Bailey finally got to do his bathroom routine. He had time to fix his unruly dirty blonde hair, successfully putting it into the proper comb over he preferred. He fixed his glasses, put on deodorant, brushed his teeth and cleaned off his shoes. After checking his backpack for his belongings, multiple times to be safe, Bailey deemed himself ready for his next class…though deep down he knew something would go wrong. It always did because that was his luck, or lack of luck more like it.

It wasn’t all-bad though! Even with the shit going on Bailey was pretty upbeat. It was his first day of college at Ringgold University; one of the best Mutant Studies schools in the U.S. Bailey was thrilled upon getting his acceptance letter. He thought he wouldn’t make it but, alas, the world cut him some slack and allowed him to go to his dream school.

He was having the first of his major classes in a few minutes. Unlike his first class, Bailey made it on time and found a seat in the middle that he dubbed the perfect spot and watched as students began piling in.

“Hey, I know you!” A familiar voice shouted from the left of Bailey. He perked up at the sound and glanced over to find the student worker who had let him in the day he met the evil custodian. She was a lovely young girl with fiery red hair, cute freckles against her pale white skin and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a white baby doll dress much like the one she wore when Bailey first saw her. “You’re…Bailey, right? I let you in on Saturday.”

“Yeah, thanks for that.” Bailey chuckled then patted the seat next to him as an invitation.

The girl happily took it and sat at Bailey’s side, taking out her own things for class as she introduced herself, “The name’s Amery, Amery Lloyd.”

“Bailey Schaefer.” Bailey took the hand Amery offered for a quick shake.

“I’m assuming you are a Mutant Studies major. You planning on going the political or medical route?” Amery questioned seeing as the class was literally called Mutant Studies 101. It was pretty clear which major the both of them were in, although, they could take separate routes.

“Medical,” Bailey replied, causing Amery to smile from ear to ear. He was pretty sure by her expression what her response would be but he asked anyways. “You?”

“Same thing,” Amery announced, sounding very proud of it, which she should be.

Mutant Studies was a very fresh major, even more so the medical aspect of it. After all, 150 years of mutants (known publicly at least) seemed like a lot but it certainly wasn’t politically or medically. Most of the research only got done in the last 30 years. There were many trying to get into mutant studies now that it was so acceptable and, obviously, growing dramatically so it was definitely a triumph if you managed to do it.

“Do you have one?” Amery suddenly asked, twirling her pen in her hand as she did. “A mutation that is.”

Bailey snorted at that. “No, you?”

“Nope.” Amery made a cute pout as if that really bothered her. “A fourth of the population is already evolved but we’re left in the dust. Boo!”

Bailey nodded at that, thinking over what Amery mentioned that was honestly growing each year. Mutations were an evolutionary trait that started so long ago that science couldn’t pinpoint when the first came to be. Mutant was the term given to those that possessed supernatural abilities and, ss the days went on, more and more people were evolving and reaching potentials never thought possible.Studies estimated that perhaps in another 100 years it could be up to half of the population containing some form of mutation.

During a time, for about the first 60 or so years, mutants were feared, shut out from the rest of the world until people quickly realized that a political side had to be formed for mutants or it was going to be disastrous, not that it wasn’t already. It took some time, it was still in affect really, but most rights were given back to mutants that were once taken away.

Most mutants appeared normal, some had side effects of their own abilities, but most could pass off as everyone else, which was a cause for uproar. People wanted them ‘marked’ or in uniforms in order to tell them apart but that quickly fell through since it easily put a target on their back for hate crimes. It was difficult, the sudden appearance of mutants, it still was difficult but the world was slowly getting by, each year they were treated more and more like everyone else.

For a while, it felt as if the whole world was on hold. Technology took a drastic downfall when mutants first arrived. Some were used for their own abilities, it put a sort of “halt” on the advancement of everything. It was tough times, or so Bailey read.

“I knew a Level 1 with enhanced smell. Imagine what it was like taking a shit,” Bailey commented. The moment he did, Amery looked to him with disgust that soon turned into pity before she burst out laughing along with Bailey.

“That would be awful!” Amery cried, throwing her hands over her nose as if she could suddenly smell what was around her. “No way, I’m good. Enhanced smell is not worth it!”

Moments later, their professor walked in, successfully cutting off their conversation.

Both Amery and Bailey watched in slight awe when the woman got to her desk, waving her hand across the slightly drooping plants she had resting there. In a second, they were standing upright, their color fully returned and in full health.

Bailey felt his eyes look to Amery, who did the same and peered at Bailey. They both cracked a smile, looked back to their professor and listened to her as she spoke in a soft voice, “Welcome to Mutant Studies 101. I am your instructor, Professor Lou. I hope we get along during this semester. Sorry to announce that I am only a Level 2 mutant.”