It has now been over half a year since you found the wrinkles and bumps on your tummy. It doesn’t itch anymore, but instead starts to tingle every now and again, sometimes enough to feel painful or sore. It keeps you up some nights, to the point where you would occasionally fall asleep in class. Although Mr. Stewart could be really boring… you are not the first to get caught by him.
You stare out the window at snow-covered city buildings and bright holiday decorations from the warm backseat of the car. Stroking the soft wool mittens between your fingers, you replay the appointment from earlier:
Doctor Lalonde leads you, Mom, and Dad into her office at the clinic. The room, not including the desk, which had a computer and photos, is pretty bland. The walls and floor are white and teal. There are a couple of anatomy posters pinned up on the walls, as well as a few framed certificate papers, a white bed with a tool shelf, and three blue seats in front of the desk. Everyone sits down.
“Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, we got the results from the samples in.” Dr. Lalonde starts, fixing her silver-rimmed glasses as she addresses you and your parents. Mostly your parents. “We think we found out what’s going on with Alex. The results showed that that side of the stomach has a different DNA signature. We figure it’s this rare condition, where the two embryos fused together in the womb during pregnancy. Only a handful of people are like this. They’re called Chimera in medical terms.”
All three of you are silent for a moment.
“So… It’s not cancer?” Mom asks from your left, relief evident in her tone as her brown fingers rub the small, golden cross necklace on her chest.
“No, Eileen. There’s nothing malignant about it.”
“But, what…” Dad stammers from your
right. “What happens to Chimeras? Is it… something bad?” All anxious eyes fall on Dr. Lalonde, who sighs and adjusts her glasses.
“No, Armin. As I just told Eileen, it means that Alex here has two different sets of DNA. That spot on the left was most likely where the two were conjoined before fusing.” she gives you an encouraging smile. “Okay, Alex? There’s nothing wrong with you, you’re just special.”
“Okay.” you nod and lean back in the big chair. What a relief! You don’t know much about cancer except that people get sick, go bald and die. That would be a horrible Christmas gift!
You still couldn’t get the thought of the mutated beast type of Chimera you saw in one of your favourite cartoons out of your head. You sort of imagine one running with the car outside, jumping over the streets but sticking to the building walls and shadows most of the time.
You are seldom listening to your parents as they discuss whether you should get more testing when you feel your side tingle again.
“Wow!” you exclaim, gazing at the blocks of clay, all different colours, sitting on Paddy’s kitchen table along with some sticks. You turn to him, grinning wider when seeing his smile. “You got a lot of clay.”
“Thanks.” he says in his usual monotone, looking in your direction, but not at you. Paddy never seems to look people in the eye, but you don’t really know that because of his bangs.
You and your friend sit down at the table in the rounded wooden chairs, followed by Samuel and Ciera, leaving the grown-ups in the living room.
“Pass me the blue.” Ciera says. You give her a light blue block of clay, a purple block for Samuel, and a red block for yourself. Paddy is flattening out a pile of yellow.
“What else didju get for Christmas?” Samuel asks, looking at the masks on the wall with a small frown. Paddy’s Mom said that he made most of them, which is pretty cool.
“Just some candy.” he answers, still focused on his clay pancake and using one of those sticks to draw on it.
“I got some dark chocolate.” Ciera says, showing everyone a blue clay chocolate bar. “Nom!” she pretends to take a bite out of it.
“You can’t eat it.” Paddy states. “That type of clay is toxic. You can use it as a plate after it gets fired.”
“I didn’t really. See?” she waves it in front of him with her good hand.
“Oh...” he looks down at his work. You stop making the red shark’s fins to look around the kitchen. You’ve known Paddy for almost two years, but this was the first time you came to his house. It’s pretty plain, with brown wooden floors and white walls. The only real cool things being the clay masks in the house, all made by Paddy.
You look over to see him fiddling with something.
“What’s that?” he jumps at your question.
“… It’s a mask.” he says, lifting it up to show everyone. It’s the same size as his hand, dull yellow with engravings, eyes holes and a smile.
“Can I see it?” Samuel asks, holding out his hand.
“… No.” He holds it to his chest.
“I wanna see it!” Ciera says, leaning over.
“No.” Paddy shakes his head in quick motions.
“Pleaaaaase?”
“No!” Paddy shouts. He gets out of his seat and runs down the hall and up the stairs. Uh-oh.
“I just wanted to see it.” Ciera’s pouting slumps on the silence.
“…I’ll… I’ll be right back!” you jog down the hallway and up the stairs. To the right is a sign on a white door that says ‘Paddy’s room’. You walk up to it and knock a few times.
“Paddy?” you whisper. No reply. “Are you in here?” You turn the knob and open the door, instantly finding Paddy’s form in the dark room, kneeling beside his bed. You raise your hand to flick on the light, but remember the last time something like this happened at school, and that he likes the dark, but hates being touched.
“I’m not giving you my mask, Alex.” Paddy hisses.
“I don’t want it.” you shut the door, but stay where you are. The bit of overcast light coming from the window is enough to see. “You okay? Why do you have the mask?”
“…It helps calm me down.”
“Was something wrong?” you take a few steps closer, until you’re squatting right in front of him. Your tummy feels sore, but you ignore it.
“…I’m not used to people… Coming… Uh, I never had other kids in my house.” he stutters out after a few seconds. “Not family, at least.”
You think about what he said for a few minutes, when a heavy feeling grows in your gut. Even though he invited just you, you’re the one who convinced him to invite Samuel and Ciera.
“I’m sorry, Paddy. I didn’t know.” You think you can see his eyes from under that blond mess of hair. “Paddy. If anythings ever bothering you, you can tell me, okay? We’re friends.”
“… O… Okay.” he says and you feel a smile grow on your lips.
“Wanna go back down stairs? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure no one takes your mask. I promise!”
“… Thanks.” Paddy sniffs and uses his big beige sleeves to wipe his nose and eyes.
‘Jeez, he’s really scared by all this.’ you wait until he’s done and lead him back to the kitchen, where his Mom, Samuel, and Ciera are waiting for you.
“Sorry.” he says beside you, fingers rubbing his small mask.
“Why can’t we see it?” Samuel asks.
“Because it’s special.” you answer, hands on your hips, daring him to talk back.
“Is that the Smile icon?” Paddy asks, walking to the table and studying Ciera’s work.
“Yeah! I love Don’t Forget to Smile!” she says. The three of them start taking about the story, making quotes and working on their clay.
“Thank you, Alex.” Paddy’s Mom whispers to you.
ns 15.158.61.46da2
