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  Of course he would. The government was thrilled to make us all into little robots just as early as possible, with everyone in the job they were “meant” to be. Instinctively I understood I didn't want the job they'd want for me.

  “So what does this mean for him Kyle?” Mom asked.

  “It means we keep it quiet for now. For how long, I don't know. The APs are quite soon.” He looked at me and I nodded. “We have a short amount of time to manufacture a contingency.”

  “I told you that 'playing God' was going to come back and bite us all in the butt. Just because the potential for paranormal ability was discovered didn't mean that it gave our government the right to experiment on our children,” she huffed.

  “It's water under the bridge Ali. We signed Caleb up for kindergarten and he was inoculated along with everyone,” Dad stated.

  When the government saw my dad's and the other scientists' findings on proof of gene markers for paranormal abilities, all mixed up there with you're-gonna-get-cancer someday they went insane. Suddenly, everyone wanted to know if they could read minds or some crazy crap like that.

  Memories of the microchip implantation still felt fresh, the needle piercing flesh the same day we learned our ABCs. The needle glinted as it swung in an arc, bound for our vulnerable necks. I shook the memory loose like the teeth I'd lost in that not too distant childhood.

  I looked at Dad, “So what's the plan? Do I have to be like, scared here?”

  “I need to find out a little more about how they administer the test. I'm familiar with the Science portion as I was a part of the revision.”

  “English, Dad,” I said.

  “I helped build the model.”

  “So, you can, what, manipulate the results?” I asked.

  This was Mom's worst fears realized. Here I was, the kid of a liberal, freedom-seeker and a groundbreaking scientist. Who would think I'd be a Cadaver-Manipulator? Seriously?

  “No, I can't do anything as profound as that. But, I can find something that may cause some latent dormancy,” he said rubbing his chin. “There's a drug I can acquire, which will counteract the inoculation that you were given almost ten years ago and your most recent booster. It won't last, but it may help you test weaker. However,” he stared at me, “this won't go away. It's here forever. You were born with this potential. And because of scientific advancement, it's a permanent manifestation. And to answer your question: yes, we should respond with extreme caution. The government uses certain 'loopholes' for nefarious purposes. We are American, Caleb. That means something. Our freedom is precious. No one,” and his brow furrowed, “should be forced into a life-long position, job or be exploited. There is no liberty in that.”

  My palms began sweating with just the thought of losing my freedom. I sure as hell wasn't going to be some government slave! I rubbed my hands on my jeans.

  “Do you know what the component was that the pharmaceutics used in the inoculation?” Mom asked Dad.

  “No, but it's a cerebral-based stimulant so a mild depressant should counteract.” Dad's chin rested on his fist in I'm-formulating-a-plan mode.

  “So, you're gonna give me a drug and I'm not going to be a smart scientist's kid?”

  Dad smiled, Mom didn't. “It's not that funny Caleb,” she continued, “we never hear what really became of the Parker boy but there have been mutterings...” she gave Dad a significant look.

  He glanced her way then said, “Again, it means that discretion is the greater part of valor here. Extreme discretion.”

  Why couldn't I have just been one of the people that talk to the dead? Or, better yet, see ghosts? That's pretty safe. The government doesn't care much about those guys.

  Dad wanted to see my abilities in a “controlled environment.”

  Didn't want a cemetery-repeat right now, thanks. I told mom she had narrowly escaped the Js for supper and she rolled her eyes.

  “Now this is why I had only one son... so I could have two more children later on.” She smiled, she'd always liked the Js. Mom made noises about homework before the guys came.

  No Call of Duty tonight, there was other stuff to discuss. As I was thinking that, the doorbell rang. A bright orange flare appeared through the window, an obscure flame through the glass. It had to be John.

  “Come in!” I yelled.

  John lurched in with Jonesy blundering behind like usual, shouting his greeting, “Hi Ali, Hi Kyle!”

  The Parents smiled. John looked at the three of us, scoping reactions. I gave him the chillax expression.

  The stairs reverberated like a herd of elephants as we jogged up to my room to discuss our evil plan.

  John began, “So what happened with your parents?”

  “It was cool,” I replied.

  As cool as it could be when you let someone in on your reanimation-skills. “My dad thinks that he can get some kind of cerebral downer, or...” I thought about it for a second, “inhibitor for during the test, so I won't respond like a five-point.”

  Jonesy piped in, “What about the rest of the test? Are you going to be all high and test stupid in everything else?”

  Fair question I guess. “Nah, my dad didn't think it would affect the other subjects.”

  John whipped out a crumpled mess of papers from his backpack, futility trying to straighten them.

  “What's this?” I asked, eying it with suspicion. I wasn't excited about reading anything informative.

  “It's something I found on the Internet. It might give us some clues about what you can do.”

  I glanced at the first page which read:

  'Affinity for the Dead' or, AFTD, is not just a genetic marker, but a new reality.

  Huh, I read on about the boy that had made headlines only a few years ago.

  A boy like me.

  Jeffrey Parker, eighth grade student, is the first to hit the radar with full-blown, “Affinity for the Dead.” As everyone understands, in 2010 Geneticist Kyle Hart and his scientific team mapped the Human Genome, thereby giving us every genetic marker that we hold as humans. This invaluable information would eventually lead to a pharmaceutical breakthrough that has now unlocked those previously unknown codes.

  Flashes of psychic ability have been witnessed for centuries but now that the “key” to unlock this “door” has been discovered we will continue to have teenagers manifest different abilities that begin to awaken during puberty.

  Parker is (unbelievably) able to raise the dead from their graves. He claims that he, “hears voices” that ask him for, “different things.”

  I looked at the Js, Jonesy was quiet for once, a miracle.

  John said, “I read the whole thing. It talks about all the different abilities we all may have.”

  “Whoa, hold on!” Jonesy said. “I want something cool.”

  I raised my eyebrows, like I wanted AFTD?

  His cheeks flamed even with his dark skin. “Listen Caleb, dude, no offense but I don't want what you got.”

  John glared at Jonesy. “I'm tellin' the truth!” His eyes anxious. “What happened in the cemetery made me want to piss my pants. That dead guy... damn!” He slapped his knee.

  We laughed... so Jonesy. The cerebral-downer was a temporary solution. One mess at a time.

  “What about after the test?”John asked.

  There he was diggin' around at the crap I had just decided not to think about. He was like that. I gave him a unfriendly look.

  “I don't know... I thought I'd wait and see,” I said.

  “Not good Caleb.” John said. “You know that ass-hat Carson and definitely Brett, are thinking about ways to make your life miserable.”

  I had actually thought of that. I wanted to get through the testing, then tackle the terrible twins. Didn't know if I'd be able to before they ratted me out to some adult that would make trouble.

  “I heard Jade LeClerc saying something to Brett,” John said. My head whipped in his direction, I wasn't interested in Jade being near that asswipe.
r />   Why was she talking to Brett Mason? The girls walk on the far side of the hall to avoid him, the perv. I asked John.

  “She told him to 'go to hell'.”

  “What?” I yelled.

  “Chill out. I overheard them before sixth hour PE.”

  That would have been before PE today? I noticed Jade didn't turn and say “hi” to me like she usually did.

  My hands clenched into fists. “Was he doing something to her?” Just the thought of that butt-munch saying one thing to her made me want to....

  “Calm down,” John said. “I heard your name mentioned, then she told him where to go.”

  Jonesy gave the thumbs up, “They saw me come around the corner and she took off. Brett asked where all my 'queer-bait' friends were.”

  Jonesy started pacing in tight circles around the room, excited. He's kind of a violence lover.

  I could relate.

  “Did you let him have it?” Jonesy mimed a fist punching his open palm, making a satisfying thwack.

  John just looked at him. “Would you stop? You understand the bully laws, right?”

  Those finer details were lost on Jonesy as a huge grin overtook his dark face.

  I knew that look.

  “What?” John asked. He thought Jonesy was gonna get us in trouble.

  Usually true.

  “I'm thinkin' about a bit o' payback,” Jonesy said.

  Uh-oh, we knew what that meant. Jonesy had rigged payback schemes, some not so successful, with Brett and Carson in the past.

  You'd think they'd catch on.

  “Jonesy...” I started. He held up his hand to silence me.

  “Just listen. Brett and Carson are dumber than rocks, right?”

  John and I looked at him, ya think?

  “How about I have them try a cool experiment before the APs and get 'em all distracted from their plan to sabotage your life?” For Jonesy, this was bordering on brilliant. I turned my finger in a circle, keep talking.

  “How about the tube and Aqua Net trick?” he asked.

  We groaned. That had gone really bad before.

  John scowled. “No way Jonesy. You remember what happened when we tried it!”

  “Exactly! It's the perfect thing! It'll take one of them out and distract them around AP time. Then, after testing, if the cerebral-whatever-it-is works, they can flap all they want but if you're not popping the big AFTD guns, there's no proof.” Jonesy spread his hands wide, bow to my invincible logic.

  Of course, sometimes his logic could bite us all in the ass.

  I ran my hand through my hair, thinking furiously. Today was Monday... so almost a week for strategy. I said, “Okay, but you're going to what, steal your mom's hairspray?”

  “It's Aqua Net, there is no substitute,” he said, mildly insulted. “We've got spiders entombed in the corners of my parents' bathroom from my mom using it forever. Pretty damn effective.”

  I told him it was effective but disgusting.

  Jonesy got defensive. “My mom swears by the stuff. She never has to redo her hair.”

  Well... good for her. Jonesy's mom's hair was stiff. I could throw a pencil and it'd stay. Jonesy called his mom's bathroom time, The Ritual. Aqua Net sure worked when we tried fun-with-fire. It was worth singeing Carson's nose hairs.

  John didn't like it. Out of the three of us, John was the most cautious. Of course, he'd gotten his eyebrows burnt off. They took about three months to grow back and his parents had been super-pissed.

  “Come on John, just restating the obvious here. Wouldn't it be cool to get those turds back and off our backs at the same time?” Jonesy asked.

  “Yeah, but if they really get hurt...”

  “They won't,” he promised.

  Dismissing John's worries I turned to Jonesy. “What if they tell us to stick it?”

  “I'll tell 'em the same stuff I told you; we already did it and it's fun.” He said with a sly wink because it had certainly not been fun: singed eyebrows. I could almost taste the foul perfume even after a whole year. “Then, if they smell a trap, I'll say they're sissy-sucking-titty-babies.”

  John gave a satisfied nod. “That'll work.”

  Jonesy could handle it with his boatload-of-charm.

  The cemetery was the best place because Carson and Brett wouldn't want us to think they were scared after the raising-the-dead-guy episode. Jonesy said he'd talk to them tomorrow and see if they bought it. Meanwhile, Dad would get the cerebral-blocking drug and I'd be set.

  Now I just needed to find out what was happening with Jade, maybe start with a conversation, geez-- so original.

  CHAPTER 5

  John and I always sit together in our classes. We have Miss Rodriguez for English. She's a first year teacher so she's not bored and raging at us yet. Her back was to us while I sly-pulsed to John about Sunday. We had a satisfying view of Miss Rodriguez (she's pretty hot), when she suddenly turned, burning holes into me.

  I jerked like I'd been slapped, so busted, I didn't know what she'd said! I looked at John and he was wide-eyed, don't look at me!

  “Caleb Hart,” Miss Rodriguez said, my whole name, not good. “What tense is this here?” She pointed with the dry eraser pen to what I had, until just now, not noticed.

  My cheeks grew hot and I wanted to sink underneath the desk. I stared numbly at the question: My family has been making plans for a snowboarding trip.

  Well, definitely future tense but perfect or progressive perfect, I wasn't sure.

  I sneaked a glance Jade's way and she'd written PROGRESSIVE in block letters on the back of her notebook. I slid my eyes back to Miss Rodriguez, who was looking less hot all the time.

  ”Future Progressive, Miss Rodriguez.”

  She smiled brilliantly at me, her gaze wandering over the thirty of us.

  “It's nice someone is paying attention to the correct tense. Now remember class,” she turned back to the white board, “at this age, it is assumed that you speak correctly, now it's time to know the 'why'. Grammar achieves this by teaching how our language supports speech.”

  My heartbeat slowed to a trot, that was close.

  I looked at Jade again and she gave me a shy smile. I smiled back. She'd saved my ass! It was the first outward sign she liked me more than just a “hey” in the hall when we jostled through the crowd. Brett's eyes narrowed, noticing our interchange, smirking. Jade saw where I was looking and I watched the smile wash away.

  English ended and we swarmed into the hall like bees, weaving our way to our lockers. PE was next period and looking at my watch, a retro thing from my dad, and realized I had maybe four minutes to talk to Jade. My eyes surveyed the long hallway, looking for the sweep of black hair. I'd overheard her say she was part Cherokee Indian, that's where the black hair came in.

  Score! I scoped the hair like a black flag in the crowd. Shiny, spilling around her shoulders with movement as she talked to Sophie. I waved.

  Sophie saw me and leaned forward, saying something to Jade. Jade turned and my heart paused in my chest, her effect on me was that powerful. No guy wants a girl to know that they're enthralled, so I blanked my expression.

  She smiled wider as I made my way to where she stood by her locker, my backpack a solid weight, swinging as I moved.

  “Hey,” I began with my best casual smile.

  “Hi Caleb,” Sophie said then looked at Jade. “Gotta go!” she winked and a brilliant bit of color spread over Jade's cheekbones.

  I'd have to get things warmed up.

  “Thanks for your help in Rodriguez' class,” safe intro.

  “It looked like you could use it,” she smiled.

  “Hey! I knew it was future, I just didn't know the other.”

  “Riiigghht...” her eyes glittering with humor.

  I huffed at her comment but it was for show, it wasn't that hard talking to her after all.

  Her cat-green eyes looked up at me, smokey rimmed with soft, Kohl-colored make-up, not too much. She was hot, just looking
at her made my chest tight, my heart a stutter-rhythm.

  I had to warn her about Brett, “Here's the thing, Brett and Carson have me in their cross hairs and maybe who I hang out with.”

  She gave me a steady look, a puzzled expression furrowing between her brows.

  “Do we hang out?” she asked.

  Truth now. “I want to.”

  I'd rather die than say how I feel but I needed the guts to own it. I waited for her response.

  “Me too,” she said, looking up from under the black lace of her eyelashes; wow.

  Relief flowed through me. Even with all the scary shit I was dealing with, for starters, the whispering of the dead a background symphony, Jade made me feel invincible. I could do anything.

  The bell shrilled... crap! We had like thirty seconds before PE.

  Laughing, we sprinted down the hall, Jade's hair streaming behind her like black water. We'd just make it through the door. Griswold would make us pay.

  There's creative discipline for kids that aren't ready for PE.

  Our bodies slid through the door and I watched the school clock click to 1:46, shrilling the final bell.

  Griswold raised an eyebrow, “Glad you two could join us. Suit up, you both have extra calisthenics today, obviously.”

  Carson and Brett watched this development with interest. That's swell, just what we needed.

  Jonesy was in line, giving me a look of restrained horror. He was so easy to read. You decided to make a move on Jade...now?

  I looked back at Jonesy, so sue me.

  After PE, I kept my fragile connection with Jade, I said I'd see her tomorrow. I had seventh hour band, we had a fifteen minute break. I whipped out my slim, credit-card sized pulse cell I'd gotten for my birthday.

  Depressing the touch pad with my thumb the screen came alive:

  Activated and I thought, Jonesy, then belatedly, John.

  I almost lost my three-way, I was so distracted by thoughts of Jade. Their response lit up my screen with the familiar luminescent green characters:

  Hey, What the profanity-block! is with you and Jade being late for PE? MJ