Chapter 77
I’d shared the lab table with Emma all year, but now that we were working on our projects, Lucy also sat with us as she was in our group. Her bag was slung over the back of the chair between mine and Emma’s, and just when I was beginning to wonder where our third amiga was, she walked in, the worried expression still on her face.
I didn’t even wait for her to put her stuff down. I met her in the aisle and grabbed her arm. “Emma, come here.”
“But, I need to….” She tried to pull away from me. I knew she wanted to set her books down, and I knew she hated that I was touching her, but I needed my friends fixed, both of them, and there was only one person who could do that.
He was telling a story as we approached, and I didn’t want to interrupt, but I also couldn’t wait too long either. “And then, wouldn’t you know it, but that bear totally left my lunchbox alone and ate every last crumb of my brother’s sandwich!” The kids standing around Mr. Horton’s desk laughed as if that was the funniest thing they’d ever heard in their lives. “And that’s why you don’t always have to be fast—you just have to be faster than the slowest person in your group!” Once again, the sound of a laugh track from a sitcom filled the lab space. I assumed I would also be laughing—if I’d heard the first part of the story, if it was actually funny, and if I’d been brainwashed into thinking everything was hilarious today.
“Well, if it isn’t Cassidy Findley,” Elliott said, smiling at me. “You’re having a great day, aren’t you? I can tell. This is your best day yet.” I saw the little twinkle in his eye and realized that was what he was doing to everyone. I just didn’t know how he’d made such an impact so quickly. I mean, some of the kids who’d walked into first period so jolly would have had to have encountered him in the hallway or something. They certainly didn’t come through this class first.
“Uh, hi, Mr….” I didn’t know if he’d made up a name.
“Dr. Sanderson,” he replied, and I nodded. At least I wouldn’t have to remember to call him something else.
“Right, Dr. Sanderson. This is my friend Emma O’Sullivan.”
Emma was looking at him like he was a single-celled organism under one of our microscopes. The crowd parted a bit as we stepped closer, but she was only moving because I hadn’t let go of her.
“Emma! It is so nice to meet you,” Elliott said, smiling at her in glee. “You are having the best day ever, aren’t you! You are completely care free and ready to let some joy into your heart!”
It was the corniest thing I’d ever heard in my life, especially since Emma would be the type to point out that your heart is an internal organ, and there was simply no way a person could let anything in or out of it except oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. But then, a smile broke out across Emma’s face, and she pushed her glasses up with her middle finger. “It is a great day!” she exclaimed. “I have never been happier! There’s nothing to worry about.”
Lucy was standing on her other side, and she wrapped her arms around Emma—who let her. “I’m so lucky to have such awesome friends!” she exclaimed.
The bell rang, and I looked Elliott in the eyes, wondering if he had any idea how to teach a biology class. It didn’t surprise me at all that he was here; I was certain he could fool the principal into thinking he was a qualified substitute, let alone a certified teacher and I didn’t doubt Mr. Horton would appreciate having one more day added to his winter break, assuming Elliott had somehow persuaded him to take it rather than locking him in a broom closet. Dr. Sanderson winked at me, and I took my friends by the shoulders, suggesting we take our seats. Even with the brainwashing, we all knew that when the bell rang, we had to head to our lab areas.
“All right, kids,” Dr. Sanderson said, standing. “Let’s go ahead and head to our chairs if you’re not already in them.” Plenty of kids had been up around his desk, and they were headed off to their seats now. I noticed that he’d written his name on the whiteboard, along with the phrase, “Today is the best day yet!” and as I looked around the room, the ridiculous grins on all the kids’ faces told me the power of suggestion was great with this one.
“Now, Mr. Horton called in sick today, though I imagine he just needed one more day to enjoy Mrs. Horton’s apple pie.” He said it like it was an inside joke, and everyone but me laughed. I was still skeptical that he was going to be able to pull this off, though I don’t know why. So far, everyone was eating up every word he said. “So, we are going to be working on our bio projects. Now, I understand that you’ve been working on this for a few weeks already. Is that right?”
“Yes, Dr. Sanderson,” several kids chanted in unison. I was the only one who thought that was weird.
“Perfect! Well, I’ll call roll, and then we’ll get started. I don’t mind a little chatter while you work either, so long as we can keep it down to a low roar. Why not? It is the best day ever!”
Laughter rang out again as Elliott walked behind the desk and grabbed the roll sheet for second period. He called off the kids’ names and they each answered with a cheerful, “Here.” Even my own voice sounded more chipper than I expected. I took a deep breath and allowed myself to be sucked into the delusion. Why not? Being happy was better than being depressed or anxious, I supposed.
