Project ELE (18 page)

The other messages are from Connor and Claire just asking where I'm at and commenting on the video. It turns out the whole thing is about how the removal of the patches is working. The earth is heating up nicely, yada, yada, yada. They still estimate that we will need to remain in the shelter for another two years. Connor complains about that part the most. Especially since his parents are out there. I concur with that, I don't want to wait another two years to find out if my mom and little brother survived, but I obviously don't have much choice.

My tablet vibrates and a new message from Alec comes on the screen. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I got a reprimand though." I type back.

"What?!" He texts which tells me that he must have gotten through the situation a lot better than I did.

"Yes, it's only a class three though." I say.

A few minutes pass and then he sends, "Okay, that doesn't look like it will be too bad. How many days did you get of community service?" He must have just searched through the shelter facts to find out what the different classes mean.

"I have to go on every free day for a month." I type.

"I'm so sorry babe. This is my fault." He sends.

My stomach flutters in a good way at his use of the word babe. I can't help smiling as I type. "Not your fault. This still was the best b-day ever."

"I still feel horrible but I will find a way to make it up to you." He types.

"You don't have to make up anything. I'll be fine. Looks like they are about to let out." I type as the lights come on in the auditorium. Everyone around me starts getting up and I follow suit.

I head back to my room immediately. When I get in I answer my dad's texts and let him know that I'm fine. I was just sitting with my friends. He seems relieved to hear back from me. He tells me that he has to go back into work but that he loves me. He sends another text with a picture of a birthday cake.

Dad: Happy Birthday Honey!

Me: Thanks!

My heart warms knowing my dad remembered after all. I need to find time to talk to my dad about what's been going on in my life. We used to be close and not telling him about everything seems unnatural. My dad has always been there to support me but lately we've had zero time together. I make a promise to myself that the next time we have alone time I will tell him about Alec and even about our cave.

I take a shower and change into my pajamas. It feels good when I lay down in my bed. I didn't realize how tired I was from our exploring and then the emotional stress of finding out we nearly missed the assembly. I was going to text Claire to see how her time with Connor and Lillie was but I find it hard to keep my eyes open. I decide it can wait till tomorrow and I succumb to the sleep that is calling my name so sweetly.

Seven a.m. comes far too early as my tablet vibrates me awake. I yawn and stretch my arms over my head. I practically crawl into the bathroom mumbling about how I hate mornings along the way. I’m quiet though as to not wake my sleeping father. I turn on the sink and splash my face with cool water. As I towel dry it off I take a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

My eyes widen in horror as I take in that eye Alec was talking about. It is not just a small dot of red, it’s like a quarter of my eye is red. What's even freakier is the dark green ring that circles my iris. I know that's never been there before!

I lean in close to the mirror and open my eyes wider to examine it. It looks creepy to me. The only time you see red irises are in those badly depicted vampire movies. I move my face around allowing the light to shine all around my eye. What the heck is wrong with me? With the green and red, my eye looks like Christmas time gone wrong. Deep down I want to run to the nearest doctor to get this thing looked at, but something is telling me not to. Just wait it out Willow, I tell myself.

I sneak back into the other room where my tablet is and bring it into the bathroom with me. I remembered seeing a small, funny looking dot on the top of the tablet. My guess is it's a camera. I search the icons for a camera app and find one. Ah, ha! I say to myself. I position the camera up to the mirror and get a close-up shot of my eye. I send it to Alec and ask him in the message.

Me: Is this how it looked yesterday?

I hit send and wait. With nothing else to do I braid my hair. As I am clasping the bottom with a rubber band my tablet vibrates.

Alec: I don’t think so, but maybe it’s the light. You might want to get that looked at.

Then a second later another message pops up.

Alec: Ah crap, I just cut myself. Got 2 run!

Me: K

I push the tablet aside. I’m trying to put two and two together and it doesn’t make sense. I’ve seen what it looks like when you poke your eye and it…bleeds. Sabby did it once when he was about three with one of my pencils and it didn’t look like this. It looked like it was bleeding, not perfect and symmetrical. It just doesn’t add up.

Suddenly I’m overly self-conscious about it. I pull my hair back down out of the braid and arrange it in front of my face. In a fleeting moment, which I most definitely don’t think through, I grab some scissors and cut some long bangs around my face. I cringe upon seeing long strands of my hair fall to the floor. No going back now. I guess my vanity is getting the best of me today. I work to try to even them out. In the end my bangs end up long enough to where if I wanted, they would nearly cover my eyes. I cut them in an angle though so they can swoop over my left eye. I figure there's no use in walking around fully blind when my right eye seems normal...for now.

I look in the mirror to examine the finished product. A long exasperated sigh escapes me. I keep telling myself in my head over and over that it’s a new fashion statement. Tomorrow, everyone will do the same and cut bangs like mine. Yeah right, Willow, my annoying common sense chimes in.

I glance down at the clock and realize I only have a few minutes before I have to be down to breakfast. I scoop up the hair as best as I can, dispose of it in the trash and put back the scissors. I hurriedly get dressed, grab my tablet, and b-line for the cafeteria all the while careful not to wake my dad.

Self-consciously I drag my newly cut bangs in front of my eyes thinking man, if I only had my sunglasses this would be ten times easier. I could just feign a headache and be done with it.

I drag my tray over to Connor and Claire sitting it down with a thump.

“Wow,” proclaims Connor. “Did someone wake up Emo this morning?”

Claire slaps Connor on the shoulder. “Hey, I like the bangs, it’s totally cool!” She exclaims in what sounds like mock enthusiasm.

“Thanks,” I mutter while keeping my head down.

The rest of breakfast is strangely quiet with Connor and Claire saying something every now and then to break up the awkward silences. Except what they say isn’t making sense.

One time Connor blurts out, “I WONDER WHY CLAIRE DOESN’T LIKE SHOW TUNES.” It sounds muffled…different.

And, one time Claire said to no one in particular, “YEAH, A NAIL SALON WOULD BE NICE,” her voice sounding different too.

I can’t put a finger on what’s going on.

After breakfast we trek up to our classroom and take our seats. There are so many voices’ talking it’s hard to think straight. To my surprise I look around and notice that I can hear people talking but practically no one is moving their lips. It’s so strangely bizarre and foreign that I put my head in my hands and cover my ears. The sounds are somewhat muffled, but not in the least bit gone.

I shake my head and look up grunting in frustration. I must have grunted pretty loud because all heads, including Ms. Thomas’ turn in my direction. “Sorry,” I mutter. “Bad headache.” Yes, Willow. That’ll explain your attitude and your new hairstyle.

Heads begin to turn away from me but I hear comments like: "FREAK, LONER," and "LOOSER," drifting from different people in the room. I can’t understand why Ms. Thomas is letting them say these things.

I look to Ms. Thomas for help and hear her say in a muffled voice, “TEENAGERS, THIS JOB MAKES ME SICK. I DON'T EVEN GET MY SATURDAYS OFF ANYMORE. THIS IS SO NOT WORTH IT!”

I furrow my brow in utter frustration and look over to Connor and Claire. To my surprise they’re facing forward like nothing is happening. I pull the text app on my tablet up and text a hurried group message to them.

Me: Did you just hear what Ms. Thomas said???

I hit send and watch as Connor and Claire get the messages.

They both look confused. I hear them say, “NO,” but again in those bizarre muffled voices. My tablet vibrates softly in my palms and they both respond with No.

I’m beginning to get freaked out. I look over to Claire who looks like she’s doodling on her tablet. Suddenly, in the middle of class I hear her say, “BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. THIS TEACHER CAN RAMBLE! SERIOUSLY, WHY WOULD SHE THINK WE’RE LISTENING? THIS HAS TO BE THE MOST BORING CLASS EVER!”

At this point my mouth drops to the floor. I look up at Ms. Thomas and she just continues on with the lesson! Is she deaf? I shrug my shoulders and decide to try it out, “Boring,” I say loud enough for everyone to hear.

My face pales as Ms. Thomas stops mid-sentence and turns to face me, complete with beady eyes and a red face. I sink low into my seat. “What did you just say, Willow?” She says as she spits my name. Then I hear her say in a muffled voice, “YOU LITTLE TWERP, YOU THINK I LIKE DOING THIS?”

My eyes go wide at this. Her mouth didn’t move. I think it’s at this moment I have come to accept that I’m going crazy. “Nothing,” is all I can stand to mutter in response.

“That’s what I thought,” Ms. Thomas says while turning around, continuing the lesson.

I look over to Claire whose face is burning red. She gives me a look like, what gives, and I just shrug my shoulders. I keep my hand over my ears for the rest of the class until the bell rings.

I grab my tablet and hurry out the door eager to get away from the bizarre and personal comments no one should dare say aloud. As I walk towards the cafeteria I keep my head low realizing that the muffled dialogue I’m hearing is dramatically decreased when I do this. But, keeping my head low does have its con
sequences. I practically mow over several people with my tray on the way to our table. It’s ϋber embarrassing.

Claire and Connor each slam their trays down and display a look of annoyance. I cringe and Claire begins, “Willow, what the hell is wrong with yo
u?” Leave it to the normally calm natured girl to speak up first. She stares me down. Then in her muffled voice I hear her say, “SHE’S ACTING SO BIZARRE, MAYBE SHE’S ON DRUGS.”

“I am not on drugs,” I say to defend myself.

Claire’s mouth falls open, “What did you just say?”

“I said I’m not on drugs,” I repeat, confused by why she’s asking me to repeat it.

“Willow, I didn’t say that.”

I give her a disgruntled look. “I just heard you!” Then it dawns on me, and a look so horrific must come over my face as I watch Connor and Claire’s reaction to my epiphany. “Wait, Claire, think of a number between one and ten million. And Connor, think of a color, not a primary color, but one that is bizarre.”

They look at each other and shrug their shoulders. “ONE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND,” I hear Claire mutter softly.

“MACARONI AND CHEESE YELLOW,” I hear Connor say almost in unison with Claire’s response.

“One-hundred-thousand and macaroni and cheese yellow.” I say, watching for their reaction. Connor and Claire grip the sides of their chairs and look at me completely bewildered. They both look like they are on the verge of passing out. “Sit,” I command. The last thing I want to do is invite more unwanted attention to myself.

"What the heck was that Willow?" Claire asks. Connor just continues staring at me with a blank expression.

"I don't know. It's like I woke up and now I can hear everything!" I exclaim.

"Everything, Everything?" Connor asks. The dumbfounded expression is still on his face. "CLAIRE IS HOT." I hear Connor's muffled voice say.

"Yeah, I think she doesn't know just how beautiful she really is." I say looking at Claire. Connor's mouth drops open again and Claire's cheeks redden as she realizes what I must have heard in his mind.

"How do you turn it off?" Claire asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "I have no idea. I mean I can muffle it somewhat if I keep my head down and don't look at anyone."

"I think the better question is how did you turn it on?" Connor asks.

"I'm not sure how I turned it on." I'm starting to feel a little frustrated about my lack of knowledge when it comes to these new freak worthy skills.

"Why do you think this is happening now?" Claire's expression is thoughtful and curious.

"I. Don't. Know." I enunciate each word with frustration. I feel like an instant jerk when Claire's face falls. "I'm sorry, I just don't know any more than you do. I really need to see Alec." My head is starting to pound again so I rub my temples with my index fingers. I look up at Claire with watering eyes.

She looks at me and immediately gets up from the table and comes around to sit by my side. She rubs my back soothingly and says, "It's okay sweetie we'll figure this out." She pushes the hair from out of my face and I look up to hear her muffled voice say, "She looks sick." The second she registers my eyes she gasps. "What in the world?" A whole series of questions that I can't quite make out are running through her head.

I quickly look down and hold my hands to my ears. My head is pounding so hard now that I feel as if it's going to explode.

"Should we take her to the doctor?" Connor asks worried.

"No! Alec." I say through clenched teeth. My head is hurting and each word feels like a hammer hitting my temple. I keep my head down as Claire stands and helps me up from the table. I walk that way staring at Connor and Claire's white tennis shoes as they lead me out of the cafeteria. For the time being I can't hear any inner thoughts but I doubt I would really be able to concentrate anyhow with this pulsating headache.

I watch a pair of bare feet walk towards us. They are perfectly pedicured with hot pink nail polish that can only belong to one girl that I know. When I hear the hyena laugh I know that my guess was right on the money.

I look up to see Candy, Zack and their posse walking in our direction. I look away quickly but the voices have already started to flutter into my brain. Candy's muffled inside voice is just as annoying as her real one. "PATHETIC. WHAT DOES HE SEE IN HER? AND THOSE BANGS? ICK!"

I hear one of the other guys say something about Candy's rear end but surprisingly I can't hear a thing that Zack is thinking. I look up at him and he gives me a strange eerie look. I look down quickly only to see his tennis shoes stop directly in front of me.

"So where do you think you're going?" Zack asks.

I keep my head down and Connor speaks up for me. "She's not feeling well. I'm taking her to the nurse."

"Hmm, looks like someone had a little too much fun last night. So was it pain pills? Alcohol? What did you get into darling? Cause rumor has it you were late to the assembly." Zack says a little too coy-like.

How in the freak did he know that? I look up at him surprised. I strain my mind to hear what he's thinking but it's like I'm hitting a brick wall. The one time I could use this freaky gift thing and it doesn't work?

Claire yanks me to the side out of Zack's path and then pulls me forward down the hall away from them. "Jerks!" She yells.

Candy laughs and so do some of the other guys.

Connor is at my other side and they both usher me into a nearby elevator. I look up to see Zack still staring at me intensely as the elevator doors close. A chill runs down my spine as I get the feeling that somehow he knows what's up with me.

The elevator pops open and we start walking towards the office in headquarters. When we reach the second floor area that is open to below with all of the different offices and shops, my head nearly pops off. Floods of voices fill my brain. It sounds like millions of people yelling in a language I can't understand it’s so jumbled and garbled up I can't make out a single thing.