MatchMakers

Chapter 1: Infertile

Hello! This is another story of mine. I was just having some major writer's block for THOM and this came to mind, so I decided to develop it. I planned to not make it such a long story, so I hope I don't exceed 25. So please, Read, Review, and favorite/follow. I will appreciate it a lot as it encourages me

I never wanted to get married and I never wanted to have kids. It was my dream, or should I rather say goal. My name is Marron Chestnut. I live in Japan, where the birth rates are at an all-time low. Due to this tragic and shameful numbers the genius government decreed a law called Matchmaker, which is basically a government program that randomly selects who you're going to marry and have children with in the mere future.

Though this program is shown to be great for humanity especially the future of it I viewed it as a trap. A trap that will cage me with some stranger and become a baby-maker as I bear his children. I didn't want that, I wanted the very freedom to choose who I wanted to be with, who I wanted to share a deep connection with, I wanted to be the one to choose the person who would put a smile on my face every day.

But times have changed, no one had the choice anymore, the Matchmaker's were going to entrap me in some fake love in which I would have to tolerate till death did me part in order to escape. Ever since I was a child and learned of this ludicrous law I despised the fact of marriage and child bearing while many girls dreamed of what man they would end up with and how beautiful their children would be.

Society had blinded them with a fantasy, a fairytale. Marriage wasn't easy and it sure wasn't something to take lightly. And having children wasn't like getting a baby doll from the toy store and taking care of it till you forgot all about it. Having a child is raising a new life, a life that can either impact the world in a good way or a bad way, mattering on the upbringing.

There was also severe consequences when it came to denying your "match". It varied from jail time, banishment, or the whorehouse.

I had taken into consideration jail time and banishment, and in all honesty, it came more to my liking then accepting whoever my "match" would be. I wanted to explore the world, not be chained to a man and a family, what time and energy would I have to explore the world then? I wanted to be my own person, worrying only for myself.

My parents, especially my mother didn't like my beliefs of wanting to be independent. In their eyes my beliefs were just me being in some "rebellious stage" in my life and it was the hormone drugs they were having me take think like that and that when I received my "match" all this crazy talk would stop. Well they were wrong. I had these dreams...goals since I was a child, I mapped out several areas in which I wanted to travel and experience. I wanted to be free.

"Marron!"

At the calling of my name I stopped staring out the window where I received a nice view of the school's garden. I brought my attention to the front of the classroom to see my annoyed teacher scowling with her brimmed glasses hanging loosely from her pointy nose and the book she was reading the lesson from held firmly in her hand.

I decided not to apologize, this was a regular routine of mines and if I apologized today I would just end up doing it again tomorrow.

The bell rung before she had a chance to fully scold me, I smiled at the sound as I closed my notebook with the unfinished notes from the lecture. I never really fully got a chance to write all my notes in school as I drifted off into a daydream and ended up having to study extra hard when I get home.

"Mrs. Sun what about our Matchmaker's results?"

I stopped my packing at the question. I already knew the answer and I knew well the girl who asked and the other girls in the class knew the answer as well. They just wanted to spite me.

"Sorry Kelly, there's still one person in our class who didn't pass the fertility test. Until she passes or fails this class will receive their results on who their match is."

I quickly zipped my bag and exited the room, their eyes picking at my skin with their evil glares.

It'd become a fact known by every girl in this all girl school that I failed my fertility test twice already and that I had one more try to see if I could have a match or not. And obviously I wanted to fail this test for the third time, if I was infertile I couldn't get a match and I would be free.

I ignored the whispers as I walked down the hall, their attempts at trying to harass me and make me feel depressed was failing horribly. They could just enjoy their caged marriage and forced children. I was going to be living my best life without a care in the world.

In a flash I found myself out the school building and home at the dining table eating with my parents. Engulfed in silence. I mean I didn't mind as all the talk these days mentioned Matchmaker's and that sure wasn't a topic I was keen to discuss. My mother wasn't much of a talker while my father was the man always trying to keep some form of liveliness and not make things awkward when it already is. Like when my uncle comes to visit he tries in engage in small talk, but that never works out as the atmosphere just ends up being intense. I mean I liked the care, effort and enthusiasm he puts forth.

They were complete opposites really, my parents. They didn't seem too compatible as their different personalities clashed with one another, but they seemed to love each other, a love I was always trying to decipher if real or not. But my father assured me the law hadn't been declared yet when he married my mother and their love was genuine. In their case two opposites could attract. Well that fact alone still wouldn't change my mind, the world already despised me, so I know whoever my "match" would be someone I would just despise for the rest of my life.

"Your teacher called me today," my father began.

My stomach had already churned, knowing where this conversation was leading up to. Why couldn't he at least start off with how my day at school was? In which I would reply with a tolerable. Or why couldn't I have done something bad at school for once, so we would've talked about my school behavior than this.

I gave them both a quick glance as I played with my fork and broccoli.

"She sent me your results via email," he continued.

Privacy rights didn't seem to have existed when it came to Matchmakers, medical concerns, and teachers knowing all these things about me and their other students. I wanted my private stuff kept private not blasted out to the entire school. I mean I didn't care that I was infertile, but the whole world didn't need to know. Infertile people were looked upon differently, I didn't care much about the harassment, but I was still human, and I wanted to be viewed like one.

"What did it say Krillin?" my annoyed mother asked.

I almost chuckled at her impatience, she always liked getting things said and done straight from the point.

"She's still infertile," he replied, dejected.

I had already knew the results, but hearing him say and confirm it brought a large smile to my face. I'm going to be free, free from a sham marriage and free from child-bearing.

My mother had a sad look on her face and I'm pretty sure she was blaming herself at the results. My mother was infertile herself because of a tragic accident she didn't like to discuss, but she managed to have me, she had many miscarriages before I turned out to be their miracle though, maybe that was why she didn't express emotion much and why her and my father were a perfect match, he was the sun and she was the moon. The light to her darkness.

"It's fine mom. I'm actually really happy that I'm infertile, so don't be upset about the results, it's not your fault."

My words didn't seem to comfort her, maybe because I was still in my so called "rebellious" stage and they had hope that the last test I was going to take would show that I was fertile.

"Don't you want to have a family someday?" My father asked me.

I put my fork down, the smile still present, "not in this society I don't, you guys had a choice to be together, but I can most likely be matched up with some creepy weirdo who I'll have no feelings for whatsoever."

"So, you just want to be like those infertile women?" my mother stopped looking dejected her iced blue eyes giving me an intensified glare as she asked her question. The glare that could scare the living soul out of somebody.

But her words seemed to have gotten me and had me ignored the scary look in her eyes. I slammed my hands against the table to make a point as I stood up, she had crossed a line. Implying that I wanted to be like those infertile women.

"I just want to be free!"

I cursed my emotions as tears unconsciously began to leak from my eyes. I headed to my room before another word or action could be said or done.

Macthmaker's this, Matchmaker's that, it was all I heard day and night. I was sick of it. I would've thought that out of all people my parents would support me in my choices and in my beliefs, but it seemed like the fantasy they were etching into everyone's mind got to my parents as well.

I had just settled into bed and wiped my embarrassing tears away when a knock sounded on my door, without my consent the person entered through my unlocked door.

"Hey pumpkin,"

I rolled my eyes, "did she send you here?" The anger in my voice clear.

He walked up to my bed before taking a seat next to my legs.

"You know she just wants what's best for you, we both do."

I sat up to face him, my anger diminishing, "if you guys really do want what's best for me why can't you see what I believe is best for me?" I asked the question they always veered with another topic.

He sighed, "You still have one more fertility test to take and if they show that you're infertile again we'll talk about your dream," he concluded.

"Goal," I said with a smile. It was going to be a reality, I had already failed the test twice and it was going to have to be a great miracle for it to come out positive the third time.

Each girl and guy of age sixteen had to take a test to see if they were fertile or sterile, just in case the computer could have missed something they would take the test three times a few days after the last had been taken. These procedures came to action as one woman was declared infertile after one doctor's visit turned out to actually be fertile.

"Your last test is tomorrow, they've already scheduled an appointment and you'll receive the results next week during class and we'll also be notified via email of them," he kissed me goodnight.

I smiled as I mumbled a low goodnight.

After tomorrow I just had a week to hear that I was fully free.