Survival of the Unfit

Chapter 1

April

"Dude, you know how many people are probably in here?" Brandy asked, dragging her toe through the lake water and flicking up, flinging droplets on the algae. I gulped nervously and brought my feet up to my chest. She chuckled. "Sorry, I keep forgetting you're new to all of this. There probably aren't people at the bottom of this, only an idiot would toss a body in a lake when the ocean's another twenty minutes away." She laughed again and flicked more water up.

It was September, but the weather off the coast of South Carolina is quite nice that time of year. We were sitting on a dock not too far from the school, just finished with our ice cream, and me, getting the run down on the town. I still couldn't bring myself to believe what she was saying. I would've gotten up and run home, but the fear of being killed on the way there kept me at Brandy's side. I mean, all I had was some pepper spray.

"You're so quiet, Ape."

I shook my head and stared at the water. "I still don't believe you."

"I know," Brandy responded, taking her toes out of the water and crossing her legs. She watched fish swim and dart about. "It's just for your own safety. No one's going to go after you because no one knows your best trait yet, but you still have to be informed and prepared. It hasn't happened in a couple years." Brandy nonchalantly picked at her nails. "Not at this school, anyway." She spit into the water, and the fish scattered.

There were two high schools on the island, North Rushwood and South Rushwood. My parents had moved on the South Rushwood side so Mom could work at the hospital instead of the old folk's home, or have a closer drive. There were police stations everywhere, so Dad didn't care where Mom moved or what house she chose. At this point I considered begging them to move again, completely off the island and as far away from it as possible, but Brandy was dead set on convincing me otherwise.

"Listen," she said, turning to face me. I continued to stare at the water until she turned my face to hers, dark, hazel green eyes bright and sparked with mystery. "You don't need to worry. You don't need to move or get homeschooled. The amount it happens is so low it's practically a lost ritual down here. Just be lucky you went to South and not North." She booped my nose and stood up, holding out a hand. "I'll walk you home."

I took it and we started back down the dock, turning right and beginning the ten minute walk back to my neighborhood. She lived another ten minutes the other way, but I wasn't going to be modest after learning death was something to fear in your teenage years.

I dropped my head and stared at my feet as I walked. "I don't even feel completely safe around you."

"April, I'm already recruited for college. I already have a state title. I don't want to die trying to get a nice nose or something." She nudged my shoulder, and I couldn't help chuckling along a little. Brandy was one of those rare, likably conceited people. She was a state high jumper, one of those field events at track that no one particularly pays attention to, and was good at what she does. Really good. It was just getting into training season for her, so she was okay with taking me to get ice cream. From then on out we would be going to get afterschool salads, she joked. I was okay with that.

"But the other people," I said. "What about them?"

"They aren't going to go after you," Brandy replied, stopping at a crosswalk and then proceeding to go across. "The only people at risk are the reincarnated Beyoncés, nerds, and occasionally the athletes. I'm at ten times the risk you are."

"So I still shouldn't hang around you," I teased unsurely, looking to her for a response.

"C'mon, I'm a pretty cool person," she replied, nudging my shoulder again. "I remember birthdays pretty well."