The Perks of Being a Freak (Editing)

18. I Don't Know Whether To Be Impressed Or Terrified. Or Both

I have a power, Emily thought suddenly. I looked over at her, eyebrows raised.

How can you tell? I asked. Emily smiled devilishly.

I can feel it, the tiny Asian stood and pressed her hand flat against the wall of the cage that connected them to the boys. I waited, but nothing happened.

And then the metal melted.

Thick, silvery liquid rolled over Emily’s hands and then dropped to the ground. Faster and faster the metal melted, revealing Benny and Rajeev’s shocked faces. I grinned and waved over Emily’s shoulder.

You can melt metal! I cried, close to crying with happiness. We were almost free. We could go home soon!

I can control metal, Emily corrected. She flicked her wrist and the pool of metal on the ground floated upward and encircled her wrist. Then it solidified.

My jaw was close to hitting the ground.

You guys are awesome, Benny crowed, grinning ear to ear as he stepped into their cage. Emily smiled and went to melting the front of the cage.

This was all Em, I told them.

Let’s just get out, Tony grumbled, right behind me as I stepped out of the cage and into the cold, clinical white hall. I led them all cautiously. I poked my head out around every corner. I looked for any hint of a white coat, but found none.

Maybe it’s nighttime so theres no one here? Benny suggested.

Maybe… I thought.

Finally, we found the elevator and crowded inside.

To the lobby, Rajeev said.

Yes, thank you, Raj, I said as I pressed the button with my thumb. I really didn’t know that. Although I was sarcastic, I was too giddy to be mean.

Benny and Raj laughed nervously. Tony looked dark and sullen, leaning against the wall, and Emily swayed with a happy smile on her face and closed eyes.

I’m just saying, Rajeev countered.

But we were already moving, gliding upwards. The elevators in this building were fast and silent.

Which kinda made me mad, y’know? If these scientist guys were rich enough to buy high-powered elevators, and conduct secret, expensive experiments on children, you’d think that they could afford to keep us in rooms and not metal cages.

The doors dinged when they reached the lobby, and then they slid open. The five of us suddenly found themselves staring out at about twenty scientists, all of which had turned to look at the elevator.

For a solid ten seconds nobody even breathed.

But then one of the closer doctors reached out to us.

And then all we vanished.