Replication

Chapter Seven

The moment that I am shoved back into the room, everyone turns and stares at me with wide eyes. For a few moments, no one says anything. Then, Dylan breaks the silence by exclaiming,

"So, what happened?"

I swallow hard. What do I tell him?

"Um...nothing," I lie.

"You're lying Tessa. Tell us, what did they do to you?" Ian asks, walking towards me.

Why do I have to be such a bad liar?

I honestly don't know what to tell everyone. Am I supposed to tell them that I am the only one who can't be controlled? Don't think so. Pretty sure that they wouldn't be too happy knowing that.

Ian approaches me and cups my face in his hands, forcing me to look up at him.

"I know you're hiding something Tess. You don't know to hold it in, it's okay to tell us what happened," Ian murmurs, gently stroking my cheek with his thumb.

I blink a few times, racking my brain for what to tell him. Finally, I say,

"It was nothing really...Hal just needed to tell me something."

"Wait, what?! Are you on his side now?!" Dylan shouts incredulously, throwing his arms up in the air.

"No, no! Of course not, are you crazy?!" I exclaim, turning towards him.

"I don't know, but it seems a little fishy to me," Dylan says.

I roll my eyes.

"Well what did he tell you?" a voice asks.

I whip around to see Tristan. It's the first time he's spoken this entire time. He stares at me, these crystalline blue eyes burning into mine.

"Um...I..."

Beads of perspiration begin condense on my forehead as I try to quickly come up with something to say.

"He...he just told me that he needs to take another sample of my blood soon," I lie.

Everyone in the room stares at me, raising their eyebrows.

"That's it? That's all he told you?" Ian asks, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"Yep," I say quietly.

I feel absolutely terrible lying to everyone. Ian stares at me for a few more moments, opening his mouth then snapping it shut. He then turns around and walks away to the other corner of the room. My heart pangs; he knows that I am lying. He can see right through me.

Miserable and exhausted, I slide down the wall until I am sitting on the hard floor. I close my eyelids, which are drooping with exhaustion. I don't know what time of day it is, it could be morning or nighttime for all I know. No matter what time of day it is though, I know that I need to get some sleep.

"How the hell are we supposed to sleep with these damn bright lights?" I hear someone murmur angrily.

And that's the last thing I hear before I drift off into blackness...

"WAKE UP KIDS! IT'S TIME TO GO!"

Started, I jump and open up my eyes to see a group of men standing in the doorway, all wearing white lab coats.

"Rise and shine kiddos! Today's the big day!" one of them says, grinning.

My stomach sinks as I remember Hal's words;

"Get ready for some traveling..."

Groggy and disorientated, everyone sleepily stares at the men. No one moves a muscle.