glitched | ✔️

s i x

Chelsie POV
District 340 High sucked.
Actually, it probably would have been great if Amara was there.
But she wasn't.
In fact, I had no idea where she was.

I didn't know if she was taken somewhere safe, and given a new identity like me, or if the HH had got to her first.
She could be dead for all I knew.

I was (by far) the shortest kid in my class, and as always, the youngest.
The age difference between me and my classmates is what brought Amara and I together in the first place.
We were both scared of the 'big kids' after we skipped grades and landed in a mass of older children.
We were each other's safe places.

I sighed, applying the usual morning makeup that I was forced to put on.
One hour of precision only to be followed around my some drooling boy or whatever who wanted my body.
Frick those boys.
Amara has always been the extrovert of the two of us, the one to fill my life with spontaneity and laughter.
She brought out the conversationalist in me, but without her the shy girl was back.
Because she was gone.

After getting of the bus each day I would go to homeroom, and sit in my usual seat by this girl named Gabbie.
She was very talkative. Almost like she was compensating for something.
I am 95% sure I caught her cheating off my papers more than one time.

Other classes were equally as dreary.
And I was trying my hardest to stay out of 340's social groups.
I had run away from any boy that dared approach me, and tried to hide from the plaguing popular girls.
I wanted to be invisible.

I blended in.
Followed the rules.

Whenever I felt like rebelling I would always remember the day my mother had disappeared.
That could be me if I wasn't careful.

   I had been going to District 340 for just over a month now and it had become routine.
Me and my new 'mom' had actually connected. She was a sweet woman, like an older sister to me.
We would binge watch Netflix, have spa nights (which I was slowly being forced to learn to enjoy), talk about guys (or more, she talked and I listened), and do fun stuff together.
   The only complaint I had about my new home was the pet.

Bolt.
Fat.
Wrinkly.
Slobbery.
Greedy.
Ignorant.
Rude.

I never understood why Yulia liked Bolt so much.
Personally, I do not find bulldogs cute.
And this one didn't even have a funny personality like most of them I've met.

His life was literally eat off the floor, eat off the table, chew up my stuff, poop in the yard, drool on my pillows, track mud on the carpet, and ignore all human beings.

   He didn't even cuddle like Bud and Destiny would.
I truly did not like Bolt, but no matter how I complained about him to Yulia she was adamant about not giving him up.
Supposedly she had got him as a present from one of her ex's.
You know, the one she never really got over.

Supposedly he had been on his way to pick her up and bring her to go dancing and propose when he got in a car crash and died.
They found the engagement ring still in its packaging in his bloody suit pocket.

So I could see why Yulia would want to keep Bolt... but was he really worth it?
I mean; she gotta keep the ring too, she wears it on a silver chain around her neck.

Or maybe even get a new dog!
Preferably one that won't growl at you if you watch him while he is reliving himself on a walk.
No joke.
Bolt does that.

All this to say, my life has been relatively empty, without my butt of a best friend there to make things chaos.
The only news relating to my previous life I had received was that my little brother Devin was successfully cured.
And to think I wasn't even there for it.

All those lemonade stands I did for him when I was younger.
And all the bake sales at school.
And that one time Amara stole Chrissy Scott's silver watch and sold it because she was starting to get desperate...
I just really wanted to be there.

~

I climb on the bus, and slide into a row close to the front, not making eye contact with anyone, and silently hoping no one will sit next to me.

But someone does.
And I know this someone.

Gabriel...
I generally try to be considerate to people but this kid is— well, he smells.
He smells so bad that I have to casually breathe through my sweatshirt to filter out the stench.

I don't think he has ever showered.

His hair practically drips with grease and his face is kinda flabby and flushed, like he's been running all day.
I don't even think he knows what the word running means.
But the most depressing thing about Gabe is that he'd be a stunner if he cared about hygiene.

I cannot explain the relief I felt as I climbed off the bus.
I did the usual routine, heading to my locker and grabbing my books.
As I walked to homeroom the water fountains flickered, becoming more outdated versions of themselves.
Nobody else noticed the Machine at work.
They never did.

The Head of Humankind thought he could somehow turn back time if he set the world in reverse.
I guess he forgot that you can't set people in reverse.
So we are stuck with this, objects vanishing or turning into older models of themselves.
But after the things were changed or gone nobody even remembered they once existed.
It's like all their memories were wiped each time.

The only ones who noticed were me, Amara, Yulia, Peter, wait.
Basically everyone at Liberty for the Bounded.
I was so stupid!

Of course!
We were all—

I was torn from my thoughts as I collided until a wall of pure muscle.

Garret.
6'5.
Muscles practically bursting through his shirt.

"O-oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" I yelped, my books flying from my arms.

Garret's eyes landed on my face and he smiled a bit.
Some of the tension in my body eased.
"It's okay, Gracie. Let me help."
Before I could protest he was helping me pick up my books while I stood there, awkward as heck.

"Thanks. I can't believe I walked into you like that! I was just thinking about the water fountains," I apologized again.
Instead of giving me a weird look he nodded.

"I was thinking about them too earlier. Like I wish they would add something that allowed you adjust the water setting and temperature,"

I didn't bother to mention that that's what they had been able to do before.
It would only confuse him.

"Yeah, that would be awesome,"
I was just standing there awkwardly, looking down at my boots.
Without Amara around to shove me into people forcing me to socialize I could practically feel myself becoming more shy.

The warning bell rang and I jumped a little.

"Oh. That's the bell. I'm going to get to class. Thanks for the help, and sorry for, you know, bumping you. I like your idea about the water fountains by the way," I blurted, making my escape.
Wow, wasn't I literate?

Was this what my whole existence would be like?
Didn't Liberty for the Bounded have some purpose for me?

Because I felt like I was becoming more and more lost to myself each day.

•••
Whoo.
It's hard for me to write/revise these Chelsie chapters, I hope it didn't totally suck.