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...
It's been a week since he's been gone. He's been calling every day and night like he promised, so his absence hasn't been felt too much. In this past week Felix hasn't given me enough room to even breathe, much less mope around in loneliness. Anyway, I don't mind hearing all the crazy and embarrassing stories Felix has to tell about his best friend. I'll be sure to make it a point to tease him about it when he's back. Plus, with my new part-time job at the coffee shop, I've been pretty occupied.
Still, whenever he calls, I get this tingly feeling in the bottom of my stomach, like little butterflies swarming around, and I answer immediately without a wasted breath.
"Hello?"
"I miss you," his smooth, low voice murmurs, and I swear those pesky butterflies are having a field day hosting a wild frat party in my stomach. "I want to go to you right now."
"Felix and I have been having such a good time together, maybe you don't need to come back," I say cheekily, listening to his heavy breathing on the other end. "Stop grinding your teeth, Sterling."
"I'm not—" he sighs in frustration. "Don't tease me like that."
I giggle. "Well you loved teasing me so I thought I'd return the favor."
"You're so mean."
"Come back quickly then, so you can do something about it..."
"Say it."
"What?"
"I want to hear you say that you miss me too."
I chuckle lightly. "I miss you, you idiot." He doesn't say anything, but somehow I just know that he's smiling to himself on the other end.
"By the way, did you block Kera's number? She sounded like she was casting a voodoo curse on you yesterday."
"Yeah... She was blowing my phone up and I got annoyed so I blocked her."
"You do realize that you're going to have to face her vengeance when you come back?"
"You can protect me, right? With your newly honed combat skills."
"Ah yes, I have a great teacher. Very handsome too. Oh, and his abs are magnificent." I'm sure he's smirking by now, and I decide that teasing him once isn't enough. "His name is Felix Adair."
"Hey!"
"Kidding! Kidding!"
"I know you are. 'Lix doesn't have abs anymore, and he's barely decent, much less 'very handsome'."
"Ouch."
We stay on the line for a while more, just listening to each other's breaths. I check the time.
"I have to get to class," I say regretfully, "so call me later, alright?"
He sighs heavily. "Fine. But don't have too much fun with Felix, or I'll have to commit first-degree murder."
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