The rain pelted the windshield of Lili Addanc's car as she drove along the winding road home on a Thursday night in September. The radio was buzzing with the static as an announcer promoted this and that product and how you couldn't live without it. Lili sighed, lost in thought, as she stared out at the rain dancing on the asphalt. Life was complicated at the moment, and she had a decision to make, and it wasn't coming to her easily.

More static flashed across the radio, and it caught Lili's attention. "The San Francisco Genetic Research Lab is looking for volunteers for a case study on how our genes affect behavior. Must be 18 or older to apply, compensation will be given in a one thousand dollar check at the end of the trial period. To apply visit sanfranciscogenetics.org" droned an announcer's voice. Suddenly a bass dropped over the radio as 'Madness' by Muse rattled the speakers of the car. Lili drifted back into her thoughts as she continued to wind her way up the hill home.

The sun dawned bright the next morning as Harrison Tobiah woke to his radio alarm blaring a hard rock solo. He stretched out his limbs in all four directions and fluttered his eyes open. He shifted to the edge of the bed and put his feet on the floor, yawning and grabbing a t-shirt off of his nearby dresser. Running one hand through his mop of messy brown hair he got up and switched the radio station, a commercial blared out in a droning voice, "given by a one thousand dollar check at the end of the trial period. To apply visit sanfranciscogenetics.org." Harrison flipped the radio back to the rock station and continued to get ready for school.

It was a good morning at College Prep High because it was Friday. Students bustled around the courtyard before class chatting, copying notes, and drinking coffee. Lili arrived at school, parked her Jeep, and walked into the courtyard to meet her group of friends. Harrison was quite a ways behind her in his beat-up Datsun. He walked up to the group about two minutes before class started and smiled at Lili.

She blushed, looked away, and started to head to class. As Eliza turned to leave with Lili, Claire went and gave a peck on Harrison's cheek before running to catch up with Eliza and Lili. Harrison looked down after she left, and Lili turned around to catch him looking sideways at her, dejected.

Statistics was the usual boring monotony that morning, and Lili easily drifted into thoughts about Harrison. Claire doodled 'H's' all over her notebook page, and Eliza texted in her lap reporting last night's events. It was well known in their group that Harrison and Lili had a tendency to hang out late after school at night, but for some reason, it never seemed to change Claire's obsession with Harrison. Eliza had been frustrated with Lili for weeks and had finally decided to take action to end this little situation once and for all.

Last night Eliza had heard the same ad on the radio that had caught Lili's attention driving home, and Harrison's that morning when he woke up, and she had got in contact with the head scientist in charge of this new project. She was finalizing the details on her phone as their statistics teacher droned on about probability or something like that. The period ended, and the three girls headed outside. A group of people stood in the center of the courtyard yelling as two strangers in white coveralls and masks who pushed a young man to the ground while he yelled.

Lili, Eliza, and Claire pushed their way through the crowd to get a closer look. Lili's stomach dropped as she realized it was Harrison being dragged towards the idling van. She pushed through the final few students in front of her and ran after the man who was ripping Harrison's arms back towards the street.

"Stop it!" she cried, but her voice caught in her throat in horror. The other man's arms had caught her around the neck and pulled her to the ground. "We've got them both, sir," said the man holding Lili to the other. The man holding Harrison nodded and thrust him into the van.

Lili continued to struggle until the second man approached with a cloth from the van which he pressed against her mouth and within seconds she passed out into darkness.The crowd of students watched the van drive away from the school; Claire had quiet tears rolling down her face while Eliza held her in a sideways hug.