The Program [Book Two of The Test]

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Program

Chapter Twenty-Three

John's body was covering mine enough to keep anything from falling of me like it had Riley the last time the test broke. 

"Maybe you should be protecting yourself, John. Cover your head or something." I suggested.

"How about you shut up? I'm nervous as it is, Lexi." I went still. "God, I hate countdowns."

"Then, quit counting down and just do it." I hissed. "Listen, the faster we get this over, the faster we wake up. Don't you wanna wake up? See your family again? Be alive when they see you again? And what about Annie, huh? She came in here to give me that message and now we're going to just throw all that away-"

John lips landed on mine before I could say another word. His arms hesitantly, and stiffly made their way around around my waist. 

And if it's even possible, this kiss was worse than the first. One, because it was John. Two, this time were we both aware of who the other one was. Which yes, made it awful.

And I was going to pull away after there way already three seconds of nothing, then I remembered that when we kissed we revived, so I needed to disrupt while this was happening so I could reverse it. I hope John was thinking the same thing.

I closed my eyes finally and did the one thing I for sure thought I would never do, I kissed John back. But in the back of my head, I used the distraction of thinking about Jack lifeless body to make me disrupt and to make me try to forget what was currently happening.

I heard a snap. And it was evident that John heard it too, both of us suddenly still. "What? Did you imagine I was Annie or something?" I asked.

He nodded and pulled away fast. He even went as far as making a gagging sound. "God, ew, Lexi. It didn't work. Just, I-" He stopped mid sentence and turned around. "I can't look at you right now."

"For the love of god. Quit whining, I thought I was the girl here." 

I heard another snap, and the a pop. It was almost rice krispies but there was no crackle. And that's when I saw it, the sky break in half. "Oh crap." John hissed. 

"John, it worked. It's not happening fast enough though." John's eyes grew wide as I said it, but I don't think it was from my words. His stare was faced behind me. I turned cautiously, still feeling weak. Sitting there, wet and slimy like the one other time I saw it, was the strange monster from the lake, no longer in the lake, it's teeth shooting electricity. I snapped my head back to John instantly. "Kiss me again."

"What? No. Lexi-" I gave his no time to object further, pulling his by his shirt and down to my level. I had no time to explain that I was still too weak to disrupt the dang thing myself, I just wanted it gone and to shut down the test. Which happened in both ways as I heard the thing shriek behind me as I focused again on a sad memory, the sky also falling like it had last time.