The Prodigies [First Draft]

Thirty Five

"Look who I found upstairs," Mr. Old as Time called to Miss Kaylee from beside Kenny.

Miss Kaylee exited the cell that Kenny assumed Clay was being held in, locking it. "Hawking! How did you get in here? Why are you out past curfew?"

Rather than responding, Kenny frowned. She had forgotten that Miss Kaylee locked the door to Clay's cell. Without the key, her plan would fall apart. The young girl watched intently as Miss Kaylee placed her keychain and ID card on a white cart near the door. She was trying to remember what the key to Clay's cell looked like when the woman turned toward Mr. Old as Time, allowing Kenny to look at the boy.

Clay seemed to be shouting, but the cell must have been sound-proof, for Kenny couldn't hear him. He looked much worse than he had in her dream: his clothes were stained with (what she hoped was) dirt and clay, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Kenny wanted to run to him and embrace him, but she knew she would have to stay where she was for a bit longer in order for her plan to work.

Once the events Kenny had foreseen had passed, she began paying close attention to everything that was being said. Mr. Old as Time began speaking.

"Metal will be glad to know that she helped you get your files back. How is everything with...?" He nodded towards Clay's cell.

Miss Kaylee's face lit up, and Kenny wanted to cringe. "It's astonishing. It's like he's another Einstein. You should know about that, Hawking. You've read the files, correct?"

The girl didn't make any movement to signal she was getting her index cards, causing Miss Kaylee to frown.

"I think that means yes, Mr. Old as Time, so hurry and get her to Detention. Also, it'd be nice if she spoke. Make her less anxious, if you will. In fact, I'll take her. I was just about to take a bit of a bathroom break, anyway. Continue your rounds around the building to see if anyone else is here."

Mr. Old as Time gave the woman a single nod and passed Kenny to her. Miss Kaylee took the girl's arm firmly, and the three walked up the staircase and away from the Nursery. Kenny waited until Mr. Old as Time had turned down another corridor to proceed with her plan.

"Gabriel Jackson. Do you know anything about him?" Miss Kaylee asked.

The young girl shook her head absentmindedly, thinking about how she was going to escape the woman's grasp. However, before she could take another step forward, the hand around her forearm tightened suddenly. Kenny stifled a gasp and turned to look at Miss Kaylee incredulously.

"I apologize, Hawking. Let me be clearer. The boy you played catch with daily before I brought you to AGC. Einstein's doppelgänger. Do you know anything about him?"

Kenny stared at her former teacher, frozen in shock.

"Yes, I know about Gabriel. I questioned his brother, and he didn't seem to know very much about him. I was supposed to talk to you today, but I was distracted by your friend, Clay. However, now that we're alone, we can talk about Gabriel and his mother. Did you meet her?"

Do you have evidence that says I did? Kenny thought. Outwardly, she was as still as an inanimate object.

Miss Kaylee sighed irritably, loosening her grip on the girl's arm. Before she could speak, Kenny pulled herself away from her captor and slammed her shoe into Miss Kaylee's tibia. The woman kneeled over slightly, and Kenny attempted to push her over before she began sprinting to the Nursery.

Miss Kaylee called someone's name, but Kenny was already halfway to the Nursery. Her shoes nearly caused her to slide past the stairway to Clay as she ran. Taking the steps two at a time, she hurried down the bright steps and hallway to Clay's cell. Bronze key, she thought to herself as she picked up Miss Kaylee's keychain. Kenny picked the bronze key she'd seen before and jammed it into the lock.