The Boarding School Experiment (7 page)

“OMG,” Kaitlin said, true horror in her voice.

The director held up a hand. “Some of you may have noticed that the shiny plastic eggs mounted on the cafeteria walls have your names on them.”

Murmurs erupted from the students. Okay, that was random.

“I want my stuff.” Kaitlin’s gaze shifted to the exit. “What eggs?”

“I didn’t see them,” Geneva said.

“By the food preparation room,” I said. “It looks like Easter.”

“Those are treats, and the rewards will be revealed later. For now, mingle. Try to enjoy the rest of the evening, and swing by the entry hall in the next hour or so. You may pick up your uniforms there.” The director waved his arm in a long, looping motion. “You’re dismissed.”

***

I fell back on the mattress, wearing black sweatpants and a green T-shirt. We’d each been given three T-shirts and three pairs of sweatpants. The colors were navy, black, and green. The school’s emblem, a teal igloo and a gold star, was printed on the upper left of the shirts.

I was exhausted. My eyelids lowered and I thought I’d sleep for hours, but the second I lay down, I was wide awake. Not wanting to disturb my roommates, I moved slowly, and carefully clicked on the bedside lamp. Each bed had a lamp, either a tableside lamp or a clip-on. I liked that I had the larger version. The incandescent bulb lit half the room and I relaxed.

Geneva popped up, waving her arms. “What? What?”

Kaitlin didn’t move at all.

“Sorry, I was going to read.”

Geneva shoved her eye mask off in irritation. “It’s the middle of the freaking night. Turn the light off.” She made a humph sound and rolled to her side.

I hesitated and Geneva kicked the covers out of her way and got up. She knelt and struggled with the small clip light attached to her headboard. A few curses later, she pulled the lamp free and held it aloft like a trophy. “If you have to have the light on, use this one.”

“I don’t have to have one on.” I hurried over to take the gift from her and hooked it up. The clip lamp made a nice low wattage glow so I turned off the big bright one. Darkness crept around the room, and I rolled to my side so I could see the light under the door, too. I concentrated on it until my eyes became gritty. I needed to sleep and the more I thought about sleeping, the more I couldn’t. My body was wiped out and heavy, but my mind raced.

When the alarm rang, I thought I’d be tired, but I felt a kind of exhausted euphoria. I walked with Kaitlin and Geneva to our morning class, Biology Two. The lab-coat-wearing coordinator gave an introduction. It included his real name, but the new moniker didn’t stick. Geneva had nicknamed him The Scientist at orientation, and my tired brain refused to embrace an alternative.

“As part of the program, you’ll be expected to do four hours of chores each week,” The Scientist said. “Not all kids are destined for college, so your chores allow you to learn both technical and life skills.” He walked down the row, passing out 3x5 cards and assessing each of us with teacher eyes.

Geneva rolled her own eyes and flipped her card over so I could read it.
Baking.

Kaitlin held hers up.
Baking
. “Mine too.” Her voice held doubt, and she raised her hand. “Um, baking? I’m going to be a doctor.”

The Scientist nodded. “Learning measurements will be a useful skill.”

Kaitlin frowned and wrinkled her nose, but she didn’t protest further.

I flipped my card over.
Laundry.

Geneva looked over my shoulder and snickered. “Baking’s not so bad.”

***

The dryer room hummed with the rotation of the machines, creating a nice white noise. My duties consisted of filling the row of dryers with wet laundry. After the laundry dried, I was to throw it into wheeled bins.

I went to the first machine and popped open the round door. The rush of heat steamed the already warm room, making my hair frizz. I checked the clothes to see if they were dry. Heat and dampness met my searching fingers.

The main door opened and two students popped in and introduced themselves: Declan the washer and Nevaeh the folder. Declan was dark-haired and cute. He whined about the vats of soap. Nevaeh had dark spiky hair and pointy features. She reminded me of an anime character brought to life by an angry artist. Although I hadn’t met her officially, she was one of my suitemates.

Nevaeh rolled her eyes at Declan, then snapped at me to remove the dryer sheets before sending the loads through to her. She palmed the spikes in her hair. “It’s so muggy in here. Sucks to be you.”

I shrugged.

We talked a minute longer while they fidgeted in the heat, and then they left. While humid, the air had nothing on Houston. I could take it. The hum of the machines, the clean soapy smell, and the warmth made me relax. I’d sleep great tonight. I wheeled the bin of blankets toward the folder’s door, eyeing their fresh-from-the-dryer fluffy warmth.

Last night had been cold. The administrators had allotted one blanket per person and our room was no exception. I snagged three before pushing the bin through to the other side.

Back in my dorm room, I put an extra blanket at the foot of each twin bed, then made my way to the bathroom, catching it free of roommates and suitemates. Rare. Day two and our suitemates hated us. Geneva took the longest at the makeup counter, I spent the most time in the shower, and Kaitlin liked to take long soaks after her dance class.

Our suitemates complained about us almost as much as they moaned about the advanced subjects we were all taking. I tried not to whine about the living situation, because at the end of the day, I was relieved no one had pointed at me and screamed,
Imposter!

I came out of the bathroom, rubbing my wet hair with a towel. Geneva and Kaitlin sat on their beds, reading sheets of paper. Discarded envelopes lay beside their hands.

A similar one was propped against my pillow. I plopped down, and noticed a cupcake balanced on a paper plate on my nightstand. Its icing had slid halfway down the wrapper, like someone had iced it while the cake was still warm. The desert smelled like a fruit combination I didn’t recognize: coconut and cantaloupe? I poked at the top and shoved the sugar into my mouth before prying at the thin closure on the envelope.

The flap tore and I read the top sheet.
Due to technical difficulties, all students are being forwarded transcribed emails. Please use the computer room at your convenience to reply
. I held four pieces of paper: emails from my parents, my sister, brothers, and Piper.

The messages from my family were short, but chipper. Mom described the bills she’d paid with the government check. Dad said he was thinking they shouldn’t take the money because I was getting a first rate education along with free room and board. Mom told me not to worry. They’d decide later and let me know.

I drew the extra cover over my legs and rolled to my side. Sometimes I wanted to shake my parents. On the other hand, since they didn’t care about the money, it wouldn’t be so hard on them when Rhys and I changed places. The boys sent a brief description of the cartoon they were watching and my sister detailed how she was redecorating our room. I saved Piper’s note for last.

I bought a new honeysuckle perfume. And the smell didn’t bother me. I repeat, the smell didn’t bother me. Anyway, thank you for being such a great friend. Hope you love Alaska. Miss you and can’t wait to see you on your birthday. Tell me all about your school. More scoop later. Piper.

I could still smell her honeysuckle perfume. Every morning she sprayed it on without fail, except last week when she said she was pregnant. Did her email mean she wasn’t pregnant? I hoped so.

Geneva folded her paper into fourths. “My brothers say to give them hell.” She laughed and waved the paper in the air. “Via snail mail.” She tucked her message under the base of the bright lamp and clicked it off.

Kaitlin’s emails crackled as she crumpled them in her fist. “My parents say to work hard.” She tossed the wad on her nightstand and reached for her lamp. “My friends are all like: Why don’t you have a boyfriend yet? Men in Alaska outnumber the women eight to one.” She sighed. “No pressure.”

Click
. The second lamp went off.

I really needed to go to sleep. I kicked the blankets and rolled over, then flipped my pillow to the cool side.

Go to sleep.

***

I had an early laundry shift, and for the first time was truly glad I’d been assigned the mindless job. My sleep had been so fitful, I wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on any chore more complicated than scoop and lift. The noise of the machine hummed with the tumbling of the clothes, and its smooth shiny white surface beckoned me. I climbed on top, knowing the timer would wake me when the load finished. From this angle, I could see hoses attached to a huge vent in the corner.

I rolled to my back. Above me, a square grate was set into the ceiling. The dryers vented out the back wall, and central air came in through smaller rectangle holes, so I wondered what the large square opening was used for. I stared until my eyelids drooped, trying to see where the closure was.

There. A metal lever, like the one on air-conditioning vents, fit against the side. My fingers fluttered, but I didn’t feel any increased air flow. I inhaled the soapy smell and the warm humidity, and tried to relax, but the inexplicable feature bugged me.

I climbed to my feet and flipped the metal tab. The grate came off without difficulty. I dropped it behind the dryer and snagged the flashlight I’d hidden there earlier. The industrial storage room, where we got the dryer sheets and laundry soap, also held other supplies: dry goods, paper products, flashlights… I’d hidden one in our room too.

Click
.

White light shone into the hole. Interesting. It was as if I were standing at the bottom of a tubular waterslide, or, the receiving end of a laundry chute. With the flashlight tucked into the waistband of my navy sweats, I jumped to lift through and climbed. There was enough light from below that I didn’t have to turn on the flashlight until I got much higher. Counting in my head, I reached 40 before the chute stopped sloping. The angle leveled off and formed a flat rectangular platform. The most interesting part of the new area was its ceiling. I was at the very top of the boarding school, under the clear dome, and the sky stretched out above me.

A climb I’d have considered nothing two years ago now challenged muscles long unused. I laid down, resting my cheek on my arm. Warmth from the sunlight shone through the glass. With a yawn, I relaxed, and since I didn’t want to go back down just yet, I slept.

Chapter Five

A few weeks in, the blue lights flashed again, calling us to the amphitheater. The rest of the school had lost most of its new carpet smell, but the auditorium still carried an acrid bite, probably because we used it less.

“Welcome. Thank you for aiding in this effort to improve our nation’s educational system.” The director stood behind a lectern and repeated his opening. “Your efforts as students got you here. You represent the best and brightest in our country. Continuing in that vein, those of you who excel here deserve the opportunity for additional rewards.” His arms waved through the air in one of his lean snaky motions. “Today we announce the autumn opportunity. Five winners will get to go home for the weekend. Home, any one weekend this year, paid for by us.”

The words
paid for by us
seemed to echo because he stuck his mouth to the microphone when he said them. My heart rate increased at the thought. I wanted this. A major part of the program was immersion. Trips home and visits were restricted, despite what they’d said before we left.

Whispers began. I hushed the guy nearest me, and leaned forward to hear all the details.

“Players will be chosen from the top third of each dorm.” The director waved a hand at the screens above him. Names flew across the surface, landing in alphabetized boxes.

I crossed my fingers and held my breath as the letters settled into place, not releasing it again until I found my name,
Elena Carlisle
. I locked my gaze there, fearing it would disappear.

“Bold names are your team leaders.”

Names brightened. Including
Thane Trallwyn
. I hadn’t seen Thane much since we’d been here, and I liked it that way. Figures he’d be a team leader.

The director said, “If your name’s bolded, come down to the stage so we may start team selections.”

Team Anyone But Thane, here I come
.

Once the leaders, who were all male, had assembled, the director waved, and their names disappeared from the board. He faced the team leaders. “Select a player from the remaining names to play in each leg of the race. Part of this challenge will be to show how well you’ve gotten to know your dorm mates. Choose wisely and you’ll select a winning team.”