The Omega Archives

by Erik Melendez

  I looked at my books and papers on the floor for a second, and looked back up, watching him run off. My blood was starting to boil. I clenched my fist together, and I started to go after him. The second I started walking toward him, I was stopped by someone pulling on my arm.

  “Just let it go. He was trying to get a rise out of you,” the girl said.

  It was the girl from my drama class. My face started to turn red, and I felt warm. I immediately ducked down to pick up the books, and she helped.

  “Perhaps you’re right. It’s not worth it,” I said as we picked up the books.

  “Are you new here?” she asked.

  “Yeah. We have drama together,” I said.

  After we picked up the books, we got up, and started walking to class.

  “Yeah, I thought I recognized you. Are you into acting?” she asked.

  “Not really. My mother suggested I take it to get out of my comfort zone. What about you?” I said.

  “I’m kind of obsessed with it. I’ve been in every school play since kindergarten,” she said.

  “Interesting,” I said.

  “What about you? Are you a sports junkie or a gamer something?” she asked.

  “Long story. Hard to explain,” I replied.

  “Oh okay. So, how do you like it here?”

  “It’s difficult; some of the other students are rather annoying.”

  “Yeah, just don’t let it get to you. I have seen most of these kids since middle school. Most of them are assholes trying to get a rise out of you.”

  “Makes sense. So where are you off to now?”

  “Biology.”

  “Sounds fun,” I said.

  “Well, I got to go. It was nice meeting you…What’s your name?” she asked.

  “I’m Alex,” I said.

  “Sarah,” she replied.

  After she walked off, I couldn’t help but think back to my training days. I remembered when I was six years old; I was sitting in the auditorium with the other Omega Project kids. The bleachers were plastic, and the room was hot. A screen, in front of the auditorium, showed clips of people killing, mutilating, and beating each other to death. All you could hear was screaming and people killing each other by beating them, stabbing them, or shooting them.

  The trainers even brought in barrels of blood to emulate the smell of war, and that’s what it felt like to sit in that room, like war. When the trainers opened up the barrels, my stomach started to churn. I almost threw up, until one of the trainers spotted me and hit me across the head. I swallowed my puke and continued to watch the screen. While we watched the screen, a lady over the intercom told us what good soldiers did and said things like:

  “A good soldier takes any and all orders given without question by a superior officer.”

  “A good soldier does not let his emotions or personal feelings get in the way of the mission, because they’re a distraction. Distractions are weaknesses, and weaknesses means death.”

  We sat there for hours listening to the lady and watching all that footage. I watched Sarah walking off, feeling conflicted about what to do. Should I tell her how I feel, or should I keep it a secret? I was feeling nervous about how I felt about Sarah. So, I took a deep breath, and moved on.

  As I walked off to my next class, I noticed a group of students harassing a smaller student at one of the lockers. There were four big, muscular students and the victim was skinny and wore glasses. They slapped his books out of his hands, and were making fun of him. I walked up to them.

  “Leave him alone,” I said. The bullies turned around to me in an intimidating manner, complete with pushing their chests out and raising their heads slightly.

  “Or what?” the lead bully asked calmly. He had short blonde hair and wore a black, short-sleeved, button-down shirt.

  “Or I will just ask nicely. After all, I’m not the coward picking on someone half my size,” I replied.

  “You hear that? Looks like we got a badass on our hands, guys,” the lead bully said as the other bullies laughed.

  “Hey, kid if you don’t want to get hurt, I think you better leave,” one of the other bullies said.

  “I’ll leave when you leave him alone, how about that?” I replied.

  “Yeah, why don’t you make us?” the lead bully asked as he pushed me.

  I balled up a fist and almost hit him, but before I did I stopped and looked around at all the students that were watching. Some of them whispered to each other, while others just watched. The bullies waited for me to make my move. I wasn’t sure what to do. Soon a teacher walked up.

  “What’s going on out here?” the teacher asked as he approached us.

  “Nothing, just talking,” the lead bully replied.

  The bullies left for class mumbling on how they would have kicked my ass, and I went to check on the student.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah, thanks. Derek is such an asshole,” he replied.

  “Sure. I’m Alex,” I said.

  “I’m Max. Don’t we have gym class together?” Max said.

  “Pleasure, and yes. Is he always like this?” I replied.

  “Pretty much. Got to get to class,” Max replied as he walked off to class. He turned back to me. “Oh hey, what lunch do you have?” Max asked.

  “Uh, lunch A,” I said.

  “Same here. You should come join us. I kind of owe you,” Max replied before he left.

  In math class, it was more lecturing as usual. The teacher asked us more questions that would get harder and harder. The teacher would even make us do problems on the board. I never went up and volunteered, but I did do all the work on a piece of paper perfectly. Emily, the girl who sat next to me, noticed me doing all the work.

  During lunch period, I encountered Max once again in the cafeteria after I got my lunch from the lunch line.

  “Hey, right this way,” he said as he approached me.

  I joined him over at the table where he and several other students sat.

  “I’m Katie,” the girl said as I approached the table. She had dark clothes almost gothic like. She appears to have an interest for photography, judging by her camera and picture book next to her lunch tray.

  “I’m Mark,” Mark was another one of the kids in the group. He seemed like a normal kid. He also seemed to be into movies based on the film production book he had out.

  “I’m Melissa,” said Melissa. Melissa seemed like an “it” girl; she had blonde hair, wore designer clothes and had expensive looking-makeup on. Sarah approached the table.

  “Hey, guys,” Sarah said. “Could the food here be more disgusting?” She dropped her tray, and sat down.

  “Which is why I bring a lunch,” Melissa replied.

  “Oh, hey Alex, what’s up?” she asked as she sat down.

  “How’s it going?” I replied.

  “So, how’s your first week so far?” Katie asked.

  “Fine. Is that a Polaroid camera?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I got it for my birthday. I’ve always had a thing for retro-looking pictures. I must have taken hundreds of photos over the summer,” she replied.

  “Those pictures look so good. One time when I got a new dress, she took a picture, and it looked amazing,” Melissa said.

  “So, do you have any plans this year? You know join choir, or sports?” Mark asked.

  “No, not really. I’m just trying to adjust and see how things work around here,” I replied.

  “By the way, who was that guy who was picking on you earlier?” I asked Max.

  “His name is Derek. Not only is he on the football and wrestling team, but he is well known for being obsessed with being an amazing fighter. He earned a Karate black belt when he was eleven, and he regularly practices Mixed Martial Arts in his spare time,” Max explained. He sounded like an amateur compared to my training.

  “So, why does he do this to you?” I asked.

  “Other than the fact that he’s an asshole, I don’t k
now. I heard that he rarely gets anything over a C-average, and I have a really high grade-point average,” Max said.

  As we talked, Emily approached the table.

  “Alex, I see you found some ‘people’ to sit with,” Emily said with a grin on her face.

  “Yes, I have,” I replied.

  “Well, Emily you seem awfully nice today,” Mark said.

  “We have math together,” Emily replied.

  “May I sit?” Emily asked as she grabbed a chair from the table next to us, and sat down.

  “So, Alex, how do you like your first week here?” Emily asked.

  “Fine for now. I’m still trying to get the hang of things around here,” I replied.

  “Ah, I see. Trying to see what we have to offer here. I’m curious about something. In math class, I saw you doing all the problems that we did on the board almost perfectly. Why didn’t you go up?”

  “It’s complicated,” I replied as she stared at me with her hand under her chin.

  “Well, I could use some help. After all, I need an A for the class,” she said as she rubbed my arm.

  “Or you could just study yourself,” Sarah replied.

  “And you can find something other than your pathetic acting,” Emily said.

  “I’ll think about it,” I replied.

  “Well, I got to go. I’ll see you later,” Emily said to me. She turned to Melissa. “Nice top. Congrats on finding something that looks good on you, and all by yourself too.”

  “Bye,” I said. “What the hell was that all about?” I asked after she left.

  “That’s Emily. She’s one of those girls who thinks she’s hot shit,” Katie replied.

  “I take it she isn’t really well liked?” I asked.

  “No. I bet half of the school hates her,” Katie replied with her arms folded.

  “Emily and I use to be friends,” Melissa said.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “Back in middle school, Derek and I dated for a bit. And one day, I went over to Emily’s house and saw her making out with Derek in her bedroom. That’s when I stopped hanging out with her and reconnected with these guys. Not to mention that Mark and I have been friends since kindergarten,” Melissa explained.

  “What’s she like?” I asked.

  “When I use to hang out at her house, her family was weird. Her father was always working, and her mother was always drinking and acting weird. Emily can be nice but she can also be a bitch,” Melissa said.

  The group of kids I sat with had been friends since kindergarten. Although they had their own distinct personalities, they remained close to each other.

  “Are you still doing performing arts this year, Sarah?” Mark asked.

  “Of course, I am. What about you Katie? I take it you’re doing photography club?” she asked.

  “Yeah, in fact, so I can test my new camera. You doing anything, Max?” Katie said.

  “I’m thinking of trying out for academic team,” Max said.

  “Now there’s something I could never do,” Mark said.

  “No kidding. You’re lucky to get a C-average,” Melissa said.

  “Just hoping it would help keep my grades up. My first math test is coming up, and I swear I’m about to freak out,” Max said.

  “What? Are you afraid to get an A-minus?” Katie asked.

  “Or worse, maybe a B,” Mark said as we all laughed.

  “If you want, I could help you,” I said.

  “You really good with math?” Max asked.

  “Yes, actually. I’m extremely skilled in it,” I said.

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know if I need anything,” Max said.

  We talked about random stuff until lunch was over. It was kind of nice, being able to sit with people for a change. Mark and I went to throw our garbage away.

  “Hey, why do people sit at individual tables?” I asked.

  “It’s just the social structure of the place. It’s like some kind of unwritten rule. For example, you got your jocks, preps, goths, artsy people, etc.” Mark pointed to the corresponding tables.

  “Strange,” I said.

  “I know. I tried sitting with the goths a few days ago, and they just kind of stared at me,” he said as the bell rang. “Come on.”

  After school as I walked out to the parking lot, Max and the others caught up to me.

  “Hey, Alex. We were going to the square. Did you want to come?” Max asked as he approached me.

  My mom pulled up into the parking lot, and I ran up to the driver’s window.

  “Hey, I was wondering: Could I hang out with them for a while?” I asked.

  “Okay, be back by six,” she replied as she drove off.

  So, I followed them into town where we reached the square.

  When we got there, we went to the fountain. It was square and trees surrounded the area. On the other side of the street, there were small shops and restaurants lining the square. There were other students walking around throughout the square, as well as casual shoppers.

  “As you can see Alex, this is where everyone hangs out after school,” Mark said as he sat on the side of the fountain.

  There were a lot of kids my age there. Most of them were sitting at the restaurants, drinking coffee, or getting stuff at the shops.

  “So, Alex, how long have you lived here?” Sarah asked.

  “Two years now,” I replied.

  “Where did you live before?” Max asked.

  “It’s complicated,” I replied “So, Mark, I saw your film production book at lunch do you really like movies.”

  “Ah yes, someone is finally curious about my hobbies,” Mark said.

  “Oh, come on, Mark. If it wasn’t for you, I would have never heard of half the movies I have seen,” Sarah said.

  “As you see, I’m a movie buff. I actually have been making homemade movies since I was a kid, and I plan to eventually make movies in Hollywood someday,” Mark said.

  “He even made an alien movie when he was nine,” Katie said.

  “How did that go?” I asked.

  “Failed experiment. It didn’t have the energy or charisma I needed,” Mark said.

  Derek and his gang showed up at the square along with Emily and her squad.

  “Oh, look who it is,” Melissa said.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Emily and her friends like to come here and show off with Derek and his friends,” Melissa said.

  “How long has this gone on?” I asked.

  “A while now,” she replied.

  The two groups sat at opposite café’s. Soon, Derek went over to Emily and it looked like they wanted to talk so they went into one of the alleys.

  “I bet they’re getting back together,” Melissa said.

  “Of course, they are, and then they might break up again,” Mark said.

  We continued to talk, and hang out for a few more hours until we all went home.

  When I got home, I told my parents about what happened at school at dinner.

  “So, how was your day?” Mom asked.

  “Fine. In fact, I finally made some friends,” I said.

  “That’s great!” Mom said. “What were they like?”

  “They were really nice and interesting as well,” I replied.

  “Well, at least you finally made some friends today, so I say that’s a great start. Then again, it’s really that time where you’re just finding out where you belong, you know,” Dad said.

  “That’s true,” I replied.

  “So, what did you guys do after school?” Mom asked.

  “We mostly just sat around the pond in the square and talked,” I replied.

  “That’s good. At least there’re some good people at your school,” Dad replied.

  Chapter Five

  I had been at school for three weeks now. School life was becoming easier for me, but it was also becoming boring and tedious all at the same time. Sitting in desks for hours, moving from classroom to cla
ssroom, was getting annoying.

  During drama class, we performed a scene that we had to make up. The teacher wanted us to do a skit involving getting a haircut. We got up onto the stage and began our presentation. With all of those kids watching me, it felt like my skin was turned inside out. I was more worried about embarrassing myself then giving a good performance.

  “Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to the cutting kingdom,” Sarah said with a New York accent as I pretended to enter through a door.

  “Hello. I’m here to get a haircut,” I said stiffly.

  I then went to sit down in a chair, while Sarah was pretending to get haircutting tools.

  “So, sir, would you like a slight trim, a buzz, or something else?” she asked.

  “I would like a regular haircut,” I said.

  If I were to watch this back on video, I felt like I would look like a robot reading off a cue card.

  “So, I heard the weirdest thing the other say. I heard that gas prices went up to four dollars a gallon. When I saw that, I freaked out,” she said.

  “That’s unfortunate,” I replied.

  “I know. I couldn’t believe it,” she said as she continued to pretend cut my hair.

  “All done, sir. That will be eight dollars,” she said as I got up and pretended to hand her money.

  The other students applauded us. We sat down and watched the other kids perform.

  “Sorry about that. Acting is not exactly my strong area,” I said as Sarah and I walked out of class.

  “That’s okay. Give it time and it does help you loosen up,” she said.

  “I’m throwing a party at my house tonight. Want to come?” she asked.

  “Sure! When and where?” I asked as she handed me a piece of paper with her address and time on it.

  As I went to the parking lot to go home, I encountered the king of all narcissistic assholes, Derek.

  “Well, if it isn’t the big badass himself,” he said.

  “Okay, listen. I don’t want any trouble, okay?” I replied.

  “Yeah, well, you found trouble!” Derek said as five other guys surrounded me.

  “So, are you going fight now?” Derek asked as he pushed me.

  “I’m not going to fight you,” I said.

  “Why are you scared?” Derek asked “Come on! Do something!”