Marked

by Stephanie Arehart

“I was actually wondering if I could switch rooms.”

  “Oh, are you having issues with your roommate?” Alyssa asked, as if this wasn’t the first time she’d heard this question.

  Jenna snapped into get-it-done mode and put on her most cheerful voice. “Oh no, not at all. My roommate is great, wonderful really. It’s just that my assigned room is, I’m not sure. Something’s off. I feel like I’d be more productive in my studies if I had a room on the north side of the building. Are you familiar with feng shui?”

  Alyssa stared blankly at her for a few seconds before answering, “Yes, I’m familiar. I’m afraid that all the rooms are taken, though.”

  Jenna wasn’t sure if Alyssa was being honest or not, due to the condescending tone of her voice.

  “But, some rooms usually free up after a couple of weeks, as people start to bail. You can wait and check back then, or you could try to find someone on the north side and explain your predicament for a trade. You do seem like a really persuasive gal.”

  Jenna thanked her in her fake voice and retreated. Though destiny had always been so kind to her, gifting her with a noble and prestigious profession, now it felt like there was nothing she could do to avoid disaster at every turn. It was a feeling of defeat that Jenna wasn’t at all accustomed to having, and she didn’t like it. This must be how people feel who were born with the mark of a janitor.

  Jenna returned to her cursed room and retrieved her backpack. A quick check in the mirror revealed the reflection of a stranger. She saw a haggard girl with dark circles around her eyes and no makeup, yet she didn’t have any energy to spare on her looks. Unbelievably, it was only her second day of classes, and she was already a mess. But such was the power of Vivian.

  Such a destructive waste of flesh.

  Trying to get back on track with her Jenna sensibilities, she mentally established a couple of mini goals to survive her second day of college. All she needed to do was get through her Anatomy class and one lecture; then she could come back to take a nap or return to the library, if she felt like it. Based on the latest murder, she had full faith that Vivian would be taken away before the end of the day. Like a mantra, she kept telling herself, as if she was willing it to happen.

  Life will be glorious again soon, if I can just get rid of Vivian.

  Upon arriving at her first session, she found a seat at the back of the classroom and slumped down, trying to blend in as much as possible. There weren’t many other students there yet, so she waited patiently as they began to file in and find their own seats. No one tried to approach her or speak to her, which pleased Jenna, though it was totally out of character for the star student. She inhaled the familiar smell of anatomy and biology classrooms, which helped ease her anxiety just a little. It was pungent but pleasant, a mix of strong formaldehyde with lemon-scented chemicals.

  Within the span of a couple of minutes, bodies filled the entire room. Right on the hour, the professor entered hurriedly, wasting little time on an introduction. The tall thin man went right to work, talking about what the class would include and general student expectations. Jenna appreciated the no-nonsense attitude of college professors so far. She had never enjoyed wasting time on hand-holding slower students back in high school.

  Jenna studied the professor as he spoke, much more clearly than the first man. His accent was easier to understand and clearly something American, perhaps from the Midwest. He appeared to be in his mid-forties, but in great shape, like he’d been an athlete in his younger days. His hair was thinning on top; otherwise she would have pegged him as a much younger man, based on his physique. His neat short haircut indicated he could have been former military. It was hard to see his mark from so far in the back of the room, causing Jenna to wish she’d sat closer. She definitely ruled out a medical or teaching mark, which confused her, but she decided to quit wasting time worrying about things that didn’t matter in her life.

  After he delivered his enthusiastic introduction, the professor asked the group to move toward the lab tables at the front corner of the room. That area of the room had several bright low-hanging lights, akin to interrogation rooms Jenna had seen on movies. The students got up and moved toward the tables as one collective mob, without much fanfare or discussion.

  Jenna recalled how non-medical marks had always reacted to dissection classes in high school, like immature and squeamish babies. That was really her first memory of believing in the validity of the Mark Registry, since she was instantly comfortable dismembering anything they put in front of her. Her parents were apprehensive at first about her natural surgical abilities, but they quickly grew to accept it.

  Jenna spotted an average-looking boy at one of the tables. When he looked up and saw her joining him, he was clearly excited. The plain boy with Clark Kent glasses was probably not that popular in high school, from what she initially gathered. His hair was jet black, thick and minimally styled. He was plain, yet he had an understated attractive quality about him, oozing confidence, like Vivian. Even though his medical mark was prominent, Jenna could visualize him as a handsome fireman. He tilted his head slightly and grinned as he extended his hand toward her.

  “Very glad to meet you. My name is Noah Metz.”

  “Nice to meet you, Noah. I’m Jenna Andrews. Guess we’re going to be lab partners.”

  He nodded like a new puppy greeting his owner at the end of a long work day. Jenna smiled, but she was ready to move past pleasantries to the task at hand. She glanced around the room and saw the other pairs getting to know each other and laughing; even Vivian appeared to be engaged in some lighthearted conversation across the room. She’d somehow landed a hot lab partner.

  Maybe when they finally come to take Vivian away in handcuffs, I can swoop in and pilfer him for myself.

  The aggressive thought panicked Jenna, as it was totally unlike her. She looked at the still-beaming Noah and felt even guiltier for her covetous thoughts of Vivian’s partner. Besides, Noah reminded her of her own father in some way, which made her feel even weirder. Jenna smiled sweetly at her own lab partner again and removed the paper cover on their assigned subject.

  “Ugh, another fetal pig. I’ve done a hundred of these already.”

  “What were you hoping for, a person?” Noah asked with a laugh.

  “Gross, no. Just hoping for something more advanced. I’m bored doing the same things all the time. I’m ready for a challenge.”

  The professor walked slowly around the room, and he must have overheard her complaints. After giving Jenna a look of disapproval, he addressed the class, “Students, I assure you that this is only the first day. Expect things to get progressively harder, and yes, there will be human cadavers soon.”

  Jenna turned bright red from embarrassment, both from being pegged as a naysayer and from coming across as some kind of bloodthirsty maniac. And yet, there was Vivian, clearly flirting with her partner and just skating through life. Jealousy raged inside Jenna’s head. How can she even live with herself after last night?

  Noah grabbed the scalpel and got started, probably trying to divert some of the heat away from Jenna’s verbal transgression. He was trying to be polite, but she took his gesture the wrong way.

  Maybe he thinks I don’t know what I’m doing?

  Jenna doubted he’d been around other medical marks in high school either, certainly not any females. She thought about how helpful it would have been if she could have met others like herself growing up. Those bonds could have been valuable. As it was, she’d always struggled internally to fit in, even though she was the smartest and most successful girl in school. No one ever sympathized with the poor little rich girl who was the best at everything she tried.

  She passively watched Noah as he carefully sliced into the little grey pig. Though he looked serious, he was still smiling cheek to cheek, clearly enjoying his work. Even though her first impression of him was that he was on the nerdy side, she was instantly enthralled by his surgical skills. It felt so right to be arou
nd others who shared her talents and passion. He looked up at her, as if he could tell what she was thinking. His huge grin was gone, replaced by a thoughtful expression, which intrigued Jenna even more.

  “Where are you from?” she asked as he worked.

  “A town outside Chicago. How about you?”

  “Oh, just a little town out in the country, in southern Missouri.”

  He stopped and made eye contact again. Jenna started to feel uncomfortable as he peered directly into her soul through her eyes. No one had ever looked at her like he did, like he really knew her.

  Pretty charming for a nerd.

  The professor interrupted their intimate gaze with a tap on the table and a comment to the class, advising that it was time to switch roles. Noah handed the scalpel to Jenna without ever losing eye contact. She blushed and thanked him as she took the blade in her hand.

  Jenna felt an electricity as their hands touched, which caused her to look back at him for an explanation, confirmation that he felt it too. He did. If they weren’t in the middle of a classroom surrounded by a bunch of strangers, maybe they would have kissed. The chemistry was undeniably electric and overwhelming.

  Feeling this deep connection with someone she’d just met was a confusing and unfamiliar experience for Jenna. She was completely new to the world of romance and hormones, and she barely knew anything about this boy. His looks weren’t anything special, so she determined it must be a deeper attraction. Her brain tried to rationalize the emotions consuming her.

  Maybe there’s more to the Mark Registry than just occupational inclination.

  “Do you think it’s because of the mark?” she asked.

  “What?”

  “This spark, or whatever it is.”

  “Maybe, or it could just be that you’re beautiful,” he smiled.

  Jenna blushed again as she heard the professor clear this throat, obviously sending a message that she needed to quit playing love games and finish the assignment. She gripped the scalpel expertly, like she’d already done so many times in her life. It felt good, almost like it was an extension of her hand. She picked up where Noah had left off, working quickly but with cautious precision. Jenna felt Noah’s eyes on her as she worked, but it didn’t intimidate her at all.

  “Wow, you’re really good at this,” Noah remarked.

  Jenna smiled as she looked up at him to accept his compliment; then she caught a glimpse of Vivian staring at her from her own lab table. She quickly looked away when she saw Jenna spot her, serving as the first time that Vivian had backed down from an eye war. Maybe she was starting to realize that Jenna knew her secrets and had the power to take her down.

  As Jenna focused back on her dissection assignment, light reflected off the blade, causing a quick flash. The glimmer triggered all those graphic images from before to flood her brain, and she again saw the shiny knife covered in blood. This time Vivian was clearly standing over that poor girl, stabbing her over and over, being the evil monster Jenna had known she was from the start.

  Then Jenna noticed something else, something completely unsettling. She dropped the scalpel on the table, causing it to bounce into the air before clattering onto the floor. In a quiet room full of engrossed students, this calamity got everyone’s attention. Jenna felt the tears of shame coming quickly. Unable to suppress them, she bolted for the door. Just as she stepped into the hallway, she felt the familiar splashes on her cheeks. Another first; Tough Jenna had never cried in public.

  She turned her back to the hallway, in case anyone was to walk that way. The door from the classroom opened, and she looked up to see Vivian approaching her, genuinely looking concerned.

  An actress too?

  “What was all that about, Sad Barbie?”

  “I guess you’re loving this. Aren’t you just thrilled that I broke down in front of everyone? Now you can just step in and take what’s rightfully mine, you imposter.”

  “Okay, I don’t know what’s happening here, and I’m not sure I even care. I was just trying to be a decent human being and check on you. You looked really upset in there.”

  Noah appeared through the doorway, also looking concerned. Jenna’s anger toward Vivian boiled over.

  “Just go away! You know I can turn you in, right? So just leave me alone!” Jenna threatened.

  “Turn me in for what?” Vivian asked calmly.

  “For all of it, the fake mark, the murders, drugging me, all of it!”

  Noah put his hand on Jenna’s arm, trying to calm her down, but it was futile. He had confusion written all over his face.

  “Yeah, you better calm your girl down. I’m not going to put up with her bullshit lies,” Vivian threatened.

  Jenna felt rage consume her body, like she was a completely different person. She pushed Noah’s hand away while simultaneously lunging at Vivian. The force of the impact caused Vivian to fall back on the floor, landing with Jenna on top of her. Jenna began punching Vivian repeatedly in the body, in the face, wherever she could. Vivian was curled up in a ball trying to defend herself, not fighting back at all. Noah tried to pull them apart, but wasn’t successful. He retreated to stand back against the wall, in shock from Jenna’s strength and so much rage, like he’d never seen in anyone.

  Then the professor appeared out of nowhere and yanked Jenna up, off the bloodied Vivian. Both girls panted hard, and both were crying hysterically. He marched them both down the hallway and into some room bordered by glass at the front of the building.

  The modern space seemed out of place in the building filled with old architecture. It was furnished with steel and glass, giving it a sterile vibe. There were several books stacked neatly against the wall, and a few certificates hung in perfect alignment. Other than two framed photos, nothing else sat on the huge desktop, not even a speck of dust. Since Jenna could only see the backs of the photos, she had no idea whose office they were inside. Whoever it belonged to was a very tidy person.

  “Sit!” he commanded as he released his tight grip on Jenna’s shoulders and pointed at two chairs next to each other. Both girls complied, though they turned their backs slightly to face away from each other. “Can you tell me what that crazy behavior was all about?” he demanded.

  Neither girl was willing to give in and attempt an explanation, either through stubbornness or inability to articulate it. The professor let them sit there in silence for a couple of minutes, waiting for the girls to quit huffing and puffing. Gradually, they began to calm down. Jenna was the first to speak.

  “I’m sorry for our behavior.”

  “Our behavior? Don’t you mean your behavior?” Vivian interjected.

  Jenna heard Vivian’s words, but they didn’t make sense to her. From her viewpoint, Vivian was just as responsible as she was. She was the one who’d driven Jenna past her breaking point. Ultimately, Jenna just wanted to get out of this uncomfortable situation, though, so she conceded. “I mean, I’m sorry for my behavior.”

  After a slight pause, Vivian apologized too, “I’m sorry for my part. I shouldn’t have followed you into the hallway. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “Thanks,” Jenna mumbled.

  “Ms. Andrews, I’m worried about you. Sometimes new students have a hard time adjusting, and I just want to make sure—” the professor interjected.

  “Hard time adjusting? It was just a little fight,” Jenna responded.

  “A fight? We have a zero-tolerance policy here on campus. If I feel like you might be a threat to yourself or others, I’m required to report you. There are high expectations for our students. The world is watching us, you know.”

  Jenna bowed her head in acceptance, wondering how disappointed her parents would be when they found out what she’d done. She just hoped she wouldn’t be kicked out of school completely and have her entire future ruined. The professor pulled out a couple of papers that looked like forms and continued with his scolding.

  “I’m putting you on academic probation for the re
st of this semester. This means that any more infractions, and you’ll be expelled permanently. Do you understand?”

  Both girls nodded in unison and sat silently as he wrote on the forms and pushed them over for a signature. Jenna quickly wrote her name and the date. Vivian refused to sign, though, asking if they were dismissed, and the professor mindlessly nodded as he filed the papers into some folder in the bottom drawer of his desk. Vivian grabbed her backpack and bolted without any further discussion. His look softened as he focused on Jenna, still sitting there like a perfect angel.

  “You don’t have to let this little outburst ruin everything, you know?” the professor said.

  “I’m not sure I can go back now. Something happened, something bad.”

  Just as Jenna was formulating the best way to confess what she knew and her potential involvement, the professor’s phone rang. He looked down and gave it a displeased expression before shoving the phone back into his pocket and standing up. Whatever he saw on his phone changed his tone from stern but compassionate to rushed. “Can we finish this conversation later? I need to get to my next class.”

  “Of course,” Jenna said, somewhat relieved to be shut off before she let the cat out of the bag.

  Chapter 6

  She really needed some quiet time alone to think, a chance to reset from her disastrous week. Jenna gathered herself and followed the professor out the door, back into the hallway. She stood there paralyzed by all the activity.

  People filled the halls, all moving with purpose, each like they had somewhere important to be. Everyone looked as if they knew exactly who they were and where they were going. To Jenna, it seemed like every single person there was better than her, even though they all had the same mark. This feeling of inadequacy was another first for her, a challenge to her ego.

  Jenna forced herself to move, strolling down the hall in a daze, completely disconnected from the real world. Her mind was nearly blank, like she was numb on the inside. As she got closer to her dorm, things began to thaw a little. She desperately wanted to go home, to see her parents, to sleep in her old bed, to feel safe again.