Radioactive - Book 1: Birth 🪼

Fourteen

I make a face at Mom as she slowly bends down to pick up the broken glass. Matt looks at me and makes a noise.
"Look at what you did. Now we're down a glass." He turns to Mom. "Tell him it's not true, Mom. I can't be a chimera because if I were a chimera, you would have sent me to the Badlands, right?"
Mom ignores us as she just picks up glass slowly. We both stare at her and she finally stands up with the glass in her hands.
"There is more to this than you realize, Ramey, and you've just... you just destroyed it all."
"Destroyed it? What, is Matt adopted?"
"No, he's not. When will you be taking Nalak to the Badlands?"
"Um..."
"Immediately?" she says, seeming very detached.
"I... can...? Mom, what's going on? Did I do something wrong?"
Mom suddenly turns to me with a harsh glare.
"You've done more than that. Find Nalak and get out of here. Take him to the Badlands as quickly as possible."
I am surprised as her sudden anger and stare at her in confusion.
"Mom, what did I do? Why are you kicking me out?"
"Please, Ramey, the quicker you get out of here, the quicker you can get Nalak to the Badlands. Your father told me how you wanted to take him there yourself so... so go. Please don't make me ask you again."
Matt makes a face at me. "You screwed up big time."
"Matthew, please come with me. Your father and I need to talk to you. Don't dawdle."
He moves his mouth to the side but follows Mom down the stairs as I'm left in complete confusion and I'm actually really hurt. I don't know why it hurts so bad but I want to cry... I go up the stairs and grab my suitcase, throwing clothes into it. A couple minutes later I hear the balcony door open and Nalak walks in. I glance at him but I continue to pack.
"Are we leaving?" he asks.
"Yeah. Tonight."
"Tonight?" I nod and he walks over to me. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. It shouldn't even be that big of a deal..."
"Should or shouldn't, you're crying."
I know I can't hide anything from him but sometimes I wish he would just... not voice it out loud. I sniffle and rub the tears away as I feel him staring at me. I get all my clothes situated and go to the bathroom to get my toothbrush and other toiletries. Nalak is following me the whole time like a puppy and it's bothering me to no end.
"Nalak, quit it! What's your deal?"
"I'm making sure you're okay. I'm worried. Did Matt hurt your feelings?"
"No, I'm fine. Just let it go. How will you be if you're confined in a car with me?"
"I dunno... At least you smell delectable."
"This isn't funny."
"That wasn't a joke. Look, if you're going to be Pouty Patty the whole way, then I'll just go to the Badlands myself. If you're not going to talk about it like a woman then at least suck it up like a man. You may smell good enough to eat but I will friggin eat you if you don't fix yourself before we go on this escapade."
"FINE THEN!" I scream, flipping my suitcase so that everything tumbles out. "Go to the fucking Badlands by your-fucking-self! I was going as a courtesy but it seems you don't need me either! No one needs the Empty kid or the big brother or the son or anything right? I'm just a commodity and a liability to everyone."
"Whoa! What?" I can't stop the tears now and Nalak seems concerned. "R..."
"I'm fine... it's really not that big of a deal... I don't know why I'm crying..." I sniffle and go around to get my stuff. "Let me repack my suitcase and we'll get going. I won't let you go by yourself."
Nalak watches me and seems like he can't figure out what he needs to do. It's fine because it shouldn't be this big of a deal. She just... well...
"Do you need a hug or something?"
I look up as he stares at me. "What?"
"I said, 'do you need a hug'?"
"No. I need answers. Let's just go."
I grab my suitcase and put it on the floor, letting it get on the rollers as I roll it down the hallway. As I am about to descend the stairs, I feel Nalak's arms wrap around me. Even though I don't want the hug, it feels nice.
"I dunno what happened but you look pretty spazzed out. You know I'm here if you need me."
"Yeah..."
As we go down the stairs, I see Matt coming up. He looks at me slightly but doesn't continue as he goes to his room. I don't take any mind with it and go to the kitchen where I know Balister will be.
He's looking in a cookbook and cutting vegetables.
"Hey, Bal?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm leaving to take Nalak to the Badlands."
Bal looks up with wide eyes and washes his hands before waddling over to me. I pat his belly and get close to it.
"You take good care, okay? Uncle R will be right back."
"Ramey, why are you doing it now?"
"I don't really know. I just know that I was going to do it anyway and then Mom said I had to leave. So I'm going. I just wanted to say goodbye and that I'd been back later."
Balister pulls me into a hug and I hug him tight. By the time I get back, his baby will have been born and then I can spoil it!
"Be careful out there so close to the Badlands. I would like to have you back... How will you get there?"
"Well, I have a friend who lives on the border of it so I'll go meet up with her."
Bal nods and touches my cheek softly.
"For some reason I feel like... like I may never see you again. Be careful... Be super careful."
"I know. Thanks Bal..."
He nods and we get to the car. I throw my backpack in the back of the car.
"Well, here we go."
"Um, I know this is a little sudden, but I would like to stop by house to get some extra clothes myself."
"You don't sweat."
"Yes I do, just in uber small increments. And I'm not a cartoon, I have a wardrobe."
"I thought you said that your parents kicked you out?"
"They did. Doesn't mean I can't sneak in through the window. All you have to do is knock on the door and say that you want to get some stuff for me and then open the window."
"It's your own home though, so why can't you just do it yourself?"
"They kicked me out, disallowing me from coming back in. I have to be reinvited." He says with a cross of his arms.
"I didn't know you could get uninvited."
"From what I gather, if they say what they said, which was 'you're not allowed to ever come back here again' then that qualifies as an unvite."
"Ah, I see... So I have to convince your parents that I'm not weird?"
"Just say that you're R. They'll know who you are. Just say that you are taking me to the Badlands and need to get clothing for me. They'll believe you... and then probably call the cops so..."
I roll my eyes as I start the car and look at him.
"Alright then, which way?"