《Double Edged Alchemy》 A Long Drive Im sitting in my 4th-period class with Ms.Hatfield, who makes grade 12 English feel like the longest hour and a half of my life. There is about 20 minutes left of school and then I get to go to my favorite place in the world. After school, I get to go to my job where I work as an assistant in a lab. I get to learn from the most amazing scientists. Currently, we are working on a specialized project developing technology that will be able to genetically modify different species of wheat so that it can be more compact with nutrients for developing countries. The scientists I am working with are so close to a breakthrough that I can almost feel it. The only reason I was able to get this job is because I am top of my class in all of my sciences and I wrote a paper that pointed out some of the mistakes on their recent projects and I guess that caught their attention. Miss Anderson? damn I was not paying attention Sorry would you be able to rephrase the question Im just not sure exactly what you''re asking? I hope that that was a good save I asked if your daydream was more important than my lesson. Was that phrased better? Definitely was not a good save. Luckily I was saved by the bell and I got out of there as fast as I could. I take the bus home to pick up my work stuff and then take the train into the city to the lab. I make my way up to the lab which is on the 4th floor of a massive corporate building, my workstation is in the back corner facing away from all the glass-protected lab rooms. My desk sits almost right outside Dr. Mevins office door but I''m pretty sure that''s so he can yell at me without having to get up. Most of what I do here at LAB TECH is shadow the other senior scientists and get to see what they are working on, although I dont have funding for my projects since Im an assistant I still have a few in the works. Most of the work I do is looking at genetically modified cells and trying to reintroduce them into the body to help people with deficiencies in those cells. I can tell you that it is going very slowly, looking at these cells requires having them which I dont because I have no money. Most of my work is just theoretical at the moment but I''m working up to pitch my idea to the board once I graduate. Dr. Justin Melvirn is the lead doctor on the wheat project, he is the scientist I have been shadowing lately. I mostly get assigned to the biggest cases for extra manpower, because getting coffee takes so much energy. I promise I do like this job. I just wish I had more to do. There is another kid that works here, he is only 19 and got in the same way I did. Liam Huxley, I dont want to say that he is attractive but he is not the type of guy you picture working in a lab all day. He is taller than me, probably between 62-63 with a pretty athletic build and brown tousled hair, not that I noticed. He gets to work on his projects though, he is currently working on some sort of treatment for pancreatic cancer. I''m not jealous I hear Dr. Melvirn call at me from his office, no doubt needing me to get him coffee. He is probably the worst scientist I have shadowed, he treats me like I am completely useless and my only talent is getting coffee. Raelyn, we are short on people today. I need you to do a favor for me do you think you can handle it? See what I mean when I say the worst. I think I will be able to handle it, how can I help? smile and nod, just smile and nod I need you to pick up samples, we just got a new shipment of some steroid injections we are using for the project This is better than just getting coffee I guess dont the injections usually just ship to the lab? I say confused. Yes they usually do, unfortunately, they got stopped at the border, these are important for our research This might be difficult since I dont have a car Dr. Melvirn I want to help but I dont have a car, so it might be hard to get to the border Besides it''s like a 3-hour drive so I would be gone all night. You can just take the lab car, you have your license, dont you? You''re 18 right? Technically he''s right, I do Yes I do I tell him reluctantly. Perfect, you can take the lab car and Dr. Huxley with you Hold up, he never said anything about Huxley. Im sorry? I asked, Some of Huxleys materials were shipped with ours and he insisted on going personally to collect them Couldnt he just go alone and pick up everything? Why do I have to go? Dr. Melvirn explained that he needed someone with knowledge of our project to make sure everything we, well I ordered was accounted for. I feel like a list would be sufficient but Melvirn did not like that suggestion so I guess Im going on a little road trip. I called my mom to let her know I wouldnt be home till late and not to wait up,This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. It''s that jerk Melvirn isnt it? He is making you run his errands? He does know you are still in high school doesnt he? My mom never liked him either, Honestly even if he knows he probably doesn''t care, but at least its more than coffee. I need to work my way up on this project if I ever hope to get funding for mine, if driving 6 hours will give me a leg up, I have to do it. I tell my mom, already feeling exhausted ok hun, just please make sure you are safe and you eat something she worries too much. Love you, Mom.. Love you too Rae. I hang up the phone and get ready to meet Huxley, remember the 18-year-old scientist that already has funding? I want to hate him so badly but how can you hate someone who is only 18 and already trying to cure pancreatic cancer? You cant. I have had a singular conversation with Huxley and I''m pretty sure it was approximately 6 seconds long and consisted of, Hi my name''s Raelyn it''s nice to meet you. So this ride is going to be fun, Hi Huxley turns around to face me. Hi? he says with arched eyebrows Right, we have only ever said 3 words to each other. Um, I guess Melvirn didnt talk to you, Im coming to the border with you to pick up the equipment. he just sorta nodded and continued to pick up everything on his desk and shove it into his backpack. Are you ready to go now? he asked once he was done crumpling up every single piece of paper he had and stuffing it into his bag. Ya I just have to grab my bag from my desk, we can take the lab van so I''ll just meet you in the parking lot? he nodded and started walking towards the stairs. Of course, he takes the stairs instead of the elevator. I walk over to my desk, pack up my computer and shove it into my bag. I put my backpack over my shoulder and head downstairs to the garage. Huxley was waiting in the van with the most impatient look on his face. As I said, this is going to be a fun ride. He is sitting on the driver''s side, of course. it''s probably for the best anyway. Even though I have my license it does not mean I am the best driver. I open the passenger door and pull myself into the van, Huxley reverses out of the spot and drives out of the parking lot. It was about after 10 minutes of silence when I decided that doing work would pass the time way quicker than sitting in this uncomfortable bubble. I pull out my laptop and as I''m logging in Huxley pipes up, Nope, put the laptop away. If I dont get to do any work because I have to drive to the fucking border neither do you. Well, There goes my 3 hours of plans. Oh because sitting in silence is so much better? I may have to sit in a car with him for 3 hours but that doesnt mean I have to like it. He looked at me with an odd expression then went back to focusing on the road. I may as well have a full stomach if I have to endure this for the entire night. Can we at least stop for food? I havent eaten since 11 I asked him reluctantly, There are granola bars in my bag, we shouldnt make any unplanned stops'' ok so maybe I do have a reason to hate him. I am still hungry so I grab his backpack and rifle through it careful! he bites back, Your bag is a disaster, how am I supposed to be careful when I cant even see anything in it? I finally found a granola bar. It was stuck to a paper titled final testing. I pulled the paper out and started to read it. What are you doing? he asked with anger in his tone, you did it? Have you figured out how to help pancreatic cancer? Are you fucking serious! I hate him, I hate him so much. What!? No.. he retorted and pulled the sheet out of my hand. I went quiet, he couldnt have figured it out. It''s only been a year since he started his project. The Wheat project has been in motion for almost 4 years now and it''s not even halfway done. How did I not even really know about his project? I didnt realize how close he was to solving it, of course he solved it. I think he realized I was getting in my head cause he started talking, I havent solved it, I think I have a theory and the stuff I''m picking up tonight will help me prove it. that drew me out of my thoughts I need more funding. I used most of it at the beginning of testing and I barely got my grant to begin with. Not many people jump at the opportunity to give an 19-year-old who just graduated high school thousands of dollars. at least I know where he is coming from. I feel like I should say something but what do you say when you just found out that someone is on the verge of a breakthrough and they are out of money? Sorry? That seems sorta lame. Instead, I just sit there staring at the road ahead, which is a better choice? Im such a good conversationalist I''m sorry for getting mad Of course he is apologizing, why cant he just let me hate him? Dont, Im not mad I just didnt know what to say Honesty is the best policy right? I''m just a little on edge tonight, the supplies Im picking up are what I spent the last of my grant money on. Once we have the stuff we can pick up food ok? stop being nice! Why cant we just sit in silence, it was better that way because I could just continue hating him. Ok I pull out my phone to look at the pitches for the steroids Im picking up, I just want to make sure everything is accounted for. The rest of the ride to the border was pretty chill, it was silent aside from the occasional questions if it was too hot or cold. I Wouldnt Call Us Friends As soon as we arrived at the border I leaped out of the car and stretched my legs. Stay here, Huxley says in his I know better than you tone as he rounds the corner of the van to face me. As if I''m gonna come to the border driving in complete silence just to sit in the car and not even check to make sure Melvirn steroids are there. And I''m staying in the car, why? I ask Huxley in an annoyed tone to be fair he didnt let me get food and I''m slightly hangry. He is just standing there looking at me like I''m stupid. Because you''re not needed, I don''t even know why you came anyway That was not what I wanted to hear. Seriously, he couldnt have asked that before we drove 3 hours in complete silence? Trust me if I didn''t have to be here I wouldnt be, especially after that tortuous drive but Melvirn insisted I go to make sure all our stuff is there and thats what I''m gonna do. So if you would like to tell Melvirn that you are the reason his equipment wasnt checked then be my guest I have had enough by this point and didnt wait for his response to push past him and make my way to the border center. I walk into the building which looks like an abandoned warehouse, so fun seeing as it is almost 11 pm and of course, it is empty. There is no one in sight except Huxley who has finally caught up to me. What do we do now? I asked him So now you need my help? He responds quicker than usual which catches me off guard. I am so not in the mood to deal with this so I respond The sooner we find this damn box the sooner we can get the hell out of here and away from each other since apparently you have some sort of problem with me He just stands there looking at me, staring at me with those big green eyes, eyes that I have never noticed before now. He then turns around and starts walking into the dark empty warehouse. Like hell am I gonna stand here alone so I wait a couple of seconds then follow him down the hall. After what seems like 15 minutes of wandering we stumble across a crate with a large label that says LAB TECH plastered across the side. Thank god we finally found it. Huxley walks over to the crate and props it open to get a look inside. Anderson, come over here and count your supplies so we can leave I didnt think he knew my first name, let alone my last. I know his but he doesn''t have to know that. Coming, I say as I lean over the side of the crate and check my steroids. The crate is quite large and all the lab supplies are stacked on top of each other surrounded by styrofoam padding. As I am reaching into the crate to lift the first layer and check to make sure all my supplies are accounted for, Huxley grabs my wrist as he says Your supplies are on top, you don''t need to go through mine I dont even register how weird the statement is and why he is so opposed to me seeing his supplies because Huxley still has my wrist in his hand, which completely wraps around with room to spare. I think he suddenly noticed that he was still clutching my wrist because he very abruptly dropped it and cleared his throat. Is everything there Anderson? Can we leave now? I glance back into the crate and mentally recall everything that I ordered and it all seems to be accounted for. Yes Huxley, everything is there.'''' He looks at me slightly confused and then closes the lid on the crate. Aren''t you gonna check your stuff to make sure it''s all there? '''' I ask him before he fully gets the lid secured. '''' It''s there he tells me without even sparing me a glance. I mean are you sure because sometimes things ship out separately and you would hate to get back just to realize that- it''s there, Huxley says as he cuts me off. Why does this man feel the need to be right? It''s so infuriating. Okay, That''s all I say to him as I turn around and make my way to the door without even offering to help get the crate to the van. I get to the van 5 minutes before Huxley even gets to the door with the enormous crate in his arms. As I sit in the driver''s seat I watch Liam carry the box with ease and set it down in the back of the van, I never noticed how strong he is. Pretty much all of the men at LAB TECH are either skinny and nerd-like or old and grumpy so Huxley definitely stands out. I am shocked back into the present as my door is being opened by Liam, he just stands there looking at me with a very unpleasant expression on his face.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Is there a problem? I ask him knowing what he is going to say out is all I get from him. OUT! Are you kidding me? I barely know the guy and he feels this unequivocal need to be a complete asshat to me. You snooze you lose is all I say as I pull the door closed and start the van. Huxley reluctantly climbs into the passenger seat and immediately pulls out his phone Uh uh I say as I pluck the phone out of his hand and throw it in the back seat I am not doing this silent car ride again, either you actually talk to me or I play my music at full volume and sing along, and just so you know. I was a theatre kid I knew Huxley was not going to agree to the second option which meant his only choice was to engage in conversation. Maybe by the end of the ride, I can find out why he is such an ass all the time. Fine is all he says, still refusing to look at me as I pull out of the lot and make my way onto the main roads. So I say working up the nerve to ask him anything What do you want for dinner? I thought I would at least start easy. . After what felt like years of deliberation we finally ended up at a small diner off the side of the highway to eat, which we found about an hour into our drive home. It looked like a small family-owned company because the waitress that sat us at our table looked like she was a few years younger than me and the rest of the staff were laughing past the counter. We sat at a small table for two in the back and both of us immediately picked up our menus to look for our meal, or avoid making eye contact? I don''t know. About 5 minutes into Huxley and I staring at our menus the waitress who wears a small name tag that reads Stacey approaches our table. What can I get for you two tonight? she asks far too chipper for working a midnight shift. Huxley looks up at me, silently gesturing for me to order first. Uhh, I looked up at the waitress. Honestly I have no clue what to pick, any suggestions? I can almost feel Huxley''s breath as he huffs from across the table. Well, my mom makes the best-grilled cheese and ham sandwich if you want to try that. Oh! And the sweet potato fries are amazing! Stacey says, suggesting what I suspect was her favorite menu choice. That sounds amazing, I''ll go with that, I tell her smiling as I hand her the menu. Perfect! she says as she turns to Huxley And you sir? Huxley relays his order as if he practiced it beforehand while passing the menu back to the waitress I will take one of the BLT sandwiches with onion rings Stacey smiles at him for a little too long before she responds with Great choice, I will be out with your orders shortly she turns and walks back to the kitchen leaving me and Huxley in our uncomfortable, comfortable silence. Why did you ask the waitress what she suggested? I was slightly startled when I heard Huxley''s voice come from across the table. When I didnt answer him right away he took the opportunity to clarify You were staring at the menu for 5 minutes before Stacey came to the table but you still asked her what she suggested I tried not to notice the fact that he paid attention to the waitresses name tag The real reason I didn''t know what to get is because I wasn''t looking at the menu, I was just holding it so I could avoid talking to Liam. um is all I could get out. Everything looked so good I just didnt know what to choose. It was a lie and I think Huxley could tell because he looked at me accusingly. I couldnt sit here in silence any longer so I brought up the only one similarity between us that I could think of So, tell me more about your research I finally looked up at Huxley and into those big green eyes You must have lots of progress if your starting to write your final testing reports again Huxley just looked at me, studying me with his eyes, finally he spoke up I dont want to talk about work that one took me by surprise, he didnt want to talk about the only thing I thought we could hold a conversation over!? Give me something else, Liam said, the last part quieter than his previous statement. Give him something else? Like what? Another conversation starter? Another question that he will probably refuse to answer. Again he was studying me with those green eyes Just stop it already is all I could say, shit! I didnt mean to say that out loud. I''m sorry? he said, obviously confused, why wouldn''t he be confused? I just blew up at him for looking at me. I have two options, be honest and admit that I didn''t like him looking at me like that or lie and tell him I''m just hungry or something. No, I''m sorry is what I landed on saying I''m just hungry and the silence between us is so awkward and I just- I trailed off as I let my head fall to the table in defeat. Raelyn, tell me about your research I jerked my head up, he knows my first name too. And why is he now being so nice? No, it''s fine, you dont want to talk about work. We can just sit here in silence, it''s fine At this point I was actually too tired to even put effort into a conversation with Huxley and I just wanted to shove my face with the food that is taking far too long for an empty restaurant. Raelyn there''s my name again. Why does it sound so different when he says it? Tell me This time it seemed more sincere and less of an escape from the awkwardness. Ok, I told him as I recalled what I was working on. Honestly with everything that Melvirn is making me do for his project, I have barely had time for my research. Huxley was looking at me while I spoke, I couldn''t bear to look up into his eyes again so I fiddled with the sugar packets on the table. When I started at LAB TECH I was working on genetically modified cells. I wanted to be able to treat patients with gene abnormalities by reintroducing my modified cells with their lacking ones. Huxley looks genuinely interested in my work because he pipes up and asks How far are you on your project? this was not the question I was hoping for, when I tell people I work at lab tech they are so impressed until I tell them that I dont actually have a project of my own and I just get the actual scientists their coffee. Um, I have only hypothesized it. Like you said, most people arent jumping at the opportunity to give a 18-year-old thousands of dollars in grant money By the time I finished my sentence Stacey arrived back at our table with the food. The rest of our time at the cafe was quiet, we both ate our food and occasionally looked up to say how good it was. When Stacey comes back to the table to remove our plates and drop off the bill I go to reach for it and so does Huxley. He is stronger than I am and ends up with the bill. Huxley, you dont have to pay for my meal he looks up at me and responds with, I told you I would get you food did I not? I guess that''s technically true, but I thought he just meant that he would allow us to stop somewhere. Besides you dont work full time and I do, you can get the bill next time Next time? There was gonna be another time? This time barely went well and I could not picture doing this again voluntarily. I think Liam realized his phrasing and tried to correct himself by saying I mean, not that we are gonna do this again but if- I laughed internally at his correction and said Dont worry Huxley, I dont want to do this again either I finished my statement with a little laugh but he didnt seem to think it was funny. His flustered expression left his face and returned to the stoic Huxley that I was now growing used to. The Beginning Of Everything We finally get back into the car with Huxley driving the rest of the way home. In all honesty, I wasnt going to fight him for the wheel, I mostly just took his spot to irritate him. Now that I had eaten I had the energy to finish up the rest of our drive. I''m not sure what gave me the confidence to say this but the question just fell out of my mouth Tell me something real about yourself All that followed my request was silence. I started to scramble by saying So far all we have talked about is work and other normal pleasantries between colleagues and we have spent almost 6 hours together. I took a breath Come on Huxley He must have realized that I was grasping at straws and just wanted something to talk about so he started to answer Uh, what do you want to know? He is giving me free rein on the question. That''s surprising. Tell me about your family, I say Who does the solemn Liam Huxley go home to at the end of the day? He looked at me up and down again before returning his eyes to the road as he answered. My mom and my little sister. My mother practically raised me alone since my dad left when I was little, and my 11-year-old sister is currently giving her a run for her money I couldnt help but smile, Huxley lived in an all-girl house AND is an older brother. Not only that but he just opened up to me. He glanced over at me and saw the goofy grin spread across my face What Anderson? he said, returning to his hash tone. Ugh dont do that! Go back to the Huxley that was talking about his little sister. And I was smiling because it''s cute, I couldn''t picture you having a little sister shit, did I just admit to him that I have thought about him before? Because I haven''t. Her name is Lilliana, he said but we just short form it and call her Lil I just sat there in silence grinning until Huxley threw the question back at me Ok your turn Anderson, tell me about your family I cant tell if he is just trying to be polite or is honestly curious about my home life but I answer him anyway. Well I am the youngest, I have 3 older brothers, Thomas, Ethan, and Nathaniel. They are in their twenties now but my Mom and Dad had a handful when we were younger. I wasnt expecting to find Huxley smiling so when I looked over and he appeared to be more intimidated than smiley I wasn''t surprised. Ok, now what''s going on with your face Huxley? I said, gesturing to his expression. 3 brothers wow that''s all he said. They''re not that scary Huxley, I doubt they will ever come into the lab so you would never have to see them anyways Right is all he responded with. At this point, we are bordering on 1:30 am and I am more than completely wiped. I slowly lower my head down to my arm that''s propped up on the middle console and close my eyes. When I opened them we were stopped at a gas station and I had a blanket wrapped around my legs and torso. Did Liam do this? I mean I know I didnt do it so obviously, it had to be Huxley. I wasnt ready to have another conversation with Liam, so before he got back into the van I returned to my comfortable position of balancing my head on my hand and closed my eyes. I felt Huxley slowly get into the car, trying to be as quiet as he could to not disturb me. Just as we were about to pull out of the station I felt a piece of hair dangle in front of my nose. Great, I either pretend to wake up and have to deal with more awkward conversations or spend the rest of the car ride trying not to sneeze. That''s when I felt the soft brush of a finger come down and sweep the hair off my face to tuck it behind my ear. I almost stopped breathing right then and there, did Liam Huxley just touch my hair? I didnt think he knew I existed before I came up to him this afternoon and all night it seemed as if he didnt care to remember I did. But he just touched my forehead. As I was playing that moment over and over again in my head the lull of the car made me drift back to sleep. Fuck! is all I woke to as I felt a jarring smash to the back of the van.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. I was jerked forward and my body crashed against the front of the car. Shit Im so sorry Raelyn are you ok? What the hell just happened and why is Huxley apologizing? It took me a moment to come to my senses but once I did I realized that the van had rear-ended as we were driving on the highway. Hold on, the steroids are in the back and we just got smashed pretty hard. I unbuckle my seatbelt and unlock the door when Huxley grabs my arm Raelyn, are you listening to me? He is looking at me again but instead of the judgment that he usually has plastered on his face, he looks almost scared. Raelyn, are you ok? as he says that he reaches up to my forehead with the other hand and swipes his finger across my face. As he pulls it back I register that there is blood, I must have split my head when I rammed into the front. Im fine, I tell him, mostly to get him to let go then actually meaning it. I hop out of the car and run around to the trunk. Raelyn, where are you going? I hear Huxley calling as he rounds the other side of the car to meet me at the trunk. Shit is all I can get out. The doors of the trunk were smashed in and the side of the crate was cracked open letting all our supplies fall out. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, I say as I start pacing back and forth until I hear a crunch at my feet. I try to mentally prepare myself to look down and see one of Melvin''s glass bottle steroid solutions under my feet. I slowly lift my foot to reveal a sticky neon green solution that appears to already be corroding the ground and shit I ripped my shoe off, apparently it also burned right through my shoe. There is no way that steroids could do this sort of damage, so I slowly lifted my head to look at Huxley who looked like a cross between guilty and pissed. What the fuck is this Huxley? Is this what I didnt need to see? What could he be doing with something this destructive? I know that if you inject that into a pancreatic cancer patient they sure as hell wont get better. As I''m standing there waiting for a response from Huxley, I can smell the rubber on the sole of my shoe burning. Why is he just standing there?! Its nothing Anderson, just get back into the car When he finally decides to answer it is from inside the trunk while rifling through what was left of the crate. I''m not just gonna get back in the car Liam! Tell me what the hell this stuff is because I know you''re not injecting cancer patients with it Huxley stops digging around and finally looks at me with those big green eyes So I''m Liam now? What happened to Huxley? That''s all he has to say for himself? I swear to god I''m going to kill this man This isnt a joke, Huxley! Now Im shouting, Im yelling at a man I only had a real conversation with 3 hours ago on the side of the highway at 3:00 am. God Anderson, cant you just take the fucking clue and realize that the damn reason I was even sent to come with you is that Melvirn wanted me to pick up supplies for a highly confidential experiment that you are in no part allowed to be involved in? If you came alone you sure as hell would have riffled through all the samples and found a way to screw it up! Huxley is yelling at me now? After being a total ass all night and lying to me about why he was here in the first place, then making me feel like a total idiot who couldnt even complete a simple task alone. You know what Huxley? You''re an asshole. Why did I even get dragged out here in the first place?! At this point, I am so angry and filled with emotions that I can feel that sharp pain in my nose telling me that any minute tears would start to flow down my face. I cannot and will not cry in front of this dirtbag of a man until he says this Melvirn would have wanted you to come no matter what, you''re dispensable and not important enough to be needed at the lab. He wanted to make sure that there were two people at all times with the crate so that no one would mess with the samples Did he just call me dispensable? Now the tears are streaming down my face, I cant even look at Huxley anymore. Those green eyes just became one of my most hated things. Is that what everyone thought about me? Im dispensable? I knew that I was one of the only women under the age of 30 in the lab and that the women barely get heard as it is but I thought I was at least helpful. Useful even? How did the place I thought I loved most in the world just become my biggest insecurity? Then I realized how, this man, this man who no longer deserves my courtesy of friendly conversation, no this man deserves an ego check. Close the fucking trunk and get back into this damn van and drive me home. I spit out. I look him dead in the eyes, my face clear of emotion other than the remnants of tears sticking to my cheeks. I didnt wait for him to respond or even make a movement to follow my words. I just turned around and went back to sit in the passenger seat. As I am waiting for Huxley to get back into the car, I pull my headphones out of my work bag that I put at my feet when I originally got into the car, which feels like hours ago. I turn on my music as loud as I can to distract myself from the fact that I have another hour left of the drive which means another hour in a cramped space with Huxley. Once he finally got back into the car I had to do my best to hold back my tears, I just wanted to go home and cry into my pillows. There is no way that I''m going to go to school tomorrow seeing as I would have to be up in 4 hours and we are not even close to being home yet. I''m not going to talk to Huxley so I replay our conversation over and over because something just does not seem right. I''m probably reading into it because I cant believe that everyone thinks I''m disposable, or maybe I don''t want to believe it. If Melvirn didnt want me to see what was in the crate then why would he send me? He is not stupid by any means and he was very adamant that I look into the crate to make sure he had everything that he ordered. Most of the scientists at LAB TECH are already spread thin working on their projects or bigger collaborated hypotheses like the wheat project, how could they possibly be working on anything else? I order all of the doctor''s samples and do most if not all of his paperwork. I think I would know if there was something everyone was hiding. After about 20 minutes of contemplating and finally landing on the conclusion that it was Huxley lying to me, I established that I was going to figure out exactly what he was hiding. I could feel Huxley''s eyes on me every so often and I knew he was looking at me with the same intensity that he always does. This time I wasnt going to give in, I wasnt going to forget everything he said just so that we could have a slightly more comfortable ride home. Not this time, this time I am standing my ground because I am not dispensable. On top of finding out what the hell he was up to, I was going to prove that I had something to offer the lab. If they won''t give me the funding I will just have to work with what I got, I guess my gene mutation will come in handy during testing. Who needs a little petri dish of cells when I have flesh and blood ready to be tested? The Final Stretch I guess a bit of a backstory is needed for this next part. I was born with a gene mutation, when I was a kid my parents were always so worried about me. I had countless hospital visits and bloodwork done. Turns out the gene mutation that I had caused me to have sickle cell anemia. Now I am on the low end of severity and can live my regular life with only a few minor adjustments. I have some meds to manage the pain as well as receive blood transfusions every month, give or take. Sickle cell is an autosomal recessive disease, caused by a point mutation. My field of research is not only trying to heal my mutation but all of the point mutations in genes. I realize that this is somewhat crazy and never done but I have a theory that I really think is going to work. Nobody at LAB TECH knows about my disease, if they did I would for sure be fired. I am slightly immunocompromised but I take a ton of precautions to not get sick. If I couldn''t handle it there would be no way my mom would let me work there in the first place. <> Huxley and I were on the final stretch home, we were about 10 minutes away from lab tech when I felt a tug on the wire connecting to my earbuds. As the bud falls out of my ear I pause my music and turn to Huxley. Is there something I can help you with? I ask him, still frustrated from our earlier conversation. Let me drive you home is all he said. Not sorry or can we talk and then he has the nerve to do something nice? No, just take me to the lab. I have to write a report anyways about the broken and missing equipment from the container not that I know what the green liquid was to be able to record it. It''s 3:30 am, Anderson, I''m not taking you back to the lab he takes a brief pause to look at me, I''m sure he notes the bags under my eyes and the slightly muddled makeup from my crying earlier. Besides you dont even know what was it that went missing, Melvin wont be in the office right now and I can brief him in the morning. Now, would you like me to let you take the train and bus from the city to your house or will you just let me take you? I don''t know if it is my 3 am delusion talking or just my general curiosity but as we pull up to a red light I turn to Huxley and stare right at him as I ask The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. You think I''m disposable? Huxley looks shocked and also slightly hurt as he exhales exhaustedly then turns to look at me. Raelyn let me drive you home there''s my goddamn name again. Fine, I live on Baltimore Rd just as you are leaving the city My brain finally gave in on me, I just want to be home and the thought of taking a train and 2 buses at 3 am kills me. I am about to put my headphones back in and tune out my inner voice just as Huxley speaks up again. I dont think youre dispensable I take out my other earbud and begin wrapping the cord around itself as he continues speaking. I- he takes a long inhale before continuing I read the paper you submitted before you got offered a job at LAB TECH I was not expecting him to say that. Go on I encourage him. I was the one who brought your paper to Melvirn and forced him to read it. So not only did Huxley know my name but he has read my reports? He was the one who made Melvirn reach out? When I started at LAB TECH a year ago I was doing the same job as you before my research got recognized and I started on my own. I guess that makes sense, no one would let a 18-year-old start working on projects right away. So you''re not disposable because that would make me disposable as well I can''t tell if it''s a man thing or a Huxley thing to avoid apologizing at all costs. I think he read my reluctance to forgive and move on from this conversation on my face because he huffed and said Raelyn, I read your work, I have watched you in the lab, and you are not disposable I was not quite sure how to respond to that blatant of an answer so I just said thank you and that was all the words we exchanged until we got to my driveway. I unbuckled my seat belt and cracked the door open when I saw my front porch light flick on . Oh shit I mumbled to myself, I shifted in my seat as I saw the youngest of my three brothers Ethan run out the front door. Even though E is the youngest boy, he is still 5 years older than me. As Ethan approached the car I braced myself for the worst, I realized now that along the way home I stopped updating my family on where I was and I was a good 3 hours late. What the hell Rae! What took you so long, mom has been worried since you havent been responding to us I saw Huxley stiffen beside me as I hopped out of the van and gave my brother a withering stare. Ethan this is Liam Huxley, a co-worker of mine It was only then that Ethan realized we were not alone and dained to look up at Huxley. I swear I saw Liam''s face go a slight shade more pale as Ethan stared at him. So you are what kept my sister so long, how old are you anyway? You look a little young to be a scientist I turn from glaring at my brother to give Huxley as sympathetic a stare I can muster. Ok time for bed, I say, cutting off anything Huxley was about to say and grabbing my brother''s wrist to pull him inside. As I was almost inside I could almost hear Huxley exhale as he pulled out of my driveway. Somethings Brewing I wake up to the constant sound of my alarm going off which would normally inform me that it''s time for school. I turned over in my bed and hit the stop button on my phone. As I am about to close my eyes and fall back to sleep I see that I have a text from an unknown number. The text came in at 4:30 am and read, Anderson, I dropped off the rest of the supplies and wrote a report. Dont come into the lab today So obviously Huxley found my number, how? I have no clue but I clicked on the text chat and responded with, Morning Huxley, why am I not coming into work today? I waited a few minutes for a response and when I heard nothing I closed my eyes and went back to sleep. About 3 hours later I woke up to my phone ringing on my side table, I picked it up and swiped to answer without checking who had called. Hello? is all I said to whoever was on the other line. Melvirn is pissed, give him a day to calm down and then come into work That voice immediately woke me up, I sat straight up in my bed and responded with Good morning to you too Huxley I heard him huff on the other line, Good morning Anderson I smiled slightly and said I guess I will see you tomorrow then all I got from Huxley was a quick goodbye and then the dial tone sounded on my line. My next step was to silence my emails since the lab had been open and packed for the past few hours. I will have many angry emails from Melvirn about not only losing and destroying some of his equipment but also exposing a top clearance research project to myself and anyone surrounding our accident. As I click into my emails I am shocked. Not only were there no angry emails from Melvirn but one telling me that he knew I had a late night and I could stay home from the lab today. Something is not right, there is no way that Melvin wouldnt rip my head off for losing something so valuable. That means Huxley was lying to me. If the neon green vials were not for Melvirn, and Huxley was adamant about not letting me do the paperwork for the missing equipment then it was all a lie. There was no way I was going to sit in bed and contemplate this all day, if Huxley was hiding something then by the time I go to work tomorrow there will be no trace. I jump out of bed and run to take a shower. I am going to get to the bottom of this. By the time I get to LAB TECH, it is way past noon and most of the staff have already filed in for the day. I make a point to go the back way to my desk to avoid Huxley. I turn my head slightly to see if I can spot Liam and when I dont I continue to walk forward until I hear Melvin''s voice inches from my face. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Raelyn! Youre here, look at that dedication. I appreciate you getting all my supplies back to me for this morning I knew it! The supplies that were broken werent Melvirns. The only way to prove my theory was airtight is to check the order forms in the locked drawer of Melvin''s office. It just so happens that I am his lackey and have the only other key to the drawer. The only issue is I will for sure be caught if Melvirn is in the office with me. I guess I could go as soon as he leaves, my only issue is that Melvirn never leaves his office. I realized I had retreated into my head when I looked back up to see Melvirn staring straight at me with a confused expression on his face. Oh yes sorry, I''m glad I was able to get the materials for you. You should thank Huxley as he was the one who drove here last night to have them at lab tech bright and early I hated giving Huxley praise but I needed to get Melvirn away from his office even if that meant going to thank Liam. I knew you guys were the perfect team to send! Not only did we have the project''s resources ready for the morning but we didnt miss any research yesterday My face dropped slightly, this is what Huxley was saying. Melvirn just essentially called us disposable but in nicer terms. Screw this, not only am I going to find out what Huxley is up to but I''m also going to start my trials. Thanks is all I said to Melvin as I gave him a half-hearted smile and turned to walk to my desk in the back corner of the office. I kept an eye on Melvirn as he walked over to where Huxley''s desk was. This was my moment, as soon as Melvirs back was to me I jumped out of my seat and crept into his office. I left the door a crack open for not only a quick getaway but to ensure I could hear when Melvirn was approaching. I made my way over to his desk drawer as quickly as I could and knelt beside it. I pulled my keys out of my lab coat pocket and shoved them into the keyhole until I found the key that turned. I rummaged around until I found the folder labeled Huxley-Liam, this file would have all of his past and recent order history from the lab tech and give me a sense of what he ordered. I am about to pull out the files when I hear not only Melvirns voice approaching his office door but Huxley''s as well. I quickly shut the cabinet door and lock it, I shove the flies into my lab coat and act like I had every right to be in the office. The office door swings open as Huxley and Melvirn walk in continuing their conversation from before they were in earshot. Raelyn? What are you doing in my office? Melvin''s question pounded in my head as I tried to think of a quick response. Come on, brain dont fail me now. I was just delivering the report on your desk from last night Sure it wasn''t me who wrote the report and I also didnt deliver it but I am just hoping that Melvin didnt see that Huxley''s report already lied smack dab in the middle of his desk. I looked up at Melvirn and gave him a genuine smile, and a convincing one at that. I quickly moved my eyes over to Huxley''s face and registered slight shock as well as confusion. Huxley knows that I was not the one to deliver the report, he was the one who told me this morning. He then followed it with don''t come in. I''m so screwed. Not only will Melvirn know that I am lying about being in his office but there is no doubt in my mind that Huxley knows something is up as well. Ms.Anderson I appreciate your initiative but Liam delivered that report to me bright and early this morning My mind went blank, what do I say, what do I say? I am about to open my mouth and make a fool out of myself when Huxley pipes in with She only got like 4 hours of sleep, she must have just forgotten, he turned to me as he directed his next remark. You can take your report and leave mine, I''m sure yours is not even comprehensible. I couldnt tell if that was a jab at me or a save to get me out of the office as quickly as possible. He motioned with his eyes down to Melvirns desk and I grabbed the nearest blank piece of paper, folded it up, and walked out of the office still clutching the files I shoved into my lab coat. The second I cleared the door and was out of earshot I let a breath out of my lungs that I didnt realize I was holding. Just as I was about to sit back down at my desk I felt a strong arm grip my forearm and drag me into the closed-off lunchroom just to the right of my desk. What the I whipped around to see Huxley standing there staring right at me with a tight hold still on my arm. What the fuck Huxley, what is your problem? he looked me up and down before he finally let go of my arm and said, What the hell are you doing here? Too Close For Comfort I told you not to come in today I went from barely talking to this man to being told what to do by him. I dont think so. You cant tell me what to do, and besides you told me that Melvirn was pissed and he isnt. He sent me an email this morning telling me that he knew I had a long night but he was thankful As I am saying all of this to Huxley I realize that I didnt have enough time to drop the stolen folders on my desk and I still had them clutched underneath my lab coat. My hand tensed over my coat where I was holding the folders and I saw Huxley''s eyes follow the motion. He chose to ignore it and looked back up and me, not quite eye contact but I would take it. I couldnt tell how long it had been since I last spoke so I rolled my eyes and looked directly at Liam. so? he finally decided to speak up So what? is all he had to say. I am so done listening to him and I desperately need to get these files out of my coat. Huxley I dont understand you, first you are mean to me then you are nice, you cover for me and then you tell me not to come in. You lie about why I shouldnt be here and then call me disposable. Then you go and say nice things about my research and tell me how much I''m not disposable. So what the hell do you want and why did you pull me into the lunch room cause I''m not sure how much longer I can be here with you I take a deep breath in then out and wait for Huxley to answer me. I am no longer able to look him in the eyes and instead stare at my feet. What did you take from his office My face goes pale, how can he know I took something? He then looks down at my hand that''s clutching the spot where the files sit. Show me or I will get them myself Get them himself what the fuck does that mean He is the most arrogant, self-involved, asshole if I have ever- chose now my thoughts are cut off as Huxley opens his mouth, and takes a step closer to me. We are now about an arm''s distance apart and I try to assess how close I can let him get before I give in. I guess another option is to scream and run out of the lunch room but I have a feeling drawing attention to this situation will do more harm than good. Ok, so stubbornness it is. I didnt take anything, and if you come any closer I can consider that workplace harassment ok maybe I am overreacting but if Liam sees these files he will know I''m up to something.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Why cant you just make this easy Anderson? '''' Huxley says as he takes another step closer to me. My arm tightens on the files and I take a step back. I quickly stopped when I realized I had just literally backed myself into a corner. This is when I start to panic. Huxley registers what is going through my mind and takes another few steps forward effectively caging me in. By this point, he is just one step back from being almost flush with me and he finally decided to stop inching forward. I am so flustered for so many different reasons, I got zero sleep, I am currently harboring stolen files, and Huxley''s muscled shoulders are right in my line of sight. I angle my head down so I am staring at our shoes when I hear and feel Liam''s breath on the top of my head. Just give me what you took Anderson '''' I have come this far I may as well go down trying. I relax my face into a cold stare and lift my eyes to meet him. I see him simultaneously soften and tense at my gaze. I grit my teeth and say I. Did. Not. Take. Anything. well fuck, that was the wrong answer because Huxley lifts his hand to the arm that''s grasping my coat and places his hand on my shoulder. Ok, I can handle this. He is just trying to get under my skin. He then slowly starts moving his hand down my arm, his thumb slightly brushing the inside of my bicep. Oh no oh no oh no I should not have done this. I should have just given up and given him the flies when he asked. I tensed as he got down to my hand and then slid his fingers around mine. If he reached a little further he would feel the files wedged underneath my coat. I finally gained the small bit of confidence I had left when I heard Huxley''s breath catch. I knew that I needed to match him. That was going to be the only way to get him to retreat and let me get away with those files. I took a deep breath, looked back up at him, smiled, and said You could at least take me out for dinner first before stepping a little bit closer so our chest was a breath away from touching. Huxley''s eyes were no longer on me, they went to his hand that was still over mine. He had stilled and his breathing became harder. I had gotten under his skin. One more display and I knew he would be running out of here. It was time for me to end this. I lifted my hand to his face and grasped his chin, I turned his gaze to me as I said The least you can do is look at me I blinked slowly at him through my eyelashes as I felt his hand drop from my hand and fall away from the files hidden under it. I didn''t drop his chin as I felt him swallow hard. I smiled as I said We should do this again, minus all the accusing I then patted his face and shoved past him out the door. As soon as I was out of his sight I took a steadying breath and put my hand on the wall to support my wobbling legs. As uncomfortable as that situation made me, I am hoping my efforts give me at least a week away from any distractions and accusations on the Huxley front. When I finally make my way back to my desk I slip into my chair, slide my only locked drawer out and shove the files in. There is no way I will be looking at those files at LAB TECH, yes my display with Huxley may have gotten me some time away from him but I wouldn''t take the risk. I could not let him know what I was doing and I needed to get to the bottom of it. I try to take my mind off of it while I lock the folders away and pull up my research on Gene Mutations. All of my equations and science behind my formulas are done through a system that a programmer at LAB TECH created for us. We can input our end goal and the system will run tests on our equations and see if we have achieved it. As helpful as this program is, I have never gotten a green code. This means that all of my attempts at the solution have been either fatal or just incorrect. The only issue is that without real cells to test on I cant see the effects that the incorrect solutions have on the cells. Meaning I don''t know what to tweak to fix it without making the cell die. I Have come the closest I have ever come in the past week. When I ran my test I got a surviving cell for about 2 minutes before it died. I have been working on a hypothesis to fix the last experiment I tried but I never got a chance to try it on the program. I input my data into the system, crossed my fingers, and ran the test. After 2 minutes the cell was still alive, the same after 3, and 4, and 5. After 5 minutes I got an error code and was informed that the cell did not die but instead did not cure what was intended. This is the closest I have ever come to a positive result! And the cell didnt die. If only I had real cells to practice on. After one more attempt, I got the cell to continue changing for 7 minutes until I got the same error code. As horrible of an idea as it is I suddenly realize it''s the only one. If I want funding, and for Melvirn and Huxley and everyone else to see that I''m not disposable, I will finally have to use what I got. As soon as I can create the mixture of compounds I theorized, I am going to start human testing. On myself. Liam My next steps included finding the materials I needed for my human testing. The only issue is I have no funding. My only option is to see if I can convince the other scientists to give me small samples of their excess compounds. If I check the order history on certain materials I am sure I could figure it out. I look at the clock and realize that it is 8 pm and the lab is pretty much empty. After this day I am ready to crawl into bed and pass out. I stand up and pack my computer into my backpack, I unlock the drawer where the stolen files are buried and shove those into my bag as well. I am going over to the elevator when I hear someone clear their throat behind me. Oh shit, I knew who it was before I even had to turn around. Was it a childish response, yes, but I decided to ignore him anyway. That was until I felt his hand on my upper arm. Anderson, can we talk? I am way too tired to deal with this right now. I turn around to face him, and as I look up at his face I realize that he looks tired too. On one condition, I say as I meet his eyes. Drive me home? Like I said, I hate taking all that transit to get home, especially after a long day. He nodded as he moved to stand beside me to face the elevator. As soon as we stepped into the elevator and the doors closed I could feel the tension flowing around us. I couldnt tell if it was indifference towards one another or something else. Huxley took a deep breath as if he was about to say something and then went quiet. I couldnt take it anymore so I took a step and slammed my hand onto the emergency stop button. If we didnt air out everything now there was no way I was going to be able to sit in a car with him. I turned around to face him and looked up to meet his eyes. Jeez Anderson, what was that for? I couldn''t tell if he was panicking or just genuinely confused. Talk is all I said. You do realize that we could do this in the car right? I just exhaled defeatedly and closed my eyes. What did you want to talk to me about Huxley? I could feel him accept that we would be talking about this right now. Give me the files Raelyn I felt my heart drop and my eyes shot up to meet him. When I looked into his eyes they were different from what I have always seen. They were no longer that deep green but darker and detached. I tried not to be flustered by it but the coldness in them shook me. What do you mean? I took quick breaths as I waited for his response. His voice became colder as he replied I went into Melvirns office after we talked and figured out what you took Oh shitIf you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. give them back to me now Raelyn I have never heard him say my name like that and I never want to again. You are getting into something that doesn''t concern you. Give me those files and forget about it The only thing that I was suspecting to find on those files was the absence of the green compound that was in the crates. The urgency and aggression in his demands are making me think that there is more in these files that needs hiding than what I originally thought. The only thing I could think of was going back to my original tactic. Well, what are you going to give me for them? his eyes softened slightly as he took a step forward. Woah, woah, whoa, I said as I stuck my hand out to rest against his chest. We tried this before and you didnt seem to get what you wanted I felt his gaze shift to my hand still resting on his chest and then back to me. Who said I didnt get what I wanted? that took me a second to process, was it because he figured out that I took something, or. No, he couldnt be talking about what I said to him, could he? I feel like he is using my tactic on me because now I want to jump out of my skin. I felt a slight push on the hand that was outstretched, Huxley was walking closer. I looked back up to meet his eyes and I could swear I saw an actual shift in his eye color. From the softer green, I recognized a deep green that bordered on black. By the time I noticed the change in his eyes he was just a breath away from me, my hand was the only divider between our two chests. This time Huxley was the one to lift his hand to caress the side of my face with the side of his finger. I couldnt tell if I was unmoving because of fear or curiosity but I just continued to look into his eyes. They were so dark I felt like it wasnt even Liam looking back at me anymore. His hand drifted down to my chin and then lightly brushed over my mouth. I stilled, I felt myself inhale fast as I tried to snap myself out of my daze. I still couldnt move, paralyzed by those eyes that I now knew were not Liam. He tilted his head down until his lips were a breath away from mine. I swallowed as he said. Oh Anderson, you could have made this so much easier if you just minded your own damn business, you were doing so well before yesterday. Now I knew this wasnt Huxley''s voice. I decided that I was no longer confused but one hundred percent scared. Liam youre scaring me I barely got those words out in a whisper. Immediately Huxley dropped his hand and backed up. His eyes quickly shifted from the dark green to the light emerald green I was used to. I was almost convinced it was just the lights until I saw his whole demeanor change, there was the Huxley I sat in a car with for hours yesterday. I stumbled backward and hit the stop button again to get the elevator back running. Raelyn is all Huxley said in nothing more than a whisper. Just drive me home Liam is all I said. Once we got in the car the only thing I could do was keep running through the events of the elevator in my head. Did Huxley''s eyes change color? Did he shift his character so much? I had only really known him for a few days and how much of his personality could I know from the surface-level conversions we had throughout our drive? About halfway into the drive, I realized that I only had one option, if I wanted to figure out what Huxley was up to I needed to get him off my back. I needed him to think that I was so scared and shaken after the display in the elevator that I was going to drop it all together. He doesnt have to know that I was scared and shaken but I will deal with that at a future time. I reached into my backpack and grabbed the files that I stole, I pulled them out of the bag and made sure to give my hand a slight wobble as I placed them on the middle console. I added a slight shake to my voice as I said, I dont want anything to do with you or whatever you are up to anymore. I have my research to think of and I don''t need your bullshit getting in the way I took a deep breath hoping that was convincing enough to get him to believe me. He looked at me and clenched his jaw, he grabbed the files and chucked them into the back seat effectively ending any conversation regarding them. He returned his gaze to the road and I studied the side of his face. A few minutes went by and he finally realized I was staring at him because he turned to me and said, You called me Liam. I was momentarily stunned by his statement that I didn''t say anything. In the elevator, you called me Liam and not Huxley I didnt know what to say so all I responded with was Yes? I continued to look at him as he smiled and said You should call me that more often I could no longer look at him so I turned my head to focus on the road and couldnt help the smile that touched my lips. Is He A Monster I was sitting at my desk minding my own business when Huxley approached me, Anderson, can I see you in Melvirns office? Melvirns office? That''s odd, why would he want to see me there? If anything it would be Melvirn himself calling me to see him. I tried not to question it as I got up and followed him into the office. He closed the door as I walked in and stood in front of Melvin''s desk facing the door. I rested my hands on the front of the desk as I said Where''s Melvin? I looked up at Huxley as he moved towards me, I stumbled backward and my ass hit the desk behind me. At this point, I was effectively sitting on my boss''s desk facing Huxley as he strode towards me. I looked up to meet his eyes as he walked closer and ended up right in front of my knees. I watched his hands as he dragged them down to rest on my knees, he slowly pulled them apart as he made his way in between my legs. I inhaled sharply. He removed one hand from my knee to come up and caress my face. I have wanted to do this for a long time is what he said before he leaned down preparing to kiss me. My heart started beating out of my chest. All of a sudden his demeanor changed. His eyes went dark and the black of his eyes consumed the rest. I started to panic. His face went deathly pale. He then smiled too big for comfort and his teeth and mouth were covered in black saliva. His grip on my knee tightened until there was pain. I jolted out of bed, I was covered in sweat from head to toe. It''s just a dream, it''s just a dream, I kept repeating this to myself until my heartbeat resumed a normal rhythm. My brain is so appalled by the idea of being touched by Liam that it turns him into a monster. Great. Fucking great. I turned over to my bedside table and tapped my phone screen. It was 4 am. Huxley had driven me home last night and I got home at 9 which is record time for leaving the lab at 8. We sat in silence after the comment he made and I thanked him when I left and that was all. As soon as I got inside I ran to my bed and passed out cold. I didnt even change out of my lab coat. Well, there was no way I was going to be able to sleep after this dream so I rolled over on my side and picked up my phone. It took me a moment to realize that I had a text message from none other than the monster himself. I guess Huxley messaged me when he got home. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I''m sorry if it was weird when I told you to call me Liam more often I didnt want to admit how the concern in the message made me feel, the scary part is I liked knowing he wanted me to call him Liam. I don''t mind It took me a good two minutes to think of my 3-word response, which I won''t admit to myself as pathetic but I''m going to blame it on the lack of sleep. I roll over and see a response pop up. There is no way that he is awake at 4 am. Good Im sorry what? Did he just say GOOD?! Also why are you awake? You do realize it''s 4 am? My heart stopped, why am I awake? Oh well, I just had a dream where you turned into a monster. How about you? I inhaled trying to think of a response. You do realize that you are also awake right? I was about to exit our text chain to scroll on social media when I got a call notification at the top of my screen, HUXLEY IS CALLING ME? What? Why? Why? Why? I took a deep breath and answered the call. Hello? I said confusingly I hate texting Of course he does, Liam Huxley, the youngest old man. Of course you do, I say with a scoff Anderson, why are you awake? You need to sleep. his voice was different at this hour, it was slightly raspy and scratched a part of my brain that I didnt know needed scratching. I- Is it your head? I didnt see too big of a mark today? my head? What was wrong with- oh. When I split it open on the dash of the lab car. He was looking at my head? He was making sure I didnt have a mark. My head fine, Huxley, I said, rolling my eyes. What happened to calling me Liam? I stilled My head is fine Liam, I said in as soothing a tone as I could. I heard him hum on the other line. It gave me chills. We continued to talk about everything and nothing. Work, our families, and even our stupid coworkers. I felt my phone buzzing in my ear. It was my alarm going off telling me that it was time for school. Oh shit. I have been talking to LIAM HUXLEY for 4 hours straight. My voice started to tremble. Liam I have to go is all I said before I quickly hung up and slumped back onto my bed. I cant believe I have to wait all day to go into the lab. There is no way I am going to get through school today. My Mission I am sitting in Chemistry for the 4th period only half paying attention. I already know the majority of the stuff that Mr. Keneddy was teaching. I taught myself everything that I didnt know last year before starting at LAB TECH. I was currently compiling a list of all of the compounds I needed to start testing. I knew two of them I could get from Dr. Nella. She is working on a project similar to mine except she is working to duplicate cells to grow organs from scratch. I have no clue how I am going to get my hands on the other four compounds I need. Dr. Carther might have one that I need since he is working on skin regeneration. I am completely consumed in my thoughts when I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. I knew if I went to check it I would get yelled at by Mr. K but was it worth the risk to see if it was Huxley? Nope, it was mom. I hate myself for getting excited to see if I got a message from him. How late will you be home tonight? The boys and I are going out to dinner "I contemplate my response. I either get the house to myself or the ability to stay at the lab longer without hearing slack from my mother. Not sure, shouldnt be too late tho The rest of the day went by excruciatingly slowly, each class felt like hours and by the end of the day, I was jumping out of my seat to get to the lab. I promise it was just excitement about furthering my research. That''s all. As soon as the last bell rang I was out of my chair and heading towards the bus stop. From school, I only had to take one bus to get to the lab. Which means I arrived a little past 3:30. I couldnt stop my eyes from scanning the office to see if I could spot Huxley. Ugh stupid brain. He is still hiding something, dont forget that. No mushy feelings, especially for Huxley. I kicked myself for feeling the slightest bit disappointed that Huxley''s computer or bag wasnt at his desk. Either he left early or didnt come in at all. I try to push past the embarrassment covering my face and think of the task ahead. Today I was shadowing Melvirn as he did more testing on the Wheat project. The good thing was that all of the other scientists I needed to talk to about getting extra compounds were currently assisting Melvirn with his research. I guess being Melvirn''s shadow has finally paid off. Dr. Nella is my first task of the day. Melvin and I approach the research lab and are greeted by a room full of other scientists. They all looked up as we entered the room, Melvirn retreated over to three other doctors that I was familiar with. Dr. Nella (of course), Dr. Simone, and Dr. Brooks. They were discussing their projects as me and Melvirn interjected. So, have we made any progress on the latest stage of testing? all three scientists looked up at Melvin apologetically, I knew their resonance before they even opened their mouths. It was Nella who spoke up. No, unfortunately, our last test worked by adding more nutrients to a single strain of what but it caused a growth stunt, which means that the amount of nutrients was the same as a full-sized sample. I could see that Nella was awaiting a withering response. What she means to say is we got nothing That was Dr. Brooks, he is always very blunt about how his work is going and I could tell Melvirn appreciated it. Melvirn huffed and took a step back to address the room. I have a team of 19 highly trained and world-appreciated scientists and not ONE of you can solve this fucking problem? this was not good, I tried to decide if I could slip out unnoticed.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I gave you millions of dollars and an enormous team to do trial runs on my research and you are all making a fool out of my name. FIGURE IT OUT! This is the side of Melvirn that I never want to get on, he is amazingly talented but incredibly scary as well. I didnt even have time to catch up with Melvirn as he stormed out of the research lab. I assumed that he didnt need me any longer as he didn''t even take a second to see if I was following him. I answered my question when I heard the slam of his office door echo from across the building. This was my chance to talk to Nella, we have had a good relationship over the past few years. She is one of the only female scientists who has been given as large of a grant as she was, and I have a huge respect for her. She looks slightly shaken as I approach her. Hey Dr. Nella, I say softly to not scare her. She turns around to face me and her face beams with a smile when she meets my eyes. Raelyn! I didnt see you come in, how has your research been going? Slow, very slow I came in with Melvirn, he sota soaks up all the attention in the room so dont feel bad. I give her a small smile as I contemplate whether I come right out and tell her what I need and why I need it. She started like I did, an intern in a lab filled with men who think they are better in every way. I couldnt tell if she would appreciate the initiative or become concerned with my plans. I decided I wouldn''t give her a complete lie but enough that she might give me some resources. Honestly? My research is slow. That''s what I wanted to talk to you about. I was able to get my hands on a few cells to start some human testing lie. The only issue is I dont have the compounds I need to trial my injection. I know you are working on similar research and I was wondering if you had extra or unusable samples that you would want to donate to my research? I could feel her eyes studying me, it was nothing like Melvirns gaze so I stood my ground. What do you need? Nella didnt shut it down right away! Maybe I have a chance. I am looking for Thiazole and Pyrimidine Nella smiled at me, and I tried to hide my excitement. Youre a smart girl Raelyn, I hope you get the results you are looking for. You''re in luck, one of my shipments sent me extra Thiazole and I am more than happy to donate Pyrimidine to you. Use them wisely I cant believe she said yes, I knew the others wouldnt be that easy to convince but that was a challenge for another day. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. You dont know how much this means to me Nella just smiled and said Grab them from my lab when you need them, tell the other interns that I gave you permission She winked at me as I smiled and walked back to my desk. Even Melvirns crappy mood wasnt going to get me down today, I was one step closer to curing my disease and nothing was going to stop me. A couple of hours passed as I was completing some administrative work for Melvirn. I had been contemplating the best ways to figure out what Huxley was really up to and why he cared so much about those files when I heard a familiar voice from the other side of the office. Speak of the devil. If only I could get myself a sample of the neon green substance, I might be able to reverse-engineer it to figure out what it is. I hear Huxleys voice again and my legs think faster than my brain as I am standing up and walking towards him. I have never really looked at him before, he is not hard on the eyes. What am I saying? He is taller than me, tanned skin, and dark features. I come back to myself as I realize that I am standing right behind him looking like a lost puppy. Hi is all I say, good one. I kick myself for feeling like this. Huxley turned around to look at me and I expected his expression to soften. I couldnt tell if I was hurt or confused when it didnt. If anything it got more reserved. Is there something you need Anderson Wow, I was not expecting that sort of response, especially after last night. For some reason, I felt my chest get tight and my lungs constrict. What the hell is wrong with me? Just came to say hi I guess Why am I like this? Hi, he says as he turns his back to me and walks away. Did he just walk away, did he just WALK AWAY? What the fuck. I just stood there stunned. The Change I hid at my desk for the rest of the day, partly because I was embarrassed in myself for thinking that maybe Huxley wanted to talk to me and partly because I didnt want to see his face. The fact that I have really known him for a few days and he is already messing with my head is so pathetic. I pulled myself out of my head by looking over the list of chemicals I needed for my trial. I crossed off the two that Nella gave me and marked a maybe next to another 2. I sent emails out to Carther and Brooks to see if they had what I needed. I knew they would be harder to convince so I sweetened the deal by agreeing to do all their grunt work for a few months. It was the least I could do for their help in forwarding my research. As I am about to pack up all my stuff to leave I hear Melvirn call me into his office. The last time this happened I was stuck driving for hours with Huxley. I walk into his office and close the door behind me. I am hesitant to walk too far into his office as the dream from last night comes flooding back to me. Liam''s hands on my knees, my face, my- You take transit right? I take a second to process the question, Melvirn is talking to me. Um yes, I do, why? Im slightly confused but also impressed that he knew I took transit. Im not supposed to share this but you better sit down Now I am panicking. I practically sprint forward to sit in the seat facing his desk. I was contacted by our local police station, last night on the subway there was an altercation with two passengers. I didnt see this on the news this morning. They kept it extremely classified because the witness said that the one who started it became something. They said it was like a parasite had taken over its body Great so now I''m in a horror movie. Just what I need. The witness claimed that the attacker was twitching in his seat and all of a sudden went crazy, he said that his eyes were completely consumed by blackness and his face was deadly pale. I go ice cold in my seat, it''s like the dream I had of Huxley. This is getting too real. What would they come to you for? And why are you telling me this? I had so many more questions but I thought I should start slowly. I am telling you this because I don''t think you should be walking the streets alone this late especially not taking public transit. I have asked Liam to drive you home tonight and until this is settled we are going to assign you a lab car. I think this is the worst and best thing Melvin has ever done for me. The first part of his agreement sunk in, driving with Huxley? Uh uh, I dont think so, I would rather risk it with the parasite. There is no way I can face him after the embarrassment of our earlier conversation.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I dont need- I am cut off by Melvirn This is not a negotiation Raelyn, I already talked to your mother and she agrees. As for your second question, the police found a black sticky saliva-like substance on the subway and wanted us to put a team together to figure out what could have possibly caused the episode. I want you to work on the team. Shut up! Melvirn wants me to work as an actual scientist. Not as a coffee runner? I didnt think he even thought of me as anything more than a receptionist. The win of the promotion almost dulled the burn of knowing I had to talk to Liam. I quickly thank Melvirn and head back to my desk. I almost jump when I see Huxley sitting in my chair reading the contents of my desk. I tried not to be petty I promise but when I got to my desk I couldnt help but throw his words back at him. Is there something I can help you with? Huxley I paused before saying his last name just to ensure he knew where I stood. The office was mostly empty at this point so when he stood up to tower over me I let myself cower slightly. I saw those green eyes darken again as they met mine, he leaned in so he was right next to my ear and whispered. I thought I told you to call me Liam he stood back up and started to walk away from me as he called out. Am I giving you a ride or what Anderson? How is it possible for one person to be so hot and cold? I didnt have a choice so I turned around and begrudgingly followed him to the elevator. I quickly noted that he didnt take the stairs like he usually does but instead went to the elevator. I couldnt help thinking that it might have been for my sake. I quickly shook that thought out of my head as I stepped into the elevator with him. Thankfully we got to the parking garage with no unplanned stops this time. We got into his car and sat for the first 5 minutes in silence. I tried to speak a few times and thought it was better for me to keep my mouth shut. I didnt want to start a conversation that I couldn''t end. All of a sudden Huxleys voice breaks the train of thought in my mind. I am going to Albany tomorrow to take a tour of the new equipment we will be implementing into our lab. Melvin was supposed to come but something came up. The Subway. Come with me instead? I freeze. I need another representative from LAB TECH and Melvin thinks we already make a great team I dont know what to say, first he was ignoring me and now he is asking me to go on another trip with him. Who is this man? They are providing hotels for the staff so we wouldnt have to drive home at 3 am again he almost sounded hopeful. Like he wanted me to say yes. I wouldnt let myself give in too quickly so I responded with Ya because being in a car for 6 hours together went so well last time I made a small laughing noise but stopped when I heard Huxley suck in a breath. Raelyn he looks apologetic as he says my name. Why does he have to say my name, why does it sound so damn different? Liam? my eyes went to his arms as I caught his hands tensing on the wheel. I never noticed his arms before, they were so nice, why would he ever cover them up with that damn lab coat. His right arm was covered in tattoos, from his wrist under his shirt sleeve. The only indicator that they went up further was the small patch of ink that peeked out from his collar. Erhm. like what you see? my face went hot, I didnt realize I had been staring. I um- I tried to think of a quick response but Liam could see my panic so he just said. You owe me a meal, come tomorrow I was all out of thought so all I could say was ok Albany When I got home I talked to my mom about going to Albany and after a little bit of convincing I got her to agree. After I thought about it I realized that going away for a few days might be a good break from school and the lab. The thought of having an entire hotel room to myself makes me so excited for tomorrow. I pulled a bag out from the back of my closet and started shoving a bunch of my clothes in. As I was rummaging through my closet I came across a dress I bought a year ago for an event I never went to. It was a knee length form fitting red dress, I fell in love with it on the mannequin and when I tried it on I loved it even more. I never had anywhere I could wear it, may as well impress a bunch of scientists. I woke up to my phone ringing, I brought it up to my ear and waited for the other person to talk. Raelyn? Are you coming or not? I launched out of bed, oh shit my alarm didnt go off. Uh ya, are you at my place? I asked him as I jumped to pull on my jeans that I layed out the night before. Yes I listened to his response as I tried to pull on my LAB TECH shirt. Once I got it on and looked into the mirror my face dropped. Apparently it was put through the dryer and now my oversized comfy tee is completely form fitting and slightly cropped. I looked around my room to see if I could find anything else that was clean and came up empty handed. I was already late so I screamed into the phone. I''m coming.. Give me 2 minutes I hung up the phone and threw it into my back pocket. I grabbed my bag and tossed it over my shoulder, I stumbled down the stairs and yelled a goodbye at my mom and brother who were sitting in the kitchen. I ran out the front door while trying to comb through my bedhead, I ignored the fact that I left a brunette train of hair behind me as I made my way to Huxleys car. I spent the majority of last night talking myself out of agreeing to go with him to Albany but I inevitably realized that there will be an entire banquet center filled with scientists who may have access to what I have been looking for. I haven''t heard anything back from Carther or Brooks so I fear I may have to cut my losses and look elsewhere. I cautiously open the passenger door of Huxley''s truck and climb into the seat that I am getting way too familiar with. Hi he says, not turning to look at me Good Morning Huxley I respond slightly passive aggressively Liam huffs as he turns to look at me and says i thought- His voice died in his throat as he looked me up and down, I immediately felt self conscious and wished I had a sweater to cover up. Instead I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at my feet. Wow uh I didnt know they made LAB TECH shirts like that I took a deep breath in and prepared to look at him, when I did his eyes met mine right away and I saw him clench his jaw. Ya well I didnt know that they were air dry only I finally said while rolling my eyes Liam cleared his throat and moved the car into drive. Our car ride to Albany was much more un-eventful than our border trip, it was mostly silent and I just accepted that. For some reason that is starting to be normal for me and Huxley. The banquet did not start for another couple of hours so Huxley and I decided that we were going to check into the hotel in order for me to shower and change out of the shrunken top. We walked up to the front desk of an incredibly beautiful and expensive looking hotel. Who knew it paid off to work for a huge ass company. Huxley spoke up beside me Hey, we are checking into the two rooms set aside for LAB TECH as he actually smiled at the concierge Sure i''ll pull that right up for you she said smiling back, i was trying to tamp down the slight twist in my stomach when thinking about how I have never gotten a smile like that from Huxley when the concierge peeped up again Um, I''m sorry but there seems to be only one room booked, a gentleman named Justin Melvirn called this morning saying one of the rooms was no longer needed. I think I could physically feel my heartbeat stop in my chest as she stood there looking at the two of us. Ok well is there anyway we can just re-book the canceled room? I heard Huxley say though still slightly muffled by my stilled heart I am so sorry but if you wanted to re-book the room it would have to be paid in full right now, and even so it looks like it was already snatched up The concierge is still smiling at us like she didn''t just drop a bomb on my entire trip. I am mentally totaling up how many km the hotel is from my home and how much it would cost me to take an uber back when Huxley speaks up again Ok we will take the one room, thanks i guess his smile is no longer there when he looks back at the concierge . His words just register in my mind, did he just say WE will take it? Like him and I? Me and him? I know he didn''t just say that because there is no possible way I am spending 3 days in a hotel room with the grumpy Liam Huxley. I think at some point during my panic Liam had started to say something to me but none of it really registered until I felt his hand on my forearm. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Are you ok? Huxley asks concerned, i think i am staring at my feet because he continues to speak Raelyn, look at me my eyes immediately snap up to meet his Sorry what? I ask him finally registering where we were and what was happening Lets just go up to the room and we can figure out what to do from there, you said you wanted to change and shower right? He said this as he grabbed my duffel that was slipping from my shoulder and put it over his. He then turned around and made his way to the elevator. It took me a second but I begrudgingly followed after him. Now here we are stuck in an elevator again on a ride up to impending doom. We get to the 8th floor and the doors open, he motions for me to follow him out. It feels like a lifetime of walking before we finally get to the room and he swipes the key card to get into the hotel. See when I pictured this weekend I imagined crawling into bed and bindging on room service in a robe and a face mask. Now I am forced to share a room with a bed that is 3 feet away from this irritatingly wishy washy boy that makes me angry and flustered at the same time. I realize I have been standing staring at the inside of the room from just outside the door. Huxley was already halfway in before he realized I didn''t follow. How is he being so cool about this, oh I know its just because he sees this for exactly what it is. Two co-workers who are forced to share a confined space. Which I am sure he has done with Dr. Melvirn more than once. I see Huxley stop short and immediate panic floods his face. No is all he says as he turns around and back out the door i have been standing in Huxley what are you doing? I almost yell at him as he is marching back down the hallway to the elevator Go shower I will be back is all I hear him say as he rounds the corner out of view. I''m still not sure what changed but I take a steadying breath and walk into the room. I almost immediately mimic Liam''s reaction when I finally see what made him panic. One bed, there is only One singular bed in this entire hotel room. This just got a whole lot worse. I need to sit on the bed to steady myself as I pull out my phone from my jeans pockets and pull up the uber app. I input the address and see how much I am going to have to drop on this drive home. $800, if I want to get back home to manhattan. My next task is pulling up my bank account. I now need to weigh how important it really is for me to flee from this situation. As I am about to make a huge financial decision Huxley storms back in the door. Ok, so they cant do shit downstairs he says while actively pacing and I cant help but smile at how flustered he looks I will drive you home, I just cant miss this banquet that starts in a few hours. You can come along if you want and I can take you home after? he stops pacing and looks at me sitting on the bed staring up at him I''m sorry Raelyn there''s my name again. Why are you apologizing? I still get to go to the banquet so that''s something I say only half heartedly, I didn''t want him to feel bad since he let me come with him but I was honestly really disappointed in having to go home and not enjoy this break or get to talk to more scientists. He is still just standing there staring at me so I stand up and say I''m gonna shower I grab my bag and head to the bathroom. I am hoping that this shower snaps me out of it and gets me out of my head because now I know I have only one night to impress these scientists and get them to give me free stuff and it''s definitely going to take a lot of brain power. I finish my shower and start drying my hair when I remember that I packed just the thing to get these nerds attention. Now, I am not usually used to using my looks to get anyones attention but at this point I am desperate so I finish drying my hair, slip on my nicest bra and underwear and pull on the little red dress I brought. It is form fitting and almost corset-like on the top with a square neck to show just the right amount of cleavage and when it gets to my hips it poofs out just a little bit in order to give the dress some movement. It takes me about 30 minutes to finish doing my makeup and I almost jump when I hear a knock at the door. Shit shit shit I completely forgot that Huxley was here. How could I have forgotten? It just hits me as I realize he is going to see me in this dress. As soon as I open the door I will have to face him. One sec I say too loudly as I prepare myself to open the door. You know what, this dress is for my research so I am not going to let Huxley get in the way I walk over to the door and open it while adjusting the straps. I lift my eyes to meet Liams and I register that his eyes are not on mine but scanning down the length of my dress. I smirk and throw his words back at him. Like what you see? I say as I pop my hip out and lean on the side of the door frame. His eyes shoot immediately up to mine and he clears his throat uh its kinda fun to see him squirm so I work up the nerve to tilt my head and inch towards him just a little Hmm? I say to him smirking I think red is my favorite colour he says as he runs his finger over the very bottom edge of the skirt. Yea I definitely cannot share a room with this man let alone a bed. I blush and look into his green eyes, except they were not green but that dark black color that scared me the night in the elevator. He immediately took a step back and squeezed his eyes closed, when they opened the green had returned. Am I too overdressed? I asked starting to feel slightly self conscious again and crossing my arms over the exposed skin No he said almost too quickly, his hand twitched like he was thinking about undoing my crossed arms but thought otherwise. Ehm, it''s a bunch of rich scientists so there will be drinks, music, speakers, and some test shows of new products. I think what you''re wearing is fine his words were encouraging so I uncrossed my arms and made my way over to my other bag to grab the only pair of nice shoes that I brought. I watched his eyes follow me all the way to my bag. I''m not sure where all this courage came from but I said so first red was your favorite colour and now my dress is just fine? I was no longer facing him so I let a slight smile spread across my face. Raelyn is all he said in response and my confidence disappeared. Uh you should go change, we have to be at the banquet in an hour I said without looking back at him. Yes youre right I heard him say as he closed the bathroom door behind him. I felt myself let go of a breath I didnt know I was holding and continued to look for the black pair of 3 inch heels I packed. I was sitting on the bed scrolling through my instagram feed when it was Huxley''s turn to come out of the bathroom. Now I was the one who was staring, he was in a black suit jacket and he was wearing an actual tie. I just realized I had never really seen Liam in anything but a lab coat or ratty t shirt and oh my god i know why. No one would ever get any work done; they would be too busy staring at him. I was able to snap myself out of it before Huxley caught me staring. I leaped out of my spot on the bed and headed to the door. Ready? I ask as I lean down to put my shoes on. Yep he says from behind me. A New Friend The Banquet hall was one of the most beautiful things i have ever seen, it was in a separate wing of the hotel and was filled to the brim with nicely dressed scientists. Although it did look to be that me and Huxley were among the youngest of attendees. As I walk further into the hall I almost entirely forget that Huxley is standing beside me until I hear him chuckle. Did you just laugh? I pin him with a stunned look No he says returning to his stoic facial expressions Ok well I guess I will see you when the banquet is over, text me if you need to find me I say to Liam as I begin walking off further into the hall. I am stopped by the feeling of a hand wrapping around mine and tugging me back. I turn to look at Liam and decide that I may as well just tell him why I came here in the first place. Look I got to go talk to some rich scientist with resources to spare, why do you think I wore this dress in the first place? I can see his face go slightly red I uh he cuts himself off and releases my hand, I wander off into the crowd. My first step is at the bar, technically Liams partner in this event was supposed to be Melvirn so when I came in his place it meant I got his lanyard which conveniently had a little green ring around the top meaning 21+. I never thought looking older than I was would come in handy but tonight it definitely does and I am going to need the courage. I request one of the already curated cocktails and get it with no questions asked. As I am turning around I bump into this younger looking girl with short dark brown hair, olive skin, brown eyes and one of the prettiest smiles I have ever seen. She is wearing a black silky dress that goes down to mid calf and I cant help but smile back at her. Hi! she says in a cheery voice I''m Vee she sticks out her free hand for me to shake. Hey, im Raelyn I grab her hand and smile as she shakes it Ugh this place is so depressing, there are only old men here and the music sucks I think it takes her a second to register that she just met me and immediately tries to correct herself Sorry, I have just been to these things since I was 16 my dad is on the board I immediately like her. Well in all honestly I wouldnt be here if I didn''t have to beg these old men for free resources I say honestly Oh my god are you a scientist? she asks impressed and intrigued I wish I say the next part in a whisper I am actually In my last year of Highschool, but I intern at LAB TECH and Im trying to get free stuff so I can start my research Unbenouced to me I feel like I can tell this girl anything and she would get it. Shut up! I''m also in my last year, but as soon as I graduate I''m moving away to college. I need to get as far away from these so called parties she makes me chuckle. Where do you wanna go? I ask so curious about this girl who is just exploding with personality NYU school of medicine probably she says hopeful No way I live in manhattan, its like 20 min from me I say cheerfully Ok we are so friends now I hope you know that. Come find me after you take money from old men, I know a guy who works the hotel bar and will get us drinks she says as she pulls out her phone and gesturing to me to input my number. Good luck Vee tells me as she takes her phone back and disappears into the crowd. I chug down the horrible tasting cocktail and scope out the scientists around me. I spot an older looking familiar gentleman that I could have sworn I have seen Melvirn talking to before. I make my way over to him and plaster the most cheery smile I could on my face. Hi, Im Raelyn I say, sticking my hand out to greet him, he looks me up and down before grabbing my hand. I try not to gag as I continue to smile at him. He is eyeing me heavily so I decide to full ditz in hopes that he takes the bait. So youre like a real scientist right? I hate myself right now but my research means everything to me so I grab a piece of my hair and twirl it around my finger. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Yea I am, I study this cool thing called regeneration I bite my tongue at the condescension in his voice and plaster a confused look on my face It''s this thing where I make organs from scratch he says and I can almost see his ego growing. Nella does the same thing and is one of the most world renowned and you dont hear her bragging. Oh. My. God. That''s like so cool I hate this so much. He then leans in and brushes his fingers along my forearm. I want to vomit in my mouth. So do you like work in a lab? I can see him smile as he then says I actually have some samples from my lab in the back, do you want to see them? As much as I hate the idea of going anywhere with this man alone, I know I need to do whatever I can to see these samples. Omg of course he places his hand way too low on my back and leads me behind the stage, we come across a large table filled with all sorts of lab supplies, samples, and fun new contraptions for the presentations. My eyes land on a slightly white solid in a bottle labeled succinimidyl ester-methoxy polyethylene glycol, this is what I emailed Carther about and never got an answer. Just to preface I have never stolen in my life and I really don''t want to make a habit of it but I feel like it calls for it. My eyes are locked on the substance until I feel this mans hand slip further down to cup my ass. I freeze. I am about to turn around to tell this man off when I hear Huxleys voice boom from behind me. What the fuck are you doing I whip around and feel the old man slip his hand around my waist. I am now turned away from the table with my legs resting against its edge. The man holding my waist speaks up Hey man, just walk away. he winks at Liam like they have some sort of unspoken understanding. I can see Liam''s eyes go back to the black colour Back the fuck off Huxley says as stocks twords the man holding me. He drops his arm and steps in front of me. I roll my eyes since apparently this old man thinks I''m going back to his hotel room. While Huxley and this old man who I now realize I never got the name of continue to bicker, I reach my hands behind my back, keep my expression blank and feel around for the little clear bottle of succinimidyl ester-methoxy polyethylene glycol I saw earlier. When I finally feel my hands grasp around it I place my arms at my side, step slightly over so I am fully blocked from Huxley by the old man and I lift my arms to let the bottle drop down my shirt to rest between my breasts. I then move back over to clear my throat loud enough so both of the men look back at me. Why are you here Huxley? I say crossing my arms and looking into his eyes. They immediately soften back to that green colour and he opens his mouth to say He had his hand on your ass Well, that stunned me for a second. I just stood there looking at him. The old man looked between both of us multiple times and finally spoke up Yea not worth it he turned around and walked away leaving us alone again. Why the fuck would you let him touch your ass he said clenching and unclenching his jaw. Why do you care? I say taking a step closer to him I dont I roll my eyes Well you seemed awfully interested in it I dare another step closer to him, we are about arms length away from each other now. Why did you come back here with him? he asks defeatedly I told you why Huxley I look down at my feet now feeling sorta like I sold myself for the bottle resting between my tits. I told you to call me Liam he says as he closes the gap between us. I look up at him to see he is already staring back at me. I see his hand lift from the corner of my eye and come to caress down from my shoulder to my forearm. He then slides his hand around my waist and looks down at my lips. Liam I say in a whisper. He leans down so our mouths are inches from each other. I close my eyes and move just a little closer. Immediately everything falls to pieces, I feel his grip get slightly too tight and my eyes shoot open to see two big black orbs staring back at me. I stumble out of his grip and shake my head, closing my eyes and clearing my vision. When I open my eyes I see my Huxley standing there looking hurt and so confused. I immediately turn around and dash out of the hall looking for fresh air. When I burst out of the two enormous doors enclosing the banquet I hear a new comforting voice from beside me. Finally had enough? Vee says from a bench outside the hall Ugh Vee you have no clue how happy I am to see you, I could use that drink right about now she laughs and stands up outstretching her hand for me to take. I grab it and she leads me though just about the entire hotel before we get to a door that is labeled Staff Only. She knocks an intricate rhythmic pattern and the door swings open. A guy that looks about our age is standing behind the door. He is a little taller than me and has a mop of curly blonde hair sitting on his head. He turns his bright blue eyes to me, smiles and says Vee you spoil me she immediately slaps his chest and responds with She is a new friend you dork, she hates those stupid science banquits as much as us Vee looks at me and smiles This is Oliver, hes the one who can hook us up with the drinks I smile back at Oliver but he is glowering at Vee. Vee I told you to stop telling people that, Im not giving you free shit I look over at Vee to see her with a grin across her face. Please for me Vee says in a flirty way, which apparently works because he takes the most dramatic sigh and opens the door wider to let us both in. We walk into what looks like a glorified storage closet, my jaw drops when I look around and see every single wall stacked to the top with bottles of various booze. This is going to turn out to be a fun night indeed. I Am Going To Regret This Tomorrow You are sure no one will notice any of this is gone? I say to Oliver Nah, I do all the counts and stock so I will just write off a few bottles. Besides they are like a multimillion dollar hotel so I think they can afford it he tells me as he begins to pull bottles off the shelves. Isnt ollie so sweet? Vee says while booping his nose. Olivers hand comes up to swat her away as he says Its Oliver, Ollie sounds like a child''s name he says this while huffing Ok whatever you say Ollie Vee shoots back smiling I think Oliver has given up because he just reaches into a crate lying on the floor and pulls out 3 wine glasses. Sorry this is all we have, anyone up for some really fancy tequila shots? I chuckle and find a spot to sit on an overturned crate. Both Vee and Oliver copy my motions as he begging to pour 3 heavy hands of tequila. So Vee, tell us more about yourself Vee says as Oliver passes one of the wine glasses to both me and her. Uh, there is not much to tell, what do you want to know I say while taking a whiff of the clear liquor in my cup Wellll, I saw you chatting it up with Liam Huxley, whats all that about? Vee asks smiling Jesus going right in it takes me a second to register that she just mentioned his entire name Sorry uh do you know him? I ask her confused He has been to a few of these things with various scientist before, me and him were one of the only kids who attend so we became sort of friends out of necessity Vee explains I decide to down my drink before answering her question Yea we are uh, coworkers I guess I say gesturing my glass to Oliver so he can fill it back up Oh after that response I definitely believe you Vee says as a grin spread across her face I take my glass back from Oliver and gesture between the two of them. Uh huh ok so what''s going on with you two then? I say trying it ignore the sting in my throat Well- Oliver starts but Vee cuts him off Me and Ollie? No we have been like best friends forever, to be honest i''m still shocked he puts up with me I look at Oliver while she says this and see his face drop the slightest bit Yea what she said Oliver says before downing his glass I hear my phone vibrate beside me and pick it up to look at my screen, its was of course a message from Huxley Where did you go I dont even think about answering and instead set my phone back down and swallow another huge gulp of tequila. What was that? Vee says pointing at my phone and then back at me Nothing I say as no chalant as possible Ok is all she says, realizing I dont want to talk about it Lets makes this fun she then pipes up Let''s play, never have I ever! Vee squeals Me and Olive share a worrying look but eventually agree to it anyway After about an hour of us playing never have I ever I think it''s safe to say we are all extremely plastered. I remember hearing my phone go off a few times but I never bothered checking it. Finally my phone starts to ring again and before I can grab it Vee snatches it up and swipes to answer. Hell-ooooo she says slurring her words Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Who is this I can hear Huxleys deep voice come from the phone Wellll who issss thissss Vee responds with a slight giggle Where is Raelyn? He responds a little more urgently than before Ughhh is this Liam? Vee sighs Um yes? he says confused Its Vee you grumpy pantssss she chuckles Vee? Yessss dummy, we stole Raelynnnn she says looking back at me Are you in the closet? he asks Nooooooo she says failing miserably at sounding convincing I''m coming he says and hangs up the phone Vee chuckles and throws my phone back at me before leaning on Oliver for support. I think I got most of that conversation but I was incredibly drunk and seeing double. From what I could make out it was Huxley on the phone and he was coming here? He was coming here. I felt myself immediately sober up and shoot off the crate I was sitting on. I then realize I am still immediately drunk and start to topple over. As I feel myself falling to the group I hear the door swing open and I then feel a set of strong arms around me as I am being hauled up to standing position. Really? is all huxley said directing his expression at Vee What? She said she needed a drink Vee shot back shrugging her shoulders Hi Oliver Huxley said giving a nod in his direction Hey man, Im gonna get Vee back to her room. You good? Oliver responded Yea we will be fine Liam responded I then felt my legs being sweeped out from under me and Huxleys hands resting on my lower back and the crook of my knees effectively carrying me out of the storage closet. put mee down I said slurring my words You are so drunk he said chuckling slightly Did you just laugh? I said again while lifting my hand and patting, more like lightly slapping the side of his face. Okay. maybe we keep our hands to ourselves he says as he removes my hand from his face Why? I ask pouting You cant tell me you dont like it I say as I move my hand back up but this time train my fingers across his chest Raelyn he said quietly Ughhh stop saying my name Huxley I say throwing back my head Why? he asks, a little hurt and confused. As my head is dangling back I realize that we are finally back in the elevator and on the way up. I thought you were driving me home? I say looking back up at him Tomorrow is all he says. It looks like he is about to say something more but the elevator doors open on our floor and he walks out. By the time he gets the door open and walks into our room I can barely keep my eyes open. I feel myself being set on a soft surface and crack my eyes open to see Liam setting me on the one bed. No I can take the floor, it''s your room anyways I say sitting up and feeling immediately sober. For real this time. Raelyn. I can see his face shift to panic Sorry uh Anderson, i''m not gonna make you sleep on the floor he responds Now we are back to Anderson? I say trying not to let the hurt show in my face What do you want from me? You just told me not to call you Raelyn and now your saying this. he takes a deep breath and sits on the end of the bed looking defeated That''s not what I meant when I told you not to call me Raelyn. I say crawling towards him He looks up as I am settling into a kneeling position beside him. What did you mean? he says finally looking into my eyes. I sigh defeatedly It just sounds so different when you say it, like no one else will ever be able to say it like you do I think, no I know this is the many shots of tequila talking because there is no way I would say this sober. Oh is all he says. I flop backward on the bed and sigh Oh? That''s it? I say slightly annoyed Raelyn he says as he grabs my hand and pulls me back into a sitting position Take the bed, I will be fine I promise as he says this I now realize I am staring at him, like full out We can make a wall I blurt out What? he says obviously confused With pillows I mean. Like on the bed not sure where that came from or why I am suggesting to SHARE this bed with him. My sober mind knows I should have just accepted his first offer and passed out on the bed but apparently my drunk mind will not have that. Oh he says turning slightly red Please is all that came out of my mouth. I then turn around and start to make a pillow wall down the middle of the bed. See there I say, turning back to him. His eyes were stuck on the spot my ass just was and when I cleared my throat his eyes return to my face. Ugh I need to get out of this dress it''s so uncomfortable I now realize how drunk I really am because I reach my hands behind my back and quickly undo the zipper that was holding my dress on my body. It drops very quickly so I am only in my bra and the dress is pooled around my knees. I see Huxleys head snap in the opposite direction in order to avoid looking at me. Wow so apparently I am that repulsive that he won''t even look at me. I see him bend down and reach into his suitcase. He then pulls out a big grey shirt and tosses it in the direction im sitting. For the love of god please put your clothes back on he says through gritted teeth Whoops is all I respond with as I pull the shirt over my head. By the time Huxley turns back around I am tucked under the covers and drifting to sleep. I was trying to remember why I was suspicious of this man who carried me upstairs and let me sleep in his hotel room bed. Maybe I was stupid for thinking he was up to something. My brain finally goes dark as I drift into a deep sleep. Succinimidyl ester-methoxy polyethylene glycol” When I finally wake up from my very restful sleep it take me a minute to register where I am. I attempted to sit up but between the pounding headache I have and a heavy weight draped over my chest I flop back down. I twist a little to figure out what is holding me down and I go pale. Why the fuck is he in the bed? All my memories from the night before come rushing at me. I am so fucked. I look down and realize I am still in the enormous shirt Liam threw at me last night. AND NO PANTS! I need to get out of here as soon as possible. I fumble around for my phone which Liam must have plugged in beside me before he went to be. I turn it on and see a million messages from Vee Omg Im so sorry dont hate me You were so drunk lol Did I remember Liam showing up And did he carry you? Last night was so fun My head is pounding Do you need food? I def need food Come down to the buffet The last message was sent 5 minutes ago and I checked the time to see how early it was. 10am. Honestly not bad for a drunk sleep. I do about 5 different contortion moves to get out of bed and out of Huxley''s grip without waking him, thrown on a pair of sweats and my oversized LAB TECH sweater. As quietly as I can I sneak out of the room and make my way down the hall to the elevator. As I am standing in the elevator contemplating my life I realize that between all the drinking and carrying I totally forgot about the vile I shoved down my bra. I immediately search for it and come up empty handed. It must have fallen out when I was sleeping, or maybe in the closet? The elevator dings and I am thrust back into reality. I will check the closet before I go back to the room and look. I make my way to the buffet and see Vees dark brown hair sticking out from a booth. Hey I say as I slide into the bench across from her. Omg you''re alive! I was worried after last night she says smiling at me Barely I say picking up a fork and spearing a sausage from her plate. Was it Liam I remember seeing take you back to your room she says grinning Scratch that, CARRYING you she corrects. I scrunch my eyes closed trying to forget the memory You would be right I say not looking at her How did he know which room was yours? Vee asks accusingly We came together, I said, trying to avoid the question I knew she was really trying to ask. Oh really? she says almost giddy now So why does the shoulder of your sweater say Huxley on it my face drops, in my scramble out of the room I must have grabbed what I thought was my LAB TECH sweatshirt which conveniently is an exact copy of every other employee. I swear I didnt know I said trying to back track I must have grabbed it instead of mine when I left our ro- I cut myself off realizing what I did OUR? Vee said almost shouting Shhhh! I pleaded looking around to make sure people aren''t watching Ok ok, it''s a long story but yes we are sharing a room. We made a pillow wall I swear! Nothing happened I am anxiously trying to back track now You. shared. A. bed? Vee gaped at me. I let my head fall to the table in defeat He was supposed to drive me home last night after the banquet but we decided to get drunk instead. He is going to drive me home when he wakes up I explain Wait, you''re not staying for the whole conference? she looks honestly upset I am not sharing a room with Huxley. I say stealing a few bites of eggs from her plate Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. But you did last night, and it was fine right? she says asking what seemed like an honest question Yes but I was so very drunk and I dont think my liver could handle that again I laugh Ok then stay with me she said so nonchalant What? I ask registering her statement Yea stay with me, I have a suite with two beds since my dad is on the board. He was supposed to take the second bed but he and my mom decided a trip to Cuba sounded better than another conference and sent me to their place I felt my heart lift at the thought of getting my vacation. Omg Vee you are my favorite person! I say leaping up and moving to the other side of the bench to give her a hug. Let''s go get your stuff then shall we? she says gesturing for us to get up Actually, Can you do me one last favour? I ask hopeful Of course! What is it? Vee replies I think I lost something last night an I just want to make sure I didn''t leave it in the closet I say trying to leave out the details Oh yeah for sure just tell me what it looks like and I will get Ollie to look for it I debate whether or not to tell her the details on the bottle and decide that it''s this or nothing Its a little clear bottle labeled succinimidyl ester-methoxy polyethylene glycol I say shrugging it off Oh jesus I don''t think I could even come close to typing that out she says while pulling out her phone Im just going to say hey can you look for a little clear bottle with a long ass name on it, Raelyn thinks she left it last night and sent she says looking back up at me. Ok you go get your stuff and meet me by room 4567, i''m going to go ask for another key card Vee says as she makes her way to the front desk. I probably stand at my room door for 5 minutes before I work up the courage to walk and collect my stuff. I would have walked straight in but when I came up to the door I could hear the shower running which meant Liam had woken up. When I finally work up the courage to walk in it is at the exact time Liam is walking out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He freezes immediately when he sees me. I try to look at his eyes but I cant help staring at his broad chest, which I was right in thinking had been covered in tattoos. I honestly dont know why Huxley would ever wear a shirt if that''s what he looked like underneath it. Like what you see? he asks me for the second time Hm? I say forcing myself to look back up at him. All he could do was chuckle Oh by the way I found your succinimidyl ester-methoxy polyethylene glycol bottle in our bed he mentions as he walks back into the bathroom and conveniently doesn''t close the door. Our bed? Did he just say our bed? Oh is all I can muster I have two questions, he says as he towel dries his hair. I am frozen to the floor and cant help but stare at him through the open door. um sure I respond clearing my throat One, why the fuck was it in the bed, and two why the fuck do you have it he stops what he is doing and pins me with a stare Uh, well I say trying to figure out if I should tell him the truth or not Well, it was in the bed I made sure not to say our because I shoved it between my tits and forgot about it I say boldly. I could see him look slightly lower than my chest when I mentioned my tits and it made my skin heat. And I told you I was trying to get resources last night just a baby lie Yea but I thought you meant money he said returning his gaze to my face I never said money I meandered No scientist would just openly give you this, and besides it''s not like you have cells to test on Liam says blatantly. My face flushes and I bite the inside of my cheek So? he says impatiently You know I dont have to tell you anything i say turning around and heading to my suitcase to pack up. Uh uh I dont think so he says, chasing after me and grabbing my wrist. He spins me around so I am a breath away from colliding into his cement body. I find my footing and immediately retreat a step backwards Talk is all he says Ughhhhh I sigh Fine, I stole it. Are you happy now? I ask When what a man of few words. My god. Uh when you were yelling at that old man, I shoved it down my bra again his eyes shifted. Quicker this time i''ll give him that Ok but that still doesnt explain that you can''t use it until you have cells he questions I have cells I say, leaving out the part that they are mine How? he asks Donations I say quickly. He lets go of my arm and lets me finish packing I can drive you home in an hour he says turing back to the bathroom Oh no need, Vee is letting me stay with her for the weekend I say smiling Oh ok is all he says I''m just going to finish packing and i''ll be out of your hair in 5 I tell him Are you gonna pack up my sweater too? he says with a grin in his voice. I go red. I immediately go to pull it off and he turns back to look at me. Jeez Anderson im joking he says actually cracking a laugh. Ha ha I say feeling incredibly embarrassed See you at the seminar later? he ask with a question in his voice Yep is all I say as I finish packing up my stuff and watch Liam retreat into the bathroom, this time closing the door. The Sludge Vee was really not messing around when she said she had a suite, I was picturing a normal hotel room where there are two beds with about a foot of room between the two. I was so wrong. When I walk into the room Im in awe, there is a huge lounge room with multiple couches and a tv, the main room branches off into 3 others, two bedrooms and a beautifully stocked kitchen. Vee shows me into the empty room which has an enormous widow beside the bed. Not only do I get my own room but it has a connected on-suite. Holy shit Vee, this is amazing I say gaping You can thank your dad, he gets most of this comped she says nonchalantly. I have to get some work done but then we should go shopping or something? I say hesitantly Oh my god yes! I know so many great places around, i''ll be in my room when you are done she says bouncing off. I close the door behind her and pull out my laptop. I havent had the time I needed to comb through all of the LAB TECH order forms for the last few weeks. My best bet to find the rest of what I needed lied within the LAB TECH scientists. After about an hour of searching and compiling a list I know exactly who I need to approach. Lucky for me, Huxley is the first on my list. This is going to be more difficult than I thought. Why Huxley needed Hyaluronic Acid is a mystery to me since it is mainly used for cell migration and tissue healing. His research is on pancreatic cancer. I mentally smack myself for letting things get away with Huxley, I have to remember that there is something going on and I need to figure out what. As soon as we get back home to LAB TECH I am going to figure it out. Maybe I can get something out of him this weekend. All my thoughts immediately shoot back to my menting show and the green liquid in the broken vials and how cagey Liam was about it. My phone rings and I look at who is calling, Hi Dr. Melvirn, what''s wrong? I say knowing he wouldnt call me if something wasn''t up Realyn, I need your help. He said frantically You''re scaring me a little, what''s up? There has been another incident, like the subway one He says whispering now What? is all I could get out It happened sometime last night, actually a few blocks from the hotel you are staying at I went pail The crime scene investigators collected some of the same black goop they found from the first attack. I need you to pick it up and run some tests on it for me You want me to? I said trying to make sure I heard him right Yes, I got you access to one of the labs a few blocks away from the hotel, they will give you full access to anything you need. Raelyn, the young woman who was attacked died Melvirn sighed Im worried about the sample''s viability because before the last sample could get to us it dried out and essentially disintegrated. We couldnt run any tests on it he continues I cant get out there in time to run tests and you are still the only one that knows about this. Can you help? he finally asks Of course, send me the address and I will pick it up right now I tell him Thank you Raelyn, also do not get Huxley roped into this. Is confidential He says and hangs up the phone. I cannot believe I get to do real work and have full access to an ENTIRE lab. I run out of my room and shout for Vee Hey, do you have a car here? I say hopefully Yea why? she asks confused as she makes her way out of her room The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. It''s a work emergency, can I borrow it? I plead Uh yea I guess she says retracting back into her room and returning with he set of car keys Please be careful with her! she said threw the keys at me I will I promise I say almost running to the door I guess this means we arent going shopping Vee adds as she makes her way back into her room Rain check I promise I yell as I make my way out the door. I pick up the sample from the address Melvirn sent me and place it in the passenger seat. As I make my way to the lab and start to feel incredibly nauseous and sweaty, it happens so suddenly that I worry I might be dying or something else that borders the lines of complete insanity. I am too focused on the sick feeling to realise that the car in front of me had stopped and so I slam on the brakes. My hand shoots out to protect the sample from falling and that''s when my heart drops. I feel the worst sort of pain shoot up my arm from where it connected to the sample. I jerk my hand away and take a deep breath to steady myself. I''m shocked back to reality when I hear the car behind me honking. By the grace of god I make it to the lab in one piece. There is absolutely no way I am touching that sample again so I take Liams sweatshirt off and wrap it around the hazmat container bag. This lab is beautiful, it''s so much nicer than LAB TECH and is filled with all new equipment. I am met at the front by one of the lab assistants and she ushers me into one of the unoccupied lab spaces. Getting free rein to all this equipment is definitely top of my bucket list. I set myself up at the lab bench ensuring the sample is as far away from me as possible and pulled out my laptop. Melvirn sent me the list of tests he wants me to run on this substance and the best way to try and reverse engineer the components. I very carefully got the sample set up in the glove box, still wrapped in huxley''s sweatshirt whoops. I stick my hands in the thick rubber gloves and unwrap the sweater from the sample. Now I am face to face with the bright orange hazmat bag. I slowly unclasp the bag and tilt the opening to the glass so I can see the sample. I feel chills run up my spine. I have no idea what this thing is but it is giving me the creeps. Whatever this is seems to be infecting people and making them go insane. I tip the bag over and let the black sludge oooze out. It almost looks like it''s breathing, I can see a slow rise and fall. I run the series of tests on the sludge which consist of its electricity conduction, some chemicals it could react to but I havent really found anything out of the ordinary with it. My tests werent any closer to helping me figure out what this is made of. I went against my better judgment and decided to poke it, I was curious how it would react. Immediately it envelops the tips of my fingers and expands down my fingers. I try not to panic knowing I have gloves on but that nauseous feeling comes back. I go still when I feel the slimy goop not on the glove but touching my bare hand. It seeped through the glove. Fuck Is all I can get out before my vision goes black. Im shocked awake by the feeling of strong hands shaking my shoulders. Liam? I say trying to figure out how he knew I was here Jesus Rae are you alright rae? I''m so confused and feel like I have been hit by a bus Uh yea? I say slightly confused. I glance down at my hand where the black goop was a second ago and see nothing but my bare fingers. I stand up to look in the glove box and it has also disappeared from there. Hey did you see- I turn back to look at Liam and my eyes go wide. I am greeted with one of the most terrifying smiles and teeth that are covered in the black sludge. His eyes are no longer just a black colour but the whites of his eyes are completely consumed. This is no longer Liam. I slowly back away from him as I feel my heart slam in my chest. Oh Raelyn, you shouldnt have been messing with something you know nothing about Liam says in a voice that''s not quite his. What do you mean I ask still backing away You just couldn''t leave it alone could you? he is now stalking towards me as he says Well I guess you may as well join us he says looking behind him. I go pale. Ten more people file into the lab behind him all with the same look on their faces and black sludge oozing out their mouths. My eye catches a younger woman in the back, she has blonde hair with a cute set of bangs and a Lman Prep School sweatshirt on. Although she has the same creepy grin on her face as Liam does, her eyes look tired and pained. As I am busy focusing on the girl in the back I feel a hand wrap around my wrist and the searing pain up my arm returns. Liam has taken hold of it and I look down to see black goop crawling up my arm from where his hand had grasped me. I refuse to stay still so I fight him back. I kick him in the shins until he falls to the ground. He still doesnt let go of my arm though so I swing it around until he finally does. The second he let go of my arm I felt like I could breathe again. Then I woke up. This Just Got Real Everything that just happened was inside my head. The lab is empty, my hands are still in the glove box, and Liam is nowhere to be found. I turn my attention back to the sludge in the box and it is no longer attached to me but shriveled up in the palm of my hand. I drop it as quickly as I can and when I do my eyes land on a slit in the glove. It did get through. Whatever this thing is, it was trying to get inside my head. A thought dawns on me, I fought it off, I fought Liam off. The image of the girl in the Lman sweatshirt comes back to me and I immediately pull my hands out of the gloves and bring up google on the lab computer. I debate on whether or not I really want to do this, knowing if I''m right I wont like the answer. I bite the bullet and search up Lman Manhattan Preparatory School. The first couple of articles and webpages are for the schools website, their instagram, and tuition help. I can feel my heart sink when I come across the article I was really hoping I didn''t have to see. I clicked on it and the headline read A Female Student From Albany Academy Killed At The Age Of 16 On A NYC Subway Ride I scrolled down to find a picture and there she was. The girl I saw. In the picture her smile wasnt covered in black sludge and she looked so happy. I think they pulled this image from one of her school photos since she was in what looked like a uniform. I cup my face in my hands and take a steading breath. I was not prepared for this today, Im still not even sure what it means. What I do know is that I need to talk to Melvirn. I get Melvirn connected into the lab via zoom and explain what the results of the tests were. They were pretty inconclusive and didn''t tell us much but when I approached the conversation of what it did to me his face fell. Melvirn I saw the girl that died on the train I saw blankly Raelyn, I need you to be very specific, what do you mean? he asks almost hesitantly I went to touch the samples with the gloves and when I did it''s like It took permission to take over me. I thought I just passed out but it got into my mind I take a breath remembering what happened. I left out the part of Liam being there when I share the second half of the story When it was in my mind it made me see all these people, they said that I shouldnt get involved in things I dont understand they said it was too late and I guess I will have to join them that''s when I saw the girl Melvirn sighed Are you sure it was her? he asks questionably Yes. I say definitely She caught my eye cause I thought she looked familiar, like I had seen her somewhere before. That''s when I saw her sweatshirt, it said her school and I remembered where I had seen her. There was an article I read about her death, before I found out about the train I take a second to arrange my thoughts I thought the article seemed weird since we barely got any information about what happened, I hadn''t put two and two together until I saw her covered in that black sludge stuff, she was killed by whatever this stuff is turning these people into I say defeatedly Yes is all Melvirn says Wait did you say she was wearing a shirt with her school on it? he asks Yea, it was a dark blue sweatshirt that said Albany Academy on it, I think there was an embroidery on the sleeve but I wasnt close enough to see what it said I say Emily. Melvirn sighs the embroidery said to Emily Melvirn rubs his hand down his face and takes a deep breath thats what she found in Raelyn. When she died that''s what she was wearing I go cold. So what does this mean? I ask unsureStolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I dont know yet, but I think this means you should come home he answers Ok i''ll head home as soon as I can I say about to hang up the phone when he stops me Stay safe ok? This attack wasn''t that far from you Mevirn says as he hangs up. I take a minute to collect myself before cleaning up the lab and packing up my stuff. I take the shrivelled piece of sludge from the glove box and ensure I wrap it in multiple layers of biohazard bags and throw it in the incineration bin. No one else needs to get anywhere close to this stuff. As I am driving back to the hotel the only thing I can think about is seeing Huxley like that. This is now the second time I have and im starting to think that maybe it isn''t a coincidence and that fact is making me sweat. I get back into the hotel and am greeted by Vee who is lounging in the common room watching greys on the enormous tv. Hey! she said turning around and jumping off the couch to greet me How did the work stuff go? she says curious Not how I wanted it to I say defeated Wanna talk about it? she asks concerned Honestly if I could I would spill my guts to you but it''s sorta a top secret project I say feeling somewhat guilty that I couldn''t talk to her about it No its ok I get it, my dad has those all the time she says waving it off Wanna watch greys with me? she asks moving back overt to sit on the couch I wish I could but I have to pack my stuff, this project is forcing me home I say honestly sad to leave my new friend What! she says whipping around You cant leave! she says in a whine I have to Vee, I would stay if i could I promise I sigh Ok well if you left now when would you get home? she asks and I can tell she is cooking up a plan Um if I left now maybe 5 or 6? I say Ok so really how much work would you really be able to get done? she is grinning a little now I guess not much I say giving up Ok so how about you come to the event tonight? Its my favorite one since there are demos and then I will personally drive you home in the morning she says assuredly Why would you drive all the way to manhattan? I ask trying to get her to see faults in her plan I have a tour for school tomorrow evening anyways, I was going to have to leave regardless. I will just shop around until I have to go she says shrugging Ughhh I hate you I say though gritted teeth YES she squeals as she jumps up and squeezes me Ok now we need to pick something for you to wear Vee announces almost bouncing Cant I just wear the blazer I brought? I ask confused Are you kidding? she responds No? It was a rhetorical question because you definitely have to be kidding Vee laughs Ok fine I give up But I didnt bring anything other than the red dress I wore the other night I told her Oh but honey, I brought so much more she says leading me into her room which was packed high with bags I think this is just what you need she says holding up one of the most stunning floor length body fitted black dresses I have ever seen. It flipped over at the top and went off the shoulders. I just gaped at her. You expect me to wear that? I ask he honestly You are going to look amazing so shut up and put in on she say as she pushed the dress into my hands and leads me to the bathroom Change is all she says As I am putting on the dress I thought I heard Vee say I know someone who is going to love this dress I blush Vee, did you say something? I yell Nope is all she says while giggling