Outlier

The Parting Gift: Part One

AUGUST 1ST, 2110: COLLECTION DAY

The situation seemed pretty dire, even in spite of the blazing heat and the happy ads on television. Venus flipped through the channels absently, leaning against the headboard of the bed in her suite, dressed in clothing fit for the occasion. The actual ceremony wasn't for another couple of hours, but she already had a lump in her throat the size of a grapefruit, Jace's words from the previous night echoing in her head.

She screwed up her face and let out a loud, rather unladylike groan. She pressed her hands onto her eyes. No luck there, no luck anywhere- Jace was still in her head, mocking her, looking at her in a way that made her shake. She cursed him.

To her right, the phone on the bedside table rang. She reached for it as if it were a growling dog she was trying to console, hesitating a few centimetres from it, and then snatching it from its hook.

"Hello?"

"Miss Calinao? There's an..." The person on the other end paused, and cleared their throat. They sounded like they were in some hostage situation. "Marty Jin is here to see you. We informed him that he could not come to you due to security reasons, and he isn't taking no for an answer. If you wish, he may come to your suite with escorts."

Venus pinched the bridge of her nose. Clearly she couldn't put off talking to him anymore. She almost wanted to hide under the covers and say she was busy, but the horrible feeling in her gut wouldn't let her.

"Yes, that's fine. Please send him over."

She dropped the phone on its hook and buried her face in the pillows. She wanted to disappear.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Venus shuffled over to it and pulled it open. There, standing on the other side of the threshold, was Marty. His black hair was sticking up in a thousand different directions, his narrow eyes bloodshot, his lips chapped to oblivion. Behind him, two members of the hotel's security team stood, both of them with a hand on either of Marty's shoulders.

"You two can stand outside of the door. Marty and I won't be long."

The men nodded and dispersed. Venus stepped aside to let Marty inside. Once the door was closed, and all was silent, he spoke.

"She didn't do it," he said, his voice cracking. "She couldn't have."

Venus, her back to Marty, hands still on the handle of the door, hung her head a bit. "My father's testimony proves otherwise. Are you saying he's a liar?"

"Venus..."

"What, Marty?" She wanted to be mean to him so he would go away, but she only sounded tired.

"Help us. Please. You don't understand how horrible last night was for my family. For Victoria." He took a heavy breath. "For me."

"I wonder if you all felt betrayed. Is that why Victoria tortured my father?" She turned her head, eyeing him like he was an object of disgust.

"You won't speak for her, will you?" Marty asked.

"Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't."

"We were friends, Venus. We would have been married if it weren't for your betrothal. All those times you were at my house, crying to me about how you were neglected, with Victoria making your favourite foods- does that mean nothing to you?"

"I'm sorry, Marty." She meant it. "But my father comes first, and so does my duty to our Supreme Leader."

"We were framed, Venus! Victoria was at our manor when the attack took place! Please." He rushed over to her, taking her hands in his own, eyes imploring her to see reason. "She's only fourteen. She's so fragile."

"Who would try to frame your sister for a crime? It makes a lot of sense, Marty. Your family felt cheated, and Victoria got back at my father. It looks even worse when you think she was prompted to do it. In that case, you're all guilty. I knew Orientals shielded Anomalies, but-"

Marty let go of her hands, and took a step away from her. "So, it's about our race? That's what it comes down to, after all this time?" His hands were balled into fists. "Aren't you part Oriental, too? Shouldn't you be sticking up for us? We're minorities, here! Why don't you use your privilege to help us?"

"Let's get one thing straight, Marty," she snapped, the exasperation suddenly zapped from her voice. "I am not like your people, so there's no use trying to get me to sympathize with your plight. We've been friends for years. You should know by now that I don't care about using my privilege to help those who have none. My great grandfather being from some little country in Southeast Asia means nothing."

Marty took a while to speak again. He stared at her, eyes blazing, fists shaking, jaw clenched.

"You know, Venus," he began, walking past her towards the door. "You're beautiful."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Venus replied. "Besides, I don't need you to compliment me on my looks. I already know."

"I wasn't finished yet. You're beautiful," he said again. "But only on the outside. On the inside, you're just as undesirable as an Oriental. I guess blood always tells."

"You're undesirable at first sight," Venus replied, feeling faint with anger. Or maybe it was something else. "At least I'm undesirable where no one can see me. I guess that's the difference between us."

Marty looked back at her, showing off the almost flat profile of his face. His thick eyebrows were drawn together over his forehead. "I see you, though."

Venus raced to the door and swung it open, startling the men guarding her suite. "Take him away!" She hissed.

They filed in and grabbed Marty, one man to each of his two arms, distaste plain on their faces. He shrugged them off.

"I was just leaving. I'm not going to harm her."

Venus watched him go, watched his broad shoulders slump forward in defeat, watched him run a hand through his black hair like he did countless times before when he was troubled. She almost wanted to call out to him. She pictured him turning around, acting like a little lost puppy and bounding towards her with a stupid smile on his face. His name was on her lips; all she had to do was speak and he'd come back. You will come back.

She didn't call out to him, though. He moved further and further away, taking the stairwell down.

"Miss Calinao, are you alright?" One of the bodyguards was staring down at her with earnest hazel eyes, a frown on his face. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

He was blurry. Why was he blurry? She touched her cheek, and her fingers came away wet. Oh.

"I'm not hurt." Not anywhere you can see, anyway. "You can leave now. I need to get ready for today's ceremony."

She shut herself in her suite, then, wishing for all the world that she could never come out.