Fixing Her

Chapter V

"So I was thinking," Isaac says at breakfast the next morning, when I for the first time decided to join them at nine am, two hours before I'm supposed to be at the café. "You were a med student right?"

"No, high school," I correct him when I realize he's talking to me.

"Well, whatever you are, you're good at it, and only because.... your papers were stolen, your future shouldn't be. I talked to one of the girls with most influence over school and she's gonna talk to the head to get him to talk to the high school, so you can finish your year and then head off to real meds."

I look at him with big eyes. He's done what?

It's not like I'm not eternally grateful for this, all I've ever wanted has and will always be to become a surgeon, but what if they don't buy my story? What if they, just like Isaac, see the too many big holes I've peppered it with? What if it exposes me? "Surprise."

"Really?" Thomas asks. "Donkey is gonna talk to Monkey?"

"Yeah. Mia's the one convincing him, so she'll probably pull it off. She said it's pretty easy actually. That if you're half as good as I said you are, you're in. They'll try finding your other grades in the system and from there decide whether you can do an ATE or not. Just like Elaine did."

"ATE is an all time exam," Thomas explains simply.

"Really?" I exclaim, ignoring the fact I have no idea what an all time exam is and that I need to pass one whole year in high school while staying under everything and everyone's radars.

"Yeah, I'm waiting for her call," Isaac tells me. "She was gonna talk to Donkey, the head, today so maybe later on we can go and you can do that test and get in before school starts."

I am terrified, yes. The chances of everything going wrong will increase if I do this, yes. I may be exposed, yes. They won't buy it, I know, but yet, I can't stop the smile that jumps up on my face, and I can't not exclaim, "Thank you so much!"

My reflexes and adrenaline kick in way before my mind, and I've jumped up from my seat. All I want is to somehow finish school and get into meds, and now I've got the chance, even if the costs and risks are just as many as the amount of endorphins my brain's pouring out.

He cracks a small, halfhearted smile and goes back to his breakfast, not saying anything more about it. I sit back down and try ignoring their shocked eyes.

"I can't believe anyone in this house is so happy about going to school," Parker says. "Well, except for Isaac here."

"Shut it," Isaac warns, but I see the way he smiles.

"You're a nerd Isaac," Dylan tells him. He looks at me, dragging a straight moving hand through the air before saying, "He's got straight A's."

"What?" I ask. "Really?"