The Perfect Human Project

Chapter 3

I waited impatiently in line behind the teens ahead of me who were getting their bracelets scanned and squealing with excitement as they passed into the theater in little clumps. “Come on, this line is moving so slowly!” I muttered. “The show is going to start before we can get in there!” I threw my hands up in the air and spun on my heels, looking for Liam.

He was hanging out by a group of kids I only knew from Secondary school. Most of the girls had abnormal hair colors, pinks and purples, but one girl had flaming orange hair that made me squint in pain. Who could ever want hair that bright? I never understood that fashion—I guessed I was just odd like that. Liam had his hands jammed into his pockets, and he was laughing like he couldn’t care less what those girls had to say.

“Liam! I’m talking to you, and you’re not even over here!” I called, then placed my hands on my hips and laughed. “People are going to start thinking I’m crazy! Now get over here right now!” I pointed to the ground next to me and gave him the best I’m-Not-Crazy look I could without laughing.

“Coming. See ya, Pearl,” he called back, then shot the group of girls a quick wave and made a mad dash to my side.

“What the hell was that about?” I asked. “I needed you, Liam! I was complaining about the line, and you weren’t at my side. I felt so lost.” We both giggled as we took a few steps forward.

“I’m sorry! I just wanted to make sure that Pearl got the homework from Thursday, and plus, I think that girl with the pink hair is cute.”

I lightly punched him in the arm and gave him a deep scowl. “Gee, thanks,” I laughed.

“Bracelets,” a young man said. His face was splattered in greasy acne splotches, and his black hair hung loosely around his face. I tentatively held my wrist up and tried not to pull away from him in disgust as he scanned my bracelet. Why did he choose to look like that? The Society offered an array of surgeries to correct everything from acne to eye color.

“Thanks.” He pushed my hand away and gestured for me to enter the theater. I turned my head around and made wide eyes at Liam, who gave the same wide-eyed stare and nodded. As he made his way forward, I grabbed his hand and whispered, “Why do people choose to look like that?” I scrunched up my nose, craning my neck slightly to see the boy again.

“I don’t know, but I know the job elector did a crappy job of picking his job. He should be working in a factory and not out in the open, where people have to see that. You know how touchy people can get.” He shrugged. “Let’s just focus on finding a good seat,” he added, and shot me a sweet smile.

We quickly made our way down the long, dark hallway leading into the theater. My mouth hung agape when the theater opened up in front of me. It was beyond huge. Red velvet seats were arranged in rows of twenty, starting from the bottom of the theater. Huge crystal chandlers hung from the high, arched ceiling. I’d only been to the theater once, and that was when I was seven and with someone I barely remembered.

“Down in front!” I pointed to two open seats right in front of a large white wall, then pulled Liam along. My eyes scanned over the large crowd that filtered in. Groups of teens stood in awkward circles around the entrance to each row. Many of them had wild hair colors, flashy tattoos, and out-of-this-world outfits. I was one of only three girls at Secondary school without my hair or eyes dyed an unnatural color, but again, I’d never seen the point--I had that rare amber gold eye color some people would kill for.

“Please take your seats, the show it about to begin.” The automatic voice echoed loudly through the buzzing theater. Wild cheers erupted as kids filed into rows of seats.

I slumped into my red plush seat and smiled. “I’m so excited!” I squealed, and gave Liam’s hand a tight squeeze.

“Me, too! Now stop squeezing my hand!” he yelped as he yanked his hand away from mine.

“Sorry.” My hands flew away from his, and I turned my body to face the white wall. The bright light that once flooded through the theater now was dimming as the large wall screen powered up. The anthem played, the Society’s symbol appeared, and a woman’s voice spoke in an auto-tuned voice: “The Society, where everything is perfect.”

A slight shiver ran down my spine as I thought about the boy who scanned my bracelet. “Well, not everyone,” I whispered in a hushed tone. Liam turned his head toward me and cocked an eyebrow, and I shook my head lightly, sending glitter falling onto my face. He gave me a soft smile and turned his eyes back to the screen.

“Please respect all theater rules and patrons. Do not get up while show is in progress. If something is needed, please press the assistance button on your bracelet, and we will have a worker come to your aid in no time. If you must use the restroom, please swiftly and quietly exit through the back of the theater. Now sit back and relax, and enjoy the show.”

The cheery voice faded away, and the movie began to play. I lost myself as the show played out in front of me. It seemed like my world had faded away and I was soon lost in the ancient world of 1980s fashion and poison. Only when Liam poked me in the ribs did I realize I was still stuck in my crummy world.

“Piper. Piper!” he hissed.

I turned my head toward Liam and gave him a deep scowl. “What? I didn’t pay fifty credits for you to talk to me this whole time!” I snapped.

“Yeesh, I was just asking if you would buy us a drink. I’m out of credits.” Liam leaned away from me, and I rolled my eyes and smashed the button on my bracelet. “Thanks,” he replied with a grin, and we both turned back to the screen. I rested my elbow on the armrest and propped my head up with my hand.

“May I take your order?” a voice asked.

I squinted my eyes in annoyance at being pulled from the movie a second time. “Yeah, I’ll take one Cherry Fizzy, large. With two straws,” I sneered.

“Okay, that will be ten credits.”

I turned my body so I could get easier access to the scanner. A boy crouched down next to me and reached for my wrist, his piercing blue eyes shining brightly in the dark theater. His hair was hidden underneath the usher’s hat, but I could tell it was a dirty cherry-colored red—one of those beautiful natural reds that were seldom seen. That was when my heart froze inside me—those eyes, that cherry hair. It all seemed too familiar. The boy reached for my hand, but I instantly pulled away.

“Come on, Piper. I’m dying of thirst here,” Liam whined. I felt him nudge me in the ribs, but I couldn’t stop staring at the boy. I scanned over his usher’s uniform, only to find out he wasn’t wearing a nametag. I felt frozen to my seat as icy fear pumped through my body.

“Piper? You okay?” Liam shifted in his seat.

“Miss?” The boy’s voice sounded eerily familiar. I scanned my brain to match a voice with his voice, but couldn’t.

“Who are you?” I spoke in a hushed tone. Something beneath the boy’s eyes flashed a painful emotion that struck a nerve deep in my heart. Something in those eyes felt so warm, so familiar. I reached out to touch the boy, but he quickly grabbed my wrist in midair and scanned my bracelet.

“Thank you for your transaction,” the bracelet spoke. I parted my lips to say something, but the boy quickly got to his feet and disappeared into the darkness of the theater. My eyes scanned the theater for any traces of him.

“Wait,” I mumbled. I quickly stood; everything around me seemed to be spinning.

“Hey! Down in front! Move out of the way!” I could hear kids behind me yell.

“Piper, what’s wrong?” Liam asked, grabbing my arm. I tried to pull away, but he tightened his vice-like grip and tried to pull me back into my seat. “Piper, we’re going to get into trouble, sit down!” I slunk back into my seat and rubbed my eyes. Something about that boy sent my heart flying over the edge.

“What was that about?” Liam whispered in my ear. I could barely focus on anything that was being said around me. I needed to find that usher, but I was now trapped for another hour and a half, watching a movie I no longer cared about.