Joan the Made (Throwbacks Series, Book 1)

Chapter 14

It's twenty-four hours before I can go to the bathroom without help. Even then, I am basically confined to my bed—at least my room. I'd be bored out of my mind if it weren't for Sparkle and Harriet keeping me company in between their classes. On the second day, Mav comes by, but he won't tell me how he found out where I live. He feeds me chocolate and makes me laugh by telling me tall tales about people he's spied on in the Lab.

Later, Harriet arrives, full of stories about class to distract me from my pain. But my mind is full of very different questions about my new purpose.

"Why have Throwbacks put up with this life for so long?"

"You say that like we have a choice," Harriet replies. "The Evolved outnumber us, and they make the laws. Any whiff of trying to change the status quo is punished. And after what you experienced at the headmaster's hands, can you honestly see yourself marching in the streets for Throwback rights?"

I turn her question over in my mind. Even the idea of encountering another whip makes me flinch, but someone will have to take big risks and fight to overthrow this evil system.

Harriet continues. "I believe that before we die, we have the ability to bring a tsunami of change to this country, maybe within Crew's rebellion. But for now, we have to hide our abilities and opinions."

"Not flaunt them, like I did. Basically, I asked to be punished."

"Don't say that!" Harriet shouts, and she presses her lips in a hard line. "No one asks to be treated worse than an animal. I remember my first whipping. I accidentally used an Evolved drink dispenser at a public park. I was seven years old. Even though I was a kid, I knew what that police officer did was wrong, and that things had to change."

Harriet pulls down the collar of her shirt, and I see a thick pink scar where the laser whip marked her. The thought of someone cruel enough to beat a child for such an innocent error gives me chills.

"You were so little, and you made a mistake. I'm an adult, and I should have thought about who else might be hurt besides me for mouthing off. I know Leo's going to be in trouble for trying to protect me. And what if the headmaster guesses what Crew's up to because of me? I'm an idiot."

Harriet's voice returns to its normal volume. "I think this incident can work in your favor, actually."

"Please, tell me how. I need a good laugh."

"Play the humbled Knockoff stereotype. The headmaster will eat it up. Evolved like him love examples of Throwbacks realizing the error of their ways."

I nod slowly. "There might be things I could learn if I got closer to him."

"Exactly. And that's how you'll bring him down," she says.

Her quiet energy fills in the empty places inside me that were scooped out during my beating.

"I think we're going to be best friends."

Harriet nods, like our friendship is obvious. I don't smile, but the fact that I want to means that I've lifted myself out of the pit I fell in when I begged the headmaster to stop hurting me.

"Someday, I'm going to make sure he never holds a position of power again," I promise myself, as much as Harriet.

Harriet gives me a wide smile of approval. "I like you much better like this. There may be times in the future when you have to fake groveling before the Evolved, but I never want to see you do it for real again."

And I never will, for anyone.

~ ~ ~

By the third day, I've begun to feel like a caged animal. I'm escaping my prison, even if the pain in my back is still excruciating.