’ he imitated me.
    ‘TouchÉ.’
    ‘Okay,’ he jumped off the table, filled with energy. ‘I have to go there now. How about we go to this wonderful magical town that no human legs can reach.’
    I giggled. ‘Okay.’
    ‘Don’t you need to run it by somebody? I don’t want to be done for kidnapping.’
    ‘I may not be a driver but I’m not a child.’ I kept my eye on the bungalow. Rosaleen was gone a long time.
    ‘You’re sure?’ he asked, looking around. ‘Please just tell someone.’
    He looked anxious and just because of that I took out my phone and called Mum’s mobile, which I know she hadn’t touched for a month. I left a message.
    ‘Hi, Mum, it’s me. I’m outside the house in a bus full of books and a cute guy is going to drive me to the town. I’ll be back in a few hours. In case I don’t come back, his name is Marcus Sandhurst, he’s five foot ten, has black hair, blue eyes…Any tattoos?’ I asked.
    He lifted his top. Ooh he was ribbed.
    ‘He’s got a Celtic cross on his lower abdomen, no chest hair and a silly smile. He likes Scarface , Coldplay and pizza, and is hoping to get into books in a big way. See you later.’
    I hung up and Marcus burst out laughing. ‘You know me better than most people.’
    ‘Let’s get out of here,’ I said.
    ‘Are you always so misbehaved?’ he asked.
    ‘Always,’ I responded, and climbed into the passenger seat in preparation for my adventure out of Kilsaney Demesne.

CHAPTER SEVEN
I Want
    There were twelve minutes of a comfortable and not-for-one-second awkward conversation with Marcus, before reaching the town. Only ‘the town’ wasn’t at all what I was expecting. Even with my expectations lowered to an all-time low, it was so much worse. It was a one-horse town, with not even a horse in sight. A church. A graveyard. Two pubs. A chipper. A petrol station with a newsagent. A hardware store. Full stop.
    I must have whimpered because Marcus looked at me, worried.
    ‘What’s wrong?’
    ‘What’s wrong?’ My eyes widened as I turned to him. ‘What’s wrong ? I have a Barbie Village from when I was like, five , bigger than this at home.’
    He tried not to but he laughed. ‘It’s not that bad. Another twenty minutes and you’re in Dunshauglin; that’s a proper town.’
    ‘Another twenty minutes? I can’t even get here, to this shit hole on my own.’ I felt my eyes heat up with frustration, my nose started to itch, my eyes began to fill. I felt like kickingthe bus down and screaming. I grunted instead. ‘What the hell am I going to do around here on my own, buy a shovel in there, and dig up the dead over there? And have a bag of chips and a pint while I’m doing it?’
    Marcus snorted, and had to look away to compose himself. ‘Tamara, it’s really not that bad.’
    ‘Yes it is. I want a fucking skinny gingerbread latte and a cinnamon roll, now,’ I said very calmly, aware that I was beginning to sound like Violet Beauregarde from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . ‘And while I’m