After her chat with Mr. Germain, Marie went to another room, like a hospital room, and got an added piece of equipment. Her chip was removed, and wires were delicately threaded into the chip before it was returned to her head. The added wires were weaved into a device which circled around her ear. This was going to stand out, and anyone who didn't already know she was a charity case would know now. An S.E.A. agent instructed her to be careful with the extra piece. The fact that there were extra wires coming out of her head made her frightened enough.

They drove her and her dad home. Marie tried to massage her head to get the headache to go away. She looked forward to the moment she could collapse on her bed and do nothing.

Her dad didn't say anything. His hands were clasped together, his fingers drumming on his knuckles, a pronounced frown on his lips. He studied the back of the driver's head with a concerned look on his face. She doubted it had anything to do with the driver's head.

Things would be different now between her and her dad. Their fake lives had crumbled, and now Marie didn't know what to do with the pieces.

Marie looked down at her phone. They got them back when they left the S.E.A. building. She had well over a hundred unread text messages. She couldn't bring herself to answer them. She couldn't retreat to her friends when her dad sat next to her. When they got back, she'd answer them. She didn't want them worrying about her.

The driver pulled up to their apartment in the poor part of town. Marie and her dad got out. Her dad thanked the driver, but Marie couldn't bring herself to do it.

As soon as her dad unlocked the door to their apartment, Marie headed straight for her bedroom.

"Marie, can we talk?" her dad asked.

Marie paused at the door of her bedroom, closing her eyes. She didn't want to talk. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Do you have to ask? Marie, how long have you been struggling like this in school? Why didn't you feel like you could tell me?"

The angry tone in her dad was out of concern, but it still ticked her off. She had one of the worst days of her life, and her dad had no right to get angry at her because she wasn't smart enough. Her fingers curled against the door frame and she felt her own anger drive the empathy away.

"If I came to you and said Presley High sucked and wanted to get out, would you have listened? Or would you have told me I was being a silly teenager and needed to give this a chance?" Marie asked.

Her dad paused before continuing in a softer tone. "Marie, if you're not happy, you could have come to me. We could have figured something out."

"Well, it's too late now. I'm in a social experiment and have to survive the rest of high school." Marie felt nauseous thinking about it.

Her dad took a step closer. "We've got to learn to communicate better."

Marie glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, yeah? Then tell me, how is your job doing? Really?"

The question threw her dad off. He looked like he was going to skip over it but stopped himself. He rubbed his forehead and gave a sigh. "There's... a good chance... I won't have this job at the end of the school year."

Marie went back to chewing her lips. Her dad took another step forward. He could almost reach out and touch her. "If you're going to pass high school, you have to tell me when things get too overwhelming."

"Oh, and you think that will help!" Marie couldn't hide the anger in her voice now. "You think the S.E.A. picked me up for their criminal after school program because things got too overwhelming at school?" Marie turned to face her dad, anger making her ignore the hurt look on her dad's face. "No, Dad! I got picked up because I'm stupid, okay! The kids will pick me clean tomorrow! Experienced bullies are going to tear me apart. And I will still struggle to make my stupid voice sing and my stupid, clumsy feet will still trip over basic steps! I'm completely overwhelmed right now, but talking about it will not magically make me smart. I wish I could sing and dance and act and draw and everything else! But I just can't, okay! I'll never be like those other kids!"

She was sobbing by the end. Her head pounded as the tears streamed down her face. She had an endless amount of tears today and she hated it.

Her dad was stunned to silence. He struggled to say something, but nothing he could say would comfort her. Marie went the rest of the way in her room.

"Leave me alone!" The door rattled on its hinges as she slammed it shut.

She heard her dad take a few steps toward her room. She thought she heard him place his hand on the door. Then he turned around and walked away, giving her the space she requested.

***

The sobbing had calmed down, but the tears kept coming. She read through the texts from her friends as she curled up on her bed. She didn't want to talk to her guy friends right now. She wasn't even sure she wanted to talk to Sophie, but she already drove her dad away, and she needed to talk to someone. She read Abe's text where he said he grabbed her lunchbox and backpack from the cafeteria and would give it to her when he saw her next.

Thanks. Don't want to chat right now. I'll be OK. See you tomorrow.

She sent the same text to Billy and Albert before reading the last text from Sophie.

My parents told me everything. CALL ME ASAP!

She sent it about a half hour ago. Marie took a deep breath, then started texting.

I'm not in the mood to call. Is it OK if we text?

She got a reply almost immediately.

Of course! My dad said he talked with you. Are you forced to give up math and science now?

Her heart sank. She hadn't thought of that possibility. No. But I'm sure it's still an option if I don't get better.

Ugh. We're still on for the sleepover tomorrow, right?

Marie blinked a few times. Right. Tomorrow was Friday. One more day until the weekend. She wished it was already the weekend so she didn't have to go to school tomorrow.

Yes, still on. I have to be at the S.E.A. until 6, so any time after. Can we have it at my place? I don't wanna chance seeing your parents.

Understood. I'll see you tomorrow at your place, and we can chat about our mutual dislike for my parents.

OK.

Marie set her phone aside and rubbed her temples. She had to mentally get ready for school tomorrow, and she needed to start now.

Her phone buzzed again.

I wasn't done, came Sophie's reply. Goodness girl, you had arguably the worst day of your educational life. A three-minute chat isn't sufficient. How are you? This isn't small talk. Seriously. How. Are. You?

Marie felt the faintest ghost of a genuine smile cross her face. It was great to have a best friend.

They texted for a half hour. Marie explained as best she could what Sophie's parents didn't tell her. Marie talked about the song she sang, or more like the song she didn't want to sing about crushes.

I don't care if the chip makes the world a safer place by forcing people to confront and sing about their feelings. Sometimes feelings have a right to remain private.

Marie nodded at Sophie's text and began her own reply. I'm sure it was more of my dying cow singing voice that made the S.E.A. come for me and not talking about the zit inside my nose.

What did all your boyfriends do while you sang?

They sang and danced along with me.

Marry all of them now!

Marie couldn't help but roll her eyes. Oh please.

There was a soft knock on her bedroom door. "Marie?"

Marie's heart stopped. She glanced at her door, not sure if she was ready to see her dad again so soon.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"You haven't had dinner. Are you hungry?"

Marie didn't realize how hungry she was until he asked. She hardly had any lunch, and all the crying and singing and dancing was quite the workout. She glanced at the clock, realizing it was almost nine. "Be there in a sec."

"Okay."

Marie turned back to her phone.

Hey, I've got to go. I'll talk with you tomorrow.

OK. See you tomorrow.

Marie slipped the phone back in her pocket.

***

The silence peppering the dinner table was hard to digest. Marie thought her dad had eaten already, but he waited for her. Now they sat there together, not saying a word and at the same time saying too much. Marie knew she needed to apologize, but the problem was, everything she said was true. Maybe she should apologize for the angry tone.

A familiar ache in her heart flared back up again. She missed her mom. Marie felt like she adjusted to her mom's death, but something like this would happen and it tore down the shaky foundation she thought was far more solid. Marie remembered vividly how it felt to have her mom's arms around her, the smell of her cheap, cherry blossom perfume, and somehow everything would be fine. She didn't know how much of it was her mom, or how much of it was her wide, child-like belief. Maybe it was both.

Marie tapped into the forbidden "what-if" game. What if her mom was still alive? How would she react to this situation? Marie wasn't entirely sure. Maybe even her mom couldn't help. She couldn't hide in her mom's arms for the rest of her life, no matter how safe it felt. She glanced at her dad and felt her angry heart soften at a realization. If her mom was still alive, her dad wouldn't look as sad and helpless as he did now.

Marie blinked, and remembered her dad while her mom was still alive. He always had a smile on his face. Always laughing, looking at her mom with a love and adoration that grossed Marie out. Marie blinked again and saw the man before her, a genuine smile barely on his face once a day, a haggard look about him. Her mom's death did not treat her dad well, and Marie was just now seeing the physical evidence before her eyes.

He met her gaze and Marie broke away, instead studying her hardly touched dinner plate. It was way past their normal dinner time, but she couldn't bring herself to eat. Marie tucked some hair behind her ear and felt her fingers brush against the added device. Some hair tangled into it, and she struggled to smooth her hair. The fear of tomorrow came back to her.

"I'll miss you tomorrow," her dad said quietly.

Marie glanced up from her silent battle with her hair. Her dad was still looking at her. "What?" she asked.

"Tomorrow. You'll be gone until six. I'll miss you."

"Oh. Right." Marie pushed the fork around her re-heated broccoli. "Yeah. I'll miss you too." Her voice broke at the end.

Was this going to be her life? School from eight to six until she became a better singer? Marie frowned, staring at the floral design of her plate. And what if they discovered she still couldn't graduate? Would she be held back a year? She tried not to think about the uncontrollable future. Instead she focused on the now, at a dinner table where her dad, all alone with no wife, tried to comfort her the best he knew how.

"I..." Marie tried to figure out how to word her apology.

"No, Marie. You don't need to say anything," her dad said. "I didn't know what you were going through, and I'm sorry."

Marie frowned. She didn't exactly volunteer information to him, either.

She took a bite of her dinner, her stomach reminding her how hungry she was, but she couldn't bring herself to scarf her food down.

"I don't want to go to the S.E.A." she said.

Her dad didn't look at her. "It's a marvelous opportunity, Marie."

"Is it really an opportunity if I have no choice in the matter?"

"You should be grateful for this chance to further your education."

Marie continued to stare at her plate. "Like how I should be grateful for the chance to go to Presley High?"

For three long seconds, neither one of them moved. Her dad broke the silence by setting his unused fork down and placed his hands in his lap.

"Education is important." It was clear he feared her blowing up again. "There is nothing wrong with loving math and science, but you can't throw away the basics, either. The S.E.A. is giving you a wonderful chance to help." Her dad looked uncomfortable but didn't take his eyes off her. "I don't like it, and I'm going to miss you in the evenings, but this is important."

Marie's frown deepened. Yes, but it still hurt. It hurt she didn't have the intellect to pull through like other students.

Silence weaved its way back to the dinner table. Her relationship with her dad had officially crumbled. She had the choice to either rebuild or leave it as it was. Exhaustion made her mentally shut down. Everyone at school knew about her lack of intelligence, she'd have to go to the S.E.A., and now she had to think about her relationship with her dad.

Marie went through the motions and ate her dinner, barely tasting it as it went down. She drank an extra glass of water to replenish the liquid she lost from crying. She gathered her dishes and put them in the sink. Her dad stood up to do the same.

"Goodnight dad," she said.

"Good night Marie. I love you."

Marie kept walking, her throat tightening. She needed to say she loved him back, because it was how they'd always ended their evenings, but things were different now. She seriously asked herself if she loved her dad, and she wasn't sure she could answer him tonight.

She walked into her room and leaned against the door until it closed. She collapsed onto the bed without getting in her pajama's. Her mind came alive with worry and fear, but her body was exhausted. A million worst case scenarios played before her, not only at school but with her dad. She tried not to think about how much she hurt him. It was something she would think about another day, when she was ready.