My Love

Chapter One

"Miss Lelièvre"

At the sound of someone calling my name, I snap my gaze away from the window and to the woman who broke the silence. She is, by all standards, normal. Long, pale hair cascading in waves to her tiny waist. Blue eyes, as bright and as deep as the oceans. Dark pink skin, which has no sign of any kind of blemish. Small frame, adorned with a loose white dress that cascades elegantly to the floor. By Venite standards, she's breathtaking. Absolutely beautiful.

"Yes?" I question, though I already know why she called my name.

"I'm Mae-Eve Choquette, please come with me" she says, gesturing to an open door with a false kindness, "your love awaits."

With that, I push myself up from the cream chair I was sitting in, and cautiously step towards Mae-Eve. Her normal appearance makes mine look even odder. I've always hated being in public, or being around other Venites. Surrounded by others, I look - and feel - like even more of an oddity.

Pushing away thoughts of my odd appearance, I follow Mae-Eve through the open door, and into a small office-like room, which is painted a 'happy' yellow color. Today is supposed to be a wonderful day - I'm supposed to find my love, my ideal match. I shouldn't be worrying about my appearance.

Mae-Eve closes the door behind us, before talking a seat in a padded white chair behind the desk. Taking a deep breath, I sit in the lonely chair that's in front of the desk. I glance at Mae-Eve, as she pulls out a small, hand-held net-screen, and a thin almost see-through screen.

"Aren't you excited?! Today's the day you find your love! Just think, next year at this time, you will be married! Isn't it wonderful!" she says, smiling with practiced excitement, "All I need to do, before we start the scanning process is to go over a few things so that I can type them in, and run them through the database! Oh! I'll also need a DNA sample, so if you could just put your pointing finger onto this part of the net-screen, here, we can get that over and done with!"

I nod, before placing my finger on the small needle that just popped out of the net-screen – in all my years of life, technology never ceases to amaze me. I am able to catch a glimpse of my orange blood before the needle retracts, signaling that it received my DNA. Mae-Eve smiles at me, before looking at the net-screen and making sure that everything went through. I look down at my finger, noticing how it's no longer bleeding.

"Good. Now, it's time for the questions! Isn't this exiting? I realize that these questions are going to sound repetitive, and as if I already know them - or should know them - but I assure you that they are all part of the process. Don't want false love, now do we?" her voice is overly excited – I can imagine that by now she's practiced the tone so much that few can even tell how fake it is, she's been doing her job since she was my age.

I nod, "alright"

"First question. What is your full name?"

I look at Mae-Eve blankly, "Cassandra Lelièvre" she should already know my full name, and all of my recorded information – perhaps she is making an attempt at being friendly.

"Good." she says, typing into the net-screen, "Is that your natural hair color, or has it been dyed?"

My eyes dart to the floor in mild embarrassment, "Natural."

"Don't be ashamed, some people would pay a lot of money for your hair" she tells me with a comforting smile, though I can see the disgust in her eyes, "Next question. Other than our records, have there been any incidents that should be known or recorded?"

"No" I state blandly.

"Do you prefer those with male bodies, or those with female?"

I think for a moment, before deciding on an answer, "Preferably male, but if my love is female, I wouldn't be repulsed. Love is love." I resist the urge to shrug, and instead sit straighter in my seat. Slumping is for those in the underground – or at least that's what my mother has always said.