A CHANCE

Kira packed her bags after class and let out a sigh as she glanced at the bulletin board before leaving. A blue flyer fluttered precariously in the wind, pinned down by an office pin.

[Vortex Testing: 13.05.2055] the flyer read.

The sixth test of the month was scheduled for the following day. She struggled to find words to describe her past six months. Every attempt, each study, and all the experiments in the school lab had ended in failure. After Asher left for VA in November, she had buried herself in the library, poring over countless blogs and investing in various chemicals, as the school provided only a minimal supply.

In December, Kira had cried herself to sleep on Christmas Day. Although people paid little attention to the holidays due to their financial struggles, she had cherished their traditions with Asher—decorating the Christmas tree, exchanging gifts, and visiting Rockefeller Center to ice skate and admire the finishing touches on the Christmas tree.

New Year's Eve had been spent watching classic films and soap operas, missing their ritual of sharing a kiss at midnight. January was marked by his birthday, which she couldn't celebrate as the Vortex directives forbade her from sending him a gift.

For the next few months, she continued to test negative. She had no symptoms and was nowhere close to developing an antidote. Today, April 12th, was her 19th birthday, and she had only two years to either get positive test results and join VA or develop an antidote to cure Asher's mutation.

Yet, the hope fueled by Asher's promise kept her going. The thought that he still loved her motivated her, drowning out any second thoughts.

Kira had no intention of celebrating her birthday; she never viewed it as anything special. Asher had always taken on the celebration tasks, buying gifts, singing off-key to wake her up with cake.

Waking up alone in their apartment felt painfully real. After school, she watched the basketball team play for a few minutes, receiving a birthday greeting from Coach Grayson, who had honored his promise to Asher by helping her with rent and keeping an eye on her at school.

It was the least he could do to keep her hopeful, even though he believed her plans to join VA were merely a dream. She was immensely grateful for his support and that of Ms. Florence, who shared similar concerns but encouraged Kira nonetheless.

After delivering freshly printed and bound copies of their comic book, "Mistress of Evil"—a teen favorite about a mutated lab scientist's daughter who transforms into a dragon—Kira felt a spark of pride. The idea had struck her like a dream, and she hurriedly put it into writing while Asher had brought it to life. Now, without him, she focused on selling copies of their work since the inspiration to continue without him had waned.

When she dropped the copies at Brett's store, he handed her a disc after paying her in cash.

"What's this for?" she asked, smiling.

"Happy birthday! Someone wanted you to have this," Brett explained, extending the disc toward her.

"Thanks, Brett." She took the disc and examined it. "Who asked you to give this to me?"

"Asher," he replied, and Kira felt her heart skip a beat. "He asked me to help him burn it last year before he left. I thought it would be best to give it to you now." Brett smiled briefly.

"He knew he was going to leave," Kira whispered, her body quivering slightly as she slipped the disc into her bag, anticipation building at the thought of what it contained. She wasn't expecting anything from Asher; deep down, she doubted the Vortex would even permit him to visit. *What if he's already forgotten about me?* she thought.

"He loves you, Kira. I'm rooting for both of you," Brett reassured her, and she managed a small smile. "Thank you."

After a brief conversation with Brett and reading a few reviews of "Mistress of Evil," Kira made her way out of the building. It was already 2 PM, and she needed to finish her shift at the library. Entering the library, she felt determined to work and to think less about the possibility of Asher returning. Soon, everything would work out, and maybe the test at Vortex would prove fruitful.

"Happy birthday, K!" a voice greeted her as she placed her things on the reference desk. She looked up to see Paul, the new volunteer for the nonfiction section. His grey eyes followed her as she took her seat, and flashed him a bright smile that made his heart flutter.

"Thanks, Paul," she acknowledged.

He walked over to the desk, and with only the two of them in the area, she expected more patrons to be there. Paul always made an effort to keep her company, discussing random topics and assisting her when needed. They had developed a decent friendship over the past two months, and Kira knew she would miss him if she left, perhaps WHEN she left.

He was her only friend besides Asher. It wasn't that Asher discouraged her from meeting new people or was overly possessive; she simply didn't see the need, especially since other girls detested her. Her companions were limited to work colleagues and her boyfriend.

After Paul left, she focused on research about the mutagen. By 4 PM, she packed her things to leave and waited at the bus stop for her ride home.

"Hey," Paul's familiar voice rang out as he sat next to her.

"Hi," she smiled. He lived on a street close to hers and often offered to walk her home after work.

"You forgot to put a few books back on the shelf."

"Oh... I'm so sorry; I got carried away." She smiled sheepishly, her mind drifting to Asher. It was typical of him to leave books on the table after studying. She chuckled at the memory of scolding him for it, followed by him cleaning up with a pout and sneaking in a cuddle as he apologized. She bit her lower lip tightly and redirected her attention back to Paul.

"It's okay; I put them back. It's interesting, though."

"What? That I forget to put books back?" she laughed.

"No... no." He chuckled and clicked his tongue. "That you would actually give up your life for him."

Kira's expression morphed into a mixture of confusion and irritation. "I'm not giving up my life for him. Everything I've planned includes him."

"What about him? Does he have you in his plans?"

"Yes, because we're a team," she replied sharply.

Paul was slightly taken aback but pressed on, running a hand through his short black hair. "If he does, why did he leave you? Why isn't he fighting for you? Why are you doing this alone?" He paused to let his questions sink in, his satisfaction growing as he sensed he was getting to her. "You deserve better, Kira. Someone who is present now, someone who can fight for you, who sees your worth—not the other way around. You deserve better than a man who broke up with you over something. You deserve to be safe. You—"

"And you can give me that?" she interrupted, noting the bus was in sight.

"Yes, I can. I know this. If I were him, I'd fight for you, Kira. The world, the Vortex, or anything."

"You're not him, Paul."

"Doesn't that give me a chance?" he smirked.

"No, that's the only criterion you need. I appreciate your offer, but if it's all about fighting, Asher has done that since the very first day we met. He always puts me before himself; it's never what he wants; it's always what I want. He cares for me in ways that make me question whether he's real or if I deserve it. I don't deserve better—he is better. He's always been. You don't know Asher Prescott, but I do. If one member of the team can't fight, the other will. I'm not giving up on him, and I know he hasn't given up on me." With that, she stood as the bus arrived.

Paul watched her leave, frozen in shock at her determination and confidence. "Six months," he whispered, gritting his teeth in disappointment. Since their time together, he had developed strong feelings for her and learned about Asher through Ms. Florence. Although she had mentioned their relationship was strong, he doubted anyone would hold onto someone for so long. Talking to Kira had been a distraction, but it felt as though Asher had locked her away and swallowed the key.

He shook his head and joined her on the bus, immediately apologizing as they made their way back home. The sky was dimming by 5 PM, and everyone had retreated indoors due to the curfew. Kira briskly walked home, trying to hurry to her apartment to avoid becoming a victim of the violence that plagued the streets. Just days earlier, she had heard gunshots and, fueled by curiosity, peeked through her window to see soldiers surrounding the body of a drunk man.

The following day, the news had spread throughout the neighborhood. The man was a journalist who had lost his family during the apocalypse, leading him into despair and ultimately prompting him to give up on life. Kira felt grateful to be there for Asher, who had also lost his parents; with her support, he slowly began to heal, avoiding the path of self-destruction.

Paul walked back home in silence, their footsteps crunching leaves beneath the dim streetlights. They barely made it to her apartment when Kira heard a whistle from behind.

"Finally, we've got you," a raspy voice chuckled. Kira turned sharply, her heart racing as she recognized the voice. Her gaze met a group of hefty teens clad in tattered clothing, brandishing weapons like knives and clubs. Instinctively, she turned to Paul for support but was greeted by the sight of him sprinting away, fleeing for his life.