Portrait of a Donor: A Starters Story Read Free Page A

could drive you crazy,” I said. “Trying to figure out everything you did.”
    “I’m already there.”
    I pick up the media controls and start a game. It’s a walk-through environmental game
     of ancient Egypt, displayed in the middle of the room, in the round stage space that
     all the chairs face.
    Lee slips into the bathroom to change while I climb inside a pyramid. He comes out
     sporting his new clothes and stands near one of the chairs.
    “Now who’s pretty?” I ask.
    He stares off, deep in thought.
    “You’re still thinking about what happened?” I ask.
    “It isn’t what happened that’s so scary,” he says. “It’s what could happen now. We
     still have these chips in our heads. How do we know no one’s going to use them?”
    “The body bank is over.”
    “You think the Old Man never made a backup plan?”
    That thought hits me like a punch to the gut by some unfriendlie. I play the game
     in silence, exploring deeper inside the pyramid. Lee goes to the food and comes backwith a huge bowl of assorted candy. Eventually, he joins me in the game as we hunt
     for a golden cat statue.
    After a while, the door opens. We freeze until we see it’s Raj.
    “Came back to save you,” Raj says.
    “What’s that mean?” Lee asks as he pops a gummy alien in his mouth.
    Raj gently removes the candy bowl from Lee’s hand and sets it down. “This will rot
     your teeth. I’m taking you out.”

    I sit in Raj’s super-fancy sports car. I’m beside Raj, close enough to notice his
     sweet smell. Sort of like almonds. It’s nice to be with clean people instead of dirty
     squatters, like I used to be. I press a button and a makeup mirror slides from a ceiling
     panel. I check my face and see Lee’s reflection behind it. He’s in the backseat with
     a scowl on his face. I know that look. He’s jealous of everything Raj has. This car,
     his house, all his money. It’s hard not to be, when Raj has so much.
    How long will he let us stay? No one wants to ask, and maybe he doesn’t know the answer.
     Maybe his grandparents will return and we’ll be kicked out.
    I press the button again and the mirror disappears. Raj looks over and smiles. Would
     he ever go for a girl like me?
    Maybe. But not for long, probably. I’m sure his Indian parents would have a fit once
     they saw that my skin is darker than theirs.
    Enjoy it while it lasts.

    Raj pulls into the parking lot of a fancy restaurant that doesn’t look like a breakfast
     place. There are few cars.
    Inside, the place is empty. No customers, no waiters, no music.
    “It’s early,” Raj says, looking at his watch.
    It
is
only eleven a.m. The restaurant looks expensive, with large stone tiles on thefloor. Maybe they’re imitation. Holo grapes masquerade as the real thing, hanging
     from the latticed ceiling.
    “Follow me,” Raj says as he walks through the room.
    We hesitate. “I don’t think they’re open,” I say.
    “It’s okay.” He motions for us to follow. “I know the owner.”
    My heels echo on the floor as he leads us to a cozy private room with oak paneling
     and a wine rack. One large table fills the space.
    “Sit,” Raj says.
    He hands us large cloth-covered menus. I notice lunch isn’t even listed, just dinner.
     Lee shifts in his chair. Raj has his head buried in the menu.
    Three Enders in suits come into our room. They’re not smiling. And they close the
     door behind them. The mood in the room immediately turns sour. My heart races. This
     isn’t right.
    Raj’s expression changes so fast, it’s like that game where you wave your hand over
     your smiling face and reveal a frown. He was a different person now. All business.
    One of the Enders, a short, stocky man points at me. “I thought she was going to be
     blond.”
    “I never said that,” Raj says, standing.
    Lee and I also rise. I try to push my chair back to escape, but one Ender holds it
     in place with heavy hands. Another Ender stands behind Lee’s chair.
    Raj