The Human Zoo (1)

Chapter 15 - Priya

Jax puts me on edge. You know that nausea feeling where you can't decide if it's positive or negative and it's just there sitting at the bottom of your stomach? That's what Jax is doing to me, even though I'm thinking it's good, not bad. Even from our brief interaction, it's obvious he's different but in a unique, intriguing way. He's also weirdly fluent in sarcasm, which is nice. I imagine trying to understand him will be like fitting a square peg into a round hole—impossible.

There's also this air of familiarity that clouds him. It's bizarre because it's not possible for me to have met him ... right? No ... It's not. Still, my intuition started blaring like a siren when I sat next to him, leading me to sway more toward my feelings than the reality in front of me.

From a young age, I've learned to trust my instincts and so far, they haven't led me astray. They were right about the nefarious nature in Aerion. They were right about the permanent doom of the metal table before they tattooed me. They've always been right about the reliance of Ben. They were right when they warned me not to get sterilized. Still, I've failed every time, unable to avoid the things they have told me will bring me pain. This time, though—this time—I am determined to come out on top.

My thoughts consume me entirely as I pace and wander the enclosure. I've had enough small talk and couldn't stand Ben's scrutinizing glare anymore. I'm also hoping by walking on my ankle, it'll get stronger faster. A slight chill fills the air and I notice the sun has dropped drastically. My stomach rumbles to remind me that dinner should be soon.

I sigh and place my hand on the rock wall near me to rest, looking toward the metal door that the caretakers usually enter. It's so far away from where I stand that the door seems like the size of a small animal.

"Well hello there," a slimy voice says.

Physically, I jump as Chance pops out from seemingly nowhere.

"You scared the shit out of me, Chance. Where did you come from anyways?"

He laughs almost menacingly at me. "Eh, I was wandering around and stumbled upon you."

"Weird, you 'stumbled' upon me in this place," a warning siren goes off in my head, but I remain calm. There is something about Chance that makes me feel unsafe. It's like one of those moments where you see something and you know that you shouldn't go near it because it'll hurt you, yet you do it anyways. Then, you think back and agree you should have listened to your instincts. That's what it's like to be around him.

An awkward silence fills the space between us.

"So, how are you feeling?" Chance steps close to me.

"I'm fine. Thanks."

He steps a foot closer.

"Is it hard to breathe, you know, with your cracked ribs and all?" He takes his hand and sharply presses into my side intentionally. I hiss through my teeth and notice his eyes light up.

"They don't hurt that bad," my voice remains firm despite the fire scaling my entire side.

"But you can't run now, right? I mean, at least not for a while," Chance says, removing his intruding hand.

"No, I can run," I lie. "Just not as fast right now."

"Is that so? Want to race to the others then?"

"Maybe later. For now, I'm going to walk." I start to head to the metal door, trying my best to stand tall and not wince from the pain.

Heavy footsteps follow and Chance appears next to me. Great.

"So, how did you break your nose?" I try to distract him.

Chance's lips curl as if recalling a fond memory. "I was fucking some random girl and she punched me."