S. Bodeen - The Fallout

“It’s okay.” She lifted and lowered a shoulder. “It’s kind of true.” She watched Jamie for a bit before going on. “It’s hard on my parents. I just try to do everything I can with him. I take an independent study at school first hour of the day, so I can bring him here three days a week.” She glanced at her watch.

She wasn’t old enough to drive. “How do you get here?” I asked.

Her brown eyes turned my way again. “The bus. Our schools are right next to each other, so I run him there and then get back in time for class.”

“Sounds like a pain,” I said.

She nodded. “It’ll be way better when I can drive.”

Jamie called out, “Verity! Come watch me!”

She stood up and looked down at me. “I’m surprised he didn’t yell before now. Coming?”

I nodded. “In a sec.”

I watched Verity walk away.

For some reason, I wanted to call her back, tell her everything: my real name, the truth about my family. I swallowed. How stupid would that be? I’d known her for less than five minutes. And there was the fact that I would never run into her again.

Just before reaching the pool, Verity spun around on her heel and jogged back to me. “Before I go…” She knelt down and grabbed my phone; then before I could say anything, her thumbs were a blur. “There. I mean, in case you have any questions about this place. Or anything.” She handed me the phone and headed over to the pool.

Dr. Barkley joined me again. He said, “I have to go to a meeting, but I’ll have someone show you out. Please tell Ms. Greene…” He trailed off.

I stood up. “I’m sure you can expect to hear about the funding sometime soon.” I realized my mistake. “I mean, of course I don’t have much to do with it, but…” I picked up the journal. “She’ll get a great report from me about it all.”

He smiled. “There’s no rush.” He held out his hand.

I shook it. “Thank you very much for the tour.” I wanted to tell him that, in my mind, it was done. He would get whatever funding he needed. I would see to it. But I’d have to let the people at YK deliver that news.

I smiled. “I hope you get the funding. And I hope you find a cure.”

He nodded. “We’ll do our best.”

“I can find my way out,” I said. And he left.

I picked up my phone and figured out how to get to my contact list.

1. Mom

2. Lee

3. Eddy

4. Verity Blum.

Verity Blum.

After fumbling with it a bit more, I got a message to pop up: Erase this contact?

Getting close to anyone was unwise, not while we were trying to lie low. And then I almost laughed. Close to anyone? When had I been close to anyone, ever, that wasn’t related to me? I even had trouble with family most of the time.

Plus, who said she even wanted to get to know me?

I glanced back down at her name in my contacts.

That had to mean something, right?

She put her number in my contacts. Which meant she wanted some sort of… contact.

My gaze went over to Verity, who crouched near the side of the pool as Jamie tried to splash her. Verity laughed. Her laugh alone made me want to know her better.

But it would never work. Could never.

I looked again at the message: Erase this contact?

There was only one realistic and rational answer.

My thumb hovered over the Yesbutton.

But then I pressed Noinstead.

I can remember going to Costco only once as a kid, way before we entered the Compound. Maybe because I had no reason to wonder where the groceries came from. Honestly, I never really saw food in packaged form. Even the Baby Bels were unwrapped and on a white china plate with a line of Triscuits by the time I got them, so it wasn’t until we were in the Compound that I saw the red wax circles of cheese and yellow boxes of crackers. Well, for as long as the cheese and crackers lasted, which wasn’t long.

Eddy swung open my door. “You ready?” He was dressed in jeans and blue polar fleece.

“Almost.” I buttoned my jeans and pulled a long-sleeved red Under Armour shirt over my head. Even though it was August, the day was damp and chilly, much like the day before. I hoped we weren’t done with sunny days just yet; I wasn’t quite ready for the northwest gloom to descend before autumn had even begun.

As I tied my Converse, Eddy said, “The little kids must be excited—they’re already sitting in the car.”

“Lee should love that.” I turned back to him. “What about Lexie and Reese?”

“Actually, they’re in the car, too.” He grinned.

I grabbed my black soft-shell jacket off the hook on the back of the door and followed him downstairs. Mom was there with Gram, Finn, and Quinn. She looked up at us. “Quinn has a cough and Finn is fussy.”

I asked, “You going to stay home then?”

Mom nodded.

I’d just been out the day before. And she hadn’t been out since… since we’d last gone to YK. Which had not exactly been an enjoyable outing. “Mom, why don’t you go? I can stay and help with them.”

She smiled. “Oh, that’s sweet, but you go have fun.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I don’t mind.” Truth was, I liked staying home. I found it much less stressful than going out in public.

“Positive.” She stood and went over to the window seat, to her black bag. She reached in and pulled out her wallet. She handed me seven twenties. “One for each of you to buy something. And a twenty for Lee to have a snack.” She frowned. “He always looks like he’s hungry.”

I put the money in my jacket pocket and zipped.

Eddy leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks.” I did the same and added, “Don’t worry.”

As we walked out the door, she called after us, “And please be safe.”

I climbed into the back of the SUV with Reese and Lexie, who’d already strapped Lucas and Cara into the third row, where they were busy with green juice boxes. Lexie, apparently having decided a trip to Costco was worth her while after all, rolled her eyes. “About time.” She was playing with the cell phone Mom had given her after dinner the night before.

Reese had pitched a fit she didn’t get one, and from the way she was glaring at Lexie’s, she was obviously still not over it.

Eddy started to get into the backseat beside Reese, but Lucas kicked the seat. “No! I want Eli to sit there.”

Eddy got back out. “Maybe I should just stay home.”

“No, you have to go.” I set a hand on his shoulder. “He’s just cranky.”

“Whatever.” Eddy got into the passenger seat in front.

I glanced at Lee. He did look hungry.

As we stopped by the front gate and waited for it to open, the two security guards came out of the white concrete booth. Both were in their twenties: Joe had a dark beard, while Sam shaved his head and had ice-blue eyes. Both grinned and waved as we pulled out of the front gate.

When we hit the street, my heart started to pound.

Was I this excited about Costco? Or was it just that I was getting to go out, out into the real world where everyone else lived normal lives?

The trips to YK and then the progeria lab the day before hadn’t been normal teenager outings. Maybe my heart was pounding at the possibility that I could actually be normal again. Costco could do that, maybe. Hand normalcy back to me.

The windows of the SUV were tinted, so I took advantage and stared all I wanted at people walking and jogging and driving beside us, knowing that they couldn’t see me. I wondered, if you mentioned the name Rex Yanakakis to them, what would they think?

Would it be like mentioning Steve Jobs ? Someone who was gone, who they’d only seen on television and the Internet, yet was a visionary who had influenced components of their everyday life? Is that what they thought of my dad?