Act 1, Chapter 1

April 23rd

As I trudged on behind the rest of the group, a sigh would escape from my lips as I watched the rest of the group follow the tour guide that led our group of students. Why our school thought it was a good idea to send a bunch of students to a pharmaceutical factory was beyond me.

Maybe they hoped some of us would be interested, maybe some would be amused, or maybe it was the only place that would allow a guided tour. Or maybe they were hoping that since we were all so close to graduating, they could convince us to take jobs here. I didn't know and I really didn’t care.

All I knew is by looking around, it seemed I wasn’t the only one wondering why I had to spend my day at a place I’d probably never see again. I decided that just keeping my gaze down is probably for the best. I didn’t want to garner any unneeded attention, especially with our teacher, Mr. Flitz.

Not that he was a bad teacher. He had the usual look of an academic probably getting ready for retirement, with graying hair that outlined a balding top. The knitted vest and tie with his slacks spoke of someone that was raised in the sixties or something.

He would keep on asking questions on occasion. It seemed like he was doing his best to keep some sort of order or attention to the information our guide continued to drone on about.

As we passed by a series of laboratories, my eyes peered into the white spaces, filled with different types of equipment. I lingered there, if only to pretend like I had some sort of interest in what was going on behind the glass panes that separated the scientists from the rest of the class. Instead, I focused on my reflection. Yep, that’s me there. Elizah Jones.

I was generally short compared to most of the other guys in my class, which only made me a target for the usual hazing one would find in every high school. It had become less of a problem as we reached our senior year, but when you had scruffy brown hair and large glasses that hung in front of green eyes, it was hard to avoid. Not to mention the freckles that dotted across my nose and cheeks. I was the textbook definition of a nerd, and I was fine with that. It was everyone else that seemed to want to make it a problem.