The Genetic Code

Epilogue

"Not sure, haven't talked to him in a while. He stopped hanging out with us after you left," says Athena. "If you didn't know, he won another four national meets, and he's gonna be participating in the Olympics."

"Really? That's amazing, it's always been his dream. How did he react when he found out?"

I hadn't been able to catch up with his competitions while I was in the media-blackout center. I used to stream them live if I could, even if I had to sneakily use my phone under my table during lessons. But with the cut-off from media platforms, I couldn't stream them, and I didn't want to watch them anyway because I was afraid I would start to miss him. He must have improved exponentially while I was gone, to be able to participate in the Olympics. I was happy for him and wanted to congratulate him, but at the same time, I was apprehensive at the mere prospect of seeing his face.

"He seemed upset when he couldn't contact you. He came to us every now and then to ask about you, but eventually he realized that we were just as clueless as him and stopped asking," Athena answers, a hint of resentment lacing her tone.

"The both of you were so close, and then one day you just left without a word." Colette's embittered words caused a pang of guilt to rise in my chest. "He's not the same guy that you used to know anymore — He's changed."

I look away from their eyes of silent judgement, biting my bottom lip. Trying to divert the subject away from Alex, I nod my head towards a herd of rowdy guys sitting on the steps, teasing one another and slapping each other on the backs a little too hard to be out of mere jest.

"I see Parker James' group of followers. But where's Parker James? Smoking out at the back of the school again?"

They flip their heads in the direction I'm gesturing at. Colette speaks up, "Didn't you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Parker got expelled," Athena discloses.

"Seriously? When?"

"Two years ago, when you left."

"I guess with all the news surrounding you back then, you didn't have any spare time to carve out for the other trivial things that were happening in the city," adds Colette cynically.

"Well, serves him right, I guess. He finally got what was coming for him after beating up the Normal and Invalid kids all these years," I say, "he may have been able to get away with it all this time because his uncle's on the school board, but I guess they couldn't bury it this time."

"I don't really mind that he's gone. I mean, he was a sleaze-bag who tried to hit on me every time I walked past him." Athena cringes as she recalls the slimy comments he used to toss at her all the time. "But the way he got expelled just... wasn't right."

"What do you mean?" I ask, curiosity piqued.

"He got in a fight with a Perfect, the day before Testing day," explains Colette. "The Perfect was the one who threw the first punch, but he was the one who got expelled."

"The worst part," Athena leans closer to me, "while Parker couldn't even attend school on the day of results because he was beaten up so badly by that guy, the Perfect came to school without a single scratch."

"When we came back from the summer, the gymnasium was renovated, apparently funded by a generous benefactor of the school. Convenient, huh?" Colette gives a sardonic laugh, "I never thought I'd ever hear myself say this, but I actually feel bad for Parker James. I heard he moved to another city to escape the embarrassment of getting expelled from an elite school."

She turns her head to look at the organized flock of Perfect students streaming into the East Wing. "He may have been an asshole, but in dire times, we mere-mortals have to stand together against the army of invincible angels."

"I heard this angel's name is Sterling Crawford," says Athena, also watching the Perfect students with eyes of envy-laced contempt.

I have a sudden series of flashbacks that play through my mind in a cascade: A boy storming out of the Principal's office with a bruised and swollen face; The back of a blue blazer getting further away down the hall; The same boy in a convenience store two days later, raising his ice cream cone with a simper, face completely returned to normal; A black limo arriving in front of the store, and his plain rejection of assistance. Every situation planted more question marks in my head, and I found myself wondering what his real identity is. At least now I have a name to this mysterious face.

I reply slowly, "Well, I really hope I don't have the misfortune of meeting this guy."

"You probably will, since you're gonna be studying in the East Wing from now on," Athena sneers, giving a plastic smile. "Speaking of which, you probably have to go. Can't be late for your first day as a Perfect."

I had nearly forgotten the fact. Two years ago, the three of us would have been derisively scorning the corrupt system of Trinity Institution and the Perfects that sat up on their high-horse in their armor of titanium, protected from any dangers down below, where the rest of us peasants struggled to overcome one hardship after the next just so we could keep their tail within sight. Now I find myself on the opposite camp.

Yet, why do I not feel like I'm safe, far away from all the threats and troubles of a Regular life? If anything, I feel like I'm in even more danger than before, right in enemy territory. All my secrets are dangling from fine threads; it's about time before a strong wind blows and all of them fly away from my fingertips.

As Athena and Colette walk off in the opposite direction, I'm left standing alone, glaring at the East Wing of the school which suddenly appears much less glamorous than how I used to see it, looking more and more like a finely-built mental asylum the longer I stare — a place bound to drive a person insane.

A person cuts across my vision and intercepts my line of sight, causing me to break out of my trance. He's tall, standing a few feet away from me, facing directly towards me. As I bring my eyes up to examine the student's face, I instantly regret it. I find myself staring straight into eyes of stupor... of question... of pain... of regret... of betrayal...

Two shiny pools of bright blue.