what's the name?

Chapter 9

Morning arrived, and Mariel and I gathered our belongings, preparing to head to school. As we were about to leave, she darted back into my room, ostensibly to check her outfit in my full-length mirror. However, I noticed her gaze lingered on the spot where my Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume usually sat. It was missing.

"Let's go?" I asked, gently brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

"Did you bring the Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume?" she inquired, her eyes searching mine.

I paused for a moment, feigning ignorance. "I didn't see it in its usual place earlier when I was getting ready."

"I moved it to my drawer; my room was filled with its scent. You know it's too strong," I explained.

"Ahh, okay. Let's go then."

We piled into the car, which would take us to school due to the sheer volume of our luggage. Normally, we would just take a tricycle to avoid the hassle of maneuvering the car out of our garage. Upon arriving, we made our way to our assigned room. I deposited my bags and belongings on my designated side. Ten of us were sharing the room, with the remaining classmates housed in another room due to space constraints. After organizing my things, I noted with a mixture of annoyance and anticipation that I was sharing the room with Lena. Not too bad, considering my intentions.

It was our first night to take the pill. I cleverly deceived the scientist into believing I had swallowed the pill, when in reality, I had simply held it in my mouth, careful not to swallow it. I then feigned sleep, mimicking the other students. After we were escorted back to our shared room, I felt hands gently lifting me into my bed. Sometime in the middle of the night, the scientists completed their observations and left us to prepare for the morning's questioning.

Under the cover of darkness, I discreetly removed the pill from my mouth and tossed it into the trash bin beside Lena's bed. I was confident that my actions would go unnoticed; there were no security cameras in our room, as it doubled as a changing area. Besides, I knew my classmates were sound asleep beside me. With a sense of satisfaction, I returned to my own bed and drifted off to sleep.

After breakfast, the scientists distributed survey papers and asked us to write about our dreams. I fabricated a whimsical tale about being in a garden, filled with useless, made-up details.

At noon, the campus hosted a series of recreational activities, which I observed from the sidelines. I spotted my cousin, Mariel, carrying a stack of papers. Curious, I approached her.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Uh, these are the students' survey responses and dream narratives. The papers from your section are here, but we're not supposed to read them," she explained.

"Oh, where are you putting them?"

"That bald scientist said we should put them in the lab room on the large desk. Want to help?"

"Of course, I do," I replied, seizing the opportunity.

I nonchalantly grabbed the papers from my section, casually skimming through them while ensuring we weren't being observed as we made our way to the lab room. We paused briefly to watch a dance performance in the gym, and Mariel became engrossed in the spectacle. In my distraction, I failed to notice that some of the papers had slipped from my grasp, causing her to gasp in shock.

"Oh, Mariel, get those papers!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, s**t, why did you let them fall!" she retorted.

"I'll wait for you at the lab room," I said, prompting a sigh and a nod from her.

Before she arrived, I quickly slipped into the lab room, ensuring it was empty. My heart pounded as I searched for Lena's dream narrative. After locating it, I devoured its contents, committing every detail to memory. Just as I finished, Mariel entered the room, and we worked together to arrange the papers on the desk before exiting.

As we walked, Mariel noticed my phone flashing.

"Sis, your phone is flashing," she said, pointing to my pocket.

"Oh, thanks, I didn't notice," I replied, retrieving my phone.

We returned to the gym to watch the student dance group perform, the earlier incident momentarily forgotten.

The scientists administered the pills on alternate days. We received them on Wednesday night but not on Thursday night. As I emerged from the bathroom after showering, I inadvertently bumped into Lena. I met her gaze, offering an innocent smile before whispering, "Shall we begin?" She raised her eyebrows, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

"Nothing," I repeated, before returning to our room and settling into my bed. I noticed Lena was absent. I spent some time on my phone, exchanging messages with Jazzy and others, before drifting off to sleep with a subtle smile that hinted at something more.

I noticed many of my classmates were still awake, engrossed in their phones. I blended in, feigning sleeplessness. I glanced at Hannah, who was beside me, still typing away.

"Hannah," I called softly.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Let's sleep; it's already midnight."

She agreed, and we both settled down for the night. After a while, the others followed suit, except for Lena, who lay in her bed, looking shocked, frozen, and shivering... not from cold, as the night was mild.

Before we drifted off, I turned to Hannah and said, "Tomorrow's gonna be a big day."

"Why?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Remember, we have to take the pill again, and we have to dance for sleep and dance for the activities. And maybe there's more shocking news tomorrow," I replied cryptically.

She laughed and nodded, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Yeah," she agreed.

It was 3 am when I awoke. Lena was gone, and the door to our room was slightly ajar. She had ventured outside. A grin spread across my face as I reached for my phone, sending a quick message before closing my eyes and drifting back to sleep.