This Alien Soul

Chapter 44

Amber

Now that I knew the stakes with my treatments we were able to stick to a tighter regimen. Dad was still adjusting my doseage, but thought he had it almost perfect. Unfortunately, for me, perfect meant higher doses. It meant long nights hugging the toilet and clutching a heading pad to my aching body.

When I confided to my father that water was regenerative to Zionians, he had warned that I needed to limit my time in it. Fortunately, a rare cool wave had hit Georgia, so the lake wasn't as tempting with the freezing temperatures outside. Though I did cave and soaked in our hot tub a couple times, when the pain and sickness became over baring.

I had been feeling so bad that I didn't make it back to school until the end of the next week. As soon as I pulled up to the school, bundled into a thick winter coat and dreading the few feet I would have to walk from my car to the building in the freezing weather, I was immediately accosted by a worried Lindsey and Kelly.

"What the hell Amber?"

"What's going on?"

"What did the doctor say?"

"Why are you back at your parents?"

They each hit me with a barrage of questions. I held up gloved hands to hold them off.

"Can we please go somewhere warmer to talk? And preferably with less listening ears?" I had arrived early so there weren't many cars in the parking lot, but those who were walking by were throwing questioning looks my way.

With all the rumors and disappearances from school surrounding me, people were dying for the slightest clue as to what was going on.

What they didn't know was that the truth was crazier than any of the rumors. A truth that I couldn't even share with my best friends as we found a deserted classroom.

"Where have you been?" Lindsey asked as soon as we were sure the coast was clear and had closed the door.

"At my parents. They are being more understanding..." And so I fed them the lie that my parents had agreed upon.

How what I had heard that day was a misunderstanding. That my father was close to getting my disease into complete remission and that was what they had been discussing, but as a result the treatments were making me weak.

"But I got into Yale and USC." I revealed the only piece of good news I had to offer. "He's sure he can get me well enough that I'll only have to have minimal treatments once I leave in the fall."

At least that part was true. My father was convinced he was close to a breakthrough. A way to completely eradicate the Zionian genes from my DNA. At the least, he reassured me that once I put distance between me and the other Zionina, those traits in me should stop fighting so hard to come to the surface.

"Oh my gosh. Thanks great news." Kelly squealed pulling me into a congratulatory hug.

Lindsey looked a little more skeptical. I tensed waiting for her to call me out on my bullshit. Relief hit me when she let it go, pulling me into a hug. "I missed you A."

"Missed you too, Lindz." I squeezed her to me tight, wishing I could say more. Wishing I could confide in them both.

But that wouldn't be fair to them. To lay that on their shoulders.

When entering history class, something in the air had changed. I didn't want to look over to the back row of the classroom. My eyes inevitably were drawn that way.

I was surprised to find the blond sitting not in her regular spot beside Alek but on the other side of Zeena, having traded spots with Traz.

That was weird. Was there trouble in paradise already?