The Art of Failing Mad Science

Chapter 5: "Just Get Lost" and Other Great Advice from an Upperclassman

Author note:

Hi! So Watt-pad did a thing and deleted a huge portion off the end of chapter one after I published it. I'm not sure when this happened, but it did. If this affected your reading experience, I apologize. I fixed it now though, so it would probably be a good idea to re-read that chapter in case you missed something. Okaythankslovey'allbye!

Chapter 5:

WHAT? HUH? There has to be some mistake! This has to be the wrong place! I need to call mom! I need to go home! I need to get out! I'm going crazy! NO! NO I'M NOT! MADSCIENTISTSARECRAZYI'MJUST. A. NORMAL. KID!

My mind was racing. My thoughts were speeding through my head like it was a racecourse. There must have been some heck of a prize for that race. Like a million dollars. In brain currency. Like... a million wrinkles. Or cells. I could imagine the announcers. Little neurons gathering around the edge of my brain stadium to watch these crazy thoughts zoom laps around and around and around and around.

Maybe I belonged here after all...

But no! There is no way on Earth or Alternia I was a smod! Mother would have said something. My sister would have said something. The flipping plain ticket should have said something! What about all the things mom told me about her school and the other kids and-

Wait.

I was so stupid. I was so blind. How in the world could I not see this coming?

Mother hadn't told me anything. She had strictly avoided telling me anything at all about the school. Even when I had arrived on the ship, Clarice hadn't been able to say anything either! Was this what they were hiding? Was this the "tradition" mom talked about? Could I really be a mad scientist?

And what about the other kids? There were others like me here. Like Agnes! There was absolutely no way they had mixed up so many normal kids with all the rest who clearly knew what was going on. Throughout the entire flight, not a single hint was made to suggest we were headed to an exclusively mad scientist training facility. Added to this, the students who knew had been instructed to tell us nothing! This could not be coincidence. My mother had known. She sent me here on purpose.

My mind was swimming, I had to sit down quick. All around me, others were catching on. I heard scared mumbles, gasps, exclamations of terror and excitement. Off to my right a snooty looking boy with worn-out clothes trembled in fear.

"I knew my parents were desperate for money, but I never expected them to ship me off to some mad science lab. What are they gonna do, experiment on us? Feed us to the monsters? Dissect us?" Ragged sobs prevented him from speaking any more fears.

"Don't be silly T," scoffed a long-haired blonde standing by him. She looked much better off, her clothes were sleek and expensive looking, and her hair's natural color was concealed by multicolored streaks running through it. She continued; "My parents have always hinted that they wanted a kid to be a smod. They must have finally just sent me here in the hopes that I might pick something up. Tough chance, I am going to become a world famous singer and nothing they do is going to turn me into some crazy nerd!"

Off to my other side a nerdy looking lad spoke up.

"The number of students and apprentices is very low in comparison to all that go through training. Perhaps they chose normal students like us to boost their numbers." He suggested. This got a few nods from the others. I found myself wanting to trust him, or rather his reasoning. Especially when the alternative had boogers running freely from his nose.

The Intercom crackled to life once more, calling for all upperclassmen to disembark in its friendly, cheery voice. All the freshmen were left to stew in our own nervous pot. I tried to get Clarice's attention, but she was busy trying to reassemble her watch. It had suddenly sprung open moments ago, sending minuscule screws, springs, and gears flying in all directions. I then looked for Serena, but she was nowhere to be found. I had no desire to approach another smod student. I couldn't help but be cautious after the sniveling boy, T or whatever his name was, had melted down.