Outside

Chapter 4

"They can throw out babies?" I ask. "And what do you mean you didn't do anything? How'd you get exiled then?"

He pulls off his sunglasses. His right eye is sky blue and the left is a bright green. "I was too unique for them I guess." He shrugs and puts back on his sunglasses. I'm completely astonished. I'd never thought someone could ever have two different colored eyes. It's amazing. It seems stupid that they would throw a kid out because of that. Drew looks forward and his expression drops. "They told me it was called 'complete heterochromia'. They didn't like the fact that I was different. That's all. They say it's a genetic mistake, but I just think it makes me cooler."

"That's...crazy." Kyan whispers.

"I'm glad I'm special, though. I wouldn't last a day in there if I went back now." He turns to look back at us. "I know you'll like it better where we're going." He points at me. "I can tell already that you're like me. You wanna feel free." He puts his hands behind his head and lays back in his seat.

"Do you think I'll like it?" Kyan asks.

"I don't know. It's not often we get kids like you here. Usually they're more... What's the word...? Ah yes. Interesting." Drew says it so easily it almost makes me mad at him. Kyan's expression turns into humiliation.

"What do you mean I'm not interesting?" He sits up straight and glares at him. "I ran up on stage during the biggest event of the year and yelled at our dictator!" Kyan shouts. "I regret every bit of it, but-"

"Listen, kid." Drew turns to him, anger in his eyes. "I don't care how you two got exiled, but you were exiled together, and all you've thought about is yourself. You keep complaining and whining and making a stress of things and what good has it done? Get yourself together, you little brat. You aren't in your little stick-in-the-mud society anymore, so stop being an arrogant prick." Drew's voice seems to get more and more irritated with every word.

"I'm not a..." he freezes, choking back a gag, and pressing the back of his hand over his mouth. He takes a moment, eyes squeezed shut, before something in him snaps. "Can we please stop this stupid car?!" Kyan yells and kicks the car door, looking sicker by the minute.

"Hey! Don't take all of your anger out on the car. It did nothing to you." Drew tells him, partially annoyed and yet a bit amused.

"This isn't a joke! You're all pathetic!"

"We're pathetic? You're the one yelling and kicking things because you can't get your way. Other people are important too, you know!" Drew shouts at him.

I feel so angry at Kyan for being so rude that I don't even feel bad for him when he slumps over, his head on the window frame, all color flushed from his face. I know that look. It's painfully familiar on him.

"I... I'm gonna be..." he mumbles, rushing to the window and heaving up the chips he ate.

The old me would've rubbed his back while I told him he'd be ok, but things are different now. He chose them to be that way. I fold my arms and stay quiet.

"If he's this bad on a straight path I'd hate to see him in the mountains." I hear Drew mutter under his breath. "Just give him the empty bag, I don't wanna have to power-wash the outside of the car when we get back."

"He can't help it." I tell Drew, handing Kyan the chip bag. "Trust me, if he could feel alright, he would." I glance over at him, but my usual compassion I feel for him is replaced with pure frustration. "Don't feel too bad for him, though. This is just a regular Tuesday for him."

"How could you say that?" He mutters, his voice sounding thick and shaking with every syllable. The second he finishes his sentence his shoulders hunch forward and he throws up into the chip bag.