Chapter 1 ~ Macy
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I had never been fond of the way the grass turned yellow in this town when it got too hot.Nevada was naturally a poor place for maintaining a lawn, but the residents of Goodsprings did so anyway, wasting gallons of water standing out on their lawns in the morning with a hose, arching a mist onto their struggling spaghetti grass.
I thought about engineering a strand of DNA in the grass seed that would make it more susceptible to extreme heat and low moisture, but I had to shake the thought from my head as I neared the local high school.I was not at the lab anymore, and my job here was going to be much different.
As soon as I saw the flagpole out in front of the building, memories built up around my mind like rushing water, and I had to struggle to keep them from flooding in.I was not here to reminisce.Nor did I want those memories to affect my performance.
I parked in the visitors’ section and stepped out into the dry Nevada air.It was early August and the air smelled of school - I remembered clearly that crisp, scholarly smell that wafted around the week before the first day as I walked into the school, and the nostalgia was so strong my palms began to sweat with a nervousness I had forgotten about after leaving these halls.
Before walking inside, I fumbled for my phone and dialed the first number that came up.After a moment, the ringing stopped and Elizabeth’s cool, calm voice rang through the speaker.
“What can I do for you, Macy?”
“I am freaking out,” I said, ripping a piece of gum from my bag and stuffing it, accordion style, into my mouth.“I can’t do this.”
“Sure you can,” Elizabeth said, without missing a beat.“I know you can, and besides, after the exit you made, you can’t come back until those brats are absorbing science and shitting it out.”
I sighed, already feeling the anxiousness melt away.Elizabeth always knew what to say to me to make me feel better, and I knew she was going to be my crutch while I was away from my company.She was also the capable hands I was leaving my company in while absent.I hung up the phone and walked with a new, straightened back.
A plaque stood in the yellowing front yard that read WELCOME TO THE HOME OF THE GOODSPRINGS BADGERS.It was a new installment, gleaming in the sun, the black marble surely heavy and hot.I wondered how much it had cost, and how many solar panels the school could have installed instead.
I tugged on my pencil skirt and gripped the handle to my suitcase tightly.A new intercom system was installed in the front of the school, and I had to press a button to gain access.I eyed the camera curiously, and after a moment, a sharp static beep rang out and a voice droned through.
“Welcome to the home of the Badgers.What is your business in the school today?”
“Hi, I am Macy Johnson.I am speaking at an assembly today.”
There was a brief pause, then the voice said, “Macy Johnson?Macy!It’s been so long!”
I recognized Linda’s voice the moment she said my name, and though I was beginning to sweat in the heat, I smiled at the camera.Though I was trying to stem the rush of memories of my days in the building, I allowed myself to think about Linda.She was the receptionist when I went to school, and I would often work with her, helping her shred papers and do the morning announcements.
“Linda, how are you?”
“I am just fine sweetie, here let me open the door for you.”
A moment later the door popped and clicked, and I was embraced in the sweet air conditioning.The entrance to the school had been renovated as well, with more modern wall adornments than the last time I had been there, words like success, and pride stretching up the wall in columns.It looked nice, but again, I wondered why the money in the school was going to aesthetic purposes rather than real, substantial educational improvements.
“Macy,” someone said, and I turned to see Linda rushing toward me, her arms outstretched.She grabbed me into a tight hug and I hugged her back with the arm that wasn’t holding my suitcase.She pulled back, her hands on my shoulders, looking at me as though she was my grandmother and I was visiting for a holiday.
“How are you, darling?We’ve heard a few things, about your company, obviously, but really how are you?A husband?Children?”
I felt my chest tighten at the mention of children and looked away from her briefly to regain my composure.Children of my own would not be in the cards for me, it seemed, and between starting and maintaining my company, a husband had never been an option.Though I had wanted children when I was younger, I had come to terms with the fact that I would never have any of my own.
“Not yet,” I said, smiling at her.“But hopefully soon.”
“I see,” Linda said, “moving back home to start a family.It’s a smart move - small towns are such good places to raise children, you know.My family has been in this town for generations, and look how well I turned out!”
I laughed with Linda as she cracked herself up with her own joke.She led me into the office where she scanned my ID and gave me a sticker to identify myself until my badge came in.As I was peeling the sticker and sticking it to my blouse, a man came out of the office adjacent to the main office.
“Macy Johnson.”
I looked up to see my old biology teacher standing in front of me.He was a squat old man with a permanent scowl, and it looked as though he hadn’t aged a day since I had seen him, but that was probably because he had been ancient when I was in school, too.He looked me up and down once and made a small, gruff noise as though he wasn’t impressed.
“Principal Messer,” I said, nodding once in respect.“How are you?”
“We’ll see,” he grumbled, and I wondered how it was that he had gotten to his position with his poor social skills.I had been managing my own company for the past ten years, and something I had learned is that it’s not all about what you’re selling.It’s about how you sell yourself.And Mr. Messer was like a ten-minute infomercial with poor acting.
It had not been his decision to bring me in.I made a proposal to the school board, and they voted unanimously that bringing me to the school was a good idea.To vote for anything else would be foolish - I was offering to come work at the school, improve the science department, and give away a scholarship for scientific excellence at the end of the year.For free.
“You must be Ms. Johnson.”I turned my attention away from the principal and to the young man walking through the door to the office.He smiled brightly at me, and I noticed right away how straight and white his teeth were.He was dressed well, in ironed khakis and a light blue, short-sleeved plaid shirt, with, of all things, a green bow tie.He was wearing heavily rimmed glasses and his short brown hair was brushed neatly out of his face.He stuck his hand out when he reached me and took it.
“It is so great to finally meet you,” he said.“Oh, I am Matthew Hendrickson, I am the biology teacher here.I’ve heard so much about you since moving here, and I am so fascinated by your work.I am thrilled to have you aboard.”
“I am happy to aboard,” I said, smiling brightly back at him and switching my suitcase from one hand to the other.“Now, do you know who can show me where I should set up for the assembly?”
“Absolutely!”He said, “I can show you right now if you’re done speaking with Mr. Messer.”
I turned and looked at the grumpy principal, who was still standing with his arms crossed, glaring at the two of us.He waved one hand at us impatiently, as though he was just waiting for us to get out of his office.
“Always a pleasure, Mr. Messer,” I said, smiling at him as Mr. Hendrickson led me from the office.I followed him through the halls, noticing many aesthetically-oriented changes.The hallways were lined with all new lockers, fresh tile, and murals.The school really was beautiful, much more modern and pleasing to the eye than the last time I had been in the building.
“How long have you been working here, Mr. Hendrickson?”I asked, trying to break the silence building between us.He looked back at me excitedly as we went through the doors to the auditorium.
“Please, call me Matt.This is my second year teaching here.”
“And how long have you been teaching?”I asked, looking around at the huge, newly installed auditorium as we walked.The room was like a large movie theatre, with a cool atmosphere.I looked up to the stage and saw a huge backdrop for displaying media, and wondered where the school had gotten the money for all the improvements.
“This is my second year teaching,” Matt said, his cheeks flushing a dark red, as though he was embarrassed to be so new.“The first year was a challenge, the science program here… it doesn’t have much support.I am so excited to have you here, I really think the kids will appreciate a role model like you, and the restructuring will be so nice.I would really like to get the kids more involved in the science, you know?Let them touch and feel, experience it, rather than reading it out of a textbook.”
“That is exactly the kind of input I am looking for,” I said, as we climbed the steps to the stage.I set my suitcase down next to the podium and looked out at the room, running through my mind what I was going to say to all the young people in the crowd.
Matt pointed out the features of the stage, showing me how to connect my devices and giving me the clicker for the slides.He explained that when the assembly started, the theatre kids would control the lighting for the stage.
“Well,” he said, glancing down at his watch, “I got someone to cover my study hall for me when I heard you had arrived, so I had better get back and relieve them.”
I laughed and waved to him as he hurried back down the steps.I pulled my tablet out and plugged it into the HDMI cable labeled ‘display’ and took another look through the presentation.I had my notes attached to each slide and had gone through the speech several times with Elizabeth, so I knew I was prepared.
A flutter of nervousness ran through my stomach when the intercom came on and announced that when the bell rang, the students were to report to the auditorium for an assembly.I brushed my hair back from my face and walked back behind the stage.I took a sip of the green tea I had brought and wiggled my fingers, which was my go-to outlet when I was nervous.
The other go-to outlet would have been to give Elizabeth another call, but it was too late for that, because the assembly was starting, and it was going to be my turn soon.I tried to channel some of the energy that Elizabeth had.I shook out my fingers and thought about the motivational calendar Elizabeth kept above her desk.
Mr. Messer climbed the steps with some difficulty and approached the podium when the auditorium was nearly full.He may have been old and stubborn, but he commanded the student’s respect, and as soon as he put his hands on the top of the podium, the auditorium hushed.I peeked out behind the curtain, and although not all of the students were paying attention, they were all silent as Mr. Messer began to speak.
“We have a very special guest speaking for us today,” he began, his voice low and monotone, as though he didn’t believe a word he was saying.“I ask that you give Ms. Macy Johnson your full attention.She has been brought on board as the new science department supervisor.Ms. Macy Johnson is the founder of XCell Corporations, a biochemical engineering company that works toward advancing the technology of tomorrow.” Here, Mr. Messer paused and shook his head, as though he didn’t approve of the mission statement.He cleared his throat and continued.
“Ms. Johnson has prepared a presentation for you, to explain her new position and the effect it will have on your education, and your futures.Thank you, and please welcome her warmly to the stage and to our school.”
A quiet applause followed as Mr. Messer walked off the stage and gave me a look as though he hoped I knew what I was doing.I didn’t, really, but I never had, so I just walked out onto the stage and smiled as brightly as I could.
When I reached the podium, I immediately found Matt in the crowd and made eye contact with him.He waved and gave a thumbs up as I leaned toward the microphone.
“Wow,” I drawled, in a voice I hoped mimicked Mr. Messer’s, “what an exciting introduction.”
The kids collectively laughed, and some put their hands to their mouths, as though they could not believe I would have the guts to do it.I straightened my back - I needed to get them to like me if my program was going to be a success, so I didn’t feel bad at all for using Mr. Messer to get there.
“I am sure you are all itching to get out of this room,” I said, clicking on my first slide.A microscopic moving image of a cell splitting apart appeared on the screen behind me, and I continued.“So I’ll make this as simple and brief as possible.
“I went to this school.I walked through these same halls, sat in the same classrooms, and though I was sporting high-waters and permed hair, we were the same.As a kid, none of us ever thought we were going to be much.We were born here in Goodsprings, raised here, and most us assumed we would work here and eventually be buried in the Goodsprings cemetery.”
I took a sip of my water and looked out into the crowd, realizing most of the kids were actually looking at me and appeared as though they were listening to what I had to say.
“I had a dream,” I continued, “and that dream was to not do that.I loved science, and I loved learning; and I loved it so much I started this company.”
I changed the slide to one with my company logo, and some of the kids whispered to each other as though they recognized it.
“I change DNA.I mess with how things - organisms - work, on a molecular level.I make plants grow taller, I make people grow smarter, I make science that works harder.My labs conduct research that contributes to health, social change, and scientific discovery,” at each point, I changed the slide to another eye-catching image.“And I want to make my dream possible for each and every one of you.
“And that is why I am going to be restructuring the science department here at Goodsprings High.Over the next couple of weeks, you are going to see new equipment, and you are going to experience some alteration in lesson plans.Many of you will begin going on field trips at least once a month - perhaps once a week.You will learn more, you will experience more, and if you work hard at science, it will give back to you.
“Any student who earns an A in their science class this year will automatically receive a five-thousand dollar scholarship from me, as well as a five-hundred dollar gift card for your own personal spending.”
The auditorium erupted in talking, and I waited until it had quieted down to click to my next slide, which was a picture of me, standing next to my first win at the science fair.
“And if you think that’s exciting, at the end of the year I will be holding my Excellence in Science Fair.Every person is encouraged to enter, because, among other prizes, the winner will be receiving a one-hundred-thousand-dollar scholarship from me, to use at the school of their choice.”
Again, the auditorium erupted, and I could not contain my smile.I put my hand over the microphone and looked away from the kids as they squirmed around and grinned, many of them looking like they could not believe it.
“Those are the important things,” I said when they had quieted down again.“If you have any questions for me, or if any of you would like to sit down and talk about science with me, I am always available.I will be moving into my office soon and my door will always be open.I look forward to working with each and every one of you.”
I nodded and walked away from the podium, and the kids erupted in cheers and applause.Mr. Messer was still glaring at me as I walked off the stage, but I could not keep the smile from my face as I walked down the steps.Mr. Messer went back to the stage, where the picture of me was still displayed, and told the kids to all report to their sixth-period classes, and to walk the halls quietly as they did.
“That was spectacular,” Matt said, catching me off guard, coming around the corner as I got to the bottom of the steps.I nodded and pushed my hair out of my face as I met his bright green eyes.“Really, the kids have never looked that excited about science before,” he said, shaking his head incredulously.“I don’t have a sixth-period class, so if you would like I can show you to where your office will be located.”
“That would be great,” I said.I retrieved my tablet from the stage and stored it back inside my suitcase, then followed Matt out of the auditorium and to the science wing of the school.As we walked, it was like the school transformed, taking me back in time.The modern changes fell away, and the science portion of the building was the same black and white tile and peeling paint that had been there when I attended.
“Wow,” I said, peeking into a few of the classrooms as we went by.The long counters with sinks were rusty and the tiles were cracked, and the windows were propped open with books and rulers.In one classroom, a teacher was sitting at her desk, reading as a video played on an old projector.
“It’s the only program in the building that hasn’t received a bump in funding,” Matt said, “we have Bunsen burners from the eighties.This part of the building doesn’t have AC yet.It’s frustrating to teach a room of kids who are all sweaty and itching to get outside.”
“I can imagine,” I said.Matt stopped outside of a door and opened it to reveal a small, cramped office.The windows weren’t open so the room was hot and dank, smelling exactly like an old high school might smell.
“Enjoy,” Matt said sarcastically.“I should get back to my classroom and prep for the seventh period.I’ll see you around, Ms. Johnson.”
“Please,” I said, “call me Macy.”
He smiled and nodded, turning and heading down the aging hallway.I shook my head and went into my office, wrenching open the window.I rolled my sleeves up and pushed the old desk to the other side of the room.In a janitor’s closet, I found cleaning supplies and cleaned the surfaces in the room.
By the time I was finished, I was sweating and gasping, with my face pressed up to the screen in the window, trying to get a breath of fresh air.The final bell rang, and I examined the area outside the building.My office had a good view of the courtyard and drive, and I watched parents pull up to get their kids.
My eyes were drawn to one man in particular, who climbed out of a Kia and headed for the main office.Though I was a good distance from him, I caught a glimpse of his face and recognized him - it was Brad Walker.
