Radioactive - Book 1: Birth 🪼

Three

I get my lunch and sit at my usual table. Not that I don't want to be friends with Nalak, but I haven't had friends for a while. I've learned to accept being friendless and so having lunch with someone kind of freaks me out. I take the bun off of my sandwich and put ketchup on it, looking around at everyone else's meals. Since I'm an Empty, I don't have to have the really good food that they give all the other people. They get premium food like steak or steamed broccoli while I get microwaveable 'meat' patties. At least Balister is a really good cook and I know I'll have something when I get home.
"Wow, this is some shit, huh?"
I look up in surprise as Nalak slams his food onto the table.
"You get used to it..." I mumble.
"Well, I didn't think the news would spread so fast. I mean, everyone is avoiding me."
"You'll get used to that too."
Nalak looks at me and I shrug a little.
"You're a real up-builder, ya know that?"
"Well what do you want me to tell you, Nalak? I won't lie to you and say that this is the best thing in the world because it isn't. All you get is picked on, called out, and sometimes even beat up. Depending on who wants to take up your assault."
"Again, you're making this very welcoming... How come we get sucky food though?"
"Because since our bodies won't be making anything for any children, we don't need to have the best. Or at least that's what I was told."
"I hope my results come back fine..."
I look at Nalak, noticing he looks even paler that before. I have a feeling that his results won't come back normal and even though I hope that it's because he's an AlexGen, I know that it won't be. I kind of don't want to see him go but... I look up at him and notice he is staring at me weirdly, as if he's looking into my soul.
"Uh... Nalak?"
"Huh?" he says, looking into my eyes.
"I know we just met and all but you're being really clingy."
"I'm sorry, it's just that you smell so good." He scoots his chair closer to me and takes a big whiff up my body. "Delectable."
"Um... people will think we're gay."
"I like girls." He says with a weird look. "But I like the way you smell."
"Okay... Seriously, if you're going to be acting like this, we may not be able to be friends. I need my personal space."
"My bad." He says, scooting away and looking at his food. "It's really a shame we get shitty food."
I nod but I am beginning to think that this isn't going to be a good friendship.

************

As I walk out of the school I go home, I trip and sprawl on the ground. I hear laughs and know that Tim is behind this. I go to stand back up but one of his followers kicks me in the butt and I sprawl out again. I curse as they walk around me and I sit back on my legs, gathering my papers. I see feet in front of me and someone begins to help me pick up my papers. I think it's Nalak and am about to say something but I am met with beautiful gray eyes.
I blink and come face to face with Diamond.
"D-Dia!" I say, dropping everything that I've picked up.
"Are you alright? Tim can be a douchebag."
"Yeah, um..." I bend down again and begin to pick up my papers. "I'm used to it though."
"Don't we have a couple of classes together?" she asks as she begins to squat down to help me with my papers.
"No, no! You don't have to help me! Please, don't hurt yourself."
She stops and stands upright.
"Well I look a little silly just watching you pick up your own papers when I came to help you."
"It's fine. You're pregnant; I wouldn't want anything to happen."
She smiles and it's like sunshine beaming off of her lovely teeth. I get all my papers and hold them to my chest.
"Um, thanks for trying to help a little, though. That was nice."
"To be truthful... I only did it on a dare."
I blink a little and lick my lips. "What do you mean?"
"Well, Becky saw your drop your stuff and Tim push you around so, she dared me to come over and try and help you."
I look behind her as her three friends share a giggle and are pointing at me. I look at Diamond again but put on a fake smile.
"It's alright. I mean, why would you want to help someone like me, right? An Empty? I'm not contagious, though, so nothing will happen to your baby. Thanks for trying to help... even if it wasn't on your own."
I walk off and try to hold back tears. Even though I don't get a swell, the hormones are still there and so sometimes it makes guys more emotional than they should during certain times. It's really odd and the RDC still hasn't figured out why men get this way. Unlike women, who still have periods, men don't have this sort of thing happening to them. We get the womb and all that comes with it (except an opening) but we don't have 'periods'. All we get every once in a while is an emotional rollercoaster to ride on for a little bit.
Either way, even if I wasn't having an emotional attack, I probably still would have cried. I thought she wanted to help me because she noticed my plight not... not just on a dare. It hurt really...

***************

I get to the house and find one of my older father-sisters, Eileithya, watching TV with her boyfriend. She turns to me and then turns around on the couch.
"Hey, the school called. Mom and Dad want to talk to you."
I sigh. "Where are they?"
"In the back room with Matt."
I nod and go to the hallway but stop when I don't see anyone in the kitchen.
"Hey, where's Bal?"
"He went to his friend's house for his baby shower. Bal was hosting it so he'll be out for the rest of the night."
I nod and go to the backroom, where my parents had their study. My dad works at the RDC and my mother is a custom nursery designer so they each have a room dedicated to just work so that they don't disturb the family. I walk into Mom's study and find Matt and Dad in there with her.
"Hey guys."
Mom turns to me and motions for me to come in. Dad is leaning up against her desk and Matt is sitting in the chair.
"Eileithya said you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes, the school called about an incident at school involving a possible albino transformation." Dad said with a serious look.
"Albino transformation? I've never heard it used like that..."
"Well, some children are automatically born albino but some of them don't have any Altered genes kick in until fourteen, when they would usually be gestating."
"But isn't Nalak's information classified? The school has no right to just go calling people up and telling them about other people's files." I say, a little angry with Dr. White.
"Dr. White works with me, Ramey, and she was worried about you. She said that the boy was starting to smell a sweetness and that's not a good thing. She said that since you are now both considered –to everyone else in the school- as Empties, she figured you would become friends. She is worried about you."
"Then why am I here? I'm not an Empty." Matthew says with a disgusted look at me.
"You are the same age as him and he might be some of your classes. Remember, no one else knows that he could be an albino but you two and us. You must not spread rumors or the whole school will be after him."
"Why should we care? I mean, he's just an albino."
"He's not an albino yet." I growl. "You're so insensitive."
Matthew just rolls his eyes at me and I want to punch him in the face.
"Just be careful with him."
"I don't care." Matt says, leaving the backroom.
He's such a drama king. I'm sure his first swell is coming pretty soon by the way he acts.
Dad looks at me and smiles.
"I know you feel sorry for him, R, but if it turns out that he is an albino, you know he will have to be taken to the Badlands."
"Well, yeah, I know but we can't throw him under the bus until the results come back."
"No, that's true. Just be careful with him."
"He keeps saying I smell really good. Like I have cologne on or something like that."
"What?" Mom says, looking at me with slight fear.
"Yeah, he keeps sniffing me and saying I smell 'delectable'."
Mom and Dad look at each other and Mom walks over to put her hands on my shoulders, looking me in the eyes.
"Ramey, you must stay away from him."
"But you just said-"
"We didn't know he was this far along. There is no need for a test now; from what you just told us, he is an albino already."
"But Dr. White said that the school can give him a preventative-"
"That's only if they catch it in time. If he is already showing these types of symptoms then they are too late. Nothing given to him will prevent anything."
"But they just found out today." I say in disbelief.
"Today was too late." Dad says.
"So... what do I do? I mean, I can't freak him out and tell him he's already an albino. He's waiting for the results to come in and I'm sure his family is getting weird on him right now. You should have seen the way the school got a hold of him supposedly being an Empty so quickly. I mean it was almost an instant and they turned on him. This is different than being an actual Empty, Mom. Our society isn't the nicest."
Mom sighs and Dad smiles sadly at me.
"We understand that it's hard. We don't understand exactly, but we know that it's hard."
"Then... can't I just be his friend until we get the results back? I mean, going to the Badlands is a pretty big deal..."
Mom and Dad look at each other but nod.
I may not like his close contact and how creepy he sounds, but Nalak shouldn't be thrown aside like that. Not anymore than he has to be. I would rather deal with his awkwardness than watch him be hauled off to the Badlands like an animal.