Sister Dearest

Chapter 1 - An Unkindness of Ravens

Elody thought she was successfully handling the first day back at school until fifth period science, when Mrs. Reed showed up eight minutes and forty-seven seconds late.

She came into the classroom with a violently neon patched skirt and her loud, positive attitude, akin to a middle-aged Mrs. Frizzle on her third divorce teaching second semester high school seniors who just wanted to be anywhere else.

"Hello scholars!" Mrs. Reed bellowed in her frighteningly upbeat voice. "Welcome back! Today is the day you've all been waiting for- DNA day."

A good number of students mumble and grumble in low voices. This is not the day they had been waiting for, but then again, what event causes such anticipation in a high school science class other than the flimsy promise of an end-of-year pizza party for the winners of the final project?

Mrs. Reed takes note of the unenthused students and rolls her eyes. "We could dissect cattle oculi like the underclassmen, would anyone like to trade assignments?" No response, as expected. The teacher smiled and began to go around the room passing out blood typing kits and their respective worksheets.

"Your DNA says a lot about you. Whether you can bend your limbs certain ways, roll your tongue, cross your eyes..."

Multiple students take that as a challenge and try to contort their bodies, few succeeding. Elody looks over at her friend Dawn, a fellow senior who has Down Syndrome. Dawn was giving her best attempt at crossed eyes. She sighed before giving up.

"Now I just have a headache." Both of the girls laugh. "You try, Elody."

Elody crosses her eyes with ease, but goes to rub her temple afterward. "You weren't kidding, that hurt."

"At least you can do it! Be proud."

Elody chuckled. "I wonder what sort of transferable skill that counts as."

Dawn perked up. "If you can move your arms around like Carter, you could try out for the circus!"

The girls both look over to the table closest to them. Two of their classmates sit, one of them with his hands behind his back and twisted in ways that would definitely hurt more than a simple crossed eyes. The girl at the table looks slightly unnerved by the display, as did Mrs. Reed, who'd made her way over to their side of the classroom.

"Impressive display, Carter." she said, setting two blood type kits on the lab table. "Just please don't injure yourself- I am responsible for you during these forty-five minutes, and I'm not keen to make a call home or to any emergency services today."

Carter disappointingly untangled his arms and stretched them, causing many small pops to be heard. His lab partner, a girl with at least six ear piercings and three facial piercings, looks queasy.

Mrs. Reed went from their table to Elody and Dawn's, giving them their respective blood typing kits. It looks fairly simple, with instructions included.

"Is that a needle?" Dawn asked, cringing.

Mrs. Reed nodded her head. "It's just a finger prick- I'll demonstrate in a minute."

The chatter amongst the students died down as Mrs. Reed resumed her place at the front of the classroom, behind her own lab desk.

"Let's begin our blood typing project. Use the lancets to prick your finger, and drop blood into each of the four squares on the paper. Please be careful with the lancets and ask for help if you need it."

Everyone followed the directions. Mrs. Reed and a class aide both walked around to make sure everybody understood the instructions.

"I hate seeing blood," Dawn said.