Project HALO

Chapter 22

Frank laughs about something the girl next to him said.

I find myself fascinated by Frank's bubbly laughter for a moment, how it sounds like an uplifting melody, but then my attention moves to the girl. She is so short she makes Frank seem tall. Cute. She has long, straight, black hair, and dark skin. Her eyes are dark brown and welcoming. I know I should maintain eye contact, but my gaze drifts down her body before I can stop myself. She is curvy and I can't help but steal a peek at her slight cleavage.

Mikey bumps his elbow in my side and my cheeks flare up. I turn my head away from the girl. Fucking hormones, man.

"Hi," she says, reaching her hand out to Mikey first. Go figure. She must think I'm a pervert. "I'm Maya, or maybe you know me better as Mayahem."

Mikey takes her hand and introduces himself with both his real name and his forum username. "It's nice to actually meet you."

Then she directs her gaze at me. She half smiles and I see how full and soft her lips are. I blink and concentrate on taking the hand she's holding out. My two last relationships were with boys, and there aren't many girls at an all-boys-school, so it's been a while since I've talked to a girl my age. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

"Hi," I say, my throat dry. "I'm Charlie. Not a Phantom."

"Experiment six?" Her eyes glint like she just saw the biggest present under the Christmas tree. "I'm so excited to finally meet you! And I'm so glad the chip is okay." Her eyes widen, and she glances at Frank. "It... it is okay, right?"

I shrug. "It's kinda difficult to know, but I think so."

"Fantastic." She sighs of relief. "Do you mind if I take a look? I've never seen it implanted before."

"Sure." I tilt my head forward and rest my elbows against my thighs. Mikey and Frank lean over as well. I can't feel the chip, but I can feel their fingers stroke and press gently on my neck. I twist a little in my chair, wanting to squirm away from their touches. They're too close for comfort.

"It's so cool," Maya says. The calmness in her voice reminds me to relax. No need to get defensive again. We all know how that works out.

"What does it look like?" I ask. If I didn't already know about the chip, I don't think I ever would have realized I have one.

"Nothing much," Frank says, but Maya disagrees.

"Nothing? It's everything Malcolm wanted. Charlie is a hybrid of technology and humanity with this thing. He has a freaking AUX-port in his neck," she exclaims with another push down on my neck, "It's brilliant!"

"Can he connect to devices via this chip?" Mikey asks.

When I lift my head up again, his eyes are like marbles and they widen more than I thought humanly possible when Maya nods.

"Not without Oracle, though."

"What would happen if we try to connect to the chip without the program?" Mikey keeps his hand on my neck, and I let him. It gives me a sense of safety. "Is it dangerous?"

"I don't think so," Maya says. Her mouth twists as she thinks. "I'm pretty sure nothing would happen. Like, literally nothing. You wouldn't get access to it."

Mikey opens his mouth to ask another question, but Frank is quicker, "We can discuss the chip later, guys and gals. I think the boys need to have their wounds licked first."

"But—" Mikey tries to protest, but Frank shakes his head. He frowns and crosses his arms over his chest. Though he tries to appear strict, a smile lurks at the corners of his mouth.

"No, Mikey. Be a good boy."

"That means I can ask all the questions I want later," Mikey says and scowls at Frank. Frank only raises a sharp eyebrow in return. "All of them!" Mikey demands and sits down with a huff.

Maya walks over to the table and pulls out bandages, cotton pads, and a bottle of cleansing alcohol. I wish I had regular alcohol, because this shit is going to hurt. A lot.

"Frank's right," Maya says. "Now, who's first?"

I nod at Mikey. He has the wound on his forehead and it's more important to check that out first. Mikey tries to put on a brave face, but he looks like he's going to cry. I reach out and squeeze his upper arm.

"It's going to hurt," I say. He scowls in return, but hey, it's better to be prepared. "Think happy thoughts, like... Like sleeping. We can sleep after the wounds are taken care of, I'm sure."

"What the... No? It's only 4 PM." Frank throws his hands out. "I want to give you a tour of this place. Cribs-style. We even have a double-fridge and it's pretty impressive. And kinda old. But mostly impressive!"

I want to roll my eyes at how irrelevant that comment is, but instead I scoff at his dramatic reaction. There's something about that guy that lightens the room. Like he's carrying some kind of happy-dust around. Or is that another word for drugs? Either way, it's working.

"I like the enthusiasm," I say, but shut my mouth quickly. Was that... a positive remark? To a stranger? I know he's Mikey's friend, but not even Mikey gets that kind of treatment. I must be more tired than I realized.

Frank's thin lips stretch into a big smile and he bows. "Thank you, sir. I do try my best."

Maya shakes her head slightly, a smile forming on her lips as well. Mikey is the only serious one. Unusual. His face is pale and clammy and his whole body shakes. Maya has moved to cleaning the wounds on his right arm. Each time she presses down the soaked pad, Mikey groans.

I move my chair closer to his and put my arm over his shoulders.

"Hi man," I say, trying to get his attention. "How are you feeling?"

"Fantastic," he whispers back after a few more dabs on his arm.

Then he passes out.