Unconventional

3

"One of us?" Valerie's brow tightened together in thought. "What do you mean, 'one of us?'" Amber had moved out from behind her as she spoke, looking right at the boys. She had an idea of what he was talking about, but whos to say it was right? She turned to Valerie, eyes wide and she fumbled with her bag. 

"Did you bring your file?" Her hands were shaking, Valerie couldn't help but notice. It was as if she was holding back from something. She nodded, dazed as she watched the three of them start to undo their bags. "Get it out." Frantically Valerie shrugged off her bag, throwing it at her feet and rummaging through it for her file. 

When she looked up with it in hand she gulped. All of their names were in red. "What- what does this mean?" She croaked, sitting down and sliding her file open. "Why are our names in red?" Her hands had balled in her hair, groaning in frustration. The three other gathered around, sitting as well and throwing their files in the center. 

Jenson picked up his file quickly after a moment, scanning it before throwing it back to the ground. "And what are the 'Specials'?" All four of them were frustrated, it had been weeks, days since any of them had read their files and their growing anger and frustration was to much now. 

Valerie picked up her file again, scanning each word carefully. 

Subject: Valerie Martin;

     subject fifty-three has proceeded to fail tests. Lacking structure in her tongue and mentality gives subject fifty-three the possibility to fail society as we know it, or better yet to exceed our society and achieve greatness. Each is dangerous.

     each of the Specials are extremely dangerous to our society according to our president, and must stay in watch. Failing to take each daily medications is a risk, as it could cause remembrance in the testing done to them, the testing they partook in and much more.

     each is dangerous in their own way, a harm to our perfect society (different tounge, need of touch, aggressiveness etc.) yet subject fifty-three has displayed failure in all categories in which we are made to perfectionism. 

     malfunctions have been made with the Specials, yet subject fifty-three  has many more malfunctions than possible. Not only mentally and emotionally but also in physical appearance. All of the society is programmed to have genetic colours: blue or brown eyes and blonde to brown hair, yet fifty-three displays flaming red hair and bright vivid green eyes. 

     if out of sight and structure with watch, medications and skills programmed the Specials can be very dangerous to our society, and if they show any signs of this they will be let go. 

Research from: Dr. Vans-Middlesworth.  

Valerie's head spun as she read the words for the umpteenth time in twenty-four hours. Specials? Who were the Specials, and what did they have that could be a danger to the Society? Valerie finally looked up at the others, finding her ears were ringing so loudly that she hadn't even heard Jenson kicking the wall nearby and throwing occasional punches. Amber was trying to calm him down, pleading with him to stop before someone came down. 

She watched as Amber had enough and grabbed onto his upper arm, holding it back and planting her feet against his strength. Jenson did stop after that, his eyes wide as he looked to her. "You need to calm down now, or someone will hear." Everyone was in shock, no one had the tendency to touch others, it was how they were programmed and yet here she was. Finally Amber realized what she had done and pulled back quickly. "Sorry, I-I didn't--" 

Hudson suddenly starting grabbing all their files, reading each one quickly. The others noticed, and wondered what he was doing. "It keeps mentioning the Specials, and if you read all of them it says what malfunction we each have!" He looked up and made eye contact with Valerie. "We each have a malfunction, we all know it. It says on our papers!" He ran a hand through his hair hastily. 

Amber sat down, blonde curls falling around her shoulders in a delicate way. It was hard to believe they were made and not born, that they were created to be like this. Hudson had continued talking now, re-catching her attention. "Look, right here in our files. Each of us has a defect, mine being-" his eyes squinted at the paper. "'-different tongue pattern, not structured to be the same as others.'"

The paper had fallen from his hand, Amber and Jenson hastily picking up theirs and reading them aloud. "'Subject fourteen has malfunction thirty- aggressive behaviour and out lash's.'"

"'Subject three has malfunction fifty-two, the need of touch and closeness to another.' "

Everyone sat in shock, sinking in the fact that each of them had a malfunction that made them different from anyone else. It took awhile for any of them to speak up, the first to do so was Amber, eyes looking right at Valerie as she asked; "What's yours?" 

Valerie, hands shaking and voice cracking, spoke up. "'Subject fifty-three has displayed failure in all categories in which we are made to perfectionism.'" Her voice broke off, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Failure in all categories. "I'm a failure. You all have defects but I failed everything. All the tests when we were kids and I failed. How do you even fail that sorta thing?" Amber laid a hand on her shoulder, resting her head atop it in a comforting gesture. 

Hudson held a hand out, eyes piercing. "Give me your file." she handed him her file, fingers brushing his quickly before retreating back to her side. Her mind wouldn't stop spinning in circles, thoughts of who the Specials might be turning over and over in her head. The Specials had the power to stop this craziness, but who were they? And where were they? Moments passed in silence before Hudson finally spoke up. 

"I have an idea, but for it to work you cant take your medications, got it? Do anything to pass them up, just don't take them for a few days and then we'll meet back up here, but we need to go, it's almost dark out." He was right; the sun had almost finished setting, the darkness inclosing them all around. Curfew would be soon, and they couldn't afford to break it. 

Amber was the fist to talk next, her blonde curls bouncing and she stood and helped Valerie to her feet. "Okay, then we see each other in days time, for now we go. Come on Valerie." The boys followed until they were exiting St. Claire road, in which they turned to the right and bid goodbye to the girls. 

Valerie's head was still spinning by the time she walked into her house, one minute before late curfew and still earning a word from her mothers mouth. She couldn't hear, her ears were ringing again from everything that had happened in the last few hours. There wasn't a way to deal with all this information, and she was going crazy trying to decode everything. 

What were they getting into by finding their files? Who gave them these files, instead of their regular reports? Who was trying to tell them something, and who were the Specials?