In a futuristic society where people are differentiated and valued based on the purity of their genes, can a person define for themselves who they really are? Or does The Gene Test provide the answer for them?
Depression... Addiction... Criminality...
The bell goes, but like everyone else, I pretend to be deaf to it. The teacher continues to ramble on for another five minutes before releasing us for lunch.
I remain seated in my chair with my back straight until the teacher leaves the classroom. Only then do I finally release the suffocating tension in my body and begin organizing my desk.
In front of me, Suzy springs up from her chair.
"Finally! Lunchtime. I'm starving."
"I wonder what the cafe's serving today." Thalia rises beside me and walks forward to join her other two friends.
"Well, whatever it's serving, I'm sure it can't compare to the scrumptious dog foodin the Regular cafeteria," Kera explicitly asserts, enunciating her words pointedly. I pretend to be oblivious of her staring straight at me as she speaks, "Nothing says 'Bon Appétit' like low-class mush."
"It's chow time!" Suzy echoes tauntingly as they pass by me.
"Woof woof!" Kera sniggers as they leave.
I don't even flinch, instead looking at them out of the corner of my eye with a sneer. Rolling my eyes, I continue to pack my things, taking my own sweet time, so that I'm one of the last few left in the classroom.
As I finish packing, I notice someone's presence in front of my desk.
"Hey, ally."
I look up to see Sterling standing before me, hands in his trouser pockets, appearing aloof while watching me pack. I mentally drop a curse.
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"Let's have lunch together," he proclaims cooly, expression unfaltering.
I cram the last book in my backpack and stand up, which doesn't do much to close the height difference between us.
I look at him dully, and brassily reply, "Come on, you can do better than that. That one wasn't funny."
"Am I laughing?" he asks seriously.
"Wait, that wasn't a joke?"
"No. Why would I joke about food? There's so many other things I can make fun of you about." He appears miffed, though his words carry jest. "It was a sincere question. Do you wanna have lunch together?"
I'm taken aback, and sputter, "W-Why? All of a sudden..."
He sighs with annoyance. "Honestly, I'm a little offended. This is how you show gratitude to the person who saved you from Kamilah's wrath the other day?"
"Ah... So that was you."
"You don't... recognize my voice?" he asks curiously, seeming slightly surprised.
"I'm bad with these kind of things," I respond.
He brings his hand to his chest dramatically, feigning pain. "My pride's hurt again."
