Frank Martin Stein.
•+•

On some days I pretend I don't exist. But most of the days, I pretend like I care for many things. Like this, for instance.

"Stein, the presentation is today. Surely you made ours, right?" My unappealing-ugly-classmate asked. Ah, I forgot his name.

"I made mine, how 'bout you?" I smirked and walked ahead of him. I have no use of people who can't even do shit and all talk.

I'm on my last year in college. I'm majoring in Biology and I have my eyes set on becoming a biological scientist. Actually, I found an organization hiring one. They're named Strygwyrs. I don't know much but they're a group of German and Russian peeps that studies different kinds of scientific breakthroughs.

And my ambition is to become one of those scientists so. . . Lay everything out to me, I will do everything to achieve my goal.

"But it's a group presentation!" He shouted at my back and I just waved my right hand in the air. Don't know, don't care.

Since it's lunch time already, I decided to go to the cafeteria and grab some food. Even though I'm like this, food is life.

As I sit down on my usual spot, I noticed not many students have come today. They're all probably too busy on their assignments and projects as well. That's what you get for not getting everything done before the exact day of the due date. You rush things so your work is messy and everything just go haywire and then you fail.

Been there done that, not doing it again.

I sighed in disbelief and decided to put mayonnaise in my burger, until some hand took the condiment from me and poured a whole bottle of ketchup on it.

"Same as usual, you really don't like people, eh?" I looked up to glare at this 12-year-old-looking kid. "How gloomy is that?"

"I just don't want to involve myself with other people. Unlike you, who likes prying into other people's business." I deadpanned. Sighing at the abused burger and trying to actually eat it. He smirked which I returned back at him. He sat in front of me and took a tomato from my tray.

"Say, it's presentation day today, mate! Do you have yours?" He excitedly asked with twinkling eyes. I beamed at him and ate a french fry before speaking.

"Yep, I'm presenting you. If I told them I found someone with highlanders disease, and continues to research about you then, my scholarship will automatically be adjourned and I will naturally be assigned to a biological lab!" I grinned as I lean forward to the table to wiggle my brows at him.

He threw a pickle at my face. "Idiot. Everyone here knows I have highlanders disease. This is a med school, everyone is obsessed with science. And how dare you! We agreed that we don't use each other as reference on our studies, right? Besides, you study about life so I will most probably live. How 'bout I make a medicine out of you?" He scoffed and pouted like a child. Ah yes, the Pharmacy God.

"Yeah, right." I rolled my eyes at him and continued to eat my meal.

"So? What'll you present?" He ecstatically asked while twirling his fingers like a mad man on top of the table.

I grinned and leaned over, so he leaned closer too. His hair brushing over his eyelashes. "Have you ever seen an egg, hatch without its shell?"

His eyes widen at that and he grinned ear to ear. "Dude! That'll be brilliant!" He clapped.

"I know! You'll see the whole research video later, so come by and give me moral support?" I smiled hopefully at him and he answered with a friendly smirk.

"Of course." He looked at the clock on the wall which made him click his tongue out of irritation before sighing. He has his hands full too, eh? "Well then, see you later, Stein." Before standing up he ate four fries in one swoop then made a fist from his little hand.

"Later, Snow." I smirked and bumped my fist to his.

As much as I don't like people, it doesn't mean that I don't have friends. Like that guy for instance. He's my one and only closest friend here in University. Rindelle Snow looks like a child—even acts like one—but he's brilliant. He's not just clever. He's cunning and cruel too. To top it off he has highlanders disease. A rare disease that even us Med students don't know where it came from. The guy doesn't think of his illness as some form of setback. He uses it to his advantage to get attention and for tricks too.

An adult would never want to hurt a little kid even though they piss them off, right? Which means it's an endless mockery from him without anyone laying hands on him.

I would like a Highlanders disease too, please.

Though you might be wondering, the great Frank Stein is a bio student and Snow's a Pharma student, how the fuck did they end up knowing each other?

Well, Snow, likes to go round the school. I don't know, he doesn't seem like he has friends in his class either. It's his last year here at the university too. And today's also his presentation. Which reminds me. . . I didn't ask about it, right?

But I guess I'll just have to watch him later too.

I slumped back on my seat, watching everyone around me move. Rushing to be at someplace, running to get something done. I closed my eyes, feeling the stale air circulating the whole cafeteria as the wind slaps my cheeks.

Ah, it's so tiring.

Laziness. What would have happened if I don't have to deal with slothfulness everytime something that involves exerting efforts comes up?

Wouldn't that be great? To never think of getting tired. You'll put your ideas to test because you're actually working for it? I think that's brilliant!

What if. . . I can do that?

My, my, my! That would be the greatest scientific breakthrough of all time wouldn't it?!

I'll plan it out after I present my egg-hatching-without-shell later. It would be awesome. Because I am awesome.

2:15 p.m.

"Stein, where are your group mates?" Professor Brian, one of the panels judging my whole being while I present my research, asked. I prefer to call him Professor Snape because he moves and speaks exactly like him! I'm going to have to apologize to Harry Potter later about that.

"Probably dead." I smiled, his face turned to a frown. "Just kidding, sir. But I believe, people who doesn't contribute to a research presentation does not have the right to defend it." I seriously said and looked at my ugly group mates. They glared at me so I waved my right hand at them and stuck my tongue out.

Professor Snape sighed. "Very well, proceed." I nodded and signaled Whoever the twat was assigned to dim the lights. I opened my laptop and connected it to the projector.

"So here, we have a video of me in my kitchen. Ah! Eggs. Do you guys have any idea of what the heck is that beautiful bruv doing?" I asked as enthusiastically as I can manage.

One of my stupid supposed-to-be-group-mate, raised his right arm. I pointed at him and encouraged him to answer. "Cooking?" He hopefully asked.

"Yes! Thank you! But this obviously is a biology experiment, mate. You ought to know better than that, right?" I sarcastically said while smiling. Then my smile faded so I rolled my eyes at him. "This is not a cooking show, you dumb cock. Use your fucking brain."

He sat dejectedly at his seat, scratching his head. "Stein, language." Professor Snape sighed.

"My apologies, sir. But you thought so too, right?"

"Continue, Stein."

"Okay." I breathed in and looked at the projection video. "The answer is, I'm going to hatch an egg without its shell."

People gasped and looked at me in awe. Professor Snape also looked interested. I smirked at them and gazed around the room—ah, there he is. He waved at me so I waved back.

"By using a regular plastic wrap from the kitchen, we stretch it out and place it over a plastic cup." I started. "The cup is a clear container so we will be able to see everything from the first signs of life to the hatching."

"The egg is artificially fertilized and then it is placed into an incubator."

"Short quiz! Do you know which part of the egg becomes the chick? Anyone?" I asked and picked some girl who's raising her hands.

"Isn't it the yolk?" She asked while standing up.

"Uh—"

"The blastoderm." Someone cut me off and to my utter surprise it was Snow. Way to go you little shrimp. I smirked at him which he returned with a patronizing one.

"Correct! It's not the yolk, but these small cells called blastoderm!" I pointed at the screen and I've got everyone's attention.

"Day three in the incubator, the heart has already been formed."

"Day five, the blastoderm has grown considerably."

"The chick starts to develop; its features become identifiable. Here you can see the eye and the beak as the bird rests inside its artificial shell."

"In the next shot, the chick is nearly fully developed."

"21 days later, here's the little fluff, born without its shell."

As I said that I pulled out the chick that I hatched from the incubator, inside my bag. Everyone clapped, Snow even stood up and the others copied him. Wow, standing ovation, fellas! Professor Snape and the other panels looked satisfied at my report. I bowed.

"But then, why does it matter?" I asked and they looked at me like they were waiting to be enlightened. "The shell-less method has multiple benefits, most notably concerning the preservation of rare birds. This technique can be applied when trying to save eggs that have been broken or are at risk of breaking. Broken eggs mean fewer birds, but the shell-less technique means those eggs can be recovered."

"Well done, Stein! Very well done!" Professor Snape proudly announced and shook my hand. I beamed at them and told my endless gratitude. How'd you like that, Snow? Beat that! I looked at the shrimp and he's smirking at me, but his eyes mirrored the same proud look on my professor's face.

After that I walked over to his direction and sat beside him. I handed him the bird and grinned. "So, can you top that off?"

He placed the bird on his thighs and slow clapped while shaking his head, his lips a straight line. "As expected from the Biology department top one, genius!" Then he smirked at me. "But Pharmacy will win this one, mate." He scooped the bird up and raised it over his eye level. "Yours was fascinating. Mine is going to be extraordinary." Then he grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Be my guest, Pharmacy department top one."

"Let the games, begin!"

5:00 p.m

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" I screeched.

He laughed at me loudly. His head bending backwards like he's really enjoying my reactions. "What? I told you mine is going to be extraordinary!"

I shook my head in utter disbelief. This guy has no mercy. "You made my fucking research an elementary experiment." I muttered under my breath.

"It's fiiiiiine!" He said in a singsong voice. "Your sources in biology is pretty limited. You did a great job too!"

"Stop saying it like that, it doesn't make me feel any better." I sluggishly walk ahead of him but the shrimp easily caught up with me.

"Tell you what, let's just drink tonight! My treat." He offered while tapping my back. Since he can't reach my shoulder he just settled for the one he can reach.

"Dude, don't do that, I can make a medicine that can make me grow up." He puffed his cheeks like a kid. I laughed at that. You should just stop reading my thoughts if you don't like it, you twat.

"Well if you're so smart, then why didn't you just cure your disease?" We both stopped in our tracks and looked at each other in horror.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked in excitement.

"If you're thinking about a tomato paradise and a penguin land too, then yes." I gave him a crunchy swat in the head. You can never know when this twat is being serious. "Ow! I'm kidding! But, we can't, dude. I think I'll die if we do that." He looked at a distance without any emotions apparent on his face while holding his head that I hit.

"You think?"

"Yeah, let's just talk about it later, but right now? We drink!" He jumped and tugged my elbow. Snow, is hiding so many things from other people. But I know everything about him.

I know things, that he doesn't even know about himself.

8:00 p.m

"Cheers to the ones who passed their presentations in flying colors! Yaaaay!" The shrimp clapped and danced. Other students cheered with him too.

Ugh, how can he be more resistant to alcohol than me? This is so unfair. I already puked thrice and this shitfuck is still drinking without stopping. When the hell will we go home?!

"Snow, let's go home. I'm dizzy." I said and hit him at the back of his head.

"What? Why? You're so weak! Stand up and drink, mi amigo!" He kicked me in the gut which caused me to vomit on the floor again. Ugh, I'm going to die in the fucking bar.

"Padre nuestro que estás en los cielos, santificado sea tu nombre," What the fuck is that Spanish shit? Padre Nuestro, Our Father. Someone's praying?

"Venga tu reyno, hagase tu voluntad,
asì en la tierra como en el cielo." What the fuck? Stop, God doesn't exist.

"Danos hoy nuestro pan cotidiano,
Y perdónanos nuestras deudas,
asì como nosotros perdonamos á nuestros deudores." Stop it.

"Y no nos metas en tentación,
mas líbranos de mal." I forced my eyes open and pushed whoever was chanting that fucking prayer in my ear.

"Amén." He laughed with the freaking cat-sy laugh of his.

"Why the fuck are you praying?" I slurred and tried to stand up straight. Where are we even?

"We're at the dorm, mate." He laughingly said and pushed me on the couch, which I voluntarily fall over. And you answered the wrong question, you shrimp.

"I know. And I just woke you up." He said. I can hear some noise, maybe he's arranging our things. I don't know, I can't open my eyes again. I'm slipping at the deep abyss slowly but surely.

You woke me up by praying. . . Way to go. . . Dickhead.

"Just sleep, bruv. G'night."

3:00 a.m

They said, 3:00 in the morning is the devil's hour. And since my head is still spinning I decided to make coffee. And probably make something unbelievable. I can't take that, Snow made something—in his own words—extraordinary than mine. I mean, Snow has always been that way, a genius. The one with the ideas, the one that can pull off everything. When the professors assessed our abilities, I'm remarkable. But he. . . He's an era-defining genius. With that presentation that he just reported he's guaranteed to be the hero of medicine. A living legend at the age of 21.

I feel frustrated. It's like I lost in the only battle that I'm confident I can win.

I want more. I need more. I need. . . Power.

Those childish books people call bible said, the Lord hated six things and the seventh he detested. Seven deadly sins? That's the only thing I believed in whatever the fuck religions say.

If only I can take all of that away, am I going to be a perfect being? Wait, if humans have seven deadly sins, does that mean, Gods don't have them? If people say God is perfect then does that mean if I lose my seven deadly