Shattered Girls (Broken Dolls Book 2) (15 page)

He looks up. He tears off his red cap and throws it to the floor. “Are you talking to me? Huh?” Spit sprays from his mouth.

“I was talking to my doll, actually.” Gabby folds her arms and leans on one foot. “Maybe you should mind your own business.”

“What are you doing?” I hiss, gripping onto her ear as he marches towards us, his freckled face flushed. He towers over us, his lips quivering. “Let’s just—”

“Hey, Ells. You look different.” He sneers. “Maybe you really are a Devil Doll.”

“Now that was uncalled for.” I nervously pull at the frayed ribbons in my hair. “Gabby’s going through a lot right now.”

“What? She broke a nail? What could possibly be worse than your little sister missing?”

“My
parents
are missing,” Gabby says through gritted teeth.

My eyes bug out as he chortles. “Aww, your criminal daddy? Boo-hoo! I’ve worked it out, you know. The underachievers, the felons. There’s no tolerance for them anymore. My baby sis gets a C on her maths test twice, and suddenly she’s taken away? It’s
sick
.”

Gabby glances at his shoes, the mud fresh and the tips worn. “Knock it off! My dad is
not
a criminal! Maddox, this is a bad time. Something big is going down, and we’re working to stop it. Nobody messes with our family and gets away with it. We’re going to take care of this. But like… can we just stop being tools to one another?”

“You were a tool in the first place!”

“Rejecting someone doesn’t make anyone a tool, Maddox. Your reaction though? Yeah, that kinda makes
you
look like an idiot.”

He steps back and arches his eyebrows. “Well… whatever then.”

I grin. That’s definitely the best apology they’re going to get out of each other.

Gabby scratches her arm. “Maddox, we
will
find Chelsea. You know me. When I want something, I get it, and I won’t stop until everyone is home safe and sound.”

Maddox rolls his eyes. “Ha. Good one. How do you expect to do that?”

“Because it’s what I do now…” She speaks forlornly, but I can’t work out why. “Should we get to class?”

Maddox rubs his chin, his eyelids fluttering. “Yeah…” he says, lost in thought. “You know, I never imagined this would be my life. I thought things were weird when those dolls came to me in the hospital. I thought maybe I had the epidemic virus and was hallucinating or something. When you showed me Ells in class… I was just so happy. I had a place in the world. Someone knew what I knew.” He pauses. “Girls, I’m sorry. I can’t trust you. I can’t trust
anyone
. These Devil Dolls and the kidnappings… and, I mean, your family
created
the doll thing in the first place… how can I say you’re not the bad guys?”

Gabby and I gasp, stunned by his revelation.

“We’re against this. We’re going to
stop
this!” Gabby says. “The dolls aren’t demonic, either.”

“I know,” he whispers, his eyes watery. “They’re
human
. And I
know
Chelsea’s here somewhere…”

He doesn’t wait for us to respond. Instead, he swipes up his cap and storms down the corridor toward his class.

“Maddox doesn’t trust us?” I have to say it out loud to believe it. “Holy crap.”

“Yeah…” Gabby’s voice is husky. “He’s smart. He worked out what’s going on.”

“Your point?”

“My point is, we’ve found an ally. Even if he is the biggest jerk in the world. But this is war. And you don’t always have to like your allies.”

“You’re late, Gabrielle,” Mr. Hathaway says.

“Surprise, surprise.” Gabby slinks through the desks until we reach ours. We’re seated next to Dev, who mouths something inaudible. Gabby doesn’t take much notice; she’s too distracted by the copious dolls in the classroom.

There are, at least, six empty seats, but about seven or eight classmates have a live doll either perched on their shoulders or sitting on their pencil cases.

“Are you seeing this?” I whisper as Mr. Hathaway marks the roll.

“This is
insane
,” Gabby says, not bothering to wipe the disgust off her face. “And they don’t even know what they are!”

Uncertainly, she raises her hand.

“What?” Mr. Hathaway sighs, like he’s lost the will to live.

“Mr. Hathaway? Considering this is a science class, I thought we could discuss the…
robots
everyone has. It’s science at its finest, right? Where did you all get yours?”

“Yeah! I want to show off mine!” Amy beams, cuddling her peppy cheerleader.

“Me too!” Ryan pipes in. “I thought it was uber gay to bring a doll to school, but
man
, this thing helps with homework and everything! It’s like my personal slave!”

Mr. Hathaway tents his fingers, his smile crooked. “I suppose we can take five minutes. Gabby, we’ll start with you since you’ve been carrying that thing around for years. A bit of a trendsetter, aren’t you?”

Gabby shakes her head. “I’m not. My dad and grandfather are scientists, they gave Ella to me when I was sick. You know, the epidemic. I’m just curious where the others got theirs.”

“Duh!” Amy plaits her doll’s hair. “They’re special pre-order. Each costs a bucket-load, and they’re all custom designed. Mom ordered mine online when I said I wanted a cheerleader, and she just arrived this morning! Didn’t you, Bianca?” Amy coos at her like at a pet.

“That’s right!” Bianca shouts. “A is for Amazing! M is for Mighty! Y is for Yummy! Goooooooo AMY!” She jumps in the air and shakes her pom-poms and kicks the air. Amy huffs when Bianca’s plait falls out before she can finish, but applauds her cheer nonetheless.

“Bianca?” I repeat. “Wasn’t… wasn’t that the name of the head cheerleader?”

Amy shrugs. “It’s a common name.”

“Not really!” I protest, but Gabby hushes me.

“Brett arrived today, too! He’s a pharmacist.” Ryan grabs Brett and waves him above his head. Brett places his hands on his hips and poses like a superhero.

“G’day,” Brett greets, his accent thick. “That’s right. Any drug you need, I’m ya bloke! Nah, not really, mate! I’m pullin’ ya leg! Only in the pretend world! I’m gonna pretend-ace this class, ay! Haha!”

“He’s no pharmacist…” I run up Gabby’s arm and kneel on her shoulder so I can whisper. “I bet he is a meth-head! Or a dealer! Ugh!”

“Mine’s a farmer.” Penny points to her doll who sits glumly on the edge of the table. “He doesn’t talk much, though. I might ask for a refund.”

I study the sullen doll. “Look at him. He was bad. You can tell.” I speak so quietly I can barely hear myself. “He can’t remember why he’s guilty… but he can’t shake the feeling.”

“He looks sad,” Gabby murmurs.

“Wouldn’t you be?”

“I love mine!” Robyn holds up a doll with a short, light cut and a red ribbon in her hair. She wears sandals and has a microphone in her hand and a perpetual worried expression. “She’s a beautiful singer. Come on, Chelsea. Sing for us!”

Gabby’s head shoots up. “Did you say Chelsea?”

“I… I can’t…” Chelsea nuzzles her face into Robyn’s knitted sweater. “Please don’t make me sing.”

“Okay, okay.” Robyn tenderly strokes her hair.

“Hey, Chelsea?” Gabby’s voice is tight. “What do you think of maths?”

She slowly turns her head to reveal one side of her face, her eye a bright blue. “Hate it. It’s stupid. All of school is stupid!” she adds before burying her face back in Robyn’s sweater.

“Ella, that’s Maddox’s sister,” Gabby gulps. “It has to be.”

“Take her.” I nudge. “We can save her!”

“This is my doll. She’s a gymnast,” Mikey introduces, but no one listens. Gabby stands and pushes her chair to the side, honing in on Chelsea and snatching her up.

“Hey!” Robyn shrieks, jumping up. “What are you doing? Let her go! She’s expensive!”

“She’s a prisoner!” Gabby shouts. “If you break the dolls, they wake up. That’s how we did it!”

“Don’t break me!” Chelsea pleads. “Please don’t!”

“I’ll make it quick,” Gabby promises. She raises her leg and snaps Chelsea over her knee, breaking her in half.

Robyn howls hysterically and drops to the floor to gather the two sad little Chelsea halves. “What did you do to her? Chelsea!”

“I… I’m fine, I think,” the top half says, batting her eyes.

Gabby and I stare at the broken doll.

“How?” Gabby asks breathlessly. “Why is she—”

“Upgrades,” I say as the class circles Chelsea and Robyn. “Advanced technology. They can’t risk breaking a doll and waking them up, can they?”

“
I HATE YOU, GABBY!
” Robyn screams, cradling the doll. “You’ll pay for this! I’ll make sure you pay through your big ugly nose!”

The class and their dolls glare at us, like a murder of crows.

“Sorry! Okay? I’m sorry!” Gabby shows her palms as if to surrender. “I… I can’t really explain why I did that.”

“I bet you can’t.” Mr. Hathaway leans over his desk, a vein pulsing in his neck. He’s about to pop. “Go to the principal’s office! Consider your assignment a fail!”

I can’t look at Principal Tony the same way. He used to be a glimmer of hope, but now he’s as impure and manipulative as the rest of them. Maybe worse.

His crooked smile isn’t cute anymore. I detest the way he sits back in his chair with his hands behind his head.

“Gabby. We’re not having much luck lately, are we?” He reaches over to open the drawer and hand Gabby a stick of gum. “Have one.”

“No, thanks.”

“So what’s the problem?”

I press my foot into Gabby’s shoulder as subtly as I can. Hopefully she’ll get the message.

“Nothing, sir. I’m hormonal,” she says, her voice light. That’s my girl. We’ll just lie our way out.

“Right.” He sniffs and pulls his chair in. “Gabby, I’m concerned. Your grades are slipping, and I don’t see you with a lot of friends.”

“I’ll get my grades up, scout’s honor!” Gabby tries an unconvincing grin. “And I have plenty of friends, I just like my alone time.”

“I thought you didn’t care about grades,” I blurt, immediately regretting my words.

Principal Tony smirks and fiddles with his pen. “I don’t believe in unnecessary stress. I know the students in this school. I can tell who will soar and who will coast. The ones without ambition are more likely to rebel if they’re coerced into doing something they hate.”

“So you’re saying you think Gabby’s a failure?!” I’m glad adrenaline doesn’t pump through my veins. I’m already nervous. “That’s
real
charming.”

“I didn’t say that,” Principal Tony demurs.

“But you implied it!”

“Ella, I’m perfectly aware of your situation. I know you’re human. I know Gabby’s parents were abducted by the company that’s snatching criminals and students with a low IQ. I know these dolls the kids carry around are ex-students of mine. Do you think I have a choice?”

We don’t respond. I think I’ve forgotten how to speak.

“They’re trying to shave the population by sixty percent.
Sixty percent
. This isn’t just a toy company or corrupt cops. I know the family involved. The woman is a computer hacker and made a fortune skimming bank accounts; her mother is a politician. They have a lot of
swing
. If I don’t cull the students or hand in test results, they could take
me
away.” There’s desperation in Principal Tony’s eyes. “What am I supposed to do?!”

“Fake my test results,” Gabby says firmly, digging her nails into her jeans.

“What?” He shakes his head. “Gabby, I can’t do that.”

“Just for a while. You have to mark the roll so it says I’m here. Change my reports so it looks like I’m getting straight A’s. If you want things the way they were, you have to do this for me.”

A weak grunt escapes his throat. “What are you going to do?”

“Save the world!” I declare triumphantly. When Gabby and Principal Tony stare at me, I beam. “Sorry. I’ve just always wanted to say that.”

“It doesn’t matter what I’m doing,” Gabby says, dismissing me with a wave of her hand. “But this is on you. If you really care about what’s going on, you’ll help me.”

Principal Tony blinks, then clears his throat. “You best get back to class.”

“Like I give a sh—”

“Gabby!” I breathe, tugging on her hair. Emergency or not, he’s our authority figure. And yet… he’s suddenly not as dreamy as I perceived him to be. That makes me a little sad. Maybe, there’s no such thing as the perfect man because there’s no such thing as a perfect person.