I run my fingers through my hair as I dash into the school. I woke up late, so I missed the bus and had to walk—run actually—to school. I made it to class, and practically fell into my seat just as the bell rang. Someone snickered behind me. “Aw, homeless girl can’t pay for the bus?” I grit my teeth. “I’m not homeless Tauril,” I say without turning around. I don't need to see her face to know exactly what she looks like right now. Perfect mouth, shaped into an ugly sneer, shiny brown hair, big hazel eyes, high cheekbones. You get it, she’s pretty. Too bad her personality can’t match. “Please,” she laughs, but it sounds more like a cackle. “The outside houses are the equivalent of homelessness.” I don’t have time for this. “You can take all that sh-” I was cut off by Ms. Cancet calling the class to attention. “As you all know, tomorrow is going to be your second Blooding.” Her eyes flick to me, probably unintentionally, but it didn’t go unnoticed. “Oh no!” Regi leaned over in his seat to whisper to me. “What if your parents leave?” He laughs as if he is some stand up comedian. And, unlike Tauril, he is not good-looking. He has this uncontrollable mop of blonde hair, no jawline, and green eyes that are about six shades too light. “Heaven forbid you shut up.” I mumbled, though not too quietly, because Ms. Cancet heard me. “Skylar!” She always emphasizes the last syllable of my name. “Now say five nice things to Regi.” He smirks at me, I groan and look up at the ceiling, as if an angel will come save me. It's more likely that I’ll be struck by lightning. “Don’t make me make it ten!” “Fine, fine!” I glare at Regi. “You are not ugly, you are not fat, you are not dumb, you are not poor, and you are not annoying as he-” “Thats quite enough Skylar!” She presses her lips together. “Alright, moving on. “As I was saying, tomorrow you will all report to the designated room number indicated on your slip.” In turn, she began passing out pieces of paper to all the students. “After the Blooding, they will inform you of your class. Then they will direct you to the airport or train station from which point you will go to the capital city that houses your class.” I look down at my slip, number 64, it also tells me that my Bloodlier will be Dr. Kyllyk. A memory tugged at the back of my mind… Kyllyk… Kyllyk? My last Bloodlier! It's the same doctor! Is that… normal? I didn’t think so. I looked up from my paper to focus on what Ms. Cancet was saying, I promptly zoned out again when I realized she had moved on to history. Bor-ing! I couldn’t wait for the Blooding. But I was also terrified, memories of the loneliness from when I went to my first foster home surface. I was twelve when I ran away from my fourth foster home and learned to make it on my own. These past two years of complete loneliness, no one to help to care for me. No joy, all the money I have goes to necessities like clothes. But this Blooding won’t bring that. I get to move to a new city. I’ll get a fresh start. *** I held my breath and glanced back at my paper. Yup, 64, I had the right room. I sighed as I pushed the door open. “Skylar!” Dr. Kyllyk rushed up to me. “Oh how you’ve grown! How are you getting by?” “I- great, thank you.” I offered her a smile, and she returned it. I was kind of surprised at how she acted to me—as if we were best friends—but I guess it's the extravert doctor in her. She really was very pretty, with shining black hair and matching almond shaped eyes. “Well, I don’t think your blood type has changed,” her eyes grow somber. “But I have much to tell you, so, sit down.” She gestures to a chair in the middle of a white room with machines to… Well, I don’t know, but one of them was a heart monitor. Probably. “Alright, I’m going to draw you blood with no sedatives this time, I should… But I have a lot to explain to you so I need all the time I get,”
“Dont worry,” she said on seeing my confused expression. “You’ll understand,” her earlier happiness was gone, replaced with a seriousness I didn’t understand. She prepared my arm with this tiny little wipe, then she pushed the needle in. “So,” she began as the red liquid of my blood began running up the tube and into a bag. “Your parents had G-W blood, Gamma White. All of their family line had that, so it was merely customary to participate in the Blooding,” she sighs “You had—have—A-R blood-” I gasp “A- Alpha Red!” I pick my jaw up off the floor. “Thats- the best- I-” Ms. Kyllyk gives me a sad smile. “I know, but it also means you had a Disparate Class, your blood was different from your parents. “I do not follow this set of beliefs, but some Disparate parents do not like the idea of their child being the odd one out. So they leave, because it brings on shame.” She stopped to let me process that. My parents left because I had a different blood from them. But… I didn’t feel sad, or angry. A-R blood. A-R blood. The best possible section you could get. I didn’t quite know what this meant for me. Only that everything was going to change. Starting now.
