Mechanical by Pauline C. Harris Page A

“But that sign
says—” Cecelia started, looking at the words painted on the
Institution doors.
    “It’s from the old business that used to be
here,” I interrupted her, leading her inside.
    Once we were in the lobby, I stopped. What
was I supposed to do now? I had no idea. They had just told me to
bring her here. I’d done that, now what?
    Just then, David walked into the room. “Hey
guys,” he said, looking at me.
    I thought quickly and made something up on
the spot. “Um, I put your sweater in the lost-and-found here...” I
blurted out lamely. “David will show you where it is.”
    “Okay ...” Cecelia said slowly, giving me a
strange look. Then she eyed David suspiciously.
    “Hi Cecelia,” David said with a smile so fake
it made my mouth hurt. “Follow me.”
    I watched Cecelia follow him cautiously
through the doors at the end of the lobby and disappear behind
them, leaving me alone in the silent room to deal with my thoughts.
I wondered why they wanted her. Were they going to let her in on
the secret of what we were? I really could think of no other
explanation.
    “I see you've finally figured out how to get
to the next level,” came Yvonne’s syrupy drawl from behind me.
    I nodded, wondering how Yvonne always seemed
to show up at the worst times. I spun around. “So you’ve been
bringing people in, too?” I asked.
    She nodded, as though it was the most
ordinary thing to do in the world.
    “From your school?”
    “Yes.”
    We stood in silence and I stared at the
double doors through which Cecelia had vanished only seconds
before.
    “Why? Do you know?” I asked, turning towards
Yvonne.
    She raised her eyebrows in an indifferent
expression. “Doesn’t really matter. As long as we do what they want
us to, we get what we want.” A smug smile appeared on her
face.
    “Huh,” I replied. “But doesn’t it bother you?
I mean, they could be giving away our secret; what we are. I mean
... don’t you want to know what they’re doing?”
    Yvonne looked thoughtful for a moment. “Don’t
really care,” she finally said.
    I gave out an exasperated sigh and started to
head for my room. Or should I say my and Yvonne’s room? Because she
followed me right there.
    We talked briefly until we started
doing our own things. I mostly thought about Cecelia. What were
they talking to her about? And what was I going to tell her when I
saw her again at school?

 
    Chapter
Twenty-One
     
    I walked slowly towards my history class,
trying to think up some excuse to tell Cecelia about the day
before. I hadn’t seen her since yesterday when I brought her in.
Would she be angry? I didn’t even know what they had talked to her
about.
    I walked into the history classroom and
scanned all the faces for Cecelia’s, even though I knew she was
always late to class. But then, surprisingly, I saw her at the back
of the room. She was hardly recognizable without her signature,
edgy black jacket and boots that had been replaced with some plain
jeans and a white T-shirt. When I took another glance at her I
noticed the bright pink stripes that had once littered her hair
were gone, replaced with her natural dirty-blonde hair.
    I walked to the back of the room and
approached her. “Um ... hi Cecelia,” I said timidly.
    She looked up at me. “Good morning, Drew,”
she said with a smile that was very unlike the Cecelia I had
known.
    “So,” I said, sitting down at the desk beside
hers. “What did they talk to you about yesterday?”
    She looked confused. “Yesterday?”
    “Yeah,when you came to my um ... house.” My
skin tingled, sending chills through my body. Something was
wrong.
    She still stared at me like she didn't
understand what I was talking about and I was starting to get a
little freaked out. What was wrong with her? She looked completely
different—and acted like it, too.
    “Well, how was your piano lesson?” I asked,
trying a different approach.
    She still looked confused. “Piano?”
    “Yeah,” I