"Thus human beings judge of one another, superficially, casually, throwing contempt on one another, with but little reason, and no charity" - Baroness Emma Orczy.
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"You realise it's tomorrow right? You can't just run away from it, everyone does the test Zion." Spoke a young woman no older than eighteen. She hung off the ledge almost as if testing the fated sisters of their alignments with the strings they cut.
"Maybe I'm just not meant for it." Answered back a more introverted natured young man. Who's stature paled in comparison to her beauty.
But do not be fooled, although she was beautiful, she was ruthless. A wild card, a bully to some, a hero to others. No regrets and no vendetta against life.
She had her rule of the school and everyone knew it. It was for this reason she would hang out with the only person who did not fear her. Intact, he had quite the back for underhanded word violence. Where she fought with a sword, he chose the pen.
"The government would contact your family-and before you say- but the government can't exact force blah blah blah... Think about it yeah? All of us, we do this test to determine our ranks for when we're taken. Where? We still don't know."
Hoping off from the ledge she came over to him, squatting down, no shame in her underwear being displayed. She wasn't a girly, girl, more a tomboy with a twist.
'A beauty on some are wasted' would be the accurate line that they'd use for her. As one of her wrapped up hands, grabbed his left ear suddenly.
"I figured it out, aliens." She said, fully concluded seriousness and unwavering conviction on her verdict.
"Aliens? You're more an alien" snickered Zion as she pulled upon his ear more harshly.
"I'm serious, even those quacks that believe in that stupid religion are up to something. People may return but almost every single time the next ones who take the test disappear. They don't come back Zion..."
She was worried, although her carefree expression gave nothing away. It was obvious. She was never this much interested in the unknown.
"Max, you don't need to worry, we'll be going together anyway." Sighing, she let go of his ear and slumped down beside him. Her head then plopped on his shoulder.
"Would you swear on your life you'd come for me if I didn't return?"
"It would honestly be more peaceful if you didn't" He said, with a deadpanned expression as she immediately elbowed him in the ribs.
"You're a dickhead" she snapped as she got up and jumped on the ledge again. This time she walked upon it. The wind rapidly winding through her brown hair as her arms were out stretched for balance.
'Aliens huh? I doubt it, the government failed hiding that it closed of boarders to the mainlands.' Zion thought as he remembered when their small country Ifreid, went independent. They stopped expecting exchange of goods for the rights to a seat at the alliance.
It was a shocking move, regardless, it made the economy boom with new jobs due to overseas labour leaving.
It was almost as if every small country went to being independent when they realised that the 'test's' were here to stay.
'My confusion is why unite now? If they wanted alliance, there was other ways to do it. But they all did it, as if they took some warning back after the test?' Zion scrolled through his phone and searched up 'the 'awakening' and the relevance he found in the topic to his thoughts.
"I think it's a warning Max." Spoke up Zion, as an article that featured the man 'Cornaious' also know as, Peter fandle, a famous reporter. Accounted more than fifty testaments of what the test actually is and what it did/does.
"They won't look for you if you fail."
"They won't care if you do." Zion replied as he skimmed through people's experiences quotes and stories.
"Shit..." She hissed as she bite her tongue while jumping down again. "We should probably get going, you're mum's cooking is calling me" she chimed with glee. As Zion rolled his eyes and stood up.
As they made their way down the stairs from the roof of the school, another student called out to them.
"Zion!"
Looking back, Zion muttered something under his breath before he waved back.
"Yo man, I was wondering if you thought about it?" Continued the young man with dyed blonde hair and brown eyes. He wasn't skinny nor fat but a build some would consider average whereas others lean.
He wore the same uniform Zion did, the black on black, polyester shirt with collar, paired with black slacks or shorts. In this case, he chose the shorts.
"Hey Mathew, the thing is yeah- I'm not really into all that" Zion sheepishly replied with clear awkward standing.
It was no secret that Zion had a type but he sure wasn't going around advertising it.
"Ah, no worries, I get it. Not ya type yeah" Matthew even though dejected simply smiled before leaving.
"You little heartbreaker" snickered Max as Zion cursed before making haste to the front doors. "Oh come on Zion, it was a joke!" Max yelled out, but he wasn't having any of it.
It's not like he had one type either, people just assumed off rumours from a frat party. Max had forced him to go, if she hadn't used her freebie favour, he wouldn't have been sent in a closet for seven minutes of heaven with the known gay guy.
'What a fucken joke' He spat in his mind, as Max finally caught up to him and grabbed his arm.
"Hey! I said I was sorry man!"
"It doesn't fucken matter Max, just drop it." Zion spat with no room for arguments as she let go off his arm.
Getting home didn't feel freeing from reality as it was supposed to. Maybe because Max was currently scoffing three bowls of fried rice...
"My, always a big appetite with you maxi" laughed Zion's Mother, as she put down a rack of BBQ ribs.
Looking at her son scrolling on his phone with forrowed eyebrows, she frowned.
It was clear what he was doing, he was going to take the test soon. Her son was a careful individual, his intellect was definitely above average.
Even as a baby, he never cried, simply stared and watched. The doctors were worried even when they tried to get him to cry but all tests indicated perfect health. She took him to multiple doctors as a toddler due to strange behaviour, hoping they had answers. But they only concluded to a healthy child and curious behaviour. Issuing that she sought out a psychologist or therapist if the behaviour got worse.
Thankfully in his teenage years, his behaviour became somewhat normal.
Max, also brought out his more charming side she thought.
"Zion, please put that away honey." She spoke softly, as he looked up and put his phone facing down on the table.
"What was the test like for you mum?" Zion suddenly asked as Max stopped chewing briefly looking at them.
"I don't remember"
It was exactly the same to what he'd read, no one remember. But they either came out with new scars, tattoos or talents.
He looked over to Max who's mouth looked to spell out 'Aliens' with out sound. Which he deadpanned expressed towards her before looking at his plate of food.
'What if this test was a fear tactic made by the government?' He wondered in thought.