I can feel him looking at us.

My back is turned but I can hear him arguing with Mrs. Pryne through the glass.

“I don’t want a ten-thousand point child. I told you what I want and I expect to get it.”

The sound of their argument dies down. Becoming muffled through the glass.

I sigh and turn my attention back to the ratty deck of cards in my hands. In front of me Echo smirks. This happens a lot. Some rich guy comes in and argues until he gets the most expensive child in the facility. Usually they don’t argue with management in front of the 100 point room. But this guy isn’t leaving until he gets what he wants.

I catch Kyle’s eye across the room. He’s sixteen, just like me, Echo, and Genesis. We skipped room to room every few months together when we were little. All of us were just a little to different.

It wasn’t long before we ended up in the 100 point room.

Kyle is now glaring at the rich-guy. I gesture in Genesis's direction.

She’s sleeping on one of the metal bunks and is missing out on all the action.

Kyle rolls his eyes and shakes her awake. Once she wakes up he heads toward me, grabbing a chair on the way. He sits down next to Echo, facing the window.

With two flicks of my wrist an card disappears from the deck.

Once Genesis slinks over to the table, Kyle leans forward. “Pryne left to go get paperwork. The guy is still there.”

I nod, I still haven't turned around yet so I appreciated the update. Genesis blinks, turning towards the window while Echo leans back lazily. “This is what, the third time some rich couple threw a fit this month?”

I shuffle the cards and spread the deck across the table. “Yup.”

Kyle leans forward and surveys the cards. He knows the game.

Finally he answers. “It’s up your sleeve.”

“Nope. Check your pocket.”

He gives a colorful curse as he pulls the ace of spades out of the pocket of his facility issued clothes. As he’s complaining I look around the room.

It's overcrowded as usual. There are sixteen of us in total. Some of the younger kids are playing with blocks in the corner. More kids are scattered across the room, and some others gather around the crappy holo-video that's playing a movie. Among them is Hailey, a quiet twelve year old who leans over to Erik, the kid sitting on her right, to update him on the progress of the movie. Which is sweet of her because Erik’s blind.

It’s the reason he’s here. A 100 point child. We’re all discards, the ones no one wants.

Children who are younger, smarter, prettier. They cost more, get raised in better rooms, but not us. 100 points is the lowest a child can be bought for. The other rooms have caretakers but we don’t , we’re dangerous and ‘unpredictable’. I glance around again. Hailey has completely stopped what she was doing and from the look on Erik’s face has clued him in too. On closer inspection no one is actually watching the holo-vid. In the corner Rachel is staring daggers at the mystery man. The room is unnaturally silent, save for the show still running on the holo-vid.

That’s it. I don’t care who this guy is, he can go gawk somewhere else.

I stand up, making my chair screech angrily as it slides over the concrete floor. I turn around and stalk over to the window, fire in my eyes.

I rap my knuckles on the glass right in front of his face, just in case he wasn’t paying attention.

“Hey...yes you!” I raise my voice enough to be heard on the other side of the glass.

He jerks back, as if surprised by my outburst.

“Move along, we’re not an exhibit, go gawk somewhere else!”

He takes another step back, slowly, as if retreating from a wild animal.

I flash a wicked grin toward him before turning around and heading back toward my seat. The confusion on his face would have almost been comical if I wasn’t so pissed.

Kyle gives me a slow clap and Echo gives the man a vulgar gesture through the glass as Genesis shakes her head in amusement at all of us. “Great job Fallon. I’m pretty sure Pryne couldn’t have tucked tail and ran better herself.”