by Shinn A. H.
Mr. Patterson started passing out the results one by one. “Your data is on the disk I’m handing you. You’ll identify specific genes from your extensive sequence of DNA by using a DNA database. Follow the end of the protocol….You may begin.”
Once they got their disks, the students got up and scrambled to the computer stations.
Kellie grabbed an empty seat and inserted her disk into the computer. She clicked on the only file that appeared and waited a few minutes for it to open. When the sequence was brought up, she was amazed by all the random repeats of A, G, T, and C, the four nucleotides that make up DNA. She then opened the program that scans through DNA sequences.
The waiting seemed endless as the program compared her genetic material to known sequences of various genes. “The DNA databank,” Mr. Patterson explained, “contains sequences of genes that were discovered by scientists all over the world. With this powerful tool, anyone can take an unknown sequence and find out what gene it is most similar to.”
The noise level elevated as the excitement spurred in the class. She heard gasping and the sharing of findings from her classmates. After what felt like forever, Kellie became eager as the first result showed up on the screen: 90% HOMOLOGY TO Panthera tigris tigris PROTEIN KINASE.
Panthera tigris tigris? What is that? She looked up the genus and species name and found that it was in the cat family. Cat? There has to be a mistake! The assignment required her to report the first five identified genes regardless of what it was, so she had to record this result.
Kellie couldn’t believe she got an incorrect reading. She started feeling nauseated with worry that her finding was going to affect her grade. She was convinced she must have made a mistake somewhere along the steps of the experiment.
The computer resumed its search for other genes and a second sequence was identified: 92% HOMOLOGY TO Titanoboa cerrejonesis HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN.
Titanoboa cerrejonesis was an extinct snake. “What is going on?” she spoke to the monitor. “There has to be a problem with this program.” She tapped on the computer, aware that it was an absurd action, but she hoped to knock some sense into the machine.
The third result came up: 88% HOMOLOGY TO Grus leucogeranus TELOMERASE.
Grus leucogeranus was a type of bird. This was getting ridiculous.
“I can’t believe this, I’m going to fail,” she muttered hopelessly.
At that moment, Jory sat down next to Kellie. “How are your results?”
“Not good,” Kellie sulked.
“Why?”
“Because!” she cried, pointing to the computer. “According to this program, I’m a cat, a snake, and a bird — and that’s the first three genes! Who knows what it’ll say next. It’s clearly wrong….Maybe I contaminated my sample.”
“What are the homologies?”
“90, 92, and 88%.”
“That’s really high Kellie…and actually quite fascinating. The probability that there was a random mistake in your sequence to be so similar to these genes is next to nothing. I’m curious what the —”
“Another gene is found!” said Kellie, gazing nervously at the screen.
“94% HOMOLOGY TO Sphodromantis viridis CYTOCHROME C,” she read off.
“That’s an insect — I used to collect insects,” he proudly admitted. “This is incredibly interesting,” he said, scratching his chin. “We should map your whole DNA and —”
“Insect?” shouted Peter as he walked by. “I knew you were a praying mantis!” Peter snickered.
“Mind your own business!” snapped Jory.
Peter abruptly stopped his mocking. Speechless and stunned by Jory’s unpredictable outburst, he walked away without saying another word. Kellie suspected that without Derek attached to his hip, he didn’t have the courage for a comeback. Derek was on the other side of the room, most likely staying clear of her, following Mr. Patterson’s warning.
Kellie smiled warmly at Jory and said, “Thanks.”
“No problem,” he said, while nervously glancing over at Derek.
“Oh no! Another gene is found!” Kellie’s arms wrapped over her head, her eyelids wrinkled shut, unable to bear seeing the next result.
She heard Jory say, “95% HOMOLOGY TO Homo sapian ESTROGEN.”
“Homo sapian?” she repeated, opening her eyes. “That’s human…right?”
Jory nodded.
“That’s good! One normal answer! But it’s only one normal answer out of five. Ugh,” she moaned as she hit the print button. “Well, I better turn this in.”
With hesitance, she handed Mr. Patterson her results. When he glanced down at the printouts, he asked, “Is this a joke?”
“No, Mr. Patterson. Those are my results.”
“He flipped through the pages and said, “Hmmm… interesting. Your DNA purity was great….The homologies were high….How could this be? How odd… can’t be.” Then he walked off leaving Kellie sweating.
The last bell of the day rang and Kellie was leaving through the front entrance when she spotted Jory waiting to be picked up. He was shifting his backpack from shoulder to shoulder as he clutched his lunch cooler. He looked preoccupied, tracing the cracks with the tip of his shoe on the cement sidewalk.
“See you tomorrow,” she called out to Jory as she walked by.
After he lifted his head, Jory jogged over to catch up to her. “So, what do you think happened to your results in bio class?”
“I don’t know. I just hope I don’t fail that assignment. It’s such a big part of our grade.”
“Did I hear you say fail?”
Jake was shamelessly eavesdropping on his friends. He normally biked home, but today his mother was picking him up from school to buy him a new suit for the dance. He had been griping about how Lisa wanted him to wear a tuxedo, but she settled on a suit when he mentioned that maybe she should go with someone else.
“Yeah, my DNA results from Mr. Patterson’s class make me seem like I’m from the zoo,” said Kellie, after turning to see the person behind the banter.
Kellie’s last words were drowned out from the noise of a loud rumbling engine. It was Jake’s mother driving up, barely hitting the curb. She got out of a large black Chevy and left the car running.
“Hi, baby,” said Ms. Russo as she gave Jake a big kiss on the cheek. Talking over the engine, she asked, “Are these your friends?”
Jake had her mother’s infectious smile. Kellie guessed she just came from work: she was still in her brown and orange waitress uniform and her hair looked as if it was just let down from being tied up all day.
Embarrassed by the public affection, he mumbled, “Yes, mom. This is Kellie and that’s Jory.”
“Hi, Kellie! Hi, Jory! I’m Donna,” said Jake’s mother in a loud energetic voice, as she shook both their hands. “This is exciting! I never get to meet any of Jake’s friends. He never brings anyone over. Well I guess it’s my fault,” she rambled on. “I’m always working…but today, I got off early so I could get him a new suit for the dance.”
Jake’s face grimaced. Kellie wasn’t sure if it was from having to go shopping for a suit or the reminder of who he was taking.
Donna stroked Jake’s hair and gave him more kisses on his head as his face turned pink. He brushed his tousled hair with his fingers and attempted to regain his coolness, by standing with a slouch and his chin up.
“Well, we have to run, but,” she said, looking as if an idea popped into her head, “I want to invite both of you to dinner this weekend. It’s my baby’s birthday and I am going to cook him a big dinner and have cake…maybe play some games and —”
“Mom!” Jake was horrified. It was obvious he had no inkling she was going to invite them over.
“I’ll have to ask my parents,” said Jory.
“Sounds like fun,” said Kellie, enjoying Jake’s embarrassment.
“I’ll call both your parents,” said Ms. Russo as she waved at them. “It was nice meeting you.”
As
mother and son got into the car, Kellie and Jory watched them drive off as the exhaust trailed behind them.
“Are you really going to go?” Jory asked.
“Why not? I’m not doing anything this weekend. I’m sure it’ll be fine with Master Chen.” This was her first dinner invitation with friends and she hoped the birthday party would take her mind off her problems for one night.
“I’m not doing anything either, but I’ll have to ask my mom and dad.”
Just then, Jory saw his mother pulling up in front of them. He ran over to the driver’s side, leaned through the window, and whispered something in her ear; a smile slowly spread across her perfectly made-up face.
She got out of the car and Jory introduced her to Kellie.
“Hello, Kellie. It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Mrs. Stevens. I understand you and my son will be attending the dance together?”
Kellie immediately noticed that she was the direct opposite of Ms. Russo. Mrs. Stevens’s blond hair hung down to her shoulders and curled in perfectly at the ends, without a strand out of place. She wore a brown skirt that was just past her knees and a silky beige blouse that buttoned up to her neck. Her nails were polished and her soft hands showed no signs of hard physical labor. She was very formal in manner, but her intonation soft and pleasant.
“Yes,” said Kellie, realizing she didn’t have anything to wear to it.
“This is Jory’s first dance and we are all delighted,” said Mrs. Stevens, smiling proudly at her son.
Even though Jake and Jory’s mothers were nothing alike, they both had one thing in common: their tremendous love for their sons. Kellie felt a twinge of envy.
“Well, we will see you again soon, Kellie,” said Jory’s mother as she walked back to her car.
“Bye, Kellie,” said Jory.
“Honey, you have all your lunch containers?” Kellie heard Mrs. Stevens ask Jory. “You didn’t lose one again, did you?”
“No, mother,” Jory sighed, as the car doors slammed shut.
Kellie walked home, thinking what it would be like to have a mother. She wondered if her mother would have been more like Jake’s mom or Jory’s mom. A combination of both would be nice, she thought. She suddenly remembered Master Chen’s absence in the morning and rushed home, anticipating his return from his errands.
As soon as Kellie entered her house, she smelled something horribly disgusting.
“What is that awful stench?” asked Kellie, shielding her nose.
“I am making you tea,” answered Master Chen. He was in the kitchen taking out a mug from the cabinet. Sitting next to the stove was the source of the nasty odor: a floral porcelain teapot. With a kitchen mitt, he poured the steaming hot tea into just one cup.
“That stink is tea? It smells like old sweaty socks mixed with sewer water.”
“May not smell good, but very good for you. Come, come. Sit down.”
Kellie walked toward the dining table with hesitance and slowly slid behind the table with her backpack still on her shoulder.
“Here, here,” said Master Chen. He collected her bag and then brought the tea over, setting it in front of her.
The beverage showed semblance to brown muddy water with unidentifiable black particles floating on top. It looked just as grotesque as it smelled.
“I drive very far to get this for you,” said Master Chen triumphantly. He had his arms crossed in front of him, waiting for her to drink.
“Is that where you went this morning?”
“Yes. I went to well known Chinese herbal doctor. He made this specific, just for you.” Master Chen motioned to Kellie to take a drink. “Try, try.”
“What’s wrong with the tea we usually have,” asked Kellie, trying to stall for time.
“This one…very unique. Go ahead — try.” He stood close to her, still waiting for her to take a sip.
Kellie stared down at the tea, fumbling her fingers nervously on her lap. She didn’t want to offend Master Chen by refusing it, so she picked up the cup and brought it to her lips; the odor got worse as it approached her face. She slowly took a sip and put it down, pushing it at an arm’s length away from her. Her expression on her face made it obvious to Master Chen that it tasted as bad as it smelled.
“May not taste good, but you will get used to it. I bought big bag.”
Kellie cringed. “Why do you want me to drink this? It’s really foul!”
“Herbal doctor said it boosts immune system, gives mental alertness, builds muscle, gives much energy for endurance —”
“Okay, Master Chen. What is going on? First, you’ve been training me like I’m going to battle or something. Then you’re making me drink this miracle tea.”
Master Chen sat down on the other side of the table. “You right, Kellie.” He took in a deep breath through his nose and exhaled noisily out his mouth. “Ay…I just want to prepare you…”
“For what?”
“I don’t know,” he grumbled, both hands on the back of his head, leaning back and looking up. After a minute, he bent forward and looked tiredly at Kellie. “I want you prepared for whatever can be ahead. I pray you not encounter any dangers, but with mysterious past…and attacker loose, we should be ready for all things.”
Kellie felt her heart rate ascend and her palms moisten. “D-Did something happen again?”
“There was other assault.”
“WHAT? WHO? Who was attacked?” Kellie was off her chair, hands flat on the table.
“Shifu Tao.”
“Shifu Tao? Is he hurt? What happened? Is he… alive?”
“He is alive…but,” he hesitated, “…he injured greatly. Was intruder again….He broke Shifu Tao’s arm and back and demanded Bao Yu be given to him — So he not come here.”
There was some indifference in his voice with the last statement.
Kellie frightfully recoiled back into her chair. It was bloodcurdling to know that the stranger said her name at every confrontation. This assail was also more violent than the others; at least the others got away, mostly unscathed.
“What are they going to do?” she asked desperately.
“They put rush on new monastery. Right now, no other place to go. All they can do is wait, but will be leaving sooner than later.” Master Chen looked devastated and helpless.
“But — but they’re so skilled in kung fu….How come they didn’t fight back?”
“They do,” he answered. “They say he has skills never seen before…that he moves faster than air.”
Kellie was shocked by this information. The monks trained daily in kung fu and Taiping Monastery was known for their advanced martial arts teachings. How could they have been beaten so easily by one person? This was difficult to accept and frightened her to the core.
“Do you think this person might show up here? Is that why you’ve been training me so hard?”
“No, you safe here,” he answered. “But, we must be prepared for anything.”
Kellie’s whole being was numb and the smell of the tea didn’t bother her anymore. She worried for the monks at Taiping Monastery. The thought of the aggressor scared her, but she couldn’t just hide in Milldale, while the monks’ lives were in jeopardy. She had to do something. Dithering on the choice that had to be made, it didn’t take long to make the right decision. Shoving the fear deep inside her pit, she knew what she had to do.
DING DONG!
Kellie stood on the front porch of Jake’s house, admiring the blue painted abode with white trim, and smiled when she noticed the yellow and purple pansies lining a window sill. When Jake opened the front door to his house and pushed out the screen, she waved goodbye to Master Chen as he drove away.
She held a long box wrapped in brown paper and a big red bow, and felt awkward as Jake stared at her fuzzy pink sweater and curled hair. She had spent an hour in her bathroom trying to look appropriate for her first party.
“Well, are you going to invite me in?”
“Oh yeah, come in!” H
e swung the door open, exposing the decorative interior. She immediately felt the warmth of the home as she entered.
“Hi, Kellie!” said Jory, standing up from the couch, wiping away crumbs from the potato chips he was noshing on, off his freshly ironed baby blue, long sleeve button-up shirt. He frowned when he spotted a grease stain on his pinstriped tie.
“Hi, Jory,” she replied, pleased that his parents allowed him to attend.
Kellie turned to Jake and said, “This is for you.”
“Thanks!” said Jake as he put it next to a smaller wrapped present. “I’ll open it after dinner. My mom went to go pick up the cake. She’d kill me if I didn’t wait for her.”
Jake’s home was small, but neatly packed with furniture and décor: the couch and matching loveseat had a bright floral design; glass vases and porcelain dishes decorated the mantle over the fireplace; potted house plants sat on every wooden table; pictures hung all over the walls, most of them of Jake as a baby and what looked like every year of his school portraits. The blazing fire warmed up the family room and the mouth watering smell of food was hard to ignore. Kellie liked the cozy feel.
“So…” said Jake, appearing nervous acting as host, “do you want to see my room?”
“Yeah!” said Jory.
“Sure,” Kellie chimed in.
Kellie and Jory followed Jake down the narrow hallway into his bedroom. He flipped the light switch on, revealing his personal space. His wall was covered with posters of various professional athletes and sports memorabilia. He also, unexpectedly, had posters of old movies. Looking up at the Casablanca movie poster, Kellie said with a smirk, “Who would have guessed.”
Clothes were scattered all over his room; sports trophies lined the top of his bookshelf, though they were hard to notice amidst the array of comic books strewn all over the place, lying on the floor, his desk, and unkempt bed.