The Genetic Code

Chapter 18

"Hey! Are you alright?" A boy's voice calls out.

I slowly raise my head, continuously blinking my eyes until the spots go away. Someone is crouched next to me.

It's peroxide meathead.

He looks at me with concern in his black eyes.

"I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hit you in the head! A-Are you hurt badly?" He appears panicked and worried, and any trace of asshole-ness I had sensed earlier seems to have disappeared.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," I reply, though my head is still spinning.

"You don't look fine," he says, reaching out to clutch my arm to steady me as I try to get up wobbly.

Joy-pill runs into the court and stops in front of me, examining my unstable form.

"Oh dear, you'd better go to the nurse. Skip out on the next few activities and get some rest."

I nod.

With pleasure.

"It's the building with the white and red sign on the front. Can you find your way on your own?"

"Ye—"

"I'll take her!" Peroxide cuts in quickly.

"I can go on my own. You're still in the game."

"I can't continue playing knowing I injured someone and let her go to the nurse by herself when she's in this state. Let me bring you, please."

Maybe this guy isn't as bad as I'd thought. It looks like below those layers of douche is actually a pretty nice guy. Makes me wonder why Sterling would beat him up like that. I guess he's really just a bully who beats up innocent students for fun. I've tried to convince myself otherwise, but it seems like it's true after all.

The guy looks at me in earnest, waiting for my response.

"Okay," I say quietly.

He smiles and slings his arm around my shoulder. Normally I would feel uncomfortable but I need the support right now so I don't fall flat on my face.

We're just about to walk towards the nurse when another voice calls,

"You don't have to do that."

I slowly turn my head to the owner of the voice, spotting a tall boy in grey coming up from the sidelines. He doesn't even glance at me. His grey eyes are fixed in a piercing glare at the guy next to me, as if he's trying to vaporize him to nothing on the spot. That dangerous look sends chills down my spine.

He walks onto the court and stops a few feet away from us. Sterling continues, "She's my group mate. I'll bring her to the nurse. You can stay here and keep playing 'how many concussions I can give people in one game'."

"Are you trying to claim that... I did this on purpose?" He looks extremely indignant.

"Anyone with a functioning brain and eyes could see that, you jackass."

Joy-pill gasps.

"Excuse me, mister, Perfects should not use that kind of language!"

Sterling tenses the muscles in his jaw and clenches his fists.

I look up at the boy with his arm still slung around my shoulder to make sure I don't fall, and see the troubled look in his eye, as if hurt by Sterling's accusation.

I sigh. "I-It was an accident. It doesn't matter. He feels bad enough, just let him bring me."

I take a step forward and Peroxide follows suit, pulling me tightly towards his body as we make our way to the first aid building. I keep my eyes down to avoid the burning stares from two hundred sets of eyes in the area.