Vial Happiness

Chapter Six - Trapped

            I faked a smile as I entered the kitchen that morning. Mother and Father greeted me as usual and I began to eat breakfast.

            “Are you prepared for your test today son?” Father asked.

            “Yes, I am confident I will do well.” The words sounded flat and too formal. My smile had already begun to get tired, nothing felt genuine. I looked at Mother’s smile, which always gave me hope, but today it did not. How could she not want to have a straight face?

            After breakfast I began walking to school, I wanted to stop smiling for just a brief second, but I was afraid someone would see. Derrick soon caught up with me and we began to talk about the same things we talked about every day, it was quite redundant.

            I did not want to sit next to Brianne today. She was the reason why I was in this mess. I arrived to school early as I used to and sat with Derrick. When Brianne walked in she looked at me and smiled, I did not know why. A strange feeling occurred in my stomach, I felt tight as I looked at her, this was one of the other new feelings I was experiencing, and I wanted it to go away.

            Professor Elkgreen walked in with a pile of papers in his hand.

            “It is time for your first test in this class. It will be on everything you have learned from the past month. This is one of six monthly tests, and information on this will also be used on your final test. Good luck, I hope you all do well.” He passed out the tests to each of us and I was confident I would do well.

            The first question read, “List the four basic extinct emotions, and the overall extinct emotion. Then explain what they all do.” I easily wrote down their names, but I blanked on the explanations. I had learned that they were each dangerous in their own ways, but for some reason I did not believe this was true. I refrained from writing the answer and scanned the test. They all related to what was so dangerous about extinct emotions. I may not have been removed from happiness for long, but dangerous was not the word I would use to describe my feelings. I could not answer these questions, so I left it blank.

            As we exited the school, I saw Brianne go up the hill behind the building. It had one enormous tree overcasting the hill. I decided to follow her up there when no one could see me.

            When I got up the hill, she was sitting at the base of the tree, writing in the notebook.

            “Hey” she said nonchalantly.

            “What the hell is happening to me?” I shouted.

            “Woah buddy, calm down. Last time I checked, I’m not your psychiatrist.” She had the rude tone most Heartless have.

            “I did not take the Happiness this morning-“

            “Awesome!” She broke in.

            “No, that is the opposite of awesome! I had a terrible dream, I flunked the test, I do not know what is going on!” I was frantic.

            “How cute,” She laughed. “And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Listen, I too went through what you’re going through when I decided to stop taking those brainwashing narcotics.”

            “So what happened?”

            “Well, I started having nightmares like you are. It always starts with the subconscious. Then I started experiencing the other emotions. They were weak at first, but grew. At some points I felt like dying. It’s an odd transformation, but it’s worth it in the end. Because you learn the truth, and you’re free.”

            I refrained from talking to her about the voice, but what she said sounded terrifying. I did not want to go through with this.

            “I cannot do that. I must take happiness when I get another set.”          

            “And have your parents find out you didn’t take it when you were supposed to?”

            I did not realize that. If I drank a vial before I was supposed to, Mother and Father would ask questions, I was in a rut.

            “I just want to get out of this.” I felt desperate.

            “Well, you can’t. You aren’t old enough to buy your own vials, so you have nowhere else to turn, unless you want to confess.” She seemed to be having a fun time with this.

            “You are a disgusting Heartless!” I screamed.

            “Those words mean nothing to me. I’m more human than the majority of the people on Earth. Trust me. It’ll be worth it in the end.”

            I did not believe her. I must have been feeling angry for the first time. She got into my mind and got me into this mess. I would have to go through an entire month of pure hell until I got more happiness.

            I walked away without saying goodbye. Things became confusing, so quickly. I faked a smile until I got into my room, then I got into bed and wished to never get up.