Forlot: Welcome to the Dummy House - Book Forty-One

Chapter Eleven

Nothing else that I could do but cover my eyes and just pray. Pray that Owen would be okay. I really wanted to help him. I wanted to catch him, but I could not. Owen was a heavy dude. No way that I would break his fall. I was weak. I am a weakling.

I almost jumped out of my shoes when I overheard this thud! noise. I uncovered my eyes and gasped. The poor lad was on the stage floor. He groaned as he was on his back with his arms and legs spread out. Just looking at him and hearing him groan made my back hurt. I only prayed that he did not break any bones like me. Except that I did not break my ankle. It was sprained.

I dropped my bag and scurried to said stage. I climbed onto the stage and crawled to him. Crawled as if I were a baby like Olive. I reached him and asked him how he was doing. Then I slid my hand under his head.

"Are you kidding?" the girl asked as she climbed down the ladder. "Of course, he is not doing well. He just fell and probably broke his back."

Owen's eyes fluttered open. "Am I...am I in Heaven?"

"Are you in pain?"

The girl ran to us. "What kind of question is that? He is not alright because he is in pain. A lot of pain. Can you not see? The expression on his face says it all."

"I only wanted to make sure." I grabbed Owen's hands. "You think that you can get up?"

"That...that depends."

"Depends on what?"

"If I am in Heaven."

The girl slid her hand down her face. "If you were there right now, then you would not feel pain. You would not be feeling any pain. So no. You are not in Heaven."

He pointed at me. "Then who are you?"

The girl crossed her arms. "Yes. Who the heck are you? What is your story?"

"My story?"

"Yeah. Are you an outcast?"

"Well, I was an outcast at my old school."

"Ah. So you are a new student."

"Yes. Today is my first day of school."

I rose and tightened my grips on Owen's hands. Then I helped him up and dusted off his shirt. I told him how much I loved his shirt. Owen said thank you and added that Anita purchased it for him. I asked who Anita was. He pointed at the girl.

"She is Anita. Anita and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember."

"We are not best friends," she corrected. "Only friends. We have been friends since last year because we enjoy each other's company. And because we have one thing in common."

"What is that?" I asked.

"We are outcasts. Nobody desires to be friends with us. They think that we are ugly and weird."

I shook my head and clicked my tongue. "Terrible. Just terrible. I do not believe - no, I know - that you two are not ugly. Why, you are uglier than me."

"Please," Owen said. "You are not ugly. Not even close. You are not even hideous."

"The words 'ugly' and 'hideous' mean the same," Anita stated. "But you are correct." She gave me a slap on my back. "This girl is beautiful. More than what I can state for the Hollywood stars. They are full of themselves."

"Just like my sister."

"Like your sister, eh?" She tapped her chin. "Owen and I want to make you an offer...what is your name?"

I smiled. "Janice. My name is Janice."

"Impressive. Yours is as unique as mine."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "What is the offer?"

"Ah, yes." Anita wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Would you like to join our club?"

Anita and Owen ran a club called "Outcast Club." I was not fond of the name, but I liked what it stood for. Said club was for outcasts only. No popular kids. It is wrong to exclude anybody out, popular or not. We forget that some popular kids are kind. Most are popular because of their folks. But I understood where Owen and Anita were coming from. They wanted to give the unpopular a voice. They wanted them to matter. They are unique in God's eyes. I had to applauded them.

Of course, I joined their club. How could I say no?

"Before we let you in the club, there is something...that we want you to do for us. Think of it as your initiation. You are in if you pass," Anita explained.

"Will it be easy?" I asked.

She snorted. "If it is easy, then it is not an initiation."

"But you said that it is like an initiation. You never said that it was."

She took my hand and shook it. "Congratulations! You passed!"

I gasped. "I did?"

Anita released my hand and laughed. "No. Sorry. I just wanted to see the look on your face."

I frowned and crossed my arms. "That was not nice."

"I know, I know. Sorry. But I will make it up to you."

"You will let me into the club for real?"

"Do not think that you will get out of the initiation that easily." She reached into her pocket and took an object out. "It will help you on your journey." She handed the item to me.

I examined it. "What is it?"

"It is a recorder. A special recorder that I was given on my birthday. It comes with its own tape, earplugs, and microphone. You need the recorder for your initiation. You will record someone."

"Who?"

"I do not know his name, but he is the most handsome guy that you have ever seen. You will see."

"What does he wear?"

"The same clothes. A white shirt and a black jacket and black pants with dress shoes. He is hiding something. I want to know."