Chapter 12: Sunday Afternoon, 1:49PM

Alaina stared in horror at the pen sticking up in the breast pocket of Mom’s lab coat.

“If it had been anyone else with her,” Mom continued, resting her head on the door, “I mean anyone else, Laura would be dead. She was serious; with the force she used, the pen would have gone straight to her brain, killing her instantly.”

So when she wanted my keys... She began to shiver uncontrollably, wrapping her arms around herself in a feeble attempt to warm her too-cold body.

“We don’t...” Mom sighed deeply. “It’s not something we talk about with children, but the risk of suicide peaks in the average person’s life during the first year or two after Class Initialization. You sometimes hear stories about kids who can’t handle it when they don’t make it into the college they want, but thousands—maybe even tens of thousands—of kids die every year in this country because they get a Class that wasn’t what they wanted, or what they thought they needed. The best we parents can do is keep a close eye on you and tell you we love you unconditionally. That’s a big part of why you stay in high school for another year after you turn eighteen.”

Alaina’s eyes widened. That was ... That was almost me. That was me! Memories flooded back of her mom carefully analyzing her the day after she’d turned eighteen, constantly studying her as they talked in the kitchen and before she’d left for work. She was trying to make sure I wouldn’t...

Her eyes grew hot, and she stepped forward and threw her arms around her mom, squeezing tightly. You tried, Mom, but you didn’t know. I’m so sorry. You did the best you could, but I didn’t let you in.

Mom hugged her just as tightly, somehow sensing her daughter’s inner turmoil.

“Mom,” Alaina said between sniffles. “Um ... I really need to talk to you tonight, okay? It’s important.”

Mom’s hands stroked soothingly down her back. “It’s okay, Lainy,” she said. “It’s okay. We’ll talk, okay? Don’t worry.”

After a couple minutes, Mom’s reassuring words and hugs helped her to relax. Her grip loosened, and she stepped back, rubbing her sleeve across her eyes. “Sorry, Mom, I just ... I got a little overwhelmed.”

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Mom said, resting a hand on her shoulder. “I’m here for you.”

Alaina sniffled one last time. “So Laura’s ... She’s like this because—”

“I don’t know exactly,” Mom admitted, giving her a sad look. “She hasn’t spoken much. She cried most of yesterday and overnight, and I—” Her head swiveled suddenly, facing the wall, and she grew pensive for a moment. “I had to sedate her most of the morning,” she continued, “because she started thrashing around and trying to escape. She just woke up again around noon when you called. Having seen her medical history, I have my guesses, but she wouldn’t tell me one way or another, so I can only guess.”

I don’t understand. She seemed so happy and cheerful all week! How is this even the same person? How is this Laura Jansson?

“I’m gonna pull Will out and have a quick chat with her while she’s in a good mood before Miguel comes back,” Mom said. “You stay here.” She pulled open the door and stepped in.

“Okay, Will, visiting time’s up,” Mom said in a gentle voice.

“Can we ... Um ... Can I have another minute? Please?” Laura said, sounding desperate. “Just one minute?”

“I’ll give you two minutes if you promise you’ll listen to an idea of mine after,” Mom counter-offered.

“Yeah, okay! Thank you so much!” Laura said, sounding overjoyed.

Alaina’s mom walked back out and closed the door. “Alaina, I want you to think carefully, okay?” she said with a serious expression on her face. “Do you hate Laura?”

Hate her? She’s ... kind of pathetic? I’m still pretty pissed about last week and how she kept rubbing my face in everything, and I’m really pissed that she did whatever she did to Will, but I guess maybe I don’t hate her anymore after seeing her like this... “I guess I don’t hate her...” she said after some consideration.

“I told you before the next forty eight hours or so are critical for Laura,” Mom began. “The maximum length I can keep her under a psychiatric hold is only three days, and that’d only be if it were an official one—which this isn’t because of her... unique situation. I called in a couple favors, and I can only keep her for another day at most. After that, things get tricky since I’d legally have to register her at a more specialized hospital. And from what I’ve seen in her files ... Well, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

I can’t believe she would’ve ... With my keys ... She gripped her keys tightly with one hand.

“Ideally, the best solution would be to figure out what’s going on and try to help her without going through any of that business. She seems to have some kind of rapport with Will,” Mom continued. “I have a theory on how to make her less of a danger to herself, but I can’t do it here, and I don’t want to leave her alone.” Mom paused. “This is ... going to sound a bit strange, but I’m going to invite her over for dinner tonight.”

What. Alaina goggled at her mother. “Um...” She blinked. “Mom, what the fuck?” She wants to invite the girl who was tormenting me and mind-controlling Will into our fucking house?

Mom frowned. “It’s already been almost a day and a half since I put her under watch, and she just asked for your keys. We both know why she did that. I’m exhausted, and my psychology degree can only take me so far without more practical experience—not that I imagine it’d help much for her case. She’s already said more to both of you than she’s spoken in total to me since she was admitted. Being blunt, I do not want her to ever go to a specialized hospital, and I see a real possibility for her to recover—at least a little bit—just by spending more time with both of you.”

“But, Mom...” Alaina spluttered. “I might not hate her, but it’s still the same Laura from last week.” She was mind-controlling my boyfriend! “And now you want me to let her into our house and cook for her? No!” She stamped her foot angrily, her hands clenched at her sides. “No way!”

Her mother’s frown turned into a glare, and she pushed off the door, bringing herself up to her full height as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I thought you’d be a little uncomfortable, and I’d understand that. But this? Throwing a tantrum over spending a little time with a poor girl who I’ve spent the past two days trying to keep alive because you asked me to? I’m very disappointed in you, Alaina,” her mother finished, shaking her head.

Alaina glared back. “You’re disappointed? I’m fucking—”

“I give you a lot of leeway, Alaina, but don’t forget that I. Am. Your. Mother.“ her mother said with finality. “I said I’m inviting her over for dinner. If you’re going to act like a petulant child, you can stay in your room by yourself, and I’ll cook something for her and Will and see what happens. You might be eighteen and legally an adult, but if you want to act like a child then I’ll ground you like one.” She held out her hand. “Give me your keys.”

“What? Mom!”

“You can give them to me by choice, or you can make things worse for yourself,” her mother said, not budging an inch, her expression turning even more disappointed.

Alaina sighed. She dug into her pocket, grabbed the ring of keys and attached fob and slapped it down in her mother’s hand. “There. Happy?”

“No, just more disappointed than I can say, Alaina,” her mother said in a quiet, but firm voice. “I thought we were the same when it came to helping people, but I was wrong.” Her mother plucked a couple objects off the ring. She pocketed the fob and car key and held the key ring up with the remaining keys in it. “You can have my car back when you’ve shown me that you’re mature enough to have a car again.”

Alaina stared at the keys for a moment before grudgingly snatching them and putting them back into her hoodie’s pocket. “That it, or do you want me to give Laura my fucking room, too?”

Her mother gave her a disgusted look.

Miguel came hustling over, holding a package wrapped in paper. “Sorry I’m late, Doc, the line for subs was loco.”

“No, you’re right on time, Miguel,” her mother said, turning to smile at the new arrival. “Visiting time is definitely over now.” She looked back at Alaina. “We’ll be back around five,” she declared. Then she pulled the door open and stormed in.

“It’s the only thing that makes sense!” Alaina said, throwing her hands up.

“Alaina, I really don’t think—”

“Did she get you, too?!” she demanded, turning to glare at him as he drove. “Fuck, you were in there—”

“Alaina,” Will said. “You said I’d be immune now, didn’t you?”

She pressed her hands to her temples, on the verge of hyperventilating. “I did...” She thought about it. “Yeah.” She sighed in relief and sagged back into her seat. “Okay, good. So at least I can still trust you.”

“Er ... Alaina, I think you’re overreacting—”

“I am not. Fucking. Overreacting. Will,” she said, picking up steam again. “That bitch is mind-controlling my mom now! What the fuck—”

“Alaina!” Will said more loudly. He reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. “Relax a little, alright? You’re kind of freaking me out.”

She pulled her hand away. “What did she say to you?” she demanded. “You were in there a long time. What did Laura say?”

“Well,” Will said, leaning his elbow against his door, “she started off saying she didn’t deserve to see me again after what she did, then she went back to crying and apologizing over and over. I gave her a hug and she calmed down—”

“You what?” Alaina shrieked, glaring at him.

“Hey, I gave your mom my keys before I went in, and my wallet’s in the armrest there,” he said patting the center armrest. “Only thing I had on me was my phone—”

“No, I mean what the fuck, Will? You hugged the girl that was mind-controlling you a couple days ago? You throw her a pity fuck while you were at it?”

“You know, I can see why your mom was upset when we left,” he said, looking over at her.

How is he so fucking calm about this? Why can’t he see that she’s faking everything? It’s so obvious! Who the fuck could ever stab themselves in the eye as a suicide method? That’s like, not even physiologically possible, is it? There’s no way a person’s survival instinct lets them do something like that! “So you’re on her side?”

“Hold on, I didn’t say that,” Will protested.

“It sure sounded like it.”

He remained silent for a couple maddening minutes before speaking again. “Alright. How about this. Suppose I agree with you. Suppose your mom is being mind-controlled. What do you want to do about it? There’s no way we could ever report this to anyone because it’s your mom, right? If someone ever tried to use some kind of analysis or mind-reading Skills on her and they actually worked...”

Alaina blinked. “I ... I guess not...” She frowned. I didn’t really think about what I could do...

“But on the other hand, it’s your mom, right?” he said. “So you’d have to imagine that if she is affected by something like this, she’d have taken some kind of precaution or have some way of getting out of it, wouldn’t you?”

“Maybe?” she gave him a confused look. “You sound pretty sure she’d have that kind of contingency plan.”

“Alright, if you don’t believe it, trust me when I say that I’m positive she would. And you do trust me still, don’t you?” He gave her a concerned look.

“You hugged her,” she said in an accusing tone.

“She was just a girl who was sad,” he said in exasperation. “You said I was immune to mind-controlling effects for the next few days, and I trusted that.”

Alaina looked over at him. “You ... did?”

“Well, yeah,” he said, sounding even more exasperated. “I just lost three fucking days of my life; I’m not exactly eager to do it again.”

“Oh.” She relaxed in her seat. “Um ... Sorry for getting upset with you, alright? I ... This is hard for me to go through again so soon after the last time.”

“Don’t worry about it. I understand your point of view,” he said. “What I was getting at, though, is that your mom definitely would have some way to get out of something like what you’re suggesting. And all you have to do is convince her to try it. But if she’s upset with you—like she is now—she’s not going to be very inclined to listen to anything you tell her, is she?”

Alaina scowled. “No, she just took away my car. Whatever Laura did to her, it’s much more serious than what she did to you.”

“Right, right, I’m sure it is. But it’s a bigger problem if your mom is mad at you. You need her to not be mad at you so you can convince her to trigger whatever contingency plan she has. And all you need to do to get her to not be mad is apologize and then make dinner tonight.”

She glared at him again. “You’re saying I should make dinner for her? While she’s mind-controlling my mom?”

“Let me put it another way,” Will said. “If your mom were to wake up from something like you’re suggesting while she’s safe and at home and Laura is still there, what do you think would happen to Laura? Remember Tuesday when I came over for dinner and she just suspected that something had happened to you?”

A wide smile spread across Alaina’s face. “Will, you’re actually pretty smart, y’know that?”

He grinned slyly at her. “You’re just realizing this? Actually, I think now I’m insulted. You were going to date me while thinking I was an idiot?”

She giggled. “Well, you are devastatingly handsome.”

He threw his head back and ran his right hand through his hair. “It’s a constant struggle,” he said in pompous voice.

“Uh huh.”

“So, lobster mac and cheese for four?” he said, glancing over at her.

It’s a really good plan. She sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Alright, let’s rustle up some lobsters, then.”

“Anything else?” Will called, pushing the shopping cart behind her.

“I think that’s everything,” Alaina said to herself, tapping a finger on her lip. “Oh,” she said, turning to look back at him. “What about dessert?”

“Wow, you’re really going all-in on this,” Will remarked.

“Of course I am!” she said indignantly. “I have to be very convincing!”

“I respect your dedication to your craft,” he said, grinning.

“As well you should,” she said in an imperious tone. “Now, let’s go find a cake or something. Maybe cupcakes?”

“Thanks, Will,” Alaina said, squeezing his hand. “I’m really glad you’re here.”

Will squeezed back, steering the car with his other hand. “I’m glad I’m here, too. What do you want to do when we get back? Is dinner prep going to take a while, or...”

She glanced at the clock. Let’s see. It’s going to be about three when we get back. I’ll need about an hour total for cooking, probably want to have it done around quarter past five in case they arrive a little late... “I guess we’ll have about an hour to kill. Any ideas? And don’t say—”

“What about gin rummy?” Will asked, interrupting her.

I was about to say no sex because I’m not in the mood, but it looks like I’m spared at least some annoyances today. “That sounds nice, actually. I should warn you, though: I’m pretty good.”

Will turned to her, grinning widely. “Well, don’t be mad, but...”

“That was pretty close,” Alaina said, gathering the cards up to shuffle.

“Sure was,” Will said from where he sat across from her at the kitchen table.

He’s not too bad. I still got to a hundred first, but it was fun, at least.

“Alright,” Will said, stretching his arms over his head. “I’ve got a read now. Hope you like getting spanked, Alaina.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Gee, Will, I didn’t take you to be the type for baseless bragging.”

“That’s not a no,” he said, his grin turning into an exaggerated leer.

She smiled despite herself. “I also didn’t think you’d have a spanking fetish.”

“I don’t,” he said, sounding a little too casual. “But if it were, say, for the sake of a bet...”

“That seems a little one-sided,” she said, starting to deal. “What’s in it for me?”

“If it’s for a bet, I don’t see why it has to be one-sided,” he said.

“You mean...”

He waggled his eyebrows. “Interested now?”

“Yes, but only to see the look on your face afterwards when I spank you,” she said with a snort.