Chapter 16: First Day's Revelation

Lindsey looked at the hundreds of MAJORS her age or just a little older assembled before her and all the First Years in the Gymnasium. She felt a lump in her throat and tried to gulp it down discreetly, to no avail. She had never seen so many of the superior humans gathered together like that. Even the airports palled in comparison, since the peoples there thronged everywhere, while the teenagers here remained perfectly still, as if ready to wait for hours without so much as flinching.

Perhaps even more surprising was the presence of at least twenty Minors, sitting at the feet of their bond-mates, probably. Only one of them, a boy probably around her ‘Rando’s age shared his physique, lean but fit, from what she could tell. All the others, boys and girls alike, were chubby. Some were even overweight. Of course, her older brother would consider all of them as such, but for Lindsey, the latter were truly too fattened by their MAJORS.

Nonetheless, seeing all those peoples here to judge her wasn’t good for her self-esteem. She recognized Samantha Paolini, somewhere to her right, looking as massive as ever, even among peers her age. And the pre-teen could feel Jenny’s eyes on her, in fact, when they gaze had met, the other MAJORS had had such a hungry look that the Ferrand girl had shuddered. I better avoid her for the time being… I’m not sure she could control herself if we were alone together.

The fact that Jenny was a lot less strong than she meant next to nothing for Lindsey, somehow, she felt like a prey compared to her, a feeling she really disliked a lot.

Looking to her left, her eyes met those of Derek Mathewson. The massive black MAJOR looked great. He wasn’t as muscular as Alaric, by far, but he still had wide shoulders and powerful arms. His mid-section looked less bulgy than her older brother’s, lacking the impressive abs, from what she could tell, but he was still well over 3m tall (9f5), probably around 3m15 if she had to guess (10f3). He beamed a smile at her and she felt a little more at ease.

Near him, she could see a Minor, who was not the outlier when it came to the small human’s shapes. He was also black of skin, but of a lighter tone than Derek, and his hair wasn’t kept short, instead forming an impressive display of small braids, from the top of his head to well below his shoulders. Thanks to her perfect eyesight, she was able to notice the piercing in his ears, hidden by his mane, which seemed made of silver.

If she had to hazard a guess, she suspected that it was Joshua, Derek’s boyfriend. What was surprising was how none of the other MAJORS even seemed interested at him. Sure, there was some glances at the small teenager, but overall, none seemed to dare to look at him. Perhaps they were afraid to be caught by his bond-mate. From what she had heard, guys were a lot less prone to constant infighting to claim a Minor once the score had been settled. It wasn’t really the case for girls.

Joshua was probably around 1m85, slightly taller than Alejandro’s 1m80 (6f1 vs 5f9) but he looked a lot heavier. Even discounting the fact that he had his two arms, which necessarily added some weight to his frame, she suspected that the other Minor had at least 30kg (66lbs) over Rando’s measly 70kg (154lbs).And yet, neither his face nor his body looked fat, so she suspected than more than a little bit of that was muscle.

Finally, she focused on the outlier Minor. That guy was like her brother, lean and feat, and where his kin remained as close as possible from their probable bond-mates, this one was a step or two before an impressive specimen of a woman, blonde and wavy hair, falling to her shoulders, piercing blue eyes and curves to die for. But he didn’t really seemed interested, looking even a little bored by the whole thing.

He had short brown hair, was clean shaved and, from what she could tell, his eyes were light brown, almost yellow really. His nose was small but cute, and she somehow felt as if she had seen him elsewhere before, but she couldn’t really place him anywhere. It couldn’t have been Old Creek, the town would have been crazy with another Minor, just like it had done when Izzellah Ivory had come to visit. She had been the topic of every discussions during almost a month after her visit, with a lot of gossip flying around.

“He’s an ambassador for Shannon’s campaign” suddenly said Alejandro, rather softly, as if wanting to avoid other MAJORS from hearing him.

“Really? How do come you remember it and not me?” she answered in the same whispery tone.

“I’ve been tracking them down a lot more than you. They are quite the diverse bunch, some with crazily ambitious dreams and others a lot more… mundane”.

“And he’s one of the former or the latter?”

“Depends on what you consider crazily ambitious for a Minor, I guess” slowly replied Alejandro. “He wants to create a whole Soccer team with only Minors, so…”

He shook his head, as if to signal that it was up to her to consider if this idea was something incredibly hard to achieve in this MAJOR-tailored society they lived in, or if it was an achievable goal, probably with some help from the more massive breed of humans. If you asked me… I think I would pay a lot to see twenty two and more little guys and gals running around during 90 minutes, leeringly thought the massive pre-teen.

She was quite certain that a lot of peoples would be willing to pay good money to see something like that. She could almost picture their outfits, probably a lot more skimpier than their MAJOR counterparts, but it would all be to attract public, and not out of some fetishism from the taller humans who dominated the world. After all, MAJORS were above those kind of considerations. For Lindsey, it was a given that the superior beings wouldn’t ever be so crazy about Minors as too perpetuate those kind of objectification once they would realize how degrading it was, but it was something necessary for the time being.

“What’s is name?”

“Will you do shut up?” hissed someone behind her, another girl from the sound of it. “It’s an important ceremonial, and you two bumpkin are ruining it with your blabbering!”

“Oh yeah?” growled Lindsey, turning on her heels to face a considerably less impressive specimen of MAJORKIND.

The girl was clearly from an old White family, or at least she had all the trappings that Lindsey associated with those peoples. Skin as white as snow, blue icy eyes, long dark air, almost straight, just a little bit wavy but not too much. While the school’s uniform prevented her to look to0 wealthy compared to the rest, her golden necklace and the hem of a white shirt embroiled with golden threads gave her away. Her lips were stretched into a disgusted sneer. The Ferrand girl took a step forward, making use of her superior size. That girl couldn’t have been taller than 2m43 (8f) tall, giving her three inches, and being a lot less muscular, even if she seemed really fit.

“Yeah, you bumpkin” spat the other pre-teen. “I guess you and your small brother, or lover, or whatever are not able to comprehend how important it is to respect this century old tradition, but as a Hautetour, from one of the oldest families of New Orleans I can tell you…”

“That you speak a lot louder and longer than us and are thus disrespecting this tradition a lot more than we ever did?” interrupted Alejandro, glaring at her menacingly.

Well, he is probably thinking it is threatening, but it’s just freaking cute, thought Lindsey, smiling at her brother. Barely reaching their midriffs, and with his limbs so frail, and his left arm tucked in his trousers’ pocket, as a way to hide his prosthesis, he looked more like the first wind gust would swipe him away. But it had the desired effect. The other MAJOR was positively stunned, her mouth agape, clearly not used to a Minor daring to speak against her.

“What the… How DARE you…”

“Silence, first years!”

This new voice was powerful and deep, almost like a low rumbling, a distant thunder. It commanded authority and every student suddenly stood at attention, straitening themselves. A silenced charged with tension fell over the crowd. The young MAJOR didn’t dare to even turn her head to look at this newcomer, whom she suspected was a teacher. And in any case, she was quite certain that she wouldn’t have to wait too much to know who he was, since she could hear his powerful steps, almost painfully in the quietness.

“Good! It seems that some of our new, would-be, students, will need to learn the ropes around here? Anyone to teach them!?” roared the voice, just as the teacher’s silhouette appeared at the edge of Lindsey’s field of view.

“Yes sir!” roared the older students as one.

“Good!” boomed the voice of the massive blond man who was now standing between the two groups of teenagers.

Sizewise, he was on the taller side of MAJORS, without being freakishly tall like Shannon, at 3m23 (10f6) or close to it. He had an impressive musculature, quite obvious in his military fatigues and black t-shirt which appeared to be at least two sizes to small, considering how his every muscle was visible underneath them. Lindsey gulped down hard, once more, feeling a little aroused by this perfect specimen of her species, despite herself.

“Then, can anyone tell me why this ceremony is so important for Benjamin Franklin High School? Maxine?”

An average looking black teenager, average for a MAJOR that is, probably around 15, took a step forward and puffed her small but noticeable chest forward before answering the teacher’s question. The Ferrand girl couldn’t help but notice that looked a lot like Joshua, the same nose, the same cheekbones and more or less the same skin tone, even if she was a shade darker than her possible brother.

“The First Day’s Revelation is important because it allow us to make sure that only the best and brightest, those who are without blemishes enter our School, as to not make it fall into disrepute!” roared the teenager, her voice so powerful that echoes reverberated from the ceiling of the gymnasium.

“Correct! And now, I’ll call to our new students by name, and they will advance and remove the clothes hiding their arms and their torso. And as per tradition, we will start with our Minor newcomers! I want a round of applause for them, students!”

First years and the older students clapped in their hands together, the former a lot less enthusiastically than the latter. Lindsey was particularly worried. Minors were a rarity, even in New Orleans, compared to MAJORS, and there was no guarantee that Alejandro wouldn’t be the first who would have to step in front of the crowd. Once more, she felt really unhappy that her brother had chosen to participate in this stupid ritual.

A glance at ‘Rando confirmed that he too was nervous. His face had grown paler and the jovial behavior he had exhibited during the whole week-end had dissipated, as if the presence of so many potential threats to his safety, both physical and mental, was finally weighting on his mind. I won’t let anyone hurt you, she thought, trying to convey her absolute dedication to this idea with only her gaze. I’ll put in the hospital the first bastard who would try it, I swear!

“Thank you. And now, we will begin!” roared the blond teacher, bringing back the silence over the assembly.

He produced a tablet and consulted it for a few second. A look of quizzical surprise briefly appeared on his face, until he resumed his stony expression and gazed over the gathered First Years. No, not all of us… just the Minors, realized Lindsey, something which did nothing to make her stress go away. In fact, it was becoming worth, she felt as if her guts were knotting themselves tight and she nervously passed her tongue on her teeth.

“FERRAND ALEJANDRO!” bellowed the blond giant.

Instinctively, the pre-teen extended an arm before her brother, but she retracted it almost as soon as she had moved it. The siblings shared a look and ‘Rando smiled weakly, trying to make her feel better. It didn’t really worked out however, but at least Lindsey felt a little more confident. Compared to the Minors clinging to their bondmates, he had least looked quite courageous and brave, and it would have to suffice today.

“It is said here that you are born from Old Creek, California. Is it correct lad?” asked the teacher, his voice now a lot softer, as if he was trying to sooth away the Minor’s tension.

“Indeed sir. Almost twenty years ago, if you need to know it next” added her brother.

Lindsey couldn’t see his face but she was quite certain that a cocky smile had crept on his face, if only because the teacher’s eyebrows arched in surprise at this extended answer. Don’t overdo it ‘Rando, she silently pleaded him, feeling quite unhappy with their lack of bond in moments like these. There was no telling how this unknown MAJOR would react. Sure, the headmaster was supporting the “Equal Rights for Minors” campaign, but it didn’t mean that all his staff shared his views at one hundred percent.

“Got some big mouth for such a little fellow, don’t you think lads and lass?” bellowed the teacher, turning his face to the older students, with a big smile plastered on it.

“He sure does teach!” roared a feminine voice from the back. “But I’m sure I would know how to put it in good use!” she added, eliciting a thunderous laughter from all the MAJORS present.

Lindsey felt her hands turning into fists and anger coursed through her body. It took all of her willpower to not charge right into the mass of older students to get the bitch who was openly mocking her brother and pummel her out of the gymnasium. But she couldn’t just give in into her primal feelings; she needed to keep her head cool and collected. She couldn’t come out and rescue her brother right now, it would make him look weak and in need of her protection… well, it would make him realize that he looked like that and he would be angry at her.

“Very classy, Miss Blackdrow” laughed the teacher. “But you shouldn’t let your enthusiasm and well known interest in Minors marring this ceremony, wouldn’t you agree Headmaster?”

“You are quite correct Elias!” boomed the amused voice of James X. Gordon. “But I’m sure that Miss Blackdrow will do her utmost best to make us forget this slip in her behavior in the shortest delay” he added evenly, to the obvious consternation of the older student body.

“Anyway, back on track peoples!” yelled Elias. “So, Mr. Ferrand, would you be so kind as to remove your upper clothes, so that you may be judged by your peers.”

“There isn’t another question? Not even about my grades or anything?” asked Lindsey’s older brother.

The pre-teenager MAJOR was just as taken aback by this question than the massive blonde teacher. It wasn’t something she had seen coming in any way, shape or form. Somehow, she had totally forgotten the fact that her brother hadn’t formal education. Sure, their parents had made sure to teach him everything he needed to enter High School, and they had made sure that this cursus had been validated by the State of California, but it didn’t mean that it was accepted here in Louisiana.

“Herm… no,” finally answered the muscular MAJOR. “It’s not needed, you wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t the required grades. Now please, I insist that you remove your clothes.”

Lindsey half expected her brother to resist or drag his feet, but he surprised her by trying to remove the School jacket, something which turned out to be rather hard. I knew we should have practiced it at home! raged Lindsey. She could see the smirks and sneers from the older students as Alejandro struggled with his left arm. Those morons had no idea what he had endured and they were judging him, clearly thinking that he was rather clumsy. Keeping her emotions in check was becoming harder and harder.

“OH MY GOD!” shrieked someone, probably a boy in the throes of puberty, considering how widely the octaves changed in such a short sentence.

Even Elias paled visibly when Alejandro, now standing in his t-shirt, revealed his left prosthesis and the stump it was attached to. Somehow, Lindsey suspected that the rugged and somewhat jagged look of his “left arm” had much to do with this reaction, and truth been told, she couldn’t blame her older peers, and even those her age to react like that. In MAJOR culture, Minors were always pristine, not flawless, obviously, but at least in an adequate physical condition.

The other Minors’ reaction was even more impressive. They balked and some looked on the verge of tears, going as far as trying to hide behind their MAJORS caretakers. It wasn’t something that Lindsey had ever expected. In her mind, Minors were willful and didn’t like to show any weakness. At least, actual Minors were, compared to the TV stars. And here they were, bawling their eyes out because one of them had lost an arm. I wonder how they would react if he told them the whole story…

“Okay, everyone, CALM DOWN!” roared the Headmaster, bringing back silence, except from some sniffling or soft cries from Minors.

“How… how did this happen?” asked the blonde colossus, his voice a lot less steady than before.

“When I was eight year old, a teenage MAJOR kidnapped me, tried to bond-rape me and when my MAJOR twin barged in, crushed my arm into a bloody pulp.”

“Jesus” heard the pre-teen from somewhere behind her, but she refused to turn to acknowledge it.

She could hear the rage in her brother’s voice. As always, recalling the Incident hurt him bad and anger was a refuge. She could almost picture his cute little face hardening, his eyes burning with an unquenched fury, as she had so often seen him in the past. While the Matthewsons’ visit had done him some real good, allowing him to drop his dour and grim demeanor, he was still pretty hurt by his ordeal, and needed to exteriorize it, as best he could.

Lindsey’s attention was attracted by Samantha Paolini. The mixed girl looked aghast, her face pale and her mouth wide open. The young MAJOR would have loved to know what her older counterpart was thinking right now. I guess that she is realizing that my brother isn’t a tiny morsel too insignificant for her attention, somberly thought the young girl. It wasn’t necessarily a good thing, considering the fact that Sammy had already proven that she could send her flying any time she wanted.

“Well… I… I would like you to, herm, remove your shirt, please” managed to say Elias after almost thirty seconds of tense and uncomfortable silence.

Lindsey grew really nervous as her ‘Rando struggled a little with his t-shirt. All in all, his left stump and the prosthesis were rather clean; the result of some professionally ordered and executed amputation. But the scars on his torso were due to the after-shock of firing the gun which had killed Joseph Mac Ferlan and had shattered his ribs so bad that he had had to be opened in several placed to put them back together.

Considering how brutal the reaction had been to his most obvious sequel of this atrocious event, the pre-teen giantess felt quite certain that all hell would break loose when the rest of the more massive humans would see the scars. Strangely enough, it was the case, for instead of shrill screams, all she could hear was cooing sounds. The faces of some of the older girls were even softening, as if they wanted to take her brother into their hands and caress him to make him forget his painful past. Something which could only harden his resolve by making him angrier.

Obviously, his muscular frame, for a Minor, played a great part in the mellowingof the MAJORS before and behind him. After all while his muscles were indeed apparent, they were also far from the massive mounds that one of his superior cousins could have boasted with the amount of effort he put into his routine. It gave him an alluring and exotic look, or at least it was what feverish whispers were conveying to her hears.

Lindsey couldn’t help but sneer at the utter hypocrisy of this all. When he was an apparently normal Minor, as in, unremarkable except for his nature as an inferior breed of human, all those giants and giantesses had barely registered him beyond some carnal interest. Then, when he had had appeared that he was somewhat clumsy, they had judged him even below the average tiny guy. But now, they were looking at him as if he was an injured pet in need of some warmth. What a bunch of assholes! They don’t give a shit about him! Not like I do!

Lindsey suddenly wondered if she was really that different from them. After all, she knew next to nothing when it came to Izzellah, beyond her father’s work and that she liked to tinker with cars and going to school. She had to admit that her interest in the beautiful minor girl was mostly superficial. But I’ll get to know here while she’ll stay here! Even with school and all, I should be able to learn all those topics she holds dear to her heart!

“So, hum…” begun Elias, searching for words and bringing her back to the present. “Is there anything you would like to tell your future classmates and your seniors, Mr. Ferrand?”

“Yes” replied her brother, and something in his tone made Lindsey shiver. His voice sounded more like the sullen Alejandro from before his encounter with Shannon than the new, happier one, and it frightened her a little. “I’m unbounded, and I intent to remain that way. I have no interest in forming a bond, I don’t need your pity or anything of the like. If you want to be my friend, you’ll have to earn my trust, and picking me up, playing with me against my will or any attempt to force a bond on me won’t earn you any favor, quite the contrary even…”

Her ‘Rando turned on his heels so as to also face the First Years and not just the older students. Lindsey was stuck by how serious his face was. It was a mask of stone, but she couldn’t tell if it was a façade to impress the MAJORS or his genuine feelings. In any case, she felt pride swell in her bosom, knowing that she was his sister, and that she had to help and protect him as best she could. She just hoped that she would be up to the task.

“Playing hard to get, that Minor of yours uh?” suddenly whispered the Hautetour girl in her ear. “I like it, when those small guys pretend that they don’t like us doing whatever we want with them.”

Turning around with a scowl, Lindsey was ready to spit out a really mean answer, but the glint she saw in the other girl’s eyes was apparent in almost every MAJOR around her. Her insult never managed to get out of her mouth, and she shuddered. Unused as she was to be around Minors who weren’t her brother, she hadn’t realized that what Alejandro did was to blow the horn at the start of the hunting party.

Now, she was truly afraid for him and his safety.