Project Alpha

Chapter Seven

Retracing our steps to the auditorium, Opal waved to former classmates and whispered running commentary in my ear.

"She's an angel.  He's an ass, but a harmless one. I'll fill you in later. We're more than doubling our class this year, so I don't know everybody."

I scanned the crowd. "Is it just me, or is everyone good looking here?" In a pinch, our sophomore class could have doubled for a teen drama casting call.

Opal looked me in the eye. Up close, her skin was luminous. "Have you looked in the mirror lately, Moth? Get real; our parents had the chance to create genetic masterpieces. Why would they choose for us to look any other way?" 

It was strange, being lumped into a group of people I didn't know, but Opal's use of the word us was as a whole. Whether or not my classmates turned into friends, we shared an uncommon origin that would shape the next few years for all of us.

An usher stood at the auditorium door and motioned us inside, pointing to a group of seats halfway down the theatre. James and Lily led the way, Opal sauntered down the aisle behind them, and I followed, trailed by Mom and Dad. Ducking into her seat, Opal winked at me and tapped a tall blonde sitting in front of us on the shoulder. Like her parents beside her, she was lean, tan and expensively dressed.

"Yo, Gracie. Ready for round two?"

Leaning back, the blonde exposed an elegant neck, pouting lips, and long-lashed blue eyes. She was a TV prom queen; a mean-girl ringleader; a carefree model in a clothing ad. She was crossing her eyes and pretending to choke herself.

"God, Opes. I'm so not ready for summer to end." Rolling her eyes, she stuck out her tongue. "Good to see you though, babe."

"You too. Hey, meet our new friend." Opal nodded her head at me. "Gracie, this is Marin. She's cool beans."

Gracie slid her gaze over to me and raised a lazy eyebrow as if assessing my friendship potential. "You sure about that, Opes? 'Cause you know I'm picky when it comes to my legumes."

"Her beans are so cool they're frozen." Opal raised an eyebrow back. "Promise."

"Well then, welcome to the club." Flashing a smile, Gracie reached a delicate hand over the back of her seat to give me a high-five. Tattooed along the length of her middle finger, the word "FINE" was spelled out in cursive script. 

As our palms smacked together lightly, a bell chimed three times overhead. The sound distracted me from Gracie's curious tat, setting off a string of sparks behind my eyes each time it rang. Exhaling slowly, I blew the flashes of light away. With practice, my synesthesia was slowly becoming less intrusive.

The theatre grew dim, Gracie tossed a curt salute our way and turned around, resting her head on her mother's tan shoulder. A spotlight flooded the massive stage, illuminating Dean Hawthorne's figure as she stepped out from the wings, her suit perfectly tailored, her dark hair twisted into a classic chignon. Once again, the bottom of her soles flashed a deep red as she strode with confidence to claim the podium.

"Welcome back everyone! It's my absolute pleasure to help usher in such an important day. Three years from now, and for many more following that, I'm sure you'll look back on this morning and realize it was the beginning of something very special." Looking into the crowd, she beamed. Smiling changed the landscape of her face, softening her sharp cheekbones and making her appear a hundred times more approachable.

"The next week will represent a challenging and exciting time for your sophomore class. We're about to embark on a journey of discovery, to pinpoint your gifts and begin tailoring the best education path to fulfil your destiny."