Remainder (7 page)

"You're so beautiful!" Felix whispers.

"I'll take it from here," I hear a deep voice say.

Then everything goes black.

I am moving. My eyes flutter open a little and I see the outline of a figure. I don’t feel my feet moving, so why am I moving? I concentrate on my body and realize I feel arms around me. Am I being carried? My eyes are so heavy, they feel like lead. Everything is still spinning, so I close my eyes and lay my head on a strong shoulder.

I hear Alden’s voice in a panic.

“Hey, Alec. Do you need any help?” I hear Alden say. Everything sounds so far away.

“No. You need to keep your distance, Alden,” I hear Alec say rather loudly, his voice resonating through me, causing my head to ache.  “You’re not being careful and you need to be….for all our sakes.”

"I'm sorry, Alec. I didn't think—"

"That's the problem, Alden. You don't think," Alec responds with annoyance. "Go back to the party."

I open my eyes again when I feel myself lying on a soft surface. The room is a little fuzzy, but I think it is my room. My eyes start to focus, although still heavy. Thankfully, my surroundings are no longer spinning, but my head aches. It takes me a few seconds to realize that Alec is sitting on my bed staring at me.

"You need to get some sleep," he says in a soft voice. I nod my head in compliance and close my eyes. I feel him move some hair off my face and tuck it behind my ear. When I open my eyes again, he is gone. I never heard him leave. Was he really here or did I dream that? Was he talking to Alden earlier or did I dream that too? I can’t think right now. I just want to sleep. I will think later. I close my eyes again and drift off to sleep.

When I wake the next morning, my head is pounding. I'm never drinking again! I get up, take a shower, and get dressed. A knock at my door startles me. I open it and frown. Alec is standing outside my door with a large glass of water. He stands straight, towering over me. I am not sure if I am annoyed or intimidated.

"Drink this," he commands and hands me the water. “Rule number one of drinking is to stay hydrated. Also, you should eat. If you don’t eat and drink water, you get drunk pretty quickly.”

"Good morning to you, too!" I say sarcastically. What is wrong with me? I need to be careful, but he gets under my skin and irritates me. I take the water and start drinking it.

"You need to drink it all. You're dehydrated. You will feel better once you get some water in your system."

"Thanks. Last night....did you....never mind." I shake my head dismissing the thought. To my surprise, he responds as if he can read my thoughts.

"Yes. I carried you to your room," he says matter-of-factly.

"Why?" I ask, almost laughing out loud at the absurdity of him carrying me.

He looks at me intently and scowls. "To keep you from doing something stupid," he responds, annoyed.

I roll my eyes. "Thanks, but I am capable of taking care of myself," I retort and take another gulp of water.

He narrows his eyes and takes a step closer to me. “Oh really?” he asks and raises his eyebrows. “You were in no shape to take care of yourself last night. People do stupid things when they are drunk. And other people can take advantage of said drunk people."

"Do you speak from experience?" I ask, genuinely curious. It is hard for me to imagine Alec in any way other than serious and demanding.

He chuckles a little and half smiles to himself as if he is remembering a drunken escapade from his past.

"I've been there once or twice." He quickly regains his composure and the Alec that I know is back. "Drink your water. You need to be more careful in the future. You don't want Killian to think your behavior is anything but exceptional.”

That thought unnerves me. I wonder what Killian would do if he knew I was drunk. I had not even considered the possibility of what Killian would think. I may belong to Bailey, but Killian is the leader of the Enforcer district. His words carry more weight and authority than Bailey's.

"Thanks, Alec," I respond and I really do mean it.

"Yeah," is his only response as he turns around and disappears down the hallway.

I make my way to the kitchen for breakfast.

“Good morning, 656,” Milo says cheerfully. “Have fun last night?” He grins and gives me a wink. Does he know I was drunk? Did he see Alec carry me back to my room? Does Killian know? Panic starts to swell in my belly.

“Yeah...it was... fun,” I manage to spit out.

“Good. This morning we are having sausage omelets.” He smiles and then flips an omelet in the air. I smile back at him and realize that I am really hungry. I eat my breakfast with Zareh and head to Bailey’s room.

I gently knock on her door, but there is no answer. I knock again and still no answer. Slowly, I creak open the door and step inside. Bailey’s room is still dark, but I can clearly see her through the light coming in from her curtains. She is lying across the bed, still wearing her dress from the night before. Her head is thrown over her arms and her mouth is open, letting drool slowly escape. She snorts and moves her head to the other side, giving me a clear view of her messy hair. I smile to myself and stifle a laugh. She looks so unattractive like this and I find it comical. She moves her head back to its original position so that she is facing me. She groans and slowly opens her eyes.

“What time is it?” she groans.

“It’s nine o’clock,” I reply.

“It’s too early. I am going back to sleep. Take my dresses to the cleaners and go get me my favorite cupcakes from the cupcake shop,” she demands.

“What kind of….”

“Stop talking!” she interrupts and I sense the annoyance in her voice. “My head is pounding. Just go!”

She takes off her dress, throws it to me, and crawls under the covers. I pick up her dress and head back to my room to collect the red dress she let me borrow for the party. After talking to Zareh, it is decided that she will accompany me since she has some errands to run as well. Since neither of us have an aleuron, we can’t operate an MR2. So, Zareh asked another Enforcer, Orlando, if he would accompany us to the Labor sector. Orlando is the epitome of what I see when I think of the word soldier. He is tall with broad shoulders and all muscle. He has dark skin with dread locks that fall down to his shoulders. His body screams strength.

Zareh, Orlando, and I step into the MR2. I sit on one of the purple couches and lay Bailey’s dresses on my lap. The silky satin material feels nice on my skin as I run my hand over them. For a moment, I am envious of Bailey for being able to wear nice clothes with no restrictions. I wonder how different my life would be if I had been Bailey instead of what I am. Would I act as self-absorbed and spoiled as Bailey does? I would like to think not. However, her life experiences or lack of have morphed her into the person she is. My situation makes me see the world through a different lens than the pure bloods. It is possible that I would be just like her if our roles were reversed. The thought makes me uncomfortable. I remove my hand from the dresses and look out at the scenery before me.

I hadn’t even realized that we had been moving, as I was lost in my own thoughts. I look out the window and see that the buildings we pass are dilapidated. They pale in comparison to the pristine condition of the buildings in the Enforcer and Researcher sectors. Holes and broken windows make up the majority of the dwellings. They look as though they will collapse at any moment. There is something unsettling about the appearance of the Labor sector.

Orlando parks the MR2 and says he will wait for us. I walk down the broken sidewalk with Zareh. She takes me to the cleaners and leaves to run errands of her own. I walk into the cleaners and a young Asian woman comes out to greet me. Looking past her, a sticker stuck to the wall behind her grabs my attention. The familiar sight is of a blood red bird with a long tail. It is the same sight I saw in Zareh’s hair the first day I met her. Its wings are still flush against its body and I can clearly see that they are held down by chains with an undeniable “X” shape. What a strange coincidence and I wonder if it has any significance. The woman’s voice snaps me back to reality.

“What can I do for you?” she asks like she is in a hurry.

“I need these dresses cleaned,” I respond. The young woman looks confused.

“They are for Bailey Buchanan,” I hear a voice say behind me.

I turn around and see Felix.

“Oh yes. Miss Bailey. The usual, then?” the Asian lady asks.

“Yes please.” I say, although I do not know what “the usual” is. She tells me I can pick them up in a few days. I turn around and face Felix.

“Thank you,” I say shyly. I flush from embarrassment as I remember my horrible dancing from the night before.

“No problem,” he says with a smile. “I am dropping off some stuff for my mom.” He holds up a bag.

“Ah, well, thanks again.” I turn and start out the door. Felix comes after me.

“Where are you headed now?” he asks.

“The cupcake shop. Bailey wants some kind of cupcakes,” I respond while still walking.

“Oh yes, chocolate with orange cream.”

“You know what kind she likes?” I ask, hopeful.

“Yes, I do. She didn’t tell you what to get?” he asks. I shake my head.  “I can come with you and show you.”

“Ok. Thanks.” I am not sure what to think about Felix. Although he is an attractive guy there's just something about him that makes me feel uneasy. I just do not know what it is.  Last night, I remember thinking that he had kind eyes, and he even said that he sympathizes with clones...but still.  Something does not feel right.  Alden warned me about not trusting people, but can I even trust Alden?  I brush my uncertainty aside and keep walking with him. After all, he knows what kind of cupcakes Bailey likes and I can’t risk making her mad at me.

We get to the cupcake shop and there are about twenty different cupcakes. “Those are it!” Felix points to a chocolate cupcake with orange icing on top nestled inside the case.

“How many should I get?” I ask him.

“Four should be enough.”

I order the cupcakes and the girl behind the counter packages them up for me. Felix and I walk out of the store. I start to walk back to the car when a man grabs my arm, whipping me around, causing me to drop the box of cupcakes.

I face the man and immediately wince as the aroma radiating off of him attacks my nostrils. He is obviously in need of a shower. The worn clothes he wears are baggy on him. He is pale and his fragility causes my heart to ache for him.

“Do you have any food?” he asks me. When he speaks, I see he lacks most of his teeth. His pleading eyes speak to me. I want to help him. I look down at the box of fallen cupcakes. Before I can bend down to retrieve them, Felix is pushing the man away.

“Let her go! Get out of here! Scram!” Felix yells. The man releases my arm and hurries away. “Are you okay?” Felix inquires.

“Yes. I’m fine.” I bend down and pick up the box of cupcakes. I open the lid and they are still intact.

“Are you hungry? Would you like to get something to eat?”

“I probably shouldn’t. I should get back.” I say in a quiet voice.

“It won’t take long. Bailey won’t even notice you are gone. If I know her, she’s still passed out,” he assures.

“I promised Zareh I would help her clean when I got back. She’s not feeling well today,” I lie.

“That’s nice of you. I’ll walk you back to the MR2.”

“We should have given that man some food,” I thought out loud as we walked back.  

“No. We did the right thing,” Felix replied. “If we had given him food, we are just prolonging the inevitable. That would not help him in the long run. ”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“That man is sick and it is just a matter of time before he dies. While he may need food, he needs blood more. The sick population in the Laborer sector is growing and it’s causing a lot of unrest.”

“Why is the sick population growing? What has changed?” I ask.

“It’s probably because of the lottery. Laborers used to be permitted to purchase clones, though not many of them could afford it. Now they are no longer permitted to purchase them. There is a lottery instead. A few lucky laborers are chosen each year to have a clone created. There are ways to get blood though and that helps them.”

“How can they get blood?”

“Clones, of course.”

“I thought that was not permitted, that only their blood could be given to their pure blood?” I ask, confused.

“That is true, however, there are loopholes in the law.” When I just stare blankly at him, he continues. “Clones are supposed to do whatever their pure blood says, right?” I nod. “So, what if your pure blood orders you to give your blood to someone else? You would have to obey.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Everyone has their reasons for doing it. Most of the time, it’s an exchange of services. The laborer does something for the Enforcer or Researcher, and they receive blood.” Felix has provided me with another example of people being used by pure bloods. My stomach turns with sickness at the thought of Bailey uses me for her personal gain.

“The sick people believe that clones should be available to everyone, not just those who are chosen.”

“Why can’t they be available to everyone?” I ask.

“Well, there’s a limited number of supplies used to make the clones and a limited number of spaces to house them. It takes a lot of time and work to create clones. The Enforcers and Researchers are trying to save our society. They are the people who are smart, who have talents to contribute to our society. That is why they are the ones who get to live longer, who get clones. It’s really about the luck of the draw, about what sector you are born into as to if you have a fighting chance. There are also people who take sympathy on others and pay for them to have a clone. However, that is very rare,” Felix explains.

My thoughts immediately go to Zareh. She would probably be dead by now if it had not been for Killian’s generosity. We reach the MR2 and our conversation is over.

“Thanks for your help today,” I say facing Felix.

“My pleasure. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night!”

“Tomorrow night?” I ask perplexed.

“Yeah. There’s a party at Red tomorrow night. Bailey never misses those parties.”

“Red?” I inquire.

“Yeah, it’s a huge abandoned building in the Enforcer sector. I think computers used to be manufactured there before the outbreak. It has a red door on the front. It’s the only building in the district with a red door.”

“Oh ok. I guess I will see you later.” I smile weakly and climb into the bubble. I don’t really want to see him tomorrow night, and I definitely have no desire to go to a party. Bailey can’t possibly want to go to another party so soon. She hasn’t even recovered from last night’s party.

As I wait for Zareh, I think about my encounter with the sick man today. I hate myself for not giving him the only food that I had. There has to be a way the sick can be helped. I realize that, although my situation may not be ideal, I am lucky. I have food in my belly and a place to lay my head at night. I will survive, which is more than any of the sick people can say.