I, the experiment

Test subject

He clicked his fingers and the man with white hair came running up to him in an almost panicked sprint. He shakily handed him a black clip board and then proceeded to run to the back of the stage and out the door again.

"Amanda Kennedy." He announced. But no one stood. He looked to anyone who would give an explanation and  after moments of waiting someone did finally stand up. But it was not this Amanda girl, it was Tommy, with his blue and yellow sweater vest. "Dr Neal, I'm afraid Amanda Kennedy isn't in. She didn't reply to her name in the register either so I can only assume she hasn't come today. Tommy then sat down without letting the doctor make up a reply. Again there was silence. "Right. Continuing," The doctor seemed irritated. I wonder if that was because of Amanda not showing up or because of Tommy standing up and being just as confident as him. "Adam Toller" There was a pause. Tension, for everyone knew that in fact Adam Toller was present today. I watched him intensely nervously waiting to see if he would stand. What I could see was that any remnants of the smile he previously wore was now completely mute. After a second he stood up, and everyone stared in awe at him. It felt as though we were being randomly picked off, not knowing what possibly could happen to him and the next person who was called on.

"Good. At least one of you showed up, that's something. And last, but most certainly not least..." He looked up briefly and smiled, waiting to see who joined in his merriment, and obviously to build the suspense. "Lucille Wicked. That's an... interesting name." Shock and terror ran through me. I could hear my heart beat. I felt my temperature rise and I wanted to vomit. I half expected Adam to turn around and make it completely obvious I was in. But he didn't. He stayed standing, letting me choose not exposing me. But I had a feeling someone would make it obvious anyway so I put my hands slowly on the desk, and pushed myself up slowly, on the verge of fainting/crying. I didn't even know if there was a reason to be scared yet I feel more scared than I have in my lifetime.

The doctor looked at me, a stone cold expression on his face, clearly not what he was expecting or hoping for. "Alright. You two don't have to look so scared, Jesus, anyone would think you've been chosen as tribute in the Hunger Games. Come on down you two." At that point Adam did turn round. He looked at me and raised his eyebrows in a repeated motion to try and ease both of use I suppose.

I slowly shuffled around my stuff without making too much noise. His friend stood up and let him scootch across. I got to the end of my row just before he did and started making my way down the steps, he met me at his row and tightened his lips in a sort of half smile out of awkwardness. I just shrugged my shoulders and bit my lip as a response. We walked together.

"Don't worry Snakebites, it'll be fine. Not like the school's gonna let anything happen to  us or anything." His accent made me assume he wasn't exactly smart, well educated and from a "nice" area. But I never liked to make that a reason for me not to like or talk to someone, especially if they were nice... or at least none threatening. "Thanks but that doesn't make me feel much better." I replied sternly, with a hint of sarcasm. "Well, I tried." That was all that was said until we reached the stage. In an overdramatic gesture Adam bowed and out stretched his hand to me to "help me up the stairs" I suppose. But I decide to burst his bubble and slapped his hand like a high-five and walked on.  "Feisty" his chuckled as he stepped over two steps because of his obscenely long legs and managed to catch up in a flash.

Doctor Neal met us half way and placed one hand on each of our backs and walked us to the centre of the stage. "Now, Ladies and Gentlemen. For what I like to call, "The chairs" where our two participants get to sit. Now I assume you two don't object to this completely harmless experiment?" He looked at us with a big smile on his face, I didn't like it. A smile didn't suit him. His wrinkled and lines etched onto his face were in the wrong places for them to be smile lines. I looked up at the towering boy, a good foot taller than me, he looked down at me and shrugged. "I'm good." He said casually. I paused and thought. Surely the school wouldn't let anything happen. "Yeah. I'm okay I guess..." I looked away from both of them to my right looking at the door where the white haired man had disappeared to, then at the ground.