The Test [Book One of The Test] (Watty Award Winner 2014)

Chapter Seventeen

The Test

Chapter Seventeen

I was drawing again. It seemed like a good thing, releasing the stress I was feeling from everything going on. And to do it, I was using art. I looked down and examined my work again. I had drawn a tree house, the one from the first dream I had. It probably would have looked like the one from that dream if it wasn't for it being drawn in mud. I kept drawing, adding the girl, which might be me, and the boy, which is apparently my brother. I felt someone sit down beside me, I didn't need to ask who it was, I had a pretty good idea.

"You're pretty good at that." Jack said, referring to my drawing. He took the stick from me and added a stick figure guy to the drawing, standing beside the girl.

"Who's the guy?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"Me of course. Don't think when we get out of here we're not going to be friends, you can't get rid of me that easily, princess." He replied, giving me the stick back and smiling like always. I looked at the drawing again, I kinda liked him standing there in it and that made me smile too. We sat there in silence for a moment, not saying anything. "Do you ever think about what it will be like, going back to our lives?" Jack asked after awhile.

"I'm not sure." I told him. "We'll find out some day, when the test is over." 

"Yeah." He said, getting up and reaching out his hand for me to take. "I actually came here to get you. Some girl showed up at the shack, said she wanted to talk to you." He explained, I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up.

"Why does she want to talk to me?"

"I'm not sure really, I guess we'll both find out." We started walking towards the shacks, avoiding every stare or name i've become very use to. Walking into our shack, I saw a girl, definitely shorter than me, with black hair. Everyone was talking to her but when she saw me, she stopped and walked in my direction.

"Hey, Lexi. Can I talk to you about something?" She seemed kinda nervous, her hands shaking a bit. I just nodded and she exited the shack, me following behind her. I wanted Jack to follow also but was glad that he decided to stay behind, this girl seemed like she wanted to talk alone.

I was right, she walked past the field of vegetables, going toward the group of trees I had found Annie in the day we became friends. Like that day, the trees were free of people, the perfect spot for talking alone. She sat down and I did the same, waiting for her to speak. When she didn't, I spoke.

"So, how did you know my name?" I asked.

"Everyone knows your name, you may be the freak to some people but they use your real name too. Plus, who wouldn't know the name of the person who kissed Jack? He was one of the people who stood up to Reid that first day, whether they chose John or not, they will always respect Jack for doing that." She said, not making eye contact with me.

"I didn't know everybody knew about the kiss."