Amoeba (The Experiments) (27 page)

Cal let out a huff. “God
, you can be so much like Jake. When we hugged. I’ll be right back.” She walked out.

“When we hugged?” Billy scratched his head and moved his eyes to the Jack Daniels. “Man, I’m done drinking for today.”

^^
^^

Reed reached down and removed a small strand of hair from Cal’s face as he stood before her and Billy, one leg on a step, leaning in while conversing. “So that’s when I was nominated.”

Cal slightly shook her head. “Wow. And when did your article get published
?”

“About four years ago
. I’m surprise you didn’t read it.”

“Yeah.” Cal sipped her coffee. “If you have it I’d like to read it. I never read a Pulitzer
Prize winning article by someone I knew.”

“I have it with me. I’ll find it
,” Reed said with a smile and a toss of his hair. “And are you sure I can’t give you some of that make up for the black eyes? It works wonderfully to cover up. I use it for my blemishes.”

“Positive.” Cal looked cross at Billy who snickered. “Jake hates when I wear too much make up
. Besides, trust me, these black eyes are a turn on to Jake.”

“How weird
,” Reed commented. “Well, if you need it, I have it. And I would like you to think about something. I also paint, and you have great bone structure. I would love for you to pose for me.”

Before Cal said anything, Billy did. “You paint
, too? An airline pilot, model, writer, painter? Kind of a lot to be good at.”

“Billy
,.” Cal gasped. “Please, people can be multi-talented.”

“O
kay.” Billy glanced at Reed. “How athletic are you?”

“Very. Why?”

“See how fast you can run, because I just heard her husband yelling at Rickie.” Even before Billy finished his sentence, Reed was gone.

“That wasn’t nice
,” Cal told him. “And you insulted him.”

“Cal, he’s lying.”

“Why do you say that? Because he is very talented? Billy, people can be that way. David Martinez was that way. He taught, he wrote, played guitar, sang, wrote songs, acted in a theater group, fixed . . .”

“Cal.” Billy stopped her. “Name one more David praise and I tell Jake you’re glorifying him.”

“Tattle tale.”

“Yeah.” Billy drank his coffee, nudged Cal with his shoulder
, and chuckled. He took another sip, feeling himself sobering up, and he was grateful for that. The last thing he needed was for Jake to return and find him inebriated. Of course, Billy was still confused on the oddness of his inebriation. He had never felt so euphoric. He merely chalked it up to his being knocked unconscious, and he realized how bad of an idea it was after all to drink when he probably had a concussion.

Watching the tape for the tenth time of Billy holding Cal made Aldo’s mind slip back into a time in his life that he had nearly forgotten about. Newly married, he treated his wife - so he thought - like gold. Showering her with whatever she needed. Buying her the first house she ever lived in. But Aldo, in the midst of becoming successful, failed in one aspect of his marriage. He failed to be there. Perhaps that was why when he found out his wife had an affair with a small time casino manager, Aldo wasn’t surprised. Angered, yes. Hurt, extremely. But he loved his wife, as he knew Jake loves Cal. And through working it out and learning, Aldo stayed married. Of course, he couldn’t see Jake handling Billy like Aldo handled that casino manager. Jake for sure wouldn’t have Billy witness his own castration moments before being shot in the head. A smile crept over Aldo’s face thinking of that manager, and how that manager always wanted to be involved with casinos. And he would be forever, lying in multiple pieces under the now MGM grand.

“Aldo.” Greg caught his attention.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Quite all right.” Greg shut off the tape. “Let me explain how it works.”:

Aldo slumped. He didn’t really want to hear it.

Greg paced. “The Adrenal Cortex secretes the hormone that stimulates sexual arousal. Though we cannot do anything to begin that secretion, we can
, however, aid in the amount of secretion once it starts. Understand?”

“Yes. Like a roller coaster, they need to push the cart up the hill, but once it reaches it . . .”

“They are out of control and they fly to the bottom. Yes.” Greg nodded. “We were given the initial drug by a fertility and sexuality study group who couldn’t get approval to test it here in the states. So after a few adjustments of our own, we’ve joined research forces with that institute and are handling the testing of it.” Greg clapped his hands.

“It works?”

“I believe it does, yes.”

“Was Billy given that drug
? He had a look in his eye.”

Greg tossed his hands in the air as he walked over and sat next to Aldo. He leaned toward him in a secretive
, sneaky way, talking in a whisper. “It’s hard to say Aldo. See . . .we don’t control when or how they get it.”

Aldo quickly turned his head to Greg, looking at his eyes that barely blinked. “What do you mean? Aren’t you gonna slip it in the booze, or whatever? You control the experiment.”

“Not in this case. In this case, those five other participants are not only aware of the drug, but they have their own supply of it. So . . .” Greg shrugged. “When and how they do it will remain to be seen. But nevertheless, it will be interesting.” He smiled with a look of control at a silent Aldo as he stood up and walked from the room.

It is a game. It is only a game. And you must play it like any other. You must play it to emerge the winner at all cost.

Excerpts from ‘Surviving the Stasis’

By Jake and Cal Graison

In the hollowness of the wooded area, Cal’s voice echoed in the cavern. “I feel like I’m in that movie Dirty Dancing. Look how good I’m getting at this.”

“Standing still you’re the champ. Try moving
,” Jake told her.

Cal looked down to the long fallen tree that
she and Jake stood upon. It connected one side of the small mountain to the other, lying over a deep cavern filled with extending blooming trees and multi-level plateaus of land leading below like nature’s staircase. However, the closest plateau of land was a hundred foot drop. “No. Maybe tomorrow.”

“That’s what you said yesterday and the day before.”

“You do it then,” Cal told him.

“I
did, Cal. How do you think I got over here?” Jake stood across from her. “Come on, you can do this.”

“No
, I can’t.”

“Cal, you’re pissing me off.”

“Jake, you’re pissing
me
off.” Cal’s footing trembled some. “When you told me you were bringing me up here to see a great view, you said nothing about this.”

“It’s a great view.”

“It’s a deadly view, Jake, asshole.”

“Cal
, you’re being a baby. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Watch.” Jake leaned forward, bent down, and placed his hands on the tree. He then lifted himself into a handstand walking toward Cal until he stood upright again.

“Should you have been doing that?” Cal asked.

“Cal, please.” Jake scoffed. “And try it that way. You can do a hand stand. It’s easier.”

“No thank you. I’d rather walk.”

“Then do it.” Jake backed up holding out his hand. He stood in the center of the tree. “Walk to me.”

“No.”

“I knew it. I knew you couldn’t do this. Fuck it. Let’s just go back over to the other side and gasp at the fuckin view again.”

Cal’s mouth dropped open. “I hate you. I’ll do this, watch.” She shook as she moved her right foot up some.

“Good. Another step.”

“Oh shit.” Cal moved her left.

“Just don’t look down, you’ll be all . . .” Jake saw her looking down. “Cal! Don’t . . .” His voice blasted at her, startling Cal and making her jolt. She shrieked, shook, then toppled, arms extended, over the side of the tree.

All the way in her fall
, Cal screamed “Asshole!” until the line Jake had secured around her waist and to the tree snapped her to a stop.

Jake looked into the cavern at Cal. “I told you not to look down.”

Cal glared up at him as she dangled. “You screamed at me on purpose.”

“No, I didn’t.” Jake placed his hand on his hips. “But you should always be prepared for any sudden surprise.”

“Okay!” Cal yelled up. “Lesson learned. You proved your point!” She shook her head with a mumble. “Dick.”

“What was that?” Jake squatted on the log. “I don’t think I heard that last comment sweetheart.”

Cal said nothing, she just swung.

“Cal? Cal? What did you say?”

“I called you a dick! Now get me up!”

“No, I’d rather let you . . .”

“Jake, no.” She looked up at him.

“ . . . down.”

“Please, not a . . .” With a sudden release of the line’s tension, Cal dropped the remaining ten feet to the first plateau. Even though she was semi ready for the fall, Cal plopped to the grass-filled soft area, screaming a grunt of frustration and banging her fist on the ground. She shrieked again when the rest of the line fell down with a whipping sound, hitting her on the head. She stood up angrily, untangling herself out of the line and looking up at Jake.

“I’ll be right down
,” Jake called down with a grin.

Cal watched him walk with ease across the tree. After flipping him off, she tossed down the line harshly, then moved to the plateau’s edge peering over to the next level and to the cavern below. She looked above her to the tree, then back down. With
her hands on her hips and a pissed off expression on her face, Cal nodded her head with arrogance. “Oh, his big ass is going over
this
today.”

^^^^

Reed dreaded it when the soap ran into his eyes, that burning feeling, not to mention the red-eye look that always ensued. He debated as he reached for a towel if he should expose his other eye to the soap just to ensure an even look. Blindly tossing the towel over the shower door, Reed, with his eyes closed, turned and shut off the water. He reached for the towel, drying his face first. As he went to wrap the towel around his torso, he noticed that the water hadn’t drained right. Looking down to see if it was clogged, Reed screamed in horror when he saw clogging up the drain globs of blonde hair.

Hand shaking, he reached for his head running his hand across to top
, breathing in relief when he felt hair, then screaming once again when he felt that hair stay with his hand as he brought it down.

He jumped from the shower, raced to the mirror, ran his hand across the fog
, and toppled nearly in a faint when only small sporadic sections of his head contained hair.

^^^^

The heavy rain seemed to become a daily ritual on the island. Morning and evening, it would shower, then just as fast as the rains fell, it would stop and the sun would come out. Rickie never minded. Of course, it became a bit bothersome to him if it happened to be raining when it came time to bang the breakfast pots.

But Rickie trudged out, pots in hand, for the bountiful feast he and Lou fixed, to the unity circle where he did his wake up call. Just as he was about to clank the skillet and pot together, something else called out stirring the slumber state of the compound.

Reed.

With the towel half on him, hands waving high in the air, Reed flew from his bungalow screaming at the top of his lungs.

Rickie looked at him and then laughed. “Dude.” Rickie pointed. “Is that, like, a new look for you?”

Reed kept screaming, running around the campfire spot.

Shrugging, Rickie darted out and stopped him. “Flute, man, you have to, like, quiet down. Banging pots are one thing, screaming is another.”

Reed took a calming breath, looked at Rickie
, and screamed again.

Rickie screamed back and laughed. “Sorry. Like
, what is your problem?”

“My . . . my . . . my . . . hair.”

Rickie gave a thumbs up. “Kudos on the brave move, guy. Is it, like, a new fashion thing?”

Reed became even more hysterical. “I don’t know what happened. It just
all fell . . .” Reed reached to his head. More hair came out. In horror, he looked at his palm. “What am I gonna do? Look what happens!”

“Guy, a little tip. Like
, if it falls out when you touch it, and you don’t want it to fall out, then simple. Don’t touch it.” Rickie saw he wasn’t getting through. “Okay, I’m, like, magic. I work for the toot. I can fix that, you know.”

“You can?”

“Sure guy. Go back to you place. I’ll hook you up and make you look normal.”

“Thank you Rickie.” Reed laid his hands on Rickie’s arms. “Thank you.”

After snickering one more time as Reed, half naked, ran into his bungalow, Rickie headed over to Jake’s place to steal his clippers.

^^^^

After changing out of their soaking wet clothes, Cal and Jake walked from their bungalow to see Billy stand from his seat on his porch.

Jake leaned down to Cal whispering as Billy neared them. “Do you suppose he really likes us
, or is this an act?”

“Leave him alone. No picking on him today.” Cal smiled. “Morning
, Billy. Waiting for us?”

“Yeah
,” Billy answered. “I was getting hungry.”

“Bill
,” Jake said as they moved to the other buildings. “You could have gone to breakfast.”

“Yeah
, Jake, and deal with that asshole Larry Kale alone? No thanks.”

“So I take it the little magic amulet is not working?” Jake asked sarcastically.

“Jake.” Cal gritted her teeth at him.

“Cal.”

Billy shook his head as they moved to the dining area. “Rickie said he made pancakes today.”

They stepped onto the porch and Jake pushed the door open. Billy walked in first,
and Cal walked in with Jake.

Jake looked to Lou at the food line. “I have to say, that Lou guy can cook. He’s teaching Rickie well. Let’s just hope no one tells them they don’t have to cook and clean up.” He glared at Cal.

“What?” She responded. “I merely said last night it was getting out of hand how everyone takes advantage of . . .”

“Excuse me.” Larry Kale, with attitude, walked between Cal and Jake, bumping harshly into Billy
and nearly knocking him over as he walked to get his food.

Billy turned around. “See. Every
day. No wonder I get headaches.”

“No.” Jake pointed at him. “You get headaches because you drink all the time.”

“Oh, I do not.” Billy hesitated before going to get his food.

“Bill.” Jake grabbed his arm tugging him. “Every day
you make me feel like the parent bringing his kid to kindergarten. Just blow him off and get your food. If he sees he is no longer getting to you, he’ll stop.”

Billy rolled his eyes slightly. “You know
, Jake, that is so easy for you to say. You’re six foot five.”

“And your point?”

Shaking his head, Billy walked slowly to the food line. He smiled when Cal stepped in front of him separating him and Larry. He got his food, letting his mind wonder where Rickie was instead of whatever Larry kept saying to him. But he knew his morning routine of catching hell from Larry was not going to end when he sat with Cal and Jake at the table. Larry joined them, stealing the seat next to Billy before Jake could.

Cal laid her hand on Billy’s for a second, tapping it. “So. You gonna do some photos of the island today like you said you want . . .” She felt Billy nudge into her,
and she looked around him to see Larry. “What an asshole. Jake . . .” Cal whispered “Jake, kill him.”

Jake, sitting across from Cal and Billy, shook his head. “What’s the point
? That’s what I keep telling Billy.”

Billy felt another hit of Larry’s elbow. Getting annoyed
, Billy turned harshly to him. “Would you mind stopping that?”

“Sorry.” Larry lifted his arms. “Just not enough room.

“Then move down.”

“I’d rather stay.” Larry cut his pancakes moving his elbow out and whacking into Billy.

“You know what? I’m really getting sick of this,” Billy told him.

“Good. Then end it. Me and you. You know what I want.”

“I am not going to fight you,” Billy said. “Fighting is pointless.”

“When you’re afraid
,” Larry instigated.

“If you’re trying to bait me, don’t. And grow up.” Billy grabbed his fork. “This isn’t grade school.”

Cal leaned into Billy. “Way to tell him.”

“You know.” Larry grabbed Billy’s arm, bringing down his hand just as Billy was going to eat. “I will get you to settle this with me.”

“There’s no way.” Billy pulled his hand away.

“You don’t think?” Larry asked. “You don’t think I can get you pissed enough?”

“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction . . .” Under his breath he mumbled as he tried to eat. “Asshole.” Before Billy could take another bite, a slam of a hand came down on the edge of his plate causing it to topple onto Billy’s lap. Billy’s jaws twitched as he watched Larry stand up and walk away.

Cal felt really bad.
She watched Billy sit there so silent, and she reached down and picked up the plate that had fallen onto Billy’s lap. “Jake, can’t you do something?”

“Like what?”

Billy tried to reach down, but Cal’s hands were there. He watched and swallowed as she spoke to Jake, her hands picking at his lap and lifting the food.

“Shoot hi
m or something.” Cal told Jake.

“Shoot him?” Jake snickered.

Billy grabbed hold of Cal’s hand. “Cal. I . . . I can do this thanks.” He took over picking up the pieces.

Cal grabbed her napkin and dipped it in her glass of water. “Well
, if you can’t shoot him, Jake, then beat him up.” Cal proceeded to wipe off Billy’s shirt.

“I can’t just step into Billy’s battles for him
. It will . . .” Jake saw her wiping Billy off like a child. “What the fuck are you doing?” Jake snapped. “Quit that. You’re embarrassing him more.” Jake reached across the table grabbing the napkin off of her. “And you.” He pointed to Billy. “You let her.”