We were outside the gates by the time the speech was over. The crowd pushed their way out of the stadium like kids coming out of a schoolyard.  I turned to Jack. "You think anyone noticed we were gone?" She shook her head, "No. The crowds too big. I just hope we don't get in trouble for that laughing business." I cracked a smile. I had forgotten about that. "Oh well, cube me. Like they haven't laughed before."

We walked through the crowd, looking for Devan. Why on Storm would we be looking for him you ask? Because he's Jack's friend. Yup, I'm talking about the same kid who dumped a bucket of ice on my head to get me to wake up.
Anyway.
Once as we spotted him, Jack waved him over. He stopped to let a boy pass in front of him. I thought it was a nice gesture, besides the part where he tripped the kid as he walked by. "Will he ever grow up?" Jack sighed. "Nope. Let's get outta here before it rubs off on us." I remarked with a hopeful smirk. Jack shot me a sideways glance. "Don't you want him to wish you luck on your test, tomorrow?"
"He'll just make some smart comment about how I'll get rejected."
"You always think the worst of him."
"It's hard not to when he shatters people's skulls with a block of ice and trips little children." I countered. Jack rolled her eyes as Devan finally made it to us. "Hey Jackie!" He said, offering her a high-five. She accepted the gesture, smiling. "So Devs, what've you been up to?" I said, not wanting to bring up the test. "Besides hurting seven year olds, I mean." Devan's grin didn't falter. "Devs? That the best you got, Marshall?" I laughed. "Hey, I'm not the one using last names as an insult."
"Who's down for ice cream?" Jack piped up. I raised my hands in defeat. "You found my weakness."

                                                                                                                       *  *  *

It took half the ride-which, by the way, is roughly twenty seconds-to the Auxilium Center for my mind to finally process that this was it.
The day my test happens.
A few of my older friends warned me that it hurts like heck, even if you pass. They also warned me that if you don't, your eyes turn black. No, your eyes burn. Not just pain-wise, they literally burn. And if I have any choice in the matter, I never want to see a reject. I glanced down at my wrist, which was marked with a number. 45,078. The number fades away after the test, so I've heard, anyway.

I stepped out of the car, and stood in line with a thousand other people. Once as the doors opened, the people in front of me seemed to be debating whether or not to go inside. After all, in an hour or so, we could be marked for death. Or cubing. Same difference.
When they finally mustered up the courage to go inside, I trailed along behind them. I stared up at the silver arched doorway as we walked inside, like a marching band that just got their instruments repossessed.
The interior looked a lot like a hospital, which, I assumed it doubled as. There was a large desk with a young woman behind it, maybe in her early twenties. She had grey eyes, and her brown hair rested in a neat bun on her head. She was wearing a button up green blouse, and black rimmed glasses.
"You all are here for the Rejection Test, I assume?" She said, although by the look on her face, I assumed she already knew. I nodded. I heard a few people whispering yesses behind me. "Wonderful." She stood up. "Follow me, please."

She dropped us off at our rooms, one by one. It seemed like forever before she finally got to me. She smiled warmly and gestured me inside. "Please find a seat, the doctor will be in shortly." I nodded and stepped inside the room. The door clicked shut behind me, and my heart rate sped up. I was tempted to see if it was locked, but decided against it. This place was probably crammed with cameras, anyway.

The lady was right, unlike Earthly hospitals, the doctor was in pretty quick. I laid down on the table. "Dexter J. Marshall?" He asked, looking at his clipboard. I frowned. "Just call me Dex." The doctor nodded. "You can call me Alfred. Shall I began?"
"Yeah. Now's as good a time as any."
Alfred moved over to me, pushing me down onto the table and began strapping down my body. "What's that for?" I inquired, not liking it one bit. "Some kids tend to... thrash around their body during the test, and it's very dangerous when under the machine."
"Oh.. okay." I said uncomfortably as I readjusted my body. He began planting tubes into my skin, a lime green liquid flowing throughout them.. I winced slightly.

Alfred pushed my table into a large tube, like a cat scan. Or a coffin, whichever you prefer.
A bright light shot from the top of my tube and I had to close my eyes to not get blinded. After a few seconds the oxygen in the tube felt almost nonexistent. My ribs seemed to crush my lungs, and the pain just radiated throughout the rest of my body. My eyes felt roasted, and three words echoed throughout my mind; I'm a reject. My eardrums were exploding as a loud hum filled the air. I was surprisingly glad for the restraints, because I felt my body shaking violently.
I'm a reject.
It felt as if liquid nitrogen was creeping up my legs, then going into my blood stream, freezing every muscle.. The sounds of the machine were drowned out by my pained screams.
Somethings snaked down my back, leaving a trail of flaming pain behind. "Stop...!" I choked.
My mouth was completely dry, it felt like sand was slashing down my throat. I tried to call out again, but my breath was gone. Mark your calendars, friends, foes, strangers, I'm going to die.
My mind was blank, except those dreaded words.
I'm a reject. My skin felt raw and itchy. I wanted to scrape my entire body against a bed of nails. The restraints seemed to tighten around my wrists, causing them to feel irritated.
I couldn't take it much longer. I wished I'd gotten cubed for laughing at the ceremony. This was just torture.
Then it stopped.
My lungs filled with air, and I coughed it right back out again. I felt like I was moving, and the straps around my waist, legs, and arms loosened. I sat up bolt right, rubbing the black spots out of my eyes. Alfred carefully removed the tubes. "Come with me, Dex." He said and began walking. I didn't think I would be able to walk, but he acted like I was perfectly capable and wasn't just almost brutally murdered. I pursed my lips, fighting back the pain before getting off the table. My legs [luckily] were not frozen.

We walked into a long hallway where a bunch of kids were lined up. [Some of which had tears streaming down their cheeks.] Alfred motioned me to join them.
As I stood in formation, one hand clutching my aching stomach. It was either nerves or the whole test was still taking one on me... I looked up and I realized that the woman from earlier was scanning a girl's face a few steps away from me. As the scanner crossed her face her eyes turned black and she fell on her knees, crying out-no, screaming bloody murder... Smoke puffed from under her hands as she placed them on her eyes. I took a step back and slammed into the wall.

"Scary, isn't it?" A boy said from my side. I turned my head, glad to have something else to look at besides the gruesome scene. The boy had blonde hair that stuck up in spikes. He had a tank top that was patterned with palm trees on it, with a pair of cargo shorts. "And to think that could be us in a few minutes.." I added to his comment.

"I'm Seth, although my name might not matter if that happens to either of us."

"I'm Dex-" I stopped when I saw the lady step in front of me. She held the scanner to my face and my knees felt weak. The light from the scanner crossed my eyes and it beeped like it had with the other reject.... Oh no.. I bit my lip and waited, but nothing happened. The lady smiled warmly and stepped to Seth without a word. I'm safe. I'm not a reject. Relief flooded my body.
You don't know relief until you've been in this position, trust me.
She passed Seth [to his relief] and the next couple before another reject showed up. He didn't collapse like the other one did, which was not a good thing. I saw his eyes turning.. burning.... He ripped the scanner out of her hand and threw it on the floor. He stepped up to the lady and socked her in the eye before the two guards could come and restrain him. They dragged him out of the hall. He shouted a row of curse words at them, his eyes wide and burnt. Even after he left, his eyes seemed permanently plastered in my brain. The woman was holding her eye, her bottom lip pushed out slightly. She handed off the machine to another woman, leaving the hall.

"I feel really bad for them." Seth said, frowning. I suddenly felt guilty. I'd only cared if I had made it through. "Yeah.. me too." I sighed and leaned back against the wall.
"I wonder what happens after cubing." Seth stammered. My gaze shifted back to him. "What?"
"I just.. think it's weird that no one ever talks about. That's all." I pondered on his words a moment. "You're right. It's really weird. Unless, of course, they talk about it when we're at the Fight the Rebellion ceremony." I blurted out, not realizing what I said until it was already in the air. I really had forgotten about the strange people until that moment.
"What do you mean?" He asked, staring at me with large, blue eyes. "I dunno. That's the only time we're all rounded up in one place." I said, not wanting to get in trouble for sneaking out. Of course, after I said it, I realized they could easily find a secure place.. and why would they just talk in the middle of the streets? He shrugged, but a new glint of curiosity shined in his eye as he turned back to the new lady who was separating the rejects from the rest of us.

A few guards helped the rejects along. A girl sobbed as a boy from beside her was ripped away. She screamed and ran after the reject, but the guards held her back. She tried to get through them, thrashing at them with her hands. I just stared. Then the guard pulled something out of his pocket.
It was a gun.
He aimed it at the girl's face. He could see the flush from her anger died down. Soon enough, she was pale as a ghost. She cowered back into line and the man placed the gun back in it's holster. I exchanged a glance with Seth. "They can do that?" He asked, as if he had read my mind. I gave a small shrug. "Apparently they can."

I was ecstatic to tell Jack I'd made it through. She seemed happy too, but Devan wasn't as excited.
Which, by the way, wasn't that surprising.
I decided not to tell Jack how painful it was, since she had hers next week, after she turned sixteen. I didn't want her to be afraid. 
"Is your number gone?" She asked, at the edge of her seat. I'd forgotten to check. I tugged at my sleeve until my wrist was visible. There was a slight rash from where the restraints had been, but the number was gone. "Yeah.. it is!" I grinned. She took a hold of my arm. "No way. Are you going to Storm training or Aureola City?"
"Well.. I don't have to leave Haventown until I'm thirty, you know." Jack rolled her eyes. "But you have a better chance if you leave soon. After my test, I'm going straight to Storm training."
"I guess I will too.. After all, there's no way I could afford the latter. But I think I'll wait to leave with you. One more week wont change much." I said, smirking.
"Suit yourself. But I might leave without you if you keep procrastinating."
"I'm not procrastinating."                                                                                                            
"Su-ure." She sang, grinning widely. "Because what you're doing is definitely not the exact definition." The sarcasm in her voice was thick. "I just thought you'd want me around, that's all." I said, trying to make her feel guilty. "I mean, If you want me to leave, I understand."
"That's not what I said." Jack stated. "Right, because you telling me to move out this instant does not mean you don't want me here." I said, matching her level in sarcasm from earlier.
"Whatever, Dex."                                                                                                              
"Whatever, Jack." I smirked. "You just have to have the last word, don't you?" She asked with an annoyed look on her face. "That was actually two words." Jack groaned and walked away.
"Wait, Jack! I was only kidding," She didn't turn back.

The rest of my day was completely Jack-less. Which is, in fact, as bad as it sounds since she didn't bring her tag-along Devan with her.

I was cutting through the streets when he found me. "Hey Marshall! Wait up!" I kept going. "Dexter!" I sighed and turned around. "What?"
"I was just-oh.. Your eyes look a little black. If you want, I'll take you to the cubing station?"
"Shut up, Devan." I grumbled, stuffing my hands in my pockets. I really wasn't in the mood. I hated upsetting Jack, or anyone, really. With the exception of Devan, of course. "I'm never going back there again."
"Never?"
"Not unless you're a reject. I wouldn't miss them cubing you for the universe." Devan shot me a look. I shrugged, a smirk playing on my face. "C'mon, Devan I know you would have returned the favor for me."
"In a heartbeat."
"Exactly. It's a shame you wont have your test for two years. I wanted front row seating."