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Chapter 2: Scathed

I was sitting on brick steps, eating a turkey and cheese sandwich off of a paper plate. My sandwich was on white bread, which surprised me. Audrey seemed like a whole wheat kind of girl. It had been three days since I left the lab, three days since I had seen Nona or Chloe. Chris stopped by yesterday and said hi, and picked up my blood and test results. I was still wearing sunglasses, but they were lighter now. Supposedly easing me into this new world and gradually adjusting my eyes to the sun's uv rays. I had a phone in my hand. Chris gave it to me. I had been researching human cloning for the last twenty minutes, it's funny how the people who believe it has already happened are considered crazy or conspiracists. The screen door at the front of the house opened and Audrey stepped out. She held her own sandwich in her hand. Turkey, cheese, and whole wheat bread. Of course I was right. I smiled at her but didn't say anything and she bent down to see what I was looking at.

She smiled "Crazy isn't it. 8 billion people on this planet and only a small handful know you exist."

I glanced at her, "I'm sure not that many more people know that you exist either."

"That's true, but my existence isn't as unique as yours. I'm not exactly a scientific marvel like you are." She sat down next to me on the steps. "You excited for tomorrow?"

I considered her question. Tomorrow. School. High school. "I'm ready for tomorrow. I'm sure Nona's more excited though."

"You're gonna be interacting with other kids for the first time. Other kids besides Nona."

"I think you're forgetting something." I stared at her, "Two things actually."

"Oh right the others." She looked at me sadly, "I'm sorry Tertia, it completely slipped my mind."

I nodded, "its fine."

"Wait, but you said I forgot two things. What's the other."

I stood up and folded my plate in half, finished with my sandwich. I tucked the phone into my back pocket and headed for inside. I grabbed the door and turned back to glance at her, "We're not kids", I stepped inside.

We weren't allowed to ride the school bus, too many germs. We had several bottles of pills and Chris's special hand sanitizer in our bookbags, which we were supposed to apply at least every half hour. We each had regular sunglasses on now, to help us better blend in while still staying safe. Nona had a pair of stolen earrings sticking out under her short straight blonde hair. I kept reaching up to take my sunglasses off so I could scratch my eyes, something Audrey and Ethan would never be okay with. My bangs kept getting caught underneath them causing me to itch. Chloe was driving us to school, she understood.

"Why can't we just live with you." Nona complained.

"You know I would love that." Chloe answered, "But you also know how Chris feels when the three of are together."

"Outnumbered?" Nona smiled.

"Worried." Chloe corrected her, glancing at our faces in her rear view mirror.

"I'm worried" I mumbled, slightly to myself.

Nona smiled "We'll be fine. It's not like we're the first new kids they've ever seen. And it's not like we're gonna struggle in these classes either."

Chloe grinned, "you were raised by me after all."

"The smartest person we know." I finished her sentence for her, having heard her narcissistic remark dozens of times before.

Nona ripped a piece of paper out of my hand. "Let me look at your schedule again."

"Go ahead" I told her.