Adalyn's smile instantly dropped from her face. She felt Phoebe's confusion and faked understanding plainly. There was so much that she tried to hide… it was shocking to Addy. She didn't know many people who consistently repressed their emotions in exchange for such an agreeable outward expression. Well, there were always the popular girls she knew from school, but Adalyn had always tried to avoid them anyway.
"Sorry," she apologized, hanging the shirt back up. "It sounds stupid and ignorant, but I keep forgetting that you only ever grew up there. In the Lab." Addy glanced over to see the tank top that the other girl was holding, and she offered a smile. "That's cute," she encouraged. "Maybe pair it with a jean jacket, if we can find one in your size. Or an oversized one would look good too… and leggings. With boots. Really cute boots."
Then, as if slapped in the face, Adalyn's expression twisted with realization and shock. She jerked her attention back to the Hersheypark t-shirt and looked at it again. "Oh my God," she breathed. "We might still be in Pennsylvania." The girl turned around in a circle quickly, looking for anything else that might help her figure out where exactly she and Phoebe were. If they hadn't left Pennsylvania… it would be much easier to get back to her parents.
Phoebe blinked, following the other girl's gaze. She knew about the different states, which were thankfully part of the weird education curriculum the Lab had them follow, but she had no idea which one they were in currently or she would be of a bit more help. The idea behind the education at the Lab was that the kids would one day go into the real world, but as tools of destruction or even possibly espionage for the individuals who controlled everything, so they were told what they needed to know and no more. So Phoebe could point out the states on a map but not say where they were currently or what any of the states were actually like at all beyond vague guesswork on the climate due to how close each one was to the equator.
She was glad that Adalyn approved her shirt choice, since the other girl knew what normal people wore. Phoebe had no idea. She had imagined different outfits, but this was her first time really seeing other clothes besides the same sort of style she had donned her life and what the scientists and executives at the Lab wore. As it was, she wished that she could be more help to her companion. She wished she were a normal kid, but then again, she always wished that. Today was no different in that regard.
"How do you know if we're in Pennsylvania?" she asked, confused. Was there some sort of sign? What did people look for in order to know that? She figured the borders would be marked so people knew when they entered or exited the state, but most people within the state had to know that they were there, right? So what indication could she be looking for? At any rate, her heart was still beating fairly fast as she was unable to put the ticking clock out of her mind. She glanced over towards the pants aisle nervously, thinking about every second they wasting. She could worry about being a killjoy when they were both safe.
Addy stopped looking around for a wild moment and yanked the Hersheypark shirt back off the rank and held it up so Phoebe could see. "The 'PA' here," she said, pointing to the initials. "It's the state's initials. Hershey is a town in Pennsylvania. I'm not sure if we're still in Pennsylvania, but we can't be too far if there are touristy Hersheypark shirts here…"
She trailed off as a bored-looking boy in a Community Aid t-shirt walked by the aisle. "Excuse me," Addy called out, summoning the courage to talk to a stranger. Pure hope was propelling her forward now. If they were still in Pennsylvania, and depending on where they were in the state, her parents might only be a few hours away. If the girls were somehow able to secure a car, that is.
The boy stopped and turned to Addy. "Yeah?"
"Um, which Community Aid branch is this?" Adalyn asked, hoping that she sounded way less crazy than she looked. "Which location?"
For a moment, the boy just stared at her. Then, right when she didn't think he'd say anything, he sighed and answered with a dull, "Pittsburgh."
Addy's eyes widened immediately. "Thank you!" she replied before bolting back over to Phoebe. "We're in Pennsylvania!" she declared quietly.
Phoebe nodded, glad that her companion seemed happy with the news. It would likely mean good things for both of them if Adalyn was more or less familiar with the area, though the different states meant little to Phoebe herself. At least Adalyn was looking much cheerier about their situation now. Phoebe wasn't even sure what state she was originally from. She didn't remember enough to know, just vague flashes of memories from her life before she taken, memories that might not even be accurate after so long of trying to remember them.
"That's good," Phoebe agreed, Adalyn's enthusiasm being somewhat contagious. The other girl's upbeat mood would help them get this done faster then. "Let's hurry and finish up then. We can form a plan at the hotel." She went quickly over the pants area, hoping to find some pants before grabbing a jacket and shoes. She would make do with what they had here, which honestly wasn't a bad selection. Some of the clothes had weird stains, or weird designs (at least to Phoebe, but maybe they were actually totally normal designs), but some weren't bad. She thought she might enjoy putting together outfits in the future. The selection was actually almost overwhelming, and she knew she would have taken much longer if she weren't currently on a mission, her brain whirring at a million miles per hour. Maybe she would have to do this again when she didn't have a time crunch like this. Well, that would require more money, but that was a problem she could solve later. Only getting changed and getting out of here mattered now. They were so close!
Addy nodded quickly. "Okay," she agreed. It was a relief knowing that she was in the same state that she'd been kidnapped in. If they were in Pittsburgh, like the employee said, then her parents couldn't be more than a three-hour trip away. By car, Addy reminded herself. We need to get a car. Or, at the very least, a phone.
She perused through the clothes and selected a black t-shirt with a faded album cover for the band Green Day, dark-washed jeans, and a white belt. Once she had her outfit gathered in her arms, she began to head over to the shoes. Normally, she didn't like to thrift shoes, but right now, she didn't really have a choice. But before she completely abandoned Phoebe, she glanced over at the other girl.
"Want to come over to the shoes with me?" she asked, smiling hopefully. "It's probably best if we really stick together right now."
Phoebe nodded, grateful for the offer. She had added a pair of ripped jeans to the clothes in her arms as well. She just needed some shoes and a jacket. The socks she already had on were probably fine, since it wasn't as if they would actually check their clothes. The all-white tracksuit ensemble just stood out a bit too much to not draw attention. Besides, it was boring as hell.
"Sounds good," Phoebe added along with nod, following the other girl over to where the shoes were. Phoebe had no clue what her sizing was in all honesty; the only reason she had known that her current clothes would fit was because they were what she was wearing in her vision. She would have to remember their sizing for later. She wasn't exactly sure what shoes she had been wearing, but she was fairly certain they were some sort of black sneakers. And she had been wearing a gray jacket. Yes, that's right. So she had to find those things. Sure, the cuteness factor was definitely important to her, but escaping was more important. She could do this.
Adalyn offered another smile, still trying to do what she could to help calm the girl down. Phoebe was still unspeakably anxious, and with Addy's empathetic abilities, it maybe wasn't the best thing to be getting energy from anxious people around her.
She glanced at the boxes, looking for shoes that were her size. Luckily, a pair of Vans stood out, and she slipped them off of the shelf to check that they weren't totally gross. After a minute of making sure she was good, Adalyn looked back over at her companion.
"Um, I think I have everything I need if you're ready to go," she said quietly. If only Phoebe would calm down a bit more, maybe then Adalyn could relax too. But that was a joke in itself. Addy wouldn't be truly relaxed until she was reunited with her parents again. And maybe not even then… but it would be a start.
As Adalyn found the Vans, Phoebe looked at the shoes one by one until she found a pair of black Converse that were a bit worn but still usable. Yep, they looked right. She checked the tag on the inside–7 1/2. She would have to remember that for later. She had everything now, they just needed to check out and find the hotel. Then they were home free–for now. That gave her another bout of nerves. She didn't like not knowing what came next. At any rate, as Adalyn spoke, Phoebe nodded along.
"Almost," she said, glancing at a nearby rack of jackets before finding a gray one just a little too big for her. It was exactly the one from the vision. Okay, perfect. She turned back to Adalyn, hoping that things would work out now. "Okay, let's go check out." She led Adalyn in the direction of the register, realizing only as they got in line that she had no experience with talking to strangers. She swallowed. No, she had to do this, and then they could go. It was simple, right? She didn't even really have to say anything, just wait for the total and then pay and take the clothes with them. She would be fine.
Adalyn smiled at the pair of shoes Phoebe had found. "I know we're not going for style right now, but those are actually pretty cool," she complimented. She followed her companion to the jackets and picked out a hoodie for herself. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have some kind of jacket in case the night got cold.
"Okay," Addy agreed, following Phoebe's lead. But once they were in line, she could immediately feel Phoebe's rising panic. She realized quickly that if Phoebe had grown up in the lab, her contact with people other than the doctors and other kids there was little to none. Most likely none. No, definitely none.
Gently, she rested a hand on Phoebe's arm. "Hey," she murmured. "I can do the talking if you want." Normally, Addy didn't like to be the one speaking, but it would hopefully help Phoebe's anxiety – and Adalyn's, by default – if she took the lead this time.
