The Mechanics of Being Human

by S. E. Campbell

  "All right." Mr. Dungam grunted and pointed at the room next to them, room 205. "Please go in there, Fawn. We'll begin your testing immediately. The tests are all timed. We'll be doing the tests by subject—math, English, science, history, and so on. It should take around three to four hours. I know you have to head back to work, Oliver. And Delanee, you can go home if you want and come get Fawn at three. You won't be allowed to talk to Fawn at all until after she takes the test, so you'll likely be bored here."

  Both her mom and dad nodded. Fawn nervously swayed at the sight of the papers in his arms. Even with her strong memorization abilities, would she do well? She knew it was foolish to expect to be successful. After all, she'd squeezed sixteen years of learning into one day. Even if she'd devoured ten textbooks in the process, she doubted it was good enough.

  Her mom ripped her from her thoughts by saying, "Don't be nervous, honey. You'll do just fine."

  "Yeah." Her dad tousled her blonde hair. "You're going to do just great. I can feel it."

  "With a dad like hers, I have a feeling she will." Mr. Dungam winked at him. "You're the only man I know who managed to keep a high grade point average in graduate school. I was sweating like a turkey on Thanksgiving."

  Her dad grinned and shook his head.

  "Well, it's best to get this little lady where she belongs so she has time to finish." Mr. Dungam opened the classroom door. "I'll see you later, Oliver. I'll give you a call if I hear about the golf game. And I'll see you when you come to pick up Fawn, Delanee."

  Her dad gave her another solid pat on the shoulder, then he turned around to head outside. Her mom frowned at her, squeezed her hand, then followed her husband out the backdoor.

  "All right. No need to be nervous. Even if you don't score the highest, we can get you where you need to be in no time." Mr. Dungam entered the classroom and Fawn trailed behind him anxiously. "We have all sort of special programs in case somebody falls behind."

  His lack of confidence in her abilities to pass now that her parents were gone made her feel more anxious about the test. Her fists tightened as she glanced around the classroom and let out a weary groan. Desks lined the classroom. Two windows looked out upon the grounds.

  "Bring back any memories at all?" He prompted. “Most schools look similar.”

  Fawn shook her head. This was just as unfamiliar to her as Oliver and Delanee had been when she first met them. She wondered whether she'd ever been to school. Maybe she'd never experienced any true education at all.

  "Fawn?" Mr. Dungam gave her a questioning stare. "Why don't you have a seat?"

  "All right." Fawn took a seat at the desk in the front of the class.

  With a happy hum, he searched his papers again, then placed a test booklet labeled 'Mathematics' on her desk along with a pencil.

  "What you'll need to do is fill this out in forty-five minutes." He stole a glance at the clock. "Once the forty-five minutes are up, I will take this booklet then pass you the next one. Just do the best you can. Even if you don't answer all of the questions, don't panic. Remember. This is just a baseline for us so we know how to get you back on track. Just do your best."

  "Alright." Fawn fought to keep the quaver out of her voice.

  ****

  Mr. Dungam paced in front of Fawn, arms crossed. Muffled talking came from the hallway. She sat with her pencil in hand, staring at the questions of her English exam. She'd filled every last page thirty minutes ago. Are these really aptitude tests? They are so easy. I could have filled these out hanging from the ceiling upside down. It was hard to imagine that hours before, she'd been nervous.

  "Time's up, Fawn." Mr. Dungam met her eyes. "Hand in your booklet please. You're all finished."

  "Alright." Fawn handed him the papers.

  Mr. Dungam paused, then leafed through her answers. His face split into a wide grin after he saw she'd answered all of the questions. She was so glad she'd finished and was sure she'd done well.

  "Fabulous." He shut her booklet. "You've finished all of the questions in every single booklet. How were the tests for you?"

  "Easy." Fawn stood up and dusted off her jeans. "I knew all of the answers."

  Shock crossed his face. Probably he'd expected her to fail, regardless of how much he buttered up her dad.

  "That's good to know. A lot of people have trouble with this, and after the ordeal you went through…" Mr. Dungam scratched the side of his face. "Well, maybe you were lucky and didn't lose your knowledge."

  Suddenly, Fawn felt uneasy. She remembered what her mom told her about her special talents and not to flaunt them. Instead of responding verbally, she nodded her head. The last thing she wanted to do was blow things for Jax. Even the idea of hurting him was the equivalent of stabbing herself in the heart.

  He checked his watch.

  "Well, we better get you to the hallway. You're fifteen minutes late and your mom is probably wondering what happened to you. Maybe she’ll think I kidnapped her daughter." Mr. Dungam winked at her like this was a clever thing to say.

  Fawn forced a smile on her face, though she thought it was tactless of him to joke about a kidnapping. She was eager to return home and was even more eager to clear her mind after the hard day of testing. There were more important things to think about now the test was over, like the fact her parents weren't truly her parents and the man who'd raised her could be in danger this minute.

  The sound of the door opening tore her from her thoughts. Mr. Dungam entered the hall and waited for her by the threshold. Fawn trailed behind him with her hands in her pockets. When he entered the hallway, she shadowed him. She was overwhelmed by the noise. Students opened and shut lockers with louds bangs, loud laughter echoed, and a haggle of girls spoke in hushed voices while clutching books. Fawn was so shell-shocked it took her a moment to notice her mom stood to her left. And she was not alone.

  Gavin leaned against a locker. He appeared as gorgeous as ever with his messy blond hair, torn Levis, and sparkling blue eyes. He towered over her mom and was far thinner. Looking at the two of them was like staring at a bean stalk planted next to a pumpkin. It made her smile.

  "Hi, Mom. Gavin." Fawn nodded at the two of them. She noted the gaggle of girls gazed at her with narrowed eyes as Gavin's face lit up when she greeted him.

  "Fawn." Gavin's mouth split into a massive grin as he hugged her. When he pulled back, a faint blush lined his cheeks. "How was your test? I ran into your mom on the way out to the bus and she told me you were here now. I thought I'd wait for you to see how you did."

  "I'm glad you waited." Fawn grinned. "I planned to go over to your apartment to say hi anyway. I wanted to make sure we're all set for tomorrow."

  "You bet we are." If it was night, Gavin's eyes would have glowed like stars. "I've been looking forward to our plans all week."

  Her mom shuffled her feet and Mr. Dungam cleared his throat. Everyone turned to look at him.

  "I'm glad you've made some friends already, Fawn. It's difficult even for the new people who go to school here." Mr. Dungam smiled encouragingly at her. "Delanee, Fawn did well. She answered every single question. They'll check her tests this week to get her official scores and then we'll let her know how she did. After that, we'll send you information on the books you'll need as well as test booklets to get Fawn ready to be home schooled."

  The man clapped her mom on the shoulder with the strength to topple a buffalo. Her mom rubbed her shoulder and nodded. She grinned, but it didn't meet her eyes. It appeared Mr. Dungam wasn't the only one who put on a kind face for Fawn's dad's sake.

  "Great." Mr. Dungam nodded. "Well, I’d better head off. Still a work day, after all. Don't have all day to shoot the breeze. Delanee, you tell that husband of yours to give me a call, you hear? They don't make better golf partners anywhere, and I have a twenty percent discount on the next outing."

  Her mom appeared as excited about the prospect of her husband seeing Mr. Dungam again as a rabbit did about facing a fox. Still she nodded.
The man didn't appear to see her hesitation because he grinned, clapped Fawn on the shoulder too though it didn't jostle her, and then walked down the hallway, swimming through a sea of kids. All of them were silent for a moment.

  "You hate that man, don't you, Mom?" Fawn asked, glancing over her shoulder.

  "Oh, good heavens, yes." Her mom shivered. "I would rather have a colonoscopy than spend a day with him. I think being with him all day was your real test."

  Gavin chuckled and shook his head. Her mom glanced at him, shuffled her feet, then nodded toward the double doors which led outside.

  "Well, come on, Fawn." Her mom glanced at Gavin. "You need a ride since you missed the bus?"

  "I would love a ride, Mrs. D." Gavin grinned.

  "Just call me Dee and you've got one."

  ****

  That night, Fawn sat at the table with a book open in front of her, though she didn't flip through the pages. She gazed out the window. Her thoughts migrated from Jax to Gavin and then back again. She wanted to talk to Jax now that she knew he'd raised her, but she didn't want to get him into trouble. And then she wished she understood her feelings for Gavin more. She had no idea why she was so drawn to him. Whenever she saw his face, she felt like she was being electrocuted from the inside out.

  Shuffling feet made her glance away from the window. Her mom walked into the living room with a frown on her face. Fawn could tell something was on her mind or she'd drunk too much because her face was a vivid crimson.

  "Fawn, I want to talk to you," her mom said.

  Something on her mind, then. Fawn frowned and nodded. Every time they talked, she discovered world shattering information. She wondered what else could possibly have happened they needed to talk about. Did Jax abduct her from a happy family? Maybe she had a mysterious condition where her arm fell off and then scuttled away like an eerie crab. The possibilities were endless. She bit her bottom lip.

  "Don't look like that. It isn't that bad." Her mom forced a grin on her face which suggested it actually was that bad. "It's just a warning. I want you to be careful around Gavin, okay? At school, he told me about the date he planned for the two of you. I just…This situation worries me."

  "Why?" Fawn asked. "I promise I won't tell him about Jax or—"

  "It's not that, Fawn. I trust you. So does your dad." The pretense of a smile must have become too much, because it slipped away.

  "Gavin's nice, Mom." Fawn's fists balled. "I like him. He even helped me with the books."

  "I know Gavin is nice. I like the boy, after getting to know him better. He won't do anything that worries me. I can tell he likes you." Her mom took a deep, shuddering breath. "It's just this is about you more than it is about him."

  Unease became a tornado in her mind, destroying all happy feelings in its path.

  "Me?" Fawn shuddered. "But, why?"

  "You're special, Fawn." Her mom reached over and grabbed her hand. "So, so special. There is going to come a day when you have to face that."

  Fawn pictured Gavin's glowing face. "Gavin's special too."

  "Of course he is, honey. Gavin is special." Her mom squeezed her hand. "But he's just a different kind of special than you are."

  "Do you…" Fawn withdrew her hand from under her mom's and felt her rage morph into a raging tiger. "Do you want me to not go tomorrow? I mean, are you telling me I can't go with Gavin?"

  "No. You can go. Both your dad and I agree that you can, however—" Her mom's eyes narrowed. "—do not forget what I said, okay? And please don't do anything that would disappoint me."

  Relief chased the tornado away. A part of her feared her mom would not let her go with Gavin. Gavin was the only person her age in her life. If her mom didn't let her go out with him—see him—then she would feel like she was locked in a dungeon. She loved both of her parents, but being with them wasn't the same as being with Gavin. Being with him was like getting a rush of adrenaline so powerful she could leap mountains. Being with her parents gave her lingering contentment which warmed her stomach.

  "Thanks for letting me go, Mom." Fawn wrung her hands.

  Her mom nodded. "Please don't think I have anything against Gavin. I was just concerned for him and for you."

  "I know." She nodded. Deep down, though, she only half understood. She didn't know why her being "special" was a problem. Did her mom mean her photographic memory?

  "Alright. Since you do understand, I'm going to bed." Her mom got to her feet then kissed Fawn on her forehead. "Goodnight."

  "Goodnight, Mom." Fawn smiled at her.

  For just a second, Fawn saw a flash of guilt on her face, but it disappeared as fast as it had come. Please don't tell me my mom and dad are hiding something else from me?

  Chapter Nine

  Fawn sat next to her mom and dad at the living room table, staring at the clock. At precisely six o'clock, Gavin knocked. His timing was so precise Fawn wondered whether he'd watched the clock to know exactly when it was okay to come get her. The thought made her smile. As Fawn leapt off of her chair, her mom gave her a wary look. Her dad didn't say anything but eyeballed her. She ignored their concerned expressions and marched over to the door.

  When she opened it, she saw Gavin. He held a large, glistening paperback in his hand, but it was cover down so she couldn't see what its title was. He wore jeans and a t-shirt like usual, but a paper tag stuck out of the collar of his shirt, revealing the fact his clothes were new.

  "This is for you." Gavin handed her the book. He ran his hand through his hair. "I was going to give you flowers, but Remy said it was cliché."

  Fawn flipped the book over in her hand and saw the massive tome was The Completed Works of Jane Austin. The book contained three stories. She opened the novel and flipped through the pages. She smiled as her skin tingled. As soon as she got back, she would start reading it.

  "Thank you, Gavin." Fawn smiled. "Much better than flowers."

  "I'm glad you like it." Gavin appeared relieved. "Would it be all right if I spoke to your mom and dad for a minute? I just want them to know you'll be okay with me."

  "I think they would like that." And perhaps it will help my mom be less on edge.

  Stepping to the side, Fawn allowed Gavin into the apartment. She led him to the living room. As she hovered by the counter, Gavin reached forward to shake her mom's hand. Her mom gave him a wary, concerned look. . It appeared her mom was extremely worried about Gavin. This situation didn't make any sense. Wasn't it normal for parents, or even non-maternal uncles and aunts, to worry about their family member first, particularly a female one? It was Fawn's turn to be wary as Gavin walked over to her dad and offered his hand to him as well. Her dad wore a pitying expression, which didn't make much sense to Fawn either.

  "I should…" Fawn bit her bottom lip. "I should put this book in my room. I'll be back in a minute."

  Fawn padded down the hallway to her room and went inside. She laid the fat book on her bed. The book was so heavy she wouldn't have been surprised if the mattress caved under its weight. As she lingered, she knew she should have rushed back to rescue her date from her possible cannibalistic parents. The problem was, though, the confusion was coming back. It should have been all cleared up after their discussion about Jax, but it wasn't. Her world was still stilted.

  This isn't the time to be standing around. Gavin is waiting for you. Fawn left her bedroom to head down the hallway. When she reached the living room, Gavin wrung his hands as he talked to her dad. When Gavin saw her, a relieved grin crossed his face. It appeared he was as comfortable with parents as a pig before an oven. She hurried to his rescue, guilty she'd taken longer than necessary in her room.

  "Gavin, let's go, shall we?" Fawn said. "I don't know what you have planned, but we don't want to be late."

  "Yeah. We have an appointment at seven o'clock." He checked his watch.

  "An appointment?" she asked. "Where are we going?"

  "I thought we'd make a first stop at a cardiologist, then we'd carry on t
o an orthodontist." Gavin winked at her as her parents stared. With a nervous chuckle, he ran his hand through his hair. "Nah, I'm just kidding. It's a surprise. But Fawn will be back by eleven. I promise."

  Her dad nodded as Fawn grabbed his arm.

  ****

  As Gavin drove, cars whooshed past on the road. Gavin went ten miles under the speed limit, but that was probably because his car was prehistoric. Every so often it would let out a hacking cough and spew the smell of rotten eggs into the air. She tried hard to ignore this, as well as the silence that filled the car. Why was it that before he asked her to go on a date, their conversation flowed smoothly? Now she couldn't speak at all.

  Finally, Gavin spoke. "So are you all right?"

  "Me?" Fawn glanced at him. "Why wouldn't I be?"

  "I don't know." His brows furrowed. "I thought I picked up on a weird atmosphere today at your place. I could be wrong. Maybe your parents just don't want you going out with me."

  "My parents like you."

  As Gavin stared at the road with determination, Fawn looked at him and saw his hands trembled. She placed her fingers on his arm. His shaking reminded her that this was Gavin. He'd been her friend first. The fact this was a date didn't change anything between them. Unfortunately, she'd promised her parents she wouldn't say anything to him about Jax. But then again, she wasn't sure if they weren't covering their deceit with more of the kind.

  Gavin released the steering wheel, grabbed her hand, then held it on the middle consol. Fawn was so surprised she gasped. The hand hold, though, was not unpleasant, even if his hand was damp. She could get used to holding hands like this. Being with Gavin like this. It was like being good friends with something more.

  Silence carried them just as much as the car did for several miles, but it wasn't awkward anymore. At least, not to Fawn. Now the quiet felt more contemplative. I don't know what to do. Should I tell him or shouldn't I? She frowned at their intertwined hands and knew how much she trusted him. If she could give anyone her heart for safe keeping, it would be him.