THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

to be here to begin with, but I certainly didn’t want to go to that hospital and end up mutatio .

CHAPTER 4
     
    I had Hannah to thank for my full stomach, even if she had seemed put out to sit with me in the dining hall, as if my presence detracted from her. While I ate something with no flavor, she’d scanned her nails, the ceiling, the other kids. Did everything to ignore me. Which was fine with me. Food helped revive me some, but now I had a new challenge to face.
    More people to meet. Me, the strange one. I felt like I stood out even wearing their clothes.
    We’d run into students during lunch, but Hannah had spared me more questions by keeping the conversations turned to her, as though she knew I didn’t want to answer questions.
    Didn’t being a better option than couldn’t. But I doubted it was actually in Hannah’s nature to do anything kind for someone she deemed unworthy. And she’d clearly passed that judgment on me.
    I matched her pace as she moved down the sterile walkways in the building. Everything smelled well-scrubbed, but confining. She still carried the papers and the book with the hard green cover. It had to be two inches thick. I wanted to hold that book and touch the papers, but I wouldn’t ask.
    Every time I said more than yes or no, people looked at me as though I lacked brains. Same as Hannah’s perpetual expression when she addressed me.
    My internal defenses continued to bellow for me to escape.
    Not going to happen this time until I knew how to leave without getting zapped by an electric charge.
    Or knew where I was going.
    She walked me up to a sliding metal door she opened by pushing a button as she explained, “Computer Science is on level two. This is the closest elevator to the administrative offices. You’ll find another one at the south end of the building.”
    When she stepped inside the small room that would hold maybe ten people pressed together, I took my place next to her, holding my breath. The elevator, as she called it, moved slowly upwards.
    Another new sensation. Not dangerous, but uncomfortable.
    Exiting the elevator, Hannah pointed out areas of the school, explaining things in a bored voice.
    A tone dinged three times overhead from some hidden source.
    She waved a hand at rooms we passed that were full of kids. “That’s the final bell to be in class on time, but it takes a moment for the instructor to get things rolling so we’re fine.”
    She pointed out plaques on the wall touting someone’s accomplishments and droned on about what had inspired the creation of the school, but my mind drifted.
    I cut my gaze left, then right, taking in each classroom as we passed open doors. Heads turned my way, curious expressions, but not a flicker of recognition on my part or theirs. I’d never been here before or surely someone would have recognized me by now.
    What would my fingerprints reveal? And couldn’t those be altered? Why not search their records for my face or retina scan, which couldn’t be altered so easily? 
    I stopped midstride. How did I know fingerprints could be changed...or about retina identity scans? No one had mentioned that. Should I?
    Only if I wanted to be treated like a moron again.
    Hannah had been in the middle of describing something about the school. Her monotonous voice faded as she kept walking then paused, looked around and spoke in a snippy tone. “Rayen.” 
    “Sorry.”  I caught up to her.
    She drew a deep breath, expelling the air slowly with a brief shake of her head then continued on whatever she’d been talking about.  “As I was saying, the Browns are richer than God. They bought this place four years ago for the Institute. If you make it through here, you’re pretty much guaranteed a spot in a top college. You’re fortunate the Browns aren’t just loaded, but nice people to be so generous.”
    I zeroed in on the one word that didn’t track for me. “Nice? Then why’d they give me this leg bracelet?”
    She glanced at my ankle where the metal cuff barely showed below the bottom of my jeans, then met my gaze with her dismissive one. “It’s a security measure that Dr. Maxwell requires...for some students. Just until the staff is sure the student is ready to stay here.”
    Meaning, Dr. Maxwell expected a certain number of students to try to escape. If this place was so good, and the Browns were such nice people, why would anyone want to run away? More questions without answers. I didn’t ask Hannah since