Louis loathed the very concept of hybrids, yet his final year of college hinged on caring for one. It was a cruel irony, a mandatory requirement for graduation.
“I refuse to babysit one of those disease-ridden abominations,” Louis grumbled to Liam, his roommate.
Liam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Lou, you have to. It’s non-negotiable.” They’d been circling this argument for an hour, and Liam just wanted to return to his studies.
“Or I could just withdraw from college,” Louis suggested, idly twisting his phone in his hands.
“You’ve invested three years and a substantial amount of scholarship money. You’re *paid* to care for a hybrid,” Liam reminded him, the frustration evident in his tone.
Louis waved him off with a dismissive shrug. “Whatever. Having one of those things around means I don’t have to lift a finger for anything. Let them handle everything.”
“They aren’t slaves, Louis,” Liam scowled. “They're sentient beings.”
“Last I checked, they’re bought and sold, caged like animals,” Louis retorted, his voice laced with disdain. He didn’t care about their treatment; they were worthless creatures bred for amusement, for the perverse pleasure of watching them suffer. He was certain that’s all they were good for.
Liam looked up from his books, his gaze fixed on Louis. “How am I friends with you?” he asked, incredulous.
Louis shrugged nonchalantly, still twirling his phone. Bored with both the device and the conversation, he stood and headed toward the kitchen. “Because without me, you’d have already sold your soul for one of those disgusting creatures.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Liam snapped, chucking a shoe at Louis’ head. Louis yelped and shut up after that, knowing Liam missed on purpose, but next time would definitely not hesitate to actually hit him in the face with a shoe.
Louis had been raised to believe hybrids were no different than humans, but as he aged, he was exposed to a different narrative. A boy in sixth grade, whose family owned a hybrid, had regaled him with tales of their supposed stupidity, their thieving tendencies, their utter laziness. The boy had painted them as creatures undeserving of kindness, a drain on society. It was the beginning of Louis' hatred.
He hadn't known about the hybrid requirement when he enrolled. He hadn’t bothered to read the fine print of the college handbook. Now, he regretted it. He didn’t want a useless creature that shouldn’t even exist. He should have known to read any fine print. Who even does that, surely he can’t be the only one. Now he regrets not reading it though, he just really doesn’t want a stupid useless creature that shouldn’t even exist.