Life Time

He catches me looking and smirks. Obviously, I look away, getting back to work. After a few minutes of listening to Dr. Gallo, I hear a tapping noise on my notebook.

"Hey," Joe mouths from across the table. I could tell I blushed.

"Hey," I mouth back.

"What's up?"

I shrug, and look to my notebook.

"School. You?"

"Same," he mouths. His lab partner, Abby, is eyeing him suspiciously, as if he's up to something. She looks away.

Dr. Gallo turns around and calls on another kid in the class, Fritz, for an answer. Joe and I immediately look to our notes until she turns around again. Joe taps on my notebook again.

"What class do you have after this?" he writes on my notebook cover.

"English. Why?" I write in reply.

"No reason."

All of a sudden, there is a click, and the school audio system comes on. The school's secretary, Ms. Carson, begins to speak in her usual monotone voice.

"Please excuse the interruption, but would each classroom between numbers fifty and sixty each send two students to the office? This is a requirement by the state and government. Information will be given to those that attend."

"Alright, who wants to go?" Dr. Gallo lazily asks my class.

"Alea and I will go," Joe says, raising his hand. Dr. Gallo nods, and waves to us in dismissal.

Once out in the hall, I speak in a regular voice to Joe.

"Why did you volunteer us?" I ask, somewhat suspicious.

"First of all, I wanna know what's going down with this 'new requirement by the state and government', and second, I wanna talk."

"Talk?"

"Yeah. You know, when two people construct sentences and have a conversation?"

"I know, but about what?"

"Anything," Joe shrugs.

"Like what?"

"What class do you have after this?"

"English."

"Same!" Joe smiles. We're halfway to the main office, now.

There is a moment of awkward silence as I nervously fiddle with my hands.

I stare at my feet and refuse to look at Joe until he clears his throat and I look up.

"We're here," he says. We're standing in front of the main office, where at least twenty other students are gathered. The secretary, Ms. Carson, is ushering us all into the auditorium. Joe and I say nothing to each other.

We sit down in the auditorium in the first row, looking up at the stage where a table and chair are sitting, empty. Once everyone is seated and hushed, the lights dim, and a man walks out onto the stage, the spotlight making a perfect circle around his figure.

He's tall, at least six feet, and is wearing a black suit and tie. His hair is black, his beard is black- everything about him is that one color, except for the briefcase he's carrying in his left hand, which is silver. The man places the briefcase on the table and then sits down in the chair. He looks at us expectantly, and then speaks.

"My name," he begins with a deep, majestic voice, "is Doctor Quinn. I am here because the government has decided to conduct a study in the best high school of each state. Yours was chosen, and that is why I am here.

"The study is this: twenty students will be placed in a home-like environment, and will be evaluated on their behavior. Both subjects per environment will be given a weekly dose of a medicine called Dedisco. This pill, which is given in a sugar cube, helps the brain in making emotional connections with another person, along with strengthening your memory.

"Dedisco is completely safe, and will not harm you in any way. In fact, Dedisco may even improve you. Anyway, each one of you was either chosen by your teacher or you volunteered. I assure you, no harm will be done," finished Dr. Quinn. He opened his briefcase and pulled out a bright red plastic bottle.

"This," he said, "is Dedisco. There are enough doses for a month, which is how long the study is being conducted nationwide. For four months, you will be separated from the rest of your school and families. The only person that you will be with is the person that came with you to this auditorium from your class."

Joe and I exchanged a nervous glance; I was surprised to see that Joe, of all people, appeared anxious. I figured he'd have faced this with a cocky attitude.

"However," Dr. Quinn continued, "at the end of the month, you and your 'partner' will be evaluated by me personally. You will no longer receive doses of Dedisco, and if it occurs that one of you becomes addicted, you will be sent to a rehabilitation facility until the addiction is gone. Now, the study is beginning today in...fifteen minutes. You will board a bus that will take you to the facility where you will be assigned your 'environment'. Thank you for your time."

Everyone felt obligated to clap, and so we did. Dr. Quinn left the stage after putting the red bottle of Dedisco back into his briefcase. All twenty students were then rushed out of the auditorium.

"Don't you think it's weird?" Joe asked me in a hushed voice, leaning in close to my ear. It was the closest I'd ever been to a boy, and I blushed.

"What's weird?"

"This whole thing! Taking medicine, a study and those environments..."

"Hey, you volunteered us both, remember?"

"Yeah, but still..."

"Yeah, if anything bad happens, I'm blaming you," I smiled. Joe smiled back.

We were given fifteen minutes to say goodbye to our friends and call our families. It felt as if I were going on a journey that I couldn't back out of. I said goodbye to Kelly and Caroline, and a few other friends. I had a tearful farewell with my twin brother, John. Did I mention that Joe's a twin, as well? Anyway, he and his sister, Colleen, hugged and bid adieu. Then, Ms. Carson made everyone get in line and walk out to the bus that would take us far away.