Undiscovered Connections

Chapter 1

I blurred out the ramblings of Mr Dean as he started to introduce the new topic for health class, imprinting. It’s not that I didn’t want to do well in class, and usually I am the embodiment of the perfect student, but today I was too busy thinking of what I was going to do for dinner. I had already run out of all my groceries for the week and it was only Thursday, I needed to figure out how to pick up some extra cash unless I wanted to starve for the next couple of days until my monthly allowance came in on Sunday. Looking around the class, I sigh in frustration at the easy life all my classmates seemed to have.

At age 18, I was already the only person looking out for me, keeping my bills paid, clothes clean, food cooked and managing my monthly allowance from the government for kids who didn’t have any legal guardians. Since my 18th birthday, 3 months ago, I had officially stopped being looked after by my legal guardians, the government had then given me a small room in a city council building with a communal kitchen and bathrooms, a small fridge in my room, single bed and wardrobe. I had this space for free until I graduated school in 3 months time. It really wasn’t much and sharing the space with a bunch of other random people who didn’t have anywhere else to go wasn’t great.

Some people were like me, orphaned as a baby, never adopted and so bounced around the care system until they were spat out at the age we officially turned an adult. Others were recovering from addiction of some form or had just got out of prison and were in rehabilitation programmes funded by the government. Essentially the ones society left behind. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my room despite its smallness. It was the first place I had that truly felt like mine and only mine, and it got better and better each week when I would go scouting for pieces of furniture to repair and spruce up the space or go to the market and haggle for decorative pieces. Even so, I was struggling.

I had been given my monthly allowance and now had to find out a way to get more money… maybe I could check at the central market, there was usually a stool that needed an extra helping hand… although the pay was always pitiful… but better than nothing I guess…

As I’m thinking of money options, I notice a small tap on my shoulder, and then a tug on the back of my ponytail. Looking away from the window and back into the classroom, a blush slowly rises in my cheeks. Everyone was looking at me.

“Hey airhead, do you think you can manage answering the question, or is it really that difficult for you?” a silky, arrogant voice comes from behind me. I turn quickly, a protest already on my lips when I notice who spoke to me. Dylan Poole. He was sitting behind me, looking very happy with himself, a small smirk on his face. His dark blue eyes staring into mine, seemingly enjoying my silent reaction as anger fills me and my blush deepens with frustration. I open my mouth to try and come up with a quick response, but realise I have no idea what he is talking about. I quickly shut my mouth again, seething with frustration on this unfair attack on my intelligence.

“Looking like a dying fish isn’t going to help you” he states, getting a few laughs out of my classmates nearby who heard. Before I can lash out at him, I hear Mr Dean clear his throat. I turn back around quickly as he says my name.

“Cassandra, did you hear what I asked you? Evidently not, from your lack of response” he says abruptly.

“Sorry sir, I had other things on my mind.” I replied, really hating that all the attention was now on me and I still had no idea what was going on.

“I asked if you could tell me the origin theory behind imprinting and some of the main biological features that accompany the process. Please pay attention Cassandra, this is an important lesson for all of you as it could, and most likely will, apply to any of you. This topic is only for your benefit… I already know all of this.” He says rather smugly, I hated it when teachers pointed that out. “Now please, Cassandra, answer the question.”

I already know the answer to this, I think by 18 most students know naturally anyways, it seems to be the only thing on people’s minds the moment they hit 15 and no longer think with their brains but their hormones. Pfft, it was so stupid.

“It has been scientifically proven that imprinting occurs to strengthen human offspring. It evolved to guarantee a strong bond between a male and a female so that they will have healthy children and raise them together for the most genetically and socially strong population to be formed. It helps to enhance the genes of those who undergo imprinting, making them physically, mentally and emotionally stronger. It’s like a second puberty, with hormonal shifts and physical changes.”

I recite the information using the most neutral terms possible, considering that whenever I have heard or discussed it before the main thing everyone else focuses on is either the falling in love between an imprinted pair or the increase in libido that accompanies the process.

“Good. Thank you, Cassandra, for finally contributing. Now everyone, eyes back on me, we are going to watch a short informational video provided by the scientists at the Falmere Research Institute about imprinting between a man and a woman. Please make sure to pay attention, the possibility of imprinting begins when you turn 18 which most of you are now. This could apply to you, so focus.” Mr Dean silences everyone and then presses play on the big screen which covered the front of the classroom.

A holographic clip flickers to life and begins with a scientist wearing the uniform of Falmere popping up, with their circular logo and two intersecting triangles embroidered onto their stereotypical white lab coat.

Urgh, this topic could not be more painfully boring. I did not want to learn about the process of imprinting as I had no plans on getting myself imprinted on. As the film continues, I think back to the school play that was put on last year. It was meant to be all about a great love story that happened between an imprinted couple from rival families. 

The way that imprinting occurs is when a guy is experiencing enhanced levels of testosterone, usually heightened by adrenaline, and a girl nearby somehow grabs their attention by highlighting their femininity. It sounds stupid but the male body reacts to the presence of oestrogen, and at the heightened levels this causes an imprint to be made. It was evolved, like I said, so that stronger bonds are created between males and females. The guys feel it a lot stronger at first than the girls but as they spend more time together the bond becomes as strong for the girl and then they formalise their match when both have reached the same level – like creating a hormonal balance between the two. Anyways, we were watching this play where a girl falls in love with a guy after an intense imprinting happens between them. 

Anyways, the actors were halfway through the play, at the point where the imprinting happens in the story and then suddenly, boom, he actually imprinted on her. It was the weirdest thing to watch, I guess it was because of the adrenaline from acting in front of the whole school, but the girl said one line that caught the guys attention and suddenly his eyes glazed over slightly and the next second he was running towards her on stage, scooping her up and rushing off with her. I’m not sure what she thought of it but after the weekend they were inseparable, always hooking up in the hallway, walking everywhere together and he was impossibly possessive. 

That was a major part I didn’t like, the possessive and aggressive nature that overcame the guys who had freshly imprinted. They made it impossible for any other guy to come near their imprinted girl, so even if she didn’t want to be imprinted to him it’s like she didn’t have a choice. No other guy could easily imprint on her after that… it was stupid. That’s another reason I have been avoiding my peers this year, in addition to having extra work after school to earn money and the workload at school getting more intense, there was no way I wanted to be caught around high testosterone guys and accidentally get imprinted. I’m happy being independent, it’s what I’ve known my whole life and I don’t want to turn into a horny, needy, dependent person just because of hormones. 

I suddenly feel a cool breeze on the back of my neck. Turning around looking for an open window I notice Dylan staring at me, a mischievous look in his eye. My eyes narrow into a glare as I realise he had been blowing on me, causing me to shiver. He smirks back at me, feigning innocence and I just turn around ignoring him as best as I can. I did not want to have Dylan Poole’s attention on me, nor anyone associated with him. He with his 3 best friends were always the centre of discussion at the school. Every girl wanted to be imprinted by them as they were all, I’ll admit, objectively the hottest guys in our year. They were an unusual group, largely because they had all joined the school at the same time near the end of last year, just before we all stopped for summer. No one really knew where they had transferred from and its super weird to transfer at this point in school, halfway through the exam years. They also mostly kept to themselves, of course they always had a bunch of girls hanging around them – especially since rumour got out that they had all already turned 18 at the beginning of this year, and they had lots of guys who tried to get friendly with them too, but they were always seen together. Dylan was the clown of their group, he was always saying comments which made the other three laugh loads. Hence why he probably thought it was so much fun to tease me…

As we start nearing the end of class, I see three figures hanging around outside the windows of the classroom. Of course, it was the rest of Dylan’s group. There was Dante who was slightly taller than the rest, cropped hair on the sides and a long wavy mop of brown hair on top. Then there was Benny, he’s tanned and toned, the one all the girls loved to compliment for his muscles, and he loved to flirt back. Finally, there was Logan, the sort of leader of their group, I guess. He was also classically handsome, with a sharp jaw line and startingly blue eyes which contrasted with his dark hair. He always looked so serious, never really smiling at anyone else outside of his friends. I briefly glance over them waiting outside. For a moment it seems like they are all staring straight at me, I still for half a second wondering why they would pay me attention. I then see them break out into smiles, including Logan, and realise they must be looking at Dylan directly behind me. I feel a small blush rise in my cheeks, mentally kicking myself for thinking that they would be looking at me in the first place. 

As the hologram at the front of class flickers off and Mr Dean switches the lights back on, I realise I had completely lost track of class. It was the last one of the day, now I had to get my stuff together so I could rush off to the market to see about extra work. As all the students start collecting their stuff and shifting about to begin shuffling out the classroom, Mr Dean calls out to all of us. 

“Don’t forget, tomorrow is a half day as we are hosting the third Matching Games of the year in the afternoon. This is why everything you learnt today is so important!” 

Urgh. I had completely forgotten… the Matching Games were a series of sports events and games which were designed to amp up testosterone levels in the guys over 18 to encourage imprinting. It was a bit of an archaic tradition at this point, but most people loved it. Students loved the opportunity to imprint or be imprinted on, especially when the guys got to show off and mess around. I thought it was stupid, it’s not like we couldn’t just date and hang out without being in an imprinted pairing. Plus, the whole thing was so oppressive in terms of s****l orientation – I mean it was impossible for girls to imprint on each other and really hard for guys to imprint on other guys. The whole thing just seemed so outdated. 

I groan lowly at the announcement and start to pack my things even quicker. 

“What’s the rush? Where’s your school spirit?” I hear a voice surprisingly close to my ear, spinning around I almost bump straight into the broad chest of Dylan who is looking down at me. Great. He stands there smirking at me and the look of surprise on my face. 

“I’m just not interested in the games at all, got more important things to be doing.” I state quickly and turn to leave. As I’m pulling away, I feel a warm hand wrap around my wrist, engulfing my small arm. Turning back round I see that Dylan had reached out quickly to grab me, trapping me in place. 

“That’s a real shame” he says lowly, “I thought a cutie like you would love to be imprinted on, you’re going to miss all my best moves.” His smirk widens across his face with his arrogant words. 

“Well that just goes to show how much you know” I snap back, yanking my wrist from his. “I don’t care about the games and I definitely do not want to be imprinted on.” I quickly spin and head for the door, feeling the heat of someone watching me on the back of my head. 

As I reach the door of the classroom Mr Dean stops me. “Remember Cassandra, these games are compulsory for those over the age of 18. So make sure you’re there, because you’ll be getting detention for a week if you try to skip it.” He says seriously, giving me a knowing look. 

Damn it. I couldn’t get detention if I needed to work… urgh, I guess I’m going to the games.