"How old are you?" I raise an eyebrow in response.
"You want that to be your first question?"
"Shh! It's not your turn yet Raylee!"
I smile, that's the first time I've heard him call me by my name other than introductions,
"I'm 12 years old, how old are you?"
He scribbles on his notebook and rolls his eyes.
"You're being very uncreative, you know that right?"
"Shh! It's not your turn yet Crynn!" I know I am, but I'm generally curious. "We're not twins are we?" Crynn shakes his head,
"No, we're not twins but I'm also 12. When's your birthday?"
"Didn't you say you found my birth certificate?"
"So you were listening! Did you know that birth certificates are just baby receipts?"
I stare at him blankly, what is wrong with this kid?
"November 23rd, when's your birthday?"
"Whoa! No way! Mine's December 8th!" I look at him suspiciously,
"What year?" I demand.
"3008, same as you.���
I blink in shock, how is this possible? The math doesn't add up! He can't be my brother by blood, it's impossible. Surprisingly, I feel a little crestfallen by that realization.
"How are we-" Crynn cuts me off.
"Nuh, uh, uh, Raylee! You already cheated and asked me two questions so now it's my turn and I get to ask you two as well. Okay, what's your middle name?"
"Scalara,"
"Oh! You got your middle name from Grandpa Scalar Damini! Cool! I'm only named after Grandma Theta Levinia, Crynn Theto Damini."
He writes in his notebook again, I sit down and place my chin on my knuckles. I think it's very interesting to learn about my estranged family. I only have vague memories of my maternal Grandmother and paternal Grandfather whom Crynn and I are named after.
"Oh! I got it. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?"
My eyebrows shoot up and I lean back, that was an abrupt change of topic.
"Uh, I would want to get out of Illwood. I'd want to walk in the town, go to a normal school and visit my parents. I'd just want to see how much the world has changed in nine years."
Crynn pauses in his writing and looks at me sadly, then taps his pen against his paper.
"You said you wanted to walk in town and go to school right?"
I nod my head.
"And I want to visit my parents and just be in Prenford, like a tourist. Okay my turn, how are you my brother if we're the same age? The math doesn't add up!"
Crynn clicks his pen,
"Well, that's because I was made in a petri dish! I guess Mom was already pregnant with you when the Government started, I don't know, growing me. So, yeah. But I never remembered you I didn't know you existed, no offense, but when I found your birth certificate I thought you were like my dead twin until I confronted Mom and Dad about it and met you."
His confession makes me sick to my stomach, they knew. They knew their experiment would go wrong! How could they do this to me and my family? Why couldn't they have just killed me? It would have saved a lot of trouble to just end my suffering before it began! It's even more obvious now that they had a backup plan and Crynn seems even more like my replacement now. it's like when your parents buy you a backup toy just in case your new one breaks or doesn't work, or when they get you a backup fish because your first one didn't survive the car ride home. Crynn was right. Birth certificates are baby receipts. And mine came with a freaking four-year warranty.