The Pairing

[1] The Words of a Sister

-Suong Walsh-

You know that something is wrong with the world when the crime rates are shown on the school notice board. You know that something is wrong with the world when people as young as twenty are dying because of an unknown virus. You know that something is wrong with the world when the newspaper headlines show the smiling faces of young children on one side while the other side is stained with the death rate of young adults without their pair. You know something is wrong with the world when the only public high school across three towns has five kids per class. 

That's when you know something is wrong. 

Yet the world never allows us to question exactly what is wrong with the world.

...

"What did you think of the lunch today?" Snow inquired turning towards me. Her bright green eyes bright with excitement. I pause thinking of how rotten the food had been today. 

"Horrible," I respond picking up my school bag and blowing a bit of already settled dust from the top. Snow nods in agreement. No matter what she talks about she always seems upbeat. It's gotten worse, her upbeat-ness. Now that her parents have told her she can got to a Pairing Academy in New York. It's something that I've been begging my parents to let me do since grade school. I guess you could say that I'm jealous of Snow for getting to leave this neighborhood and travel to somewhere new and big and exciting. Somewhere where she has a better chance of survival. 

"It's my last week here," starts Snow her voice catching ever so slightly on emotions. I turn my head to the side staring down the dead grass we pass on the way back from school. The sound of a baby crying from within a house makes me cringe. It's 2073 can't people have sound proof walls by now? 

"Oh," I say not knowing any other response to give my only remaining friend in this dreadful town. For a block it's just the sound of me and Snow's walking. When the girl finally speaks her mouth sounds dry and void of any intruding emotions. 

"I was wondering weather or not you would join me at the graveyard this evening. I can't look at his gravestone without someone by my side." Snow mumbles. I don't have to look over at my friend to know that her face has contorted into a look of anguish. 

"Of course, let's get into warmer clothing before we head out. Anything you'd like to bring for Julian?" I ask Snow. She thinks for a little while we usher a car to cross the road before us. 

"I'll bring him one of my knitted scarves as a parting gift." she announces without confidences. The rest of the walk to our houses is silent. When it's me and Snow we don't need to exchange words to converse. In fact, I like to think our silence is enough of a conversation. I give her a wave and exchange what time to meet up at her house before parting with my friend.

I take my shoes off the minute I get inside and call to my parents informing them that I'm home. On the way to my room I pass by my sister, Binh's room. Her twentieth birthday is in less than a month. Not much time before she's set to die. At least that's what I believe. So far, the only connection that scientists and doctors have made between each twenty year old death victim has been the lack of a pair. No twenty year old with their matched pair has died of the unknown virus yet. Which leads me to believe that without a pair, my sister will die. 

Die. 

I see that word everywhere. I hear it, read it, write it, think it and practically breath it. 

My room is in a constant state of disarray. Posters of Taylor Swift in her prime are duck taped to my bedroom wall. Jeans are strewn across the floor. The one crop top that I own underneath everything. No use trying to fish out the fancy clothing for graveyard. I tell myself. Instead I replace my short sleeve T-shirt with a long sleeve black shirt and a puffy pea green coat to keep me warm. Looking in the mirror at myself I see the look of frailness that coats my every move. Even when I blink it looks like I could shatter from the impact. I rake a brush through my hair and loosely braid the long black strands down my back. I open my door and step out sighing a bit. 

"Suong?" my sister calls to me. My back straightens and I head to her room peaking in to see my older sister sitting on her bed with a book in hand. She sets the book down when our eyes lock. 

"Come and sit down for a minute, I want to talk with you." she says. I shake my head and gesture down the stairs. 

"I have plans tonight with Snow, we're going to-" My sister stops me by putting her hand up. I quiet down and step into her room with mild annoyance. However I swallow the annoyance when I remember her twentieth birthday.

"What do you want to talk about Binh?" I wonder sitting on my sisters bed as she begins to talk. Binh and I look like we could be twins. The difference between our appearances was more noticeable when we were little kids but now that we have both grown up we look quite similar. Both of us have long black hair though I'd argue that Binh's hair in just really dark brown. Our face shape is relatively the same, a mash of both parents. As for height we are both the exact same. 5'6 ft on the dot. If it weren't for the fact that everyone in town already knows that we are a few years apart people would easily mistake the two of us as lucky twins. I wish we were twins, that way neither of us would have to worry about death for a long time. 

"Suong, I know you've been trying to find a way for me to keep living. While you were at school I looked in your room. That bulletin board is quite impressive I must say. I just want you to know that I've excepted being pairless. I would like you to also except that I have to go soon. I hate seeing you suffer like this." Binh whispers to me. I didn't notice that she'd wrapped her arms around my frail body until I was drawn in for a kiss on the forehead. 

"I want you to do something for me," she starts. 

"What is it?" I question knowing I'd already say yes to my sister no matter what her next words were.

"If after I'm gone, mom and dad still don't believe in academies take all the money under my bed and head as far away as possible. Get yourself into an academy at all costs."

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