Duplicate

6 ~ Testing Bands

Warning: this chapter is going to touch on the basics of religion extremists. I am in no way trying to make anyone feel bad about there beliefs but am merely trying to spread the idea that there is more to life then shaming people based off what god says. I myself am religious to an extent and really mean no harm whatsoever to your beliefs. Please, if you feel like I hurt you in some way during the 'rant' (thats what Ill call it for now as to not give away the chapter) feel free to pm me. However, this story will touch on equal rights and has that as an underlying message. So if it really bothers you, then don't read. Seriously though, I'm really not trying to be blasphemous, im merely giving a reason as to why Chloe is acting the way she is. While also setting up the climax for the story. You could say we are slowly entering the rising action here my lovely potatoes.

***

I rolled out of bed the next morning and crawled my way to the bathroom. Kiana was already standing there, fixing her hair in the reflective glass and applying a thin layer of lipstick.

"Morning sleepy head." She smiled and I glared at her. I was NOT a morning person.

I quickly ran a brush through my hair and  hurried downstairs to grab breakfast, completely ignoring the idea of makeup. The warm smell of waffles flowed through my senses as I slid down the rail. "Morning Marissa!" My mother called cheerfully. "You look happy." She noted, tossing a waffle onto a plate and pouring a generous amount of syrup onto it.

I smiled and nodded. "Mrs. Kingston said we would be having art outside today, and Juliana texted last night and asked if I wanted to go to the movies."

"Oh?" My mom sounded surprised. "I thought Jules was friends with Chloe?"

I shrugged. "Turns out that since Chloe's gotten her duplicate she's, I don't know, changed."

"Well how so?"

I stuffed a bite of waffle in my mouth and struggled to talk with my mouth full. I wasn't really sure to be honest. Juliana seemed pretty vague with the whole situation, and everyone else pretended nothing had changed. Even though, from what Jules said, Chloe had left all her 'friends' in the dirt. "She's ditched everyone for a whole new string of BFF's. Jules says the school is beginning to look like a scene from one of those cliche, high school movies." I laughed.

My mother just shrugged it off and smiles back at me. "Ok, well just try to be home before late. It is a school night after all." She sighed and I nodded, fleeing back up the steps to get dressed.

Once dressed in my usual jeans and sweatshirt, I ran out of the house and walked my tired butt to school.

"Morning princess." I rolled my eyes at the voice in my head and pulled my bag up my shoulder.

"Don't call me that." I growled as Jake just laughed.

And low and behold, there was that same old mischief feeling again. "Ahh, come on Mari, you know you love it." I just laughed again, even though my cheeks felt hot from the sudden lilt in his voice.

"Yeah, in your dreams darling." I snickered, nearly tripping on the giant tree root protruding from the concrete.

I walked the rest of the way to school mostly chatting away about the movie I would be seeing tonight. "Yeah, it's called The Rose Garden or something like that. It's supposed to be about some girl, who falls in love with a guy, who comes into her flower shop to buy roses for his wife. I don't really know but Juliana swears it looks amazing." I blurt out, talking way faster then I need to be this early in the morning. I can tell he's just trying to remain interested. It must be hard listening to a girl ramble on about some chick flick movie.

Finally arriving to my first period, I was immediately depressed at the sight before me. Laying on every single desk, was a testing band. The band itself was quite comfortable. It was a thin, white, metal band that wrapped from ones forehead around the circumference of their skull. On the inside of the band was a blue memory foam coating, as if to give a more pleasant feeling, and on the outside was an electric blue scanner that glowed when worn properly. It's main purpose was to block out someone's duplicate during state exams and other quizzes and tests, so that way no student could cheat. However, it wasn't the band that scared me, but the idea that we had a test today that I didn't study for.

The sudden worry that mixed with my terrified feelings seemed to bring a calm to my head as I sat at my desk, toying with the device. "You ok Mari?" Jake asked, worry in his voice as I swallowed my breakfast that threatened to make a reappearance. I really needed to pass this class.

"Fine, just a completely unprepared for test is all." I groaned, flicking the shiny, white metal.

The worry soon shifted and a heavy sigh of relief flooded my senses. "God, I thought it might be Chloe or something." He said.

I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn't possibly know I was replying.

Just as I was about to speak up however, the rest of the student body walked into the class. Slowly followed by one, angry and tired looking, teacher.

"Bands on, no talking." She huffed, falling into her seat and rubbing her head.

I quickly oblige giving no are warning to Jake as I quickly slid the band onto my head.

Lunch came soon enough and my worry about the test had slowly faded. Now all I had to worry about was avoiding Chloe. If only it had been that easy.

Chloe's duplicate must have been some crazy, anti-genben, loco mama jama, with a motive for societal destruction because there was Chloe. Standing on a outdoor lunch table, microphone in her hand, ranting about how GenBens are the reason our society is failing. How we, as in me, are conspiring to filthify the human race with this idea that GenBens are equals. Oh how bad I wanted to just rip her throat out at that moment.

I stood there starring, maybe for a little too long when I saw her gaze transfer to me, her hand raising in the air as she pointed at me. "It's disgusting that a girl should be this close to a male out of wedlock! God himself says that such relations are for a man and a women bound by marriage. She is sick, twisted in the brain, and god has given her this curse so that we as a people may cleanse the earth of her sinful ways!" She shouted, earning a few applauses and chants from the crowd, to many to allow the faint sound of booing also coming through the courtyard.

It only took a moment for me to register the loud, angry chants of her followers as they aimed their words at me and raised their fists angrily.

In the next few moments to follow, I would be running for dear life from a group of angry extremists.