Growing Hatred for Pink

CHAPTER EIGHT: GROWING HATRED FOR PINK

IVAN'S POV

Ivan runs his fingers through his hair and sighs, "thanks, man. Don't know where my head has been lately."

"Yeah," James chirped, "a lot of students are on edge."

Because the land of the free was anything but free to mutants. This country has an agenda against those born with supernatural abilities, and if you couldn't provide a service for the 'greater good' then you were incarcerated. To keep track of mutants, government officials passed a law called 'The Mutiny Act' where all newborns are to be tested for the mutant gene.

As if the 'Mutiny Act' wasn't bad enough, the government also called for 'The Mark of the Beast' as an additional measure to identify and imprison mutants in their own skin. 'The Mark of the Beast' was a name commonly used among Americans regarding the microchips called CMID.

It was an unpopular form of identification in the United States and caused an uproar in the 90s when it was introduced and enforced to the public. Within the implantation chip, it was the size of a grain of sand and unnoticeable if you didn't know you had it. And while there are people like his father who can fabricate documents like the results of a mutiny act or identity chip, others are not so fortunate.

Ivan didn't know if he wanted to laugh or attack the guy. James had no idea who the hell he was, and if he knew the truth, he would be horrified. Ivan responds with a nod as the elevator door chimed, finally.

"Come on," James said as he exit the elevator, "chem is down the hall on the left. Second to the last door."

Ivan briskly follows him as the two walks through the lobby and down the narrow hall. The walls were eggshell white with a coat of maroon paint plastered on the bottom. He huffed in distaste at the colors before reaching the doors at the end of the hallway to find Chemistry 112A on the left.

On the wall, Ivan spotted the chip reader. It was a dainty white machine wedged onto the wall with a smiley face sticker was plastered on its side.

James holds up his ID and waits patiently as it scans it before the door unlocked itself. He gives a thumbs up as he slips into the classroom, "see you on the other side!"

Ivan holds his wrist up to the wall for the small machine to scan his implant. The machine flashed a small light of green hues as the door clicked open. As he studied the room for an empty seat, he walked past the cluster of students in the front before sitting down in the back.

"Welcome, welcome," The professor turned her head as she continued to write the lab assessment. "Whoever you're sitting with will be your lab partner for the semester grade. You're expected to work diligently on your scheduled assignments online too. Check your complimentary syllabus on the Briggs site to keep yourself organized."

Shit.

James occupied a seat with a girl as he sheepishly turned around with a pleased grin before returning his gaze to the front. He seemed to be a natural flirt, and a down-to-earth kind of guy. Ignorant and harmless.

A smile crossed Ivan's face. What a bloke, he contemplated to himself, Sasha would clarify him as a cinnamon roll.

Just then- the classroom door swung open and all eyes were fixated on the figure standing in the doorway wearing an oversized pink fluffy cardigan. A girl with warm beige skin and long shiny dark brown curls emerged from the door as it clicked shut behind her. The girl looked strikingly familiar, but he couldn't put together a name for her.

She peeled the room apart as she looked for an empty seat. Oddly enough, people were offering her their seats.

"Oh, Dani!" A girl shouted, "You can have my seat."

"Join us!"

The girl smiled and politely declined as she lifted her pink-framed sunglasses. She made her way down the thin aisle of desks. Ivan tensed when he realized she was walking toward him.

Just my luck-

She sat down beside him smiling as the other students groaned in disappointment. He avoided her eyes while she tugged the hem of her knee-length ivory dress. Turning to face Ivan, she cocked her head to the side as she smiled, "did I miss anything?"