Ingenious

Chapter Two

My alarm wakes me up at 6am. I'm running on 5 hours of sleep, but luckily I've been doing that all through high school. I let Bailey and Morgan sleep longer, while I get dressed. There is a mandatory outfit for this. For boys, white shorts, with a blue stripe down each side along with a white tank top, with the American flag in the middle. For girls, a white 'skort' with a blue stripe down the sides, and a white t-shirt with the American flag in the middle. A number sits at the back of each person's outfit based on the time they were born. It represents where you will be going in the order. My number is 27, I was born at 1:31 am, so it makes sense. I tie my long brown hair up into a high ponytail, and put on white sneakers. I head downstairs, eat a quick bowl of cereal, and grab all the things I'm bringing with me to whatever pre I end up in. Just as I'm about to leave with my parents, Morgan and Bailey show up at the bottom of the stairs to say goodbye. I'd hoped to avoid this, since I don't think I'll make it through another goodbye without tears being shed.

"You didn't wake us up!" Bailey says, her hair somehow perfect, despite the fact she just woke up. Jealousy spikes within me, but I ignore it and go to hug Morgan first. I hug her tight and whisper a few words for my baby sister, who is going to have to finish high school without me by her side every night.

"You're going to do amazing Rae," she whispers back, "I know you will. Promise to call?" I nod and hold out my pinky. Tears already are slipping, but I try to contain them. Next I hug Bailey, my arms wrung around her neck protectively.

"Promise you'll text me," Bay says, "promise you won't forget about your best friend who's too dumb to get into pre-gov with you and move to Washington." I nod, and by now I don't even care about the tears.

"Promise," I say back. "I love you Bay,"

"Love you to Rae," I close my eyes, enjoying the last few moments with the person who's been there for me, for almost 16 years. The person who supported my dream to go to pre-gov, and listened to all my theories about the government. My person.

"Raegen," my Dad calls from the door, "we should get going." I hug them both one more time, and tell them I love them, and jump in the back seat of the car. I watch everything pass by me. The neighborhood I grew up in, played in, met my best friend in. The place I won't be back until Christmas. The people I won't see until Christmas.

"Sweetie, we're here," my mom says, holding the door open for me. I say goodbye to my parents, attempting to keep it brief, so I don't start crying again. They go to drop off my bags, and I hold the gold necklace I got from Morgan yesterday. I can do this. Morgan believes in me, Bailey believes in me, my parents believe in me. I can do this. I can do this. I go into the building, with 15 minutes until my call time, 8:07. I spot a group of seats outside of the room. The room where something, no one can ever prepare you for, will happen. My phone is with my moving bags, so I have nothing to do but sit there and fiddle with my fingers. Brain knowledge testing is up first.

"Raegen Fanning?" A voice calls. 3rd room on the right. It's easy to locate these voices. The people who run this are government. They are lower level government, but nevertheless government. I head over, and shake the person's hand. He's on the younger side, but pleasantries aren't necessary in this. He leads me into the room and points to the chair in the middle. "Please take a seat so your chip can be activated." My heart races as I sit down. Whatever they are about to do. I'm not going to remember it in a day. I'm not going to remember it in an hour. Will it hurt? It's a question I've always had. Will I even be the same person afterwards, or will the chip change me? I sit down, and attempt to relax my muscles in the chair, but they are all stiff. Something comes from the ceiling, a helmet. I assume I'm supposed to put it on. No one is in the room with me, and that terrifies me even more. When I place the helmet on my head, it feels like an electric shock going through my brain. Feelings just leaves me. The electrocution should hurt, but it doesn't, it makes everything go numb. My brain go numb. I try to keep my eyes open, like it's part of the challenge, but I can't. I truly can't do it. Except the electrocuting stops, I don't know how much later, but it stops. I can't move. I can't stand up. I sit there, like a dumbfound idiot.