Fifty/Fifty

prologue

When Maverick is nine years old, the headmistress at Desultory Academy sits him down and tells him that he will die before he reaches the age of twenty five.

Being only nine years old, Maverick finds this to be the slightest bit ridiculous.

So, he laughs.

Bright giggles fall from his petite mouth, his shoulders shaking with the weight of them. He laughs himself silly, until he notices the tears in Ms. Farrow's eyes and shuts his mouth abruptly.

"What are you talking about, Miss?" His voice is quiet, not that that's unusual for Maverick. He's always been a quiet boy -- his peers have been teasing about it as far back as he can remember.

She explains to him that before he was even born, he became infected with a disease. Everyone born after the year 1990 was infected, nobody knew where it came from -- and although there were hundreds of thousands of scientists around the world looking for a cure, there was nothing they could do to stop it.

It was incurable, impossibly complicated and more intelligent than anyone ever could have imagined.

But worst of all, it had a 100% mortality rate.

The disease worked differently in different people, always following one of the two potential courses of action. The world population have been sorted into two groups: Positives and Negatives.

The Positives have the good end of the deal, although both result in death at the end of the day. The lucky ones experience less symptoms, sometimes they don't even get sick until they turn twenty four. But in the end they meet the same fate as their less lucky companions, they always do.

The Negatives are considered the unlucky ones, sometimes experiencing symptoms as young as seventeen, most dying before they turn twenty one. Their lives are brutal, short-lived and terrifying. Nobody wants to be a Negative.

Maverick, of course, wanted to know which one he was immediately, but Ms. Farrow just shook her head. "We can't run tests until you're thirteen." Because apparently the disease is completely invisible until puberty is in full swing, a silent killer.

It begins the tumultuous process of killing you just as you're transitioning into an actual person.

Maverick thinks he's heard it all, then. He's ready to go back to his room and hug his teddy bear Mr. Snuffles and pretend this had never happened, but he's being pulled back in his chair before he can get to his feet.

"There's one more thing you must know, Maverick. And you must never forget it." Maverick knows it's serious, then. Emerald eyes widening as he waits for her to continue, holding his breath without even realizing it.

"A Positive must never fall in love with a Negative, for if they do they too will become a Negative, and they will both be doomed."

☇

This is something that I've wanted to write for a long time, so I hope I did an okay job. As usual, any feedback is appreciated! I have a lot in store with this book, it's gonna be pretty dark at times but who can resist some solid angst am I right?