Removed

06

The next day at school, Kaylee is mysteriously absent. Her friends still gather in front of the school, smiling, chatting. They act like a member of their group isn't missing, like everything is right with their ridiculous world. Oh, except only I realize it's ridiculous.

Of course, something within me worries for her. The last time she missed school was in middle school when she broke her ankle and her mom forced her to stay home. So, an absence for her, out of the blue, is not ordinary. Plus, she's the only fragment of a sort of friend I have left.

Sweat covers me from head to toe, yet all the physical activity I exerted was the ten-minute walk here. The humid air coils around me like a vicious snake, frizzing my pin-straight locks. And, despite what the heat and sweat would suggest, clouds litter the sky.

Fixing my backpack's position on my shoulder, I prepare to walk past Kaylee's group of spineless jerks she calls friends. However, right as I'm about to step into the bliss of A.C, Harper's sharp, commanding voice halts me in my tracks.

"Oh look, it's Ashley," She nonchalantly calls, her goal to irk me.

My nails dig into the flesh of my palm, fresh pain overwhelming my senses. Breath in. Breath out. Take another step towards the clouded glass door.

"Why don't you stop for your usual hello, Ashley?"The jet-haired devil queries, her tone laced with venom. She sounds closer, yet I refuse to turn and look at her.

The water vapor indicating the drastic temperature difference between inside and outside seems to taunt me.

"If she's dead, it's your fault."

My eyes slightly widen before narrowing, fiery green against fiery green as I whip around. "What?"

Her own hands ball into fists, lips twitching as she struggles to control herself, to keep her voice low. "You- ugh! You act so clueless, so innocent!" Her hair flaps behind her as she vigorously shakes her head, nearly falling out of her loose ponytail. "I thought she was your friend, yet you just discarded her like she was nothing! You could have helped her!"

I notice the rest of the group is idling where they originally were, acting as if they have no interest in what Harper has to say.

Suddenly, my eyes widen with realization, heart pounding and head spinning. "You mean Kaylee? She's not dead! She- she can't be!"

A single tear traces her visage before dripping onto her crop top. "What if she is?" The girl in front of me whispers softly. "They could have taken her!"

"Who?" It seems that Harper needs to be put on some meds, because all of her crazy talk isn't making any sense to me.

She looks defeated, completely and utterly done. "I-I thought you knew. I thought Ashley had told you something, but I guess I was wrong. Dead wrong."

I take a step backward, my head continuing to spin and my breath coming in short, rapid gasps. My whole body trembles as I attempt to speak. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

"They don't know," she mumbles, nodding back to her group of friends. "They think I'm just insulting you. They don't know what Kaylee and I do, what I thought you knew. Just- forget it."

I watch as she sulks back to her friends, instantly attempting to join their conversation. Her shoulders are slumped in defeat and she seems less animated, not as amiable as she just was before I arrived. I have no idea what secret Harper's harboring, but it's gotta be good.

What was Ash hiding from me? You know, if all this mumbo-jumbo is true.

*******

*******

After school, I'm surprised to find a fiery red car parked beside the curb. The road is narrow, so cars have to slow down and squeeze by. One even honks, horn blaring as they barely miss the sleek, modern car. There can only be one person dauntless enough to sit beside the curb without a care in the word, flipping off anyone who dares to honk. Aunt Becca decided to pick me up from school today.

I yank open the door. The interior still smells like it's fresh from the lot, everything pristine and glistening. After I slam the small door shut, knowing Aunt Becca doesn't care, I toss my bag into the back of the car. The soft gray leather cradles my body, the AC enveloping me like a cool blanket.

"So, any reason you decided to pick me up today?" I casually question as the car starts along its predetermined course.

Aunt Becca shrugs, kicking back in her seat and pulling down the mirror. As she reapplies her vibrant red lipstick, she responds,"Just wanted to spend some time with my favorite niece."

I dryly laugh. "I'm your only niece."

Once again, my aunt shrugs, fixing her curly auburn hair. "Well, you're still my favorite, okay?" Her deep chocolate eyes are fixated on the mirror as she talks.

"Seriously though," I mutter, yanking a hand through my frizzed locks.

She shrugs, yet again.

I let out a puff of air between pursed lips. "Again, what's with the picking me up?"

Now it's her turn to let out a sigh. It's deep and deliberate, her chest rising and falling. "You just seem so lonely lately."

"Yeah. It's been a pain without your daughter, who you don't even care about," I reply. Actually, she's the only one besides me who showed that she cared, but not publicly. Still, she shouldn't feel like she has to bottle up her love for her only daughter.

"You know, Autumn, don't you think it's hard for me as well?"

"Honestly, no. You never speak about her. You never visited her grave," I nonchalantly remind her. "She deserved better!"

Aunt Becca suddenly grits her teeth, slamming the car's mirror back into place. "You know what? You're right. She did. There's just some things you're better off not knowing."

"No!" I shout, causing my aunt to flinch. Turning to shoot her a hard, steely glare, I continue,"I'm tired of secrets being kept from me. Now you're holding secrets, too?"

As the car pulls up in front of the salon, my eyes widen. Etchers. They're like the government's henchmen. Their indicators of authority are their black cars sporting single white dots. They're called Etchers because they work for the people that had Chips etched. I'm not sure who came up with the name, but it stuck.

Aunt Becca suddenly turns frantic, spinning around and unbuckling my seatbelt. "Get out before they see you with me. If anyone asks, you walked home. You hear me? Walked!"

"Aunt Becca, what's going on?" I shout, refusing to budge. "Why are the Etchers here?

"Listen to me very carefully, Autumn," My aunt whispers, placing her hands on my shoulders. "You're too naive, too curious. You're doing good, not conforming. Don't. I believe one day, you'll really make a difference, really do something great. Actually, scratch that. I want you to. I know you can. They can't control us forever!" She pauses to catch her breath. "Don't let anyone know about this discussion, not even your parents. They're not one of us," she sighs with regret.

"Aunt-"

"Please, Autumn," she whispers, tears threatening to ruin her makeup as she trembles. "Don't let anyone realize you're different! That's essential to everything. There's so much you don't know. I don't have time to fill you in, but-"

Shouts echo down the nearly empty street.

"Go!"

Silently, I nod, at a loss for words. Quickly, I grab my bag, throw open the door, and sprint as fast as I can in the opposite direction. My legs pump extra hard, my lungs burning as if they're on fire. I know what I have to do.

_________

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