The Boarding School Experiment (22 page)

“Right,” Kaitlin yelled. The wind stole the sound.

“Right.” We each yelled it back at her.

We sped down the frozen path, leaning, yelling, watching for the other teams. The track wove through trees and they blocked our view.

“Left,” Kaitlin yelled.

“Left,” we repeated and leaned.

“No, right, right,” she screamed, sounding panicked.

I shoved to the right, my body fighting the resistance. Our log bounced, and rode roughly, reluctant to take the altered path. The road smoothed out, the incline eased off, and I lifted my chin. Blue flags fluttered passed us.
Blue? What?

Kaitlin pointed to the left. A herd of spindly-legged, winter-fluffed reindeer crossed onto the red path.

We’d lost, our efforts destroyed by a random herd of roaming wildlife. My hands fell to the padded bar and my forehead dropped on them. All I’d lost flashed through my head, and I blew out a breath. Okay, feel it. Now let it go. Home’s not really lost, just delayed.

We angled around a corner, and the other teams came into view below us. They arrived at the finish line together.

Both of them. I dropped my arms to my side, and half-growled, half-screeched my frustration. I looked back at Thane.

Tension filled his face, and he said something I didn’t catch about Rudolph and a shotgun. He leaned out the side, scooped up a handful of snow and threw it. The flakes spattered through the sky, catching the falling afternoon sun, sparkling against the sunset. He bent his head and pressed his cold lips to mine, an angry kiss that turned warm. His arms tightened and thoughts of losing left me, replaced by the joy of my first frozen kiss.

A loud cracking sound, like a backfiring car, or a gunshot, made me jerk away. Ahead of us, a large overhanging branch dipped down, like a drunken elbow. The log slid closer, and another large crack came from the tree.

“Guys,” Kaitlin said.

With a powerful snap, the branch broke, dropping in front of us. Our log slammed into it, spun, and rolled. I hit the bar, a rough pressure to my chest, then I was flung back into Thane, then into the air.

All of us were thrown from the wreck.

We crawled upright, our bodies half-snowman, half-human. Something about our hybrid appearance made me laugh. Once, I’d started, I set everyone off. We bent double and collapsed to the snow.

The good mood we didn’t deserve carried us through the long hike toward the finish line. A hike filled with “walking to school uphill in the snow, both ways” jokes, thrown snowballs, and four perfect snow angels. None of us hurried. Why rush back to third place and another evening locked in the habitat?

By the time the finish line came into view, everyone had gone back except our dorm coordinator and science teacher. They paced, checked their watches, and the sky. Coordinator Steele said, “What took you so long?”

We didn’t get to answer before The Scientist spoke. He waved a hand down the side of the mountain. “I don’t understand. You are so much more capable than the other teams. How are you feeling? Tired? Sick? Did you eat more cupcakes?”

“We ate what everyone else ate.”

“Did you take your vitamins?”

I moved slightly in front of Kaitlin. If anyone’s face would give us away, it would be hers. “Sure.”

Coordinator Steele narrowed her gaze. “They’re liars. They were probably making out in the snow. It’s all over them.”

The sound of a mitten brushing against a sleeve came from behind me. I should have spent more time coaching Kaitlin on deception.

The scientist said, “So you took your vitamins and you still came in last?”

Thane stepped forward. “Why are you so focused on the vitamins?”

“I’ve never taken one,” Rhys said. His chin tilted and the rebellious light glinted in his green eyes.

The Scientist’s face blanched. “You consented to take them before you came. It’s a key part of the program.” He jotted down some notes. “Did you hold up your team at any point?” He looked up when Rhys didn’t answer. “You did eat the cupcakes though, didn’t you?”

“Not today or yesterday.”

“But before?”

“Yeah.”

Kaitlin gasped and covered her mouth with her mitten. “I’ve been putting vitamin mix in the cupcakes instead of some other ingredient. Is that what you’re saying?”

The Scientist rubbed his temple with his palm then glanced at the coordinator. “See, I can’t tell how much they’ve ingested. Their data is useless.”

“It’s not vitamins,” I said.

Kaitlin dropped her hand. “If it’s not vitamin powder, what is it?”

Rhys stepped closer to her. “For experimental use only. What does that mean?”

“Are you testing on us?” Thane asked.

“Shut up,” Coordinator Steele said.

At the same time, The Scientist flushed. “Why would you even ask such a question?” His voice pitched high.

“They’re not telling the truth.” Kaitlin sounded shocked. “I’ve been poisoning us.”

Thane said, “You think we’ll keep quiet about this? You think my family would stand for this?”

“I know mine won’t.” I stared at them, hoping they could read the retribution coming their way.

Coordinator Steele pulled out her gun. “Shut up. Get in the jeep.”

We froze and shut up.

The Scientist waved his arms in the air. “Whoa, what are you doing?”

“They’re useless. You said it yourself, their data is corrupt, and now they’re causing trouble.”

“But.”

“Sometimes you have to destroy bad specimens.”

“Wait, wait, wait, back up a step. It’s true they can’t be used in the data pool. But this… this...” The Scientist sputtered.

Coordinator Steele lowered the gun so it aimed at Kaitlin and tilted her head toward the jeep. “Get in.”

We crammed into the backseat together.

The brakes squealed as we took a sharp turn. Coordinator Steele kept the gun on us while The Scientist drove. “The sun’s setting,” The Scientist said, peering through the windshield, his knuckles white against the wheel. “What are we going to do? This is so out of control.”

Coordinator Steele tapped on the headrest with her free hand, but her gun hand never wavered. “We just need some time. No one will come looking until tomorrow, and then we’ll have a solution. Head to the airfield.”

The SUV jolted over the terrain, racing the early autumn sunset. This afternoon had contained as much downhill action as I ever wanted, and the SUV trip pushed the limits of what my body could take. Each jolt increased my fear that gun would go off.

The headlights caught the grey metal of the building and I breathed out in relief.

The Scientist slammed on the brakes, and parked on the runway leading to the building. “We’re here.”

Coordinator Steele said, “Get inside.”

We opened the doors and spilled out.

“Your team did well, so well on every course,” The Scientist frowned and put his back to the wind. “With your heightened abilities from the extra doses, you should have nailed the finale. Tell me what happened.”

His scientific interest seemed extra creepy at this point, and I just wanted away. I picked up my pace.

“Deer,” Kaitlin said, “A herd of reindeer. They got in our way.”

The Scientist’s eyes stilled and his shoulders dropped. “Environment. We didn’t control the environment sufficiently. Thank you for explaining. Go inside now.”

The hollow hangar was dark with its windowless metal walls. I paused in the doorway, staying in the beam of the headlights until someone threw the switch. Huge, hanging, florescent light fixtures hummed on and illuminated the grease-stained concrete floor. Tool-laden shelves lined the interior walls alongside wooden doorways. I rubbed my arms against the chill.

Coordinator Steele stayed by the entrance and I tried to move as far from her as I could get without drawing attention to the movement.

The Scientist pointed at one of the wooden doors. “Into the main office would be best.”

Happy to get away from the gun, I walked fast toward the room he’d indicated. Inside were filing crates, brown carpet, and another interior door. That one lay ajar, revealing a tiny bathroom. The four of us moved onto the brown carpet and The Scientist shut us in. A heavy scraping noise came from the other side of the door, like furniture being moved to block our exit. I instinctively tried the knob. It twisted underneath my hand without opening.

“They locked us in?” Kaitlin sounded confused and weary all at once.

“Good. I’m glad they left,” Thane said.

Rhys nodded. “Keep your voices low so they can’t hear us in this tin can.”

I ran my hands along my arms. “How can it still be so cold?”

Kaitlin shivered and hugged her body. “Try the radiator.”

We stared at her and she moved over to white spiraling pipes that lay along the back wall. She twisted a white knob on top. The pipes gurgled. “It’s a heater.”

Rhys tore off his gloves and moved to the sink. He turned it on and scooped some water into his mouth. “Tastes okay.”

Until I heard the sound of water, I hadn’t realized how dry my throat was. We took turns drinking the icy water. Thirst sated, I acknowledged how hollow my stomach felt. “I wish we had some food.”

Kaitlin rubbed her hands together, stared at the door, and stomped her feet. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop talking, but they were lying right to our faces.”

“That must be your heightened skill,” I said. “You’re really intuitive.” I moved to the radiator and touched the metal surface. The pipes seemed a little warmer, but that may have been wishful thinking.

“Intuitive?” Kaitlin twisted her lips. “I’ve been called naïve and gullible, but never intuitive.”

“This Alaskan isolation probably changed you, or maybe rooming with me did it.”

Rhys said, “Or the experimental drug. Elena and Thane
have changed a lot
.”

“Really, Rhys? Now?”

“That’s not a dig. I don’t mean dating, which is really whack, but your other skills. Thane was always strong, but never fast, not like he is now.”

Thane tightened his arms over his chest.

“And Elena, you remember the night of the going away party? I was at the Johnsons’ for the night, but was still keeping an eye on our trailer. I watched you climb on a block to look in my window.”

“Jeez, Rhys, why didn’t you come out and talk to me?”

“Not the point. I realized what you wanted later when I got your note. But, by then, you’d already gone.”

“So that’s why you haven’t killed me? Because you know I tried to tell you?”

“Pretty much. Anyway, it took you like fifteen minutes to turn that block over and climb up to my window. A couple of months later you’re scaling an inverted wall faster than nine big guys.”

“I could always climb,” I said in a dwindling voice.

“Not like that. Not like an Olympian. Maybe you don’t see the change because it’s been gradual, but I haven’t seen y’all for months and I see the differences clearly.” He looked down at his fingers. “You know I’m good with math and science, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’m better here. First, I thought the crap they were throwing me was just easier than at good old Trallwyn High. It’s not. Some of the equations are complex, and they spin around my mind all the time, half making me crazy. Unless I’m around Kaitlin. Then my mind stills—the same way Thane calms you down.”

I sank to the floor as what he was saying hit me. “For experimental use only. I didn’t really believe him. Nothing like that exists.”

Rhys said, “It doesn’t now, but companies and doctors are constantly trying to find ways to enhance people. Their brains, their bodies.”

Thane said, “They’ll make a fortune if they ever find a drug that works. Billions.”

Kaitlin’s voice pitched high. “I’ve been drugging us.”

I pressed my hand to my forehead. “I thought stopping the vitamins would be enough.”

“Focus on the solution,” Thane said.

I bit the side of my thumb. “We ate so much of it in the cupcakes.”

Rhys leaned against the wall and sank down, his hands loose atop his spread knees. “I could use a cupcake.”

Thane said, “Maybe the effects will wear off when the drugs are out of our systems.”

Kaitlin paced around Rhys’s feet. “We’ve got to get out of here, call someone, something. Tell them what they’ve done to us. Or talk to The Scientist. He won’t let Coordinator Steele hurt us.”

“Billions,” Rhys said. “People do a lot worse, for a lot less.”

On the right side of my face, I felt the first stirring of warm air. At least Kaitlin was right about the radiator. I scooted closer. “I think the heat’s coming on.”

“Get warm, get some rest, and drink more water,” Thane said. “That’s all we can do for now.”

Kaitlin sat by Rhys. He looked at her and said, “No provisions. No transport. Temperatures just above freezing, unfamiliar terrain. Maybe if you’d made friends with some Alaskan kids you’d make it out of here, but you picked three southerners, so you’re screwed until daylight.”