Perfect by Pauline C. Harris

shrugged, trying to think of a way to
explain. “I don’t know...like, morally right?” I asked. “You know,
right from wrong?”
    Yvonne was staring at me incredulously.
“Morally,” she repeated, her tone of voice suggesting this was a
waste of her time.
    I nodded.
    “And why would I—”
    “Because it’s the right thing to do, Yvonne,”
I interrupted her, exasperated and angry now. “I don’t know, maybe
just the right thing , doesn’t seem a good enough solution
for you. Because you don’t even care.”
    Yvonne’s expression was getting harder with
every word I spoke. I gave an exasperated sigh and was about to
turn to leave when she stopped me cold. “You’re right, Drew, I
don’t,” Yvonne replied, practically spitting the words at me. “And
that’s what makes me so much better than you. Stupid things like
that don’t get in the way for me, like they do for you.”
    I glared at her, holding back the rush of
foul words and comments that came to my mind. I stood there for a
moment, staring at the lamp lit pavement in front of me. “That’s
where you’re wrong,” I said after a minute, looking up to meet her
eyes. “You’re so wrong.”
    Yvonne just glared back at me.
    “You know what?” I realized for the first
time in my life I was standing up to Yvonne. I was tired of her
bossing me around like a puppet. I wasn’t afraid anymore. I was
annoyed. “I’m done with you. I’m done going along with your little
games. What you’re doing is wrong and I’m sick of being your little
accomplice.”
    “You don’t have a choice,” Yvonne replied,
but her voice was lined with uncertainty. The light from the lamp
post cast eerie shadows across the pavement, shrouding Yvonne’s
face.
    I let out a humorless laugh. “No choice? I’m
not afraid of you anymore. And your little tracking device? I don’t
even know if it really exists! I haven’t seen it since you flaunted
it in front of me in the forest, and from what I hear about the
creators, you’d think they’d be ready to kill you to get it from
your hands.”
    “I told them I lost it,” she answered through
gritted teeth.
    “I find it hard to believe that they bought
that,” I snapped. I shook my head. I was angry, more than angry.
“Goodbye, Yvonne.” And with one last glance I turned around and
started walking back to the hotel.
    “Wait,” Yvonne called after me.
    I kept going. I reached for the handle on the
door.
    “What about your friend?” Her voice was
shrill.
    I stopped. I turned. “What?”
    Yvonne stepped into the light and some of the
panic drained from her expression. “Michael,” she said the word in
a mocking tone.
    I started to walk back toward her, my eyes
narrowed. “What about Michael?” I asked slowly.
    “What if I just happened to turn your little
boyfriend in? To be perfected?” She talked slowly, pronouncing
every letter, her glittering eyes watching my every move and
expression.
    “You wouldn’t.” My voice was low.
    “Oh, would I ever .” A smile crawled
across her face. She knew she had me.
    I froze, swallowing hard.
    She let out a laugh. “Don’t you see, Drew?”
she asked gleefully. “You have no power here. I can control
your every move. You’re like a puppet.” Her smile was growing wider
now. “And don’t think that you can hide him away. Remember your
tracking device? And even if you’re not with him, he’ll be easy to
find.”
    I turned away in frustration, curling my
hands into tight fists.
    Yvonne laughed again. Her shrill,
high-pitched one that I used to think was so pretty. “What do you
say, Drew?” she asked playfully. “Who wouldn’t want a perfect
boyfriend?”
    “Stop it,” I said through clenched teeth.
“I’ll help you with your stupid plan, just don’t touch him.”
    Yvonne smiled and laughed quietly. “I knew
you’d come around to it. Good for you, Drew.”
    I glared at her as she walked toward the
truck. “Don’t you ever think about anything else