Freak of Nature

Chapter Eleven

The dorm room door closed softly behind her, locking automatically. It took so much self-control to stop the grin from spreading across her face. 

She didn’t know it was possible to feel this alive. This happy. Lucas was responsible for the emotions; she knew that with absolute certainty. If she had known it would be like this, she would have told him long ago how she felt about him. 

Unfortunately, she would leave soon. The thought hit her hard. Panic rose within her, but it was quickly overridden by her sensors that sent signals to her microprocessor. The familiar hum washed over her body, steadying her. It was strange—when there was distance between them, her body could manage the reaction, but when he was near, she seemed to lose control. 

Before she made it to her bed, there was a knock at her door. She froze. Had he come back for her? No, it was Quess.

Kaitlyn smoothed down her dress and turned to face the doorway. “Come in.” 

When the door opened, Quess hurried inside, her face lit with excitement. “I came by earlier and you weren’t here. Where were you?”

“I took a walk with Lucas.”

“You what? Are you serious?” Quess sputtered, her jaw falling open. “How did that happen?”

Kaitlyn kept her face impassive, even though she wanted to tell Quess everything. The thought of smashing the camera crossed her mind, but she pushed it aside. Instead, Kaitlyn motioned to the camera with her eyes. “He needed to ask me some questions to make sure my programming was working correctly.”

Quess glanced up at the flashing dot, and back at Kaitlyn. “Well, you need to go for a walk with me—now. My grandfather sent me.” She spoke a little too loudly, as if for the benefit of the cameras. 

“Okay.” Kaitlyn walked toward the door, exchanging a look with her friend as she passed. 

They made their way down the long corridor as classical music streamed from the speakers above them. There were two women standing in front of the exit. 

“Hey.” Quess waved and smiled. One of the women gave a strained smile, and the other avoided looking at them, as if the top of her shoes were more interesting. This seemed to be the normal reaction of most of the staff when they saw Kaitlyn. 

They moved aside to allow them to pass, and Quess pushed the door open, stepping into shadows. Darkness was starting to fall. A misty yellow glare from the security lights illuminated the grounds as they flicked on in the twilight. 

Quess walked as fast as her legs would take her toward their safe zone, the place where Kaitlyn had taken Lucas. Kaitlyn wondered what had her friend so excited. Usually it was a new dress she wanted to tell her about, or that her Nanny had made special cookies. Everything seemed to make the girl excited.

When they finally reached the birch tree, Quess squealed, “I was right … he was on Facebook. I found him.”

“You did?” Kaitlyn asked, surprised. “Are you sure it’s him?” 

“Yes, I’m sure. His name is Evan. He’s twenty-one, has a labrador retriever named Spike, two younger sisters—you know the type—cheerleaders, and his parents divorced when he was twelve. He’s very hot, like on fire.”

Kaitlyn’s mind whirled as she grasped what Quess was saying. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this news. On one hand, she was curious, but on the other hand, there was Lucas. He was her reality now.

“That’s impressive, Quess. How do you know all of this?”

“I told you. Facebook. It’s like a peek into someone’s private world.”