The Perks of Being a Freak (Editing)

90. Volunteer Hours

It was actually Mitchell’s idea to go to Boston together and have a picnic to, and I quote, “toast the happy couple.” No one opposed it, so we planned to go that weekend, a week before Christmas.

I picked up Jaeb and Simon everyday before school and we drove together. It felt nice to be able to be around my friends. All of them.

Except I guess I didn’t have all of them. I hardly ever saw or talked to Maggie or Hana. Maybe I can fix that, I mused. I didn’t want to lose them.

Now I had people I could trust, and I would never let them go.

Simon seemed to make it his personal goal to hold my hand for as long as possible, which was cute. It got a little annoying when I had to open my locker left-handed. He saw me having trouble, smirked, and held my hand tighter. I flicked his forehead.

But then he kissed me goodbye for the day, and I was back on cloud nine.

The day passed quickly. I didn’t see either Hana or Maggie, but I wasn’t surprised. We didn’t really have any classes together, and sometimes those two just didn’t show up.

Another person who I didn’t see was Tony, which was a little surprising. Maybe he was working. Maybe he hated me and couldn’t bear to see me. Either way, he wasn’t in school.

I felt happy, really happy, for the first time in a long time. I dunno. You ever feel so great that its almost like you’re glowing or floating with euphoria? That’s how I felt. It was like my feet weren’t even on the ground. I was so weightless with happiness.

I had Simon. I had Jaeb and Mitchell. I had Benny and Emily.

Hovering on the edge of my consciousness was Emily’s sadness at her breakup, and Benny’s cold acknowledgement that we had come out of that lab with five freaks, and now we only had three. Hidden behind my shroud of joy was the knowledge that the five of us had been volunteered, that there were computer chips connecting our brains, and that we were in constant danger.

But we were happier than we had been.

When I got home that afternoon, my mother was home, which was unusual. Even more unusual was the fact that she was on the phone, and she sounded angry.

I’m not going to lie. My curiosity was piqued. It seemed that the only person that my mother ever got angry at was me.

So I decided to eavesdrop. I took the other landline from its holder and retreated upstairs. I locked the door, and pressed the talk button.

“-home! You told me that last week you would have our little “problem” solved!” My mother shrieked.

“I apologize, Caroline.” A woman with a faint british accent spoke on the other end. Her voice was faintly familiar. It was almost as if I’d heard it in a dream. “We didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“Damn right you didn’t,” my mother snarled. “Your stupid company still owes me money for my sons.”

“And you will be paid as soon as you fulfill your end of the deal and get us back our test subject,” the woman replied coldly.

My legs went numb, and I fell soundlessly against the wall. The side of my thigh hit the ground, and I sat on it, pressing my entire right side against the wall.

This is what Dr. Hanson meant by volunteering.

I swallowed, trying to fight tears. Guys? We have a problem. 

And like all happy days, the happy part ended quickly.