You Make The Pain Go Away

Chapter 8: Progress

Chapter 8

Dana's embarrassment was short lived as Clyde quickly began assessing what the experiments were about. With how sharp he was, he quickly picked up that Dana was the test subject and he himself would be the tool. He was far more focused than Dana had initially thought, his quick jumping from one subject to the next wasn't ADHD for him but actually the puzzle pieces he needed to build himself a picture. Once Dana realized that the picture revolved around what he found important, she saw him in a new light. Not only did this man think fast than neurons could flow to Dana's mind, but that he was a genius with never ending energy.

Dana stared at the sheets of paper that Ms Queens had fabricated earlier, the lies that the two of them were weaving were the dumbest she could think of but for some reason Clyde ate them up and ran with them. Once an hour of them discussing, Dana had a sneaking suspicion that Clyde had been onto them from the beginning but she couldn't prove it.

"When is the next experiment?" Clyde said once the 5pm bell rang and all 3 of them had collected their things into their bags.

Dana and Ms Queens looked at each other for a few seconds before agreeing. "Starts tonight at 11pm. I know it sounds weird but it's for science. School is important but I'll make sure to keep you on track. You won't get behind I promise."

Ms.Queens drove the two of them home, dropping both off at Dana's front gate before waiving and speeding back off down the road.

"So..." Clyde said, his small spirts of curiosity hitting Dana at a thousand miles per second. The jig was up, she knew that as soon as he was reviewing the experiment listings.

"I can read minds." Dana said, not even bothering to look at him, "I have been able to do it all my life. Ms Queens is helping to cure me. She's a biology and anatomy teacher so she's the most qualified. The experiments are to figure out my limits and if there are any restraints that can stop my brain from picking up signals. In all honestly, you are our only breakthrough." Dana did look at Clyde this time, only to find the most shocked look on his face.

"You what?"

"Oh shit." Dana said. "Weren't you curious because you already knew it all sounded fishy?"

"No I was curious because you said you'd help me not get behind in school, so I was wondering when that would start? That's all... not this mind reading magic?!"

Well at least he's honest. Dana thought in utter surprise.

"No need to panic, I'm not dangerous or anything. I'm really just trying to be cured so that I don't... well...die." Dana likely grabbed Clyde's attention with this. Being the empathetic bastard he was, he immediately took up a thinking look while staring off into space.

"I-I don't... understand how that relates?" Clydes beautiful face became screwed up in confusion, but that was short lived just like all of his emotions.

"I, I can't control it. That's why." Dana knew that still didn't make sense for him, but the cold dusk air was getting under her skin. It's chill giving her a slight kick in adrenaline. For once in her life she could talk about this curse with a boy who she thought was cute and he was going to feel things and think things that she didn't have to hear. "The circumference around me that I can hear minds gets larger every year. And since I can't get farther away every year, I'll slowly become less of myself."

Dana didn't have to explain it as deeply when she'd told Ms Queens. Probably because her teacher had figured everything out herself prior to confronting Dana but Ms Queens thoughts didn't hold a candle to Clydes. The boy in front of her who she could tell was freezing his butt off so he wouldn't have to leave her out here even when his thoughts were in turmoil and he didn't know why she was going to die, he was the most courageous to her. Even when he didn't understand what he was being told, or what to do next, he stood with her in silence.