Hey guys! Sorry it took so long for me to update, I've been uber busy. Anway, I thought I'd kick off the new month with a new chapter of The Flock Goes to JBA. Enjoy! 3
The flock stayed silent. They knew not to get in the middle of something like this.
"Oh, you think?" I said, slamming my fork down on my plate. Since when did he get to make the decisions? "Well, gosh, if you think it's time then I guess it's time," I added, sarcasm dripping like venom.
"Max," my mom said and I remembered that she wouldn't agree with anything she didn't think was safe. I picked up my fork and settled down.
Jeb began again.
"We've found a huge source of radiation coming from the Midwest, in Northern Missouri." He paused, waiting for me to interrupt. It took all the strength I had, but I didn't. "We need you to check it out."
I looked at my mom. She nodded, letting me know she has already checked it out herself. "What would we have to do?" I asked, still not sure if I wanted to or not.
"We've pinpointed the source of the pollution to Truman State University, in Kirksville, Missouri," he said. "We need you to find out what's causing it."
I put down my fork again and sat back in my chair. "How do you suppose we go about doing this?" I asked, crossing my arms.
Jeb was about to say something but Dr. Martinez intervened. "You and the flock would be stationed at Truman State University, undercover as students--"
The flock and I burst out laughing. Even Fang couldn't control himself. "Students?!" I said in between giggles. "How could we pull off being college students?"
Iggy chimed in. "Yeah, Angel could join a sorority and Total could be the guard dog!"
This brought on a whole new wave of laughter. Even Jeb, was suppressing a chuckle.
"Guys, guys," Dr. Martinez said, trying to get us under control, or as under control as seven bird kids and a flying talking dog who've been on their own for most of their life could be. "Let me finish."
I quit giggling and motioned for the rest of the flock to stop.
"You would be going undercover as students," she paused, waiting for us to crack up again, "at the annual summer program Truman hosts each year."
I frowned. "We're going to camp?" I asked.
Dr. Martinez quickly recovered. "No, it's not a camp, it's, it's--"
"It's a summer enrichment program," Jeb interrupted. "Each year, approximately 200 students, grades seven through nine, pay $1200 to attend a college-like summer program known as JBA.--"
"What's JBA?" Angel asked in that innocent, curious voice of hers.
"I was getting to that," Jeb said, starting to get annoyed. I almost smiled. It did my heart good to know that, after all this time, we could still get to him. "JBA stands for the Joseph Baldwin Academy for Eminent Young Scholars--"
That did it. "Eminent Young Scholars?!" I cracked. I was practically clutching my stomach in pain from laughing so much. I could tell the rest of the flock was trying to suppress their chortles. "College is one thing, we have to be smart too?" It's no secret that we haven't had much schooling, except for those couple of months in Virginia.
Nudge piped in, looking thoughtful. "Wait. Joseph Baldwin Academy for Eminent Young Scholars? Wouldn't that be JBAEYS?" I smirked.
"Max," my mom said again, this time with a more stern voice. I settled down, knowing that I needed to take this seriously. Didn't necessarily mean I was going to.
"Mom," I said, putting on my best innocent voice, "we've tried school before, didn't work out so well, what makes you think this will be any better?"
"Because this time you will be protected," she answered.
"And that makes a difference, how?"
Jeb chimed in. "You will be staying in a college dorm with the other students attending JBA. Two armed guards will be positioned at each exit at night and you will be monitored during the day." He paused, waiting to see if I had anything to say. "You'd be completely safe."
I laughed. Okay, that officially did it. "Really, safe? You're bribing us with safety?" This whole thing had to be a joke. College? Summer camp? Completely safe? "Yeah, we tried that before. Remember? We were safe in Antarctica, where we were nearly attacked by a leopard seal, fell through an ice shelf, and let's not forget kidnapped and sent through a hurricane."
"Max--," Jeb began but I stopped him.
"No, don't tell me we'll be safe," I spat. "We're never safe and that isn't about to change now." I was furious. Was he seriously trying to convince us that the government was going to protect us. Since when? Where was the government when they were playing with DNA and torturing six innocent bird kids? I didn't trust them then and I'm not about to start trusting them now.
"But, Max--," Jeb tried to begin again but I wasn't having any of it.
"The answer is no," I said defiantly, getting up from the table. I picked up my plate and walked to the sink.
"Max, will you at least think about it?" Dr. Martinez called after me, knowing that, if she told me outright to do something, I'd never take the bait. It sometimes scared me how well she knew me, how she was able to manipulate me like that. After putting my plate in the sink, like the good little bird kid I am, I turned around and looked at Fang, Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected himself, then at the rest of the flock, who seemed interested in what this whole thing was. Why do they always have to take the bait?
"Maybe," I said flatly, and with that, went to my room.