THE ART OF BREAKING HEARTS

SEVEN

"Ms. Raa, tell me, what convinced you to originally not want to cross the line?" Dr. Calandra asked me, ignoring Jasmine. Then, her eyes pierced into Emma, who flushed under her pointed stare. "Minus the factor of Ms. Chan pushing you."

I shrugged in response. "I don't remember seeing any outlets in this room from the first trial. The newly placed tablecloths that covered the table to the floor could only mean one thing."

"What fact?" Dr. Calandra probed.

I paused. "That none of these blenders were ever plugged into a power source so that those who did press the button would feel the full weight of their decision."

Shocked, someone beside me anxiously pulled the tablecloth upward. Gasps filled the room. Hundreds of unplugged cords dangled as I had guessed. No outlets.

"So we won't be kicked out?" asked Tiffany, who hadn't crossed the line because she overheard me earlier. "For not crossing the line?"

"Did I ever specifically say that you would?" Dr. Calandra smiled loosely. "No one trial will cause you a rejection, otherwise we wouldn't bother with so many tests."

"Then how are we evaluated?" Selene asked, soft-spoken as always.

Dr. Calandra motioned to the bracelet we were all given to wear before the first trial. "Each bracelet has a number on it. Each proctor is assigned a few numbers to evaluate, thus making individualized decisions on each finalist. All of you have been closely evaluated by a person. This is only another trial for us to test your aptitudes."

I had a feeling that there were also secret microphones imbedded in this room, not just cameras. In fact, I wondered if the proctors could see us through the walls but we just did not know.

The doors pushed open. A stream of uniformed proctors came in and started removing the tape, the blenders, and the cloth.

Dr. Calandra concluded with, "Your next trial will begin shortly. Please file out of the room and wait in the lobby. Or you can stay. I don't mind very much."

It was the fastest I've seen people leave a room this quickly. Everyone was nauseas over this trial. As I started to leave, a hand touched my wrist. Theodore. His eyes were dark in this lighting but I could read the expression in them.

I pulled away from his touch and scowled. "What do you want?"

Maddie shot me a warning look as she caught us together. Her message was clear. He doesn't know you how much you hate him. Try not to make it obvious, okay? If only it wasn't so hard for me to act like I didn't hate him with everything I had.

"Are the rumors true?" Theodore asked, tightening his jaw.

"What?" Confusion momentarily washed away my strong feelings for him. I looked at him, unimpressed. "I thought you didn't entertain rumors."

"I don't but this rumor has merit." Theodore paused to search my expression, straightening to his full height of six and three inches. "Your entrance exam score. Did you score perfectly, princess?"

"Princess?" I arched my brow. He said it so distastefully, so scathingly that I knew he was mocking me. "We aren't nine anymore."

"So you do remember."

"There's a difference between moving away and having amnesia," I snapped as old memories resurfaced.

We were children in the same academy for the briefest moments. Theodore called me princess to annoy me because we watched the movie Sleeping Beauty in class. I proceeded to tell him I hated damsels in distress so, of course, he mocked me and nicknamed me princess whenever he could. In return, I annoyed him by saying Theodore instead of the nickname Theo, which everyone used.