(Zac's POV)

"You know, I don't know the outcome of this right?" Devin Hallow reminded me on Saturday night.

"Look, you said you needed someone so I obliged," I replied. He handed me an envelope bursting with content. I looked over the dozens of monetary bills that I received. Looks legit.

"Here," he said, handing me a test tube full of something that looked like normal water or clear soda and an additional syringe. I reached out to take it, but he pulled it back. I looked up to him with a confused look. "Drink it tonight and make sure you don't have any consumption of other foods or drinks then inject yourself in the thigh. Like I said, I don't know any effects or outcomes."

"You will tomorrow," I reminded in a quiet voice, not even caring about the fact that my life could be ended in my sleep.

"Chill," he said, noticing my nerves. "It's not going to kill you, I promise."

"Uh huh..."

"Make sure no one will be home tomorrow," he added. "Don't tell anyone anything."

"Geez, you act like you're afraid of getting caught," I laughed as if I wasn't becoming a human trial for his massively unapproved drug. The thousands of dollars as payment seemed a good reason to emphasize my general disregard for the law...and my life, I suppose. "So what exactly is this supposed to do?"

"If it's successful, I'll tell you, if it's not, then..."

"What happens to me if it's not?" I asked immediately. It was the first time I was nervous while noting the explicit lack of transparency in this. He thought before he answered.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Probably only a headache and maybe some nausea."

Considering I dealt with worse this weekend from the first party of the year, I could deal with that. But then again, I wouldn't care if I couldn't.

***

After taking the drug—that was smell-less and tasted like every soda in mankind mixed together with the burn of alcohol—I waited around for something, anything, to happen. That's when I remembered to inject the other vial into my thigh. After all the sticking and poking I had in my life, I barely felt it pinch.

Twenty minutes later, I still sat on my bed, playing with my lighter. I ran my finger through the single flame like various other times, knowing how to dodge any burns. It had grown as an activity when I was bored...Like now. Without patience, I closed my lighter and placed it in my lap, thankfully curbing my boredom by accepting a call from Lulu.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, hearing her cry over the phone.

"I made a mistake," she cried. I sat up more in my bed.

"What do you mean?" I asked interested.

"The other night after you left the party, I think I cheated on you," she said. I stayed quiet as I thought of my response.

"Haha. That's funny," I laughed. "Tell Angel that that's a good dare."

It was a dare right? Right? Some sick joke to have revenge on me? The line went silent. "Lulu—"

"I didn't mean it. It was a stupid party and—"

"You've got to be shitting me," I interrupted, now furious. Of all the things we've fought over and the shit we've done to each other, unintentionally or not, she promised—hell, I promised—cheating was off the table. It wasn't something to be normalized as an "up and down" of a relationship and I wanted it nowhere near ours no matter how fractured we were.

"Zac, I—"

We were done. I was pissed. It was strange because I didn't usually get considerably emotional even when it came to Lulu, but I was definitely angry right now. But all I could handle at the time was flicking my lighter on and off. I had a rollercoaster of three years with her, but I didn't know that I could feel like this. I should've been more concerned with my anger than my sadness, but I guess when I was "heartless" like Angel made me out to be, I shouldn't be surprised.

"The only reason you broke up with her is because we all know you're a player that doesn't give a shit about anyone. Not even yourself," Angel yelled at me years ago when we broke up again. "You're cold and heartless and you know that I'm telling the truth."

"Angel—"

"Shut up," she silenced. "I don't even know why I'm even getting mad at you other than for the fact that Lulu really liked you. It's not like you could stay in a committed and serious relationship for long, right? So then make up your mind!"

If only she knew then. If only she knew now. If only she knew at all.

***

Devin studied me silently the next morning and I watched his green eyes twist and turn. "This is..."

"What? This is what?" I finally asked. He gave me written, responsive, and IQ tests, but never told me anything other than that.

"...completely different than what I expected," he said, looking at papers. He was just like his sister Angel; he got on my nerves way too easily.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. I was literally bouncing in my seat. As if I was a little kid on a sugar high.

"Calm down," he ordered. I stopped bouncing my knee. Then a thought washed over his face after he looked in my eyes for a second. He pulled out a flashlight and looked into my irises, moving the light back and forth. My attention followed until I snapped out of it. "What color are your eyes?"

"Brown?" I answered. Why did that matter?

"Not anymore," he answered. What? I stood up and looked in a nearby mirror, seeing the green and blue tint that was on my rich eyes with a hint of amber. No. No, no, no, no, NO.

"My...my eyes..." I whimpered. I turned to face him. "My eyes!"

"Oh please. Think of it as an advantage," he shrugged. I liked my chocolate eyes. Most of the human population had brown eyes and it reminded me that I was like everyone else in this world. I didn't want to stand out with colorful eyes, but I guess I don't have a choice now.

Devin held up a single finger and moved it in the line of my sight. I instantly followed it with all my attention.

"Stop that," I told myself and Devin.

"Hmm. Control..." he whispered. But then he pushed me down and my back refused to hit the floor. I scoffed and stood up immediately after successfully balancing myself, as if my body didn't allow me to stay down for even a second. "Agility..."

What was he whispering about?

"Maybe my experiment didn't completely fail. It just succeeded in a different area," he smirked.

"And what's that? Testing the gravitational pull of Earth?!" I yelled, referring to being pushed down. Devin looked at me and then was focused mainly on my eyes. He steered me to the mirror. I noticed that my eyes had golden flakes against the contrasted brown beneath the coloring. What the...?

"What's happening to me?" I asked Devin, seeing my eyes start to change back to a bluish color.

"I...I can't say," he answered. I faced him and grabbed his shirt.

"Well you can think. So think of a way to tell me what the hell is going on," I demanded, threateningly. But then I let him go. I already knew that I couldn't hurt someone seriously. After all, I signed up for this.

"Let's just say that—after analysis—if you were in a fight or flight situation, you should probably pick fight...and you'll probably have great odds at winning," he informed.

"And why's that?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Well, technically speaking," he stammered, receiving an impatient look from me, "you've enhanced—"

"Hey, Zac! We're home!" I heard my older sister Vanessa yell the door closed.

"I have to go," Devin suddenly whispered.

"Tell me what—"

"I can't now!" he hissed before grabbing his bag and leaving. Confused, I tried to make it to my room immediately before either one of my sisters could ask about my changed eyes. But Vanessa stopped me. I gulped.

"What were you up to last night?" she asked, suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" I gulped once more.

"You weren't in your room until late," she said.

"Oh, I went to see Lulu," I lied. She narrowed her eyes, knowing how well my lies had deceived her before.

"So if I called her...?"

"No, don't...don't do that," I pleaded. She raised an eyebrow. "We broke up."

"And how long was that run?"

"I guess it doesn't matter" I figured, running a hand through my hair. Because she was never really convinced of mine and Lulu's compatibility, she shrugged and left me alone. She didn't even comment on my eyes! I went inside my room and looked in the mirror to see my eyes the perfect dull brown like usual.

What did Devin do?

I called the only number I had for him—which was through extension through Angel, but of course, why the hell would she answer? She'd surely find some way to blame me for my breakup with Lulu. Even if she didn't, why would I think that she'd let me use her as a messenger between her brother and me?