For Experimental Purposes Only

Chapter 1 (David)

3 kids.

1 boy. 2 girls.

1 high schooler. 1 middle schooler. 1 kindergartner.

1 me. Only 1 of me to raise them.

Who's idea was that again? Oh right... mine.

I went over my stupid idea in my head again. One rich and happily married couple raises three foster kids for a year. Each kid with a different background, age, and race. We document the effect of their makeshift family and compare it to a single man with just enough money to sustain himself who is given the same scenario.

It seemed like a great idea at first. Until I realized that there are no single guys who want to raise three kids by themselves. I get it. I don't want to either. Which is why I was really confused (and slightly disappointed) when I was defaulted to take the position.

Zoe thought that I only came up with the idea because I secretly wanted to get picked. She was wrong. She was so wrong.

I work for HUE. That stood for Human Unity Experimentation. We observed how people interacted with people. Then we wrote papers on them.

When you're literally doing experiments on people you can only work with volunteers. And when there are none we become desperate.

We were desperate.

None of our other ideas were really working out (or, existed for that matter). So we needed an ambitious one.

I work in a team of nine people. 5 of which are single. And, Zoe's the only girl. So that leaves three other people who would've done just fine.

But the thing is: they didn't want to do it either.

It felt like everyone in the meeting turned their heads towards me in a domino effect, like what happens in the movies. Just to be clear, I still didn't want to do it. But, I also wanted to be paid. So, now I'm stuck fostering three children.

I also had to get a job at a Target because working with HUE might "affect the outcome."

I was meeting Zoe in the parking lot of Target so that we could go shopping and talk about the kids who would be living in my house.

It was three o'clock when I saw her red Jeep pull into the parking lot. She got out of the car with a purse and a manilla folder. Her blonde hair was in a sloppy bun and sunglasses were perched on top of her head. She gave me a smile when she saw me. I waved.

I don't have a crush on Zoe. First of all, I'm forty-two and I don't just get crushes. I just get a weird fluttery feeling when she's around. And I feel awkward talking to her, but I love to do so. I dress nicely if she askes me to coffee in a friendly way. We're friends. It's nothing more than that (I wouldn't mind if it were more... but it's not).

"Hi" and suddenly Zoe was in front of me. God, I was too busy thinking to notice her.

"Sup" I responded. (What am I doing, I'm acting like a teenager.)

She giggled (probably because I look stupid) and we walked inside.

"So..." She started. We were walking to the in-store cafe. Not the most glamorous of places to meet, but I wasn't looking for anything fancy. (Because we're just friends) "Tomorrow you'll have a family. You excited?"

"No," I said without noticing I was talking. "I...I mean I'm just more scared than excited."

I was stammering. Just spitting out words for the heck of it. Zoe giggled again. We sat at a table that was so sticky it could be used as flypaper.

"Why? You'll be a great foster parent. I know it."

"Really?"

"Yeah"

She was wrong. She was so very, very wrong.

"They all have to share the attic as a bedroom." I pointed out., just to give an example.

She giggled again.

I don't think she realized how unprepared and lost I was. I only had one bedroom in my house. I had a sad excuse for a couch and TV, a bathroom, a kitchen and a bomb shelter from the Cold War. (That's how old the house is) I had a finished attic where I stored boxes of used paper. Not quite somewhere you would raise children if you ask me.

With the help of a loan from the bank, I was able to scrape together another couch, a twin bed, and a full mattress. I stuffed all of those in the attic and created a messed up version of a nursery.

In addition to the condition of the house itself, it was also located a mile in all directions from... anything. Yeah, I'm that kind of person who lives alone in the middle of the woods far away from human interaction. But that never bothered me because I was never home.

Zoe looked like she thought that this is the perfect place to raise a happy family.

She grinned and held out the manilla folder for me.

"What's this?" I said apprehensively.

"These are going to be the children you take care of." She was smiling so wide I wouldn't be surprised if her face got stuck like that.

I reluctantly took the folder. I stared at Zoe without emotion on my face as I opened it slowly.

I didn't want to look down. I didn't need to see three children staring back at me. I didn't need to know that it was completely plausible that I would ruin their already not great lives.

I did anyway.

There were three different profiles of children.

JASON COLWIN

Age: 16 Gender: Male

Height: 5'10'' Birthday: January 27th

Race: Caucasian Hair color: Dark Brown

A picture of a teenage boy stared back at me. He looked like he made an attempt at smiling, but it just made the picture even sadder.

I pushed Jason's profile away and picked up the next one. There was a girl wearing a bohemian hat and dark makeup. She also wasn't smiling. She wasn't sad either. She was actually kinda scary.

VICTORIA PEREZ

Age: 13 Gender: Female

Height: 5'3'' Birthday: May 13th

Race: Latina Hair Color: Black

It's weird that her hair color was listed as black. It was blue in the picture. And she looked like the kinda person who would dye her hair a different color every week.

I looked at the next picture. It was the first happy one. Possibly too happy. There sat a little girl with her hair in two little pom poms on top of her head.

ISA BUTLER

Age: 7 Gender: Female

Height: 3' 10" Birthday: August 9th

Race: African American Hair color: Black

I looked to Zoe. She was still smiling.

"They're so cute!" She basically squealed.

I pointed to Jason, "Depressed." To Victoria, "Probably gonna murder me" And, to Isa, "Annoyingly happy."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "David, you want to do this... I know it."

She was wrong. (kinda)