The Hubby Hold (IQ Testing Book 2) (2 page)

Chapter 3

Green auditorium

I priss into the auditorium, taking my sweet time and mind relaxing for the next round of academic questions.

Marsilla races by Ketona then stops in front of the me-chee. She tosses her arms, tilting her skull to the right, shouts in angry. “I demand a short respite. I demand to go back to my house. I demand a refreshing bathe. I can’t get the sand grains out of my hair, after jumping off the cliff…”

I gasp, standing in the middle of the partially empty auditorium. Most of the me-chee chairs are huddled into groups, since the same common friends have passed through the color chart together, like me and Rincon.

Marsilla is shouting a big lie. She didn’t jump from the cliff. Her cat suit did with the brilliant scientific idea of both Nephella and Duchie.

Marsilla shouts in fury, waving her arms. “I demand stoppage. I demand a new cat suit...”

The me-chee stands under the color chart with a painted blood-red smirk, clashing ugly with the bright green colored metal of the current color tone. It says. “Welcome back, teen! There is no rest, or respite from the Cubby Hole. Please, return to your me-chee chair for the next set of academic questions.”

I grin with victory for the me-chee.

Rincon: short, olive-skin, black-hair shoulder length hair, cat whiskers, slender, bookworm. He stomps in front of Ketona, blocking her view of Marsilla. He looks behind his collar bone at Marsilla then views Ketona. Rincon pulls Ketona from her me-chee over towards the wall, where a row of empty me-chee chairs used to stand at attention. He noted that the machines were empty, while parking inside the Cubby Hole. He pulls her close to his lips then smiles. He touches both her biceps. “Marsilla is a spoiled brat always getting her way. I hope the me-chee doesn’t toss her out of the Cubby Hole on Citizenship Day.”

“Me-chees are machines…”

Rincon nods and smiles. “A me-chee is a mechanical electronic machine in the form of a humanoid. A me-chee has two arms, two legs, and a flat torso of silver-tone metal, except the metal will change color, depending upon the job performance of the work task, as set by a human, who is trained as a me-chee technician. The metal skull of the me-chee appears, like a human’s head with two eye sockets, two nose holes, a mouth, and no earlobes. The hair is always colored rich black, but styled in different arrangements, such-like, a ponytail, or a buzz cut, or a shoulder length style with bangs, or a waist-length design, parted in the middle, or cropped with left sweep, or a cute pixie. The me-chee physical displays other human traits, too. Normally, the me-chee is a work machine, such-like, teaching students, building structures, cleaning houses, piloting vehicles…”

I exhale, frowning with annoyance. “I wish a me-chee could finish Citizenship Day for me…”

He shakes his curls. “Why? We both are doing an outstanding job on Citizenship Day. I’ve received hundred percent, within every color tone, on every single academic question. And, you have, too, being similar in talents and intelligence to me. Intelligence is knowledge. But, I would rejoice in celebration, if the me-chee dismissed the other graduating teens from Hamlin, Burrville, Montag, Albend…”

“Why?” I frown at him then survey the half-empty auditorium. The teens are inside the locker rooms, or inside the previous park places. Then, I view him.

He leans into Ketona, whispering. “This is our town of Colfax for celebrating our Citizenship Day. The other outer small towns are only invited, since they lack technology advancements and proper civil behaviors. They should gather and create their own festive celebration for graduation. It is ridicule for them to participate in our fun…”

I exhale. “This is not fun…”

“Keep your pitch under control Ketona. You are not a dookie girl.”

“I am me…”

Rincon pats Ketona on her arm, nodding and smiling. “We are living our dreams, Ketona. When our BPs graduated as schoolers from here, they were awarded with their individual dream jobs, too. My BPs told me, that they both prepared and presented almost the exact same acceptance speech, when we were awarded our new work positions. My mama spoke first…”

I gasp. “My daddy spoke second…”

“A set of parents includes one biological mother and one biological father,” he chuckles, patting her collar bone. “I thought you were hundred and ten points proficient in all biology concepts, Ketona…”

I exhale with frustration. Rincon enjoys talking at me, not with me. He doesn’t even use the cute personal endearments, like doll, baby, babe, sweetie, or sweetheart, when we converse, even my BPs call me, dear, being their loving daughter.

I learned something new, again.

My BPs gave me the same exact prep rally speech, getting me excited about Citizenship Day, so I would pass into the golden circle, for my dream job, as a medical technician, like them.

Marsilla skips then huddles with Rincon and Ketona. She nods and smiles. “Have you prepared your citizenship speech, standing inside the gold color tone as second place, Rincon,” she giggles and winks at him.

He grunts. “There is not a first or a second place finish, Marsilla. You should be more wise with your sentence structure…”

Marsilla giggles. “I am wiser. At least, I didn’t lie…”

I gasp. “He lied.”

Rincon smirks. “I didn’t lie, as much as, aggregated the long truth…”

I drop my mouth. “What, what lie?”

Rincon smiles. “Based on my previous Cubby Hole lecture, inside the red colored park place of the cliff jumping, some of the components are true and some are false. There can be only five positions awarded, within the gold color tone. Period.”

I view the floor then him. “Every teen has the opportunity to reach the golden color…”

“Only if, each teen passes the next series of more difficult academic questions,” Marsilla smiles. “We have successfully passed into the red color tone, and wait for the start of the green color tone. I promise ya, the next two sets of academic questions will be much harder and longer…”

I exhale. “We need to warn our friends, too…”

“All’s fair in love and intellect, Ketona.” Marsilla sneers.

I drop my mouth, shaking my curls. “You’re a prude and a prune, Marsilla. Our friends helped you get out of the cliff jumping. If you didn’t…”

Rincon stomps closer into her nose bridge. “Listen to me, very carefully, Ketona. There are only five dream jobs, which are really five internships, inside the city of Colfax, our home and town. The outer town teens are only invited to attend, not intern,” he chuckles. “That’s clever! Anyways, the five internships are a medical technician, a legal technician, an administration technician, a me-chee designer, and a me-chee technician. There are not any more dream jobs available within our town of Colfax. Within the gold color tone, five teens equal five jobs. The end of the fairy tale…”

I gasp. “But, there are sixty, or so teens, floating around here, inside the Cubby Hole, with us within the red color tone.”

He says. “The majority over fifty percent will not pass through into the green color tone. They will remain inside the red color, or drop back into the orange color. We, me, you, and Marsilla, will assuredly advance into the green color tone. We have been studying decades and decades for today and we will succeed, together,” he nods and grins.

I frown with curiosity. “I understand the rational, not reasoning, Rincon. However, I predict that there will be six teens that will advance and stand, inside the golden color with me, including you, Marsilla, Nephella, Duchie, and Lamis…”

Rincon scans the room, spying on Lamis.

She sits inside her me-chee chair with her eyelashes closed, waiting on the me-chee.

He views Ketona. “I disagree. Lamis has been struggling with her academic question, since the pink color tone, the first round. She will not make it into the golden color, thus caught inside the red color, forever, as a slaughter princess, again. Duchie, however, she is very smart. I believe she will succeed with us, maybe,” he smirks.

Marsilla says. “I predict the same five teens, too. I will intern as a legal technician, like my BPs. Rincon will be a medical technician, like his BPs. Nephella is the mayor’s daughter. She will intern with her mama at the mayor’s office. Duchie is very smart and annoying, all at the same thing. I’m relieved that she has selected to work as a me-chee technician. She will do very well, inside a building far away from me,” she giggles. “So, Ketona gets the last dream job, a me-chee designer technician…”

I gasp. “Buffo is going to be the me-chee designer technician…”

He growls. “Buffo has failed, both sadly and badly. The next set of academic questions is going to be rough and tough for any and all remaining teens, trying to advance into the gold color. We will lose half the teens, who will permanently work, inside the slaughter houses and packing manufacturing plants,” he chuckles. “I like to eat meat and vegetables, too, at mealtime.”

I view the floor, biting my lip then view Rincon. I softly say. “That seems so unfair and un- justice...”

He nods. “The Cubby Hole is completely fair and justice. You advance purely and honestly, based on your intellect given a set of standard academic questions, which is distributed evenly to all the teens.”

I nod. “Then, Buffo has a chance of getting out of the orange color tone, and then moving into the red color, until he finally reaches the gold with us. You said, there is one single question to jump directly into the golden circle. Is that another lie, Rincon?”

He nods. “It is the truth. However, you clearly heard, too. The overall historical passing percentage is 13.01 percent for the smart teens, which is not very good, Ketona…”

I nod. “I…”

“…will pass, too.” Marsilla giggles.

I exhale. “What happens, if Buffo and Duchie both make it into the golden circle, which one gets the me-chee technician position?”

Marsilla giggles. “The better question, who’s getting the me-chee designer technician dream job, since you and Buffo are competing, if he shows? Rincon’s going to beat ya Ketona, becoming the medical technician. Rincon is so bad,” she slaps his arm, giggling. “He forgot to add into his silly little lecture, this true fact. When the single academic question is asked, for a single dream job, the first teen, to answer correctly, gets to chose her dream job, first, from the other slow thinking teens, within the golden circle, which will be me, ya’ll,” giggles.

I stomp my boot. “What else is missing from your lecture, Rincon?”

The me-chee stands, raising his arms. “Welcome back to the Cubby Hole, teens! I hope you have enjoyed your fun in the sun. There is more fun to have inside the rest of the color tones. The respite has completed. Please, sit back and relax into your assigned me-chee chair!” He watches the teens scoot into the me-chee chairs. The red shield blinks, covering the human outlines for the next round. The me-chee says. “Close your eyelids! I will present the next series of academic questions for your individual answers. The time limit has increased to fifteen seconds for each posed question. To remind, each schooler, again, for clarity of a proper verbal response, please state my answer is…then your vocal response. If you answer three-fourths, or more of the academic questions, correctly, you will advance to the next color of green. If you answer one-fourth, or less, you will remain stationary, inside the color tone of red. If you, incorrectly, answer two-fourths of the academic questions, then you will slip back into the color of orange. The first question, what is the color tone of the me-chee inside the Cubby Hole, presently?”

I gasp then exhale.

Duchie, Nephella, and Rincon told me that the next set of questions are more difficult and faster, not giving much time with an extended five more seconds to meet the deadline, or drop.

I giggle then frown with sadness, viewing the empty spot of Buffo and his me-chee chair.

I’m not worried about addressing a vocal response, since I have fifteen long seconds to answer the first question, or I am marked, nothing. Also, I’m not worried, if I am markedly, nothing, either, since I only am required to pass with 75 percent, into the green color tone, three correct questions. So, I’m not worried, either, since I’ve passed from the other color tones with 75 percent, or perfect hundred percent.

I exhale, feeling unhappy about my present situation. I miss Buffo’s tender words, gently tone, and vicious revenge on those attackers, who intimidate me, like Marsilla.

However, he looked so happy and content, playing with his new friends inside the orange color tone.

I wish for the feeling of either happy, or content, knowing one emotion is better than sad.

Then, I steam with fury with Rincon. He had lied to me, without sharing his possessed knowledge. Yet, my BPs should have told me that shared knowledge, also.

I exhale, seeing Duchie on my left side. She wiggles side to side with excitement, answering her academic questions, which reminds me, that the fifteen seconds are almost gone.

I scan the room, seeing Lamis. She lies inside the chair, shaking her single leg nervous about the questions.

I exhale then drop my mouth. I view Buffo’s empty spot then close my mouth, without responding to the first question.

If I answer, incorrectly, the question, then I will receive a negative 25 percent value. I need only to answer, incorrectly, a second question then drop and descend into the orange color tone, being with Buffo, again. Then, I can persuade him to re-enter the chair and re-test inside the Cubby Hole.