Authors note: please feel free to note any typos or mistakes in the comments so that I can correct them. That's said, Thank you and please enjoy!
Chapter 1
"Danny, get up! You're gonna miss the bus and I am not driving you again!" My mother yelled from downstairs. I groaned as I rolled out of bed.
The moment my feet hit the cold tile I shivered, wanting to go back to bed. I had a space rug there, but last weekend I came home wasted from a party and threw up all over it. My mom was pissed, but agreed to buy me a new one Online. But until it arrives, I'm stuck walking on this cold ass tile.
I forced myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, brushed my curly blonde hair, and put a little bit of concealer on. I started wearing makeup after I had to hide a black eye. My mom would not have cared, but my school would have thrown a fit for sure. So a friend of mine let me use her makeup and after that I started buying a bit of it myself. I pretty much just use it to cover up acne and stuff. But when I go to a party or something, I like to put on a bit of lip gloss and eyeliner. I was never really the manly type. I'm gay, if you haven't figured that out yet.
I throw on my school uniform and grab my backpack, before heading downstairs. My older brother, Frank, is sitting at the breakfast bar when I walk in the kitchen. He gives me a grunt as some sort of greeting before going back to stuffing his face with eggs and sausage. He is "bulking"! Or at least that's what he calls stuffing his face with everything on site. He graduated college last year and spends most of his time at the gym. He says he is working towards being a professional bodybuilder or something. But for now he's unemployed.
I grab a much smaller plate of eggs and sausage from Annie, our maid. She gives me a warm smile as she hands me an iced coffee to go with breakfast. She knows just how I like it. I eat as much as I can and then hand the rest to Frank, saying. "More fuel for the hulk."
"You're the one green with jealousy." Frank grunts before he starts pouring my leftovers on his now empty plate.
"Danny, don't forget I'm picking you up from school today. don't go to the buses, come to the pick up line." Mom says as Annie hands her a to-go mug with her morning coffee in it.
"What? Why?" I stop in my tracks and look over at her.
"You have a doctor's appointment, remember. You have to get tested." My mom said, sounding annoyed.
"Fuck, for real?" I whined.
"Yes, for real. If I cancel the appointment again we're gonna get a call from the local Pack of Dogs." She nagged, sounding exasperated.
"Mom, I can't, I have plans!" I said. I didn't really, I just didn't want to go.
"Danny, it is the law! We have to get it done and you can not push it off any more." She began to raise her voice.
"But mom!" I groaned.
"Danny, I don't want to hear your bullshit excuses! I don't want to do it any more than you do! But if it means I do not have to explain to some wolf-thing why you haven't gotten your well-child check this year, then so be it." She yelled, as she made her way out the front door. "We're getting this over with today!"
She slammed the front door closed before I could argue. I groaned as I began sliding my shoes on. It wasn't like it was gonna come back positive or something. Frank was negative, and we have never had anyone in our family test positive before. The chances of me testing positive for a mating gene were extremely unlikely.
But for some reason, I still find the idea of doing the test daunting. There's a chance that despite all odds I could test positive. Seriously, it's about as likely as Frank skipping leg day. And yet, the thought is enough to make my stomach churn.
"Have a good day dear, and don't stress. You'll test negative and be back home before you know it." Annie poked her head out of the kitchen and waved to me as I left for school.
I immediately stopped to dig in my backpack for my cigarettes and a lighter. Once I retrieved them, I zipped up my backpack and lit one up as I walked down the road. It was a good couple blocks to the bus stop, so I had plenty of time. I let the cigarette in my hand warm my body and calm my nerves. The cold winter air nipped at my nose and I flipped up the hood of my jacket.
I felt a bit better. But I was still racking my brain to figure out how to get out of this stupid well-child thing. I had missed well-child check ups before and it was never a big deal. There were several times in my life where I went well over a year without going to the doctors office. Even sometimes where I was plenty sick enough that I needed to, but we didn't. My mom is super busy and works too much for stuff like that anyway.
But apparently, this well-child was different. Not just because It is my last well-child. But because this is the one where I have to get tested for several things, Including something called a mating gene. A gene that means you have a mate out there somewhere. I've even heard of people having multiple mates. I am 17 years old now. Which I guess is the age that it manifests itself.
But there is no chance I could be positive. I have been putting off this test since I turned 17. Everybody gets tested at their last well-child checkup. Now it's my turn. No big deal. I just need to suck it up and go. Surely when it's all over, I'm gonna laugh and wonder why I put it off so long.
"Wait!" I yelled after, I turned the corner and saw the bus, I instantly took off running. Luckily, the bus driver saw me and waited. If I had gotten one more late slip from the office, I would be facing Saturday detention for sure! I climbed on the bus and the driver rolled his eyes at me.
"Throw that out!" He says, when he sees the butt of the still smoking cigarette in my hand.
"Relax, Jeff, it's biodegradable." I said, as I threw it out the door of the bus and smirked at the driver before heading to the back of the school bus. I sit down in row 19, which I have claimed as my seat over the last year. I chose this one because someone before me had found a way to break the child lock on it that kept it from going down all the way. So now it rolls down just far enough that the driver can't see the bottom of it over the seat.
I quickly roll down the window all the way, dig another cigarette out of my pocket and light it up. I blow the smoke and the ash out the window, careful not to sit up too much, to where the bus driver can see me. I've done this all year.
About a month ago, some freshman saw me and threatened to tell the bus driver if I didn't give him the seat. I refused of course. So before he could tell the bus driver, I met him in the boys bathroom at school and brought some bigger guys with me... Now that kid rides in row 8. I don't have many friends, but I always have a few people who owe me favors.
One time when I went to one of my brother's college football games, I met a guy there who is really good with computers and has access to some really fancy printers. He needed some money and my mom always leaves some laying around. So I took some, got a really nice fake ID and now I can get into whatever bars, clubs and places I want. Soon after that I had kids at school asking where I got it. The people who make the fakes at school are never realistic and always end in you getting caught. So long story short, I started selling them.
Soon after I finished my cigarette, we pulled up at St. Margaret's catholic school. I threw that butt out the window, stood up and slung my bag over my shoulder. I strolled through the outer gates into the courtyard just as the first bell rang. I picked up the pace and made it to history class just in time. I slid into a seat near the back of the class and got comfortable.
"Psst, Danny?" I heard from right behind me. I recognized the voice immediately and turned around to see hazel eyes staring back at me and smiling mischievously.
"What do you want, Andrew?" I asked in a whispered tone.
"Did you get my text? I need it before Friday. I'm trying to get into the concert!" Andrew whispered back.
I gave him a nod and turned back around. I pulled out my phone and began texting my connection to get his ID made. Then I texted Andrew and asked for a picture of his face that's clear enough that we could work with it. He sent it to me and then I requested half the money upfront. He slipped me the cash without bringing any attention to us. Then I texted him, asking for all the information needed, address, his real date of birth, and a preferred fake name that's similar to his real one so that he can remember it.
Throughout this whole process, the teacher lectured and didn't even notice what was going on in the back of her classroom. She was an old woman who didn't have the best eyesight. Not to mention her bum leg, that meant she didn't walk around the classroom too often. By the time class was over, everything was in motion and now it was just a matter of waiting for Lenny to let me know it was printed and ready to be picked up. I grabbed my bag and headed to my next class.
The next class went by super slow. My algebra teacher, Mr. Brown, is really quick to catch people on their phones. So I mostly ended up daydreaming and letting my mind wander. Unfortunately, without anything to keep me busy, I found myself thinking about the test again.
My anxiety began to creep up again as I thought about all the horrible things I've heard about humans who test positive. They spend the rest of
By the time the bell rang to say 2nd period was over, I was itching for a smoke! I grabbed my shit and hauled ass to the music building. I didn't take music lessons. 3rd period is break and the music teacher is rarely in the actual classroom for whatever reason. She usually hides in her office and lets the kids have free reign to "practice" their instruments during this time. But soon it turned into a place to hide from the teachers.
It always smells like weed in there. To the point where the music teacher is nose blind to it and doesn't really give a shit anyway. I walked in and breathed in the beautiful aroma. I grabbed my wallet and gave a kid some cash for a freshly rolled blunt. Then I headed down the hall, as I passed the bathrooms I heard several moans and the sound of flesh slapping flesh. I tried to hide the blush that grew on my face and kept walking. I soon hit the back room, it had only a couple people smoking and one girl tuning a guitar.
I walked over to the corner where I found a piano and I sat down on the bench in front of it. I pulled out my lighter, took a few hits of the blunt and set it on the ashtray sitting on the back of the piano next to a few books of sheet music. I took a deep breath before starting to play Talking to the Moon by Bruno Mars. I hummed the words but didn't dare open my mouth to sing. Nobody in the room seemed bothered by it and either stayed to listen or left the room. I had gotten pretty good at playing with one hand so I could use the other to take a hit every now and then.
When the bell rang, I went to my next class with my mind in a weed induced haze. I was calm, more calm than I had intended and I ended up sleeping through my next 2 classes before lunch.