Chapter Text
"I’m telling you Sarah, she’s just a stuck up, pretty girl who thinks that everything will be handed to her." Cosima waved her hands around in the air as she spoke, as if every time she swatted the air beside her, her point was forced further into Sarah’s head.
"Oh come on. Tell me you don’t think she’s hot though?" Sarah spoke loudly, unashamedly. She’d never really cared if other people heard what she said, and that’s something that, as the shyer, geeky, sister, Cosima had always admired. Right now, though, Cosima hated that trait more than ever.
"Could you quiet down a little? Yes. Okay. She’s physically attractive, but that means nothing if you’re a horrible person."
"You hardly know her Cos. Just try not to kill her this time…o’right?"
"Right." Sarah punched Cosima in the arm, the most affection that the woman seemed able to produce. It was strange, having Sarah at University with her. After all, no-one thought that she was the academic type, but there was no end to the things that she would do for Kira. If Sarah had to get a ‘proper job’ and a college education to provide for her daughter, then you’re damn right she’s going to do it.
Cosima smiled sarcastically at her sister as the punk walked away. The thought of having to spend two whole hours with Delphine Cormier drained her physically. God, how she hated that woman. The way that she strutted into the room like it was a catwalk with her head tilted upwards in that sense of entitlement all too common in those rich bitches who had made her life hell all the way through high school.
As she sat down in the lecture hall, she dared a glance at the door. Half of her hoped that Delphine walked through so that she could further her loathing for her, and half of her hoped that she wasn’t in today, so that she could get through a whole seminar without her concentration being disturbed. Dr.Bowles entered the lecture hall and placed her bag on the table at the front of the room. Delphine still hadn’t arrived.
"Today, I’m going to need you to pair up to work on a presentation. The topic can be of your choosing, but it has to relate to the questions regarding ethics in human experiments."
She would have laughed at the sheer irony of it all, if she hadn’t turned around to find that everyone else had paired up. It looked like she was going to have to do the work solo. No big deal, she thought to herself, I work better alone anyway. No-one to slow me down.
"Cosima, it seems like you don’t have a partner. Are you okay to do this on your own?" Dr. Bowles asked, but before Cosima could answer a blushing Delphine quick-stepped into the room, throwing breathless, french apologies at Dr. Bowles. Always with the French. Playing the charming foreigner card again are we? It was such a cliché. Cosima laughed under her breath at the french woman, believing wholeheartedly that she was the only one in this whole university who saw through her disguise. “Oh, perfect!” Dr. Bowles clasped her hands together. “Delphine, you can work with Cosima.” The tall woman turned slowly to stare at Cosima, her mouth hanging open fear washing over her face. The dreadlocked woman stared back, her face in an equal state of fear and shock. Holy watershed.
_
No…Oh no. The one day that she come in late, and this is the consequence. Of all the people in her class why did it have to be Cosima? That girl had never liked her, and she had no idea why. Delphine could see the same fear that washed over her face in the other girl’s eyes. This was going to be a disaster.
"Well, Delphine?" Dr. Bowles asked. "Would you like to take your seat so that I can continue with the lecture?"
"Of course, excuse moi" As she finished her sentence, she could hear the remnants of a scoff from Cosima. She sat down next to the smaller girl and attempted a smile, but the lack of acknowledgement from Cosima just made her angry. Delphine knew that they had never spoken much so were therefore not friends, but she had never expected her to be so rude. Actually, no, some part of her did expect Cosima to ignore her, because that’s exactly what she had done for the whole year.
Finally, Dr. Bowles finished her lecture and Cosima started to pack her things away. Delphine saw this as her chance to speak to the girl, needing, of course, to discuss what they would do for their topic. “So, Cosima, do you have any ideas in mind?”
"Yeah, I was thinking that seeing as though I’ve done a lot of research into cloning, we could do that. I’ll do the presentation and then just send it to you."
"No." Delphine replied sharply. "I will be a part of this. This is my work too."
"Fine, when I send you the presentation feel free to add to it."
"No!" This time, she tried to make her point very clear. "I will do half of the work and you will do half of the work."
"Jeez, fine." Cosima threw her messenger bag over her body fiercely. "I’ll be in the library in an hour." The small girl stormed past, leaving Delphine confused and angry. How dare she believe that she had that much control over the project. Delphine was just as clever, just as insightful and just as deserving of her doctorate. Cosima was so cocky and Delphine hated it.
_
Cosima did not enjoy confrontation, so she tried to keep her cool as Delphine went on and on about how to possible upsides of human cloning outweighed the downsides. She nodded courteously, and held her tongue, but she wasn’t sure how long this could last for. Honestly, as soon as Delphine said “perhaps human cloning is demonized and if…” she had zoned out. She wasn’t going to sit here and listen to someone who was justifying the creation of humans for research purposes.
"…but maybe, because of the possible treatments we could develop and the opportunities it would open for transplants, it would be okay?"
That was the final straw. “Do you even hear what you’re saying, Delphine?” Cosima had snapped. “Really? Do you even stop to think about anyone else?” Delphine just stared at her, confused and hurt.
"No, of course not. Tall and beautiful Delphine Cormier who has everything handed to her on a silver platter wouldn’t consider how horrible it would be to be that human clone would she? As long as you benefit from something, you don’t care who it hurts." She was furious. The memories of those beautiful, popular girls in high school who bullied her and convinced her that if she did their work they’d like her flooded her mind and took over. Delphine represented all of them. She was just like them. She took what she wanted but justified it by claiming it helped more than it harmed.
"Wow." The blonde woman scoffed. "I had no idea you were so invested in this. It was only a discussion." She stood up and grabbed her books off of the desk. Her heels beat the floor like a jackhammer; quick and loud. Her mind raced with all the things that she should have said, and before she got too far away, she turned back, storming up to the dreadlocked woman purposefully.
"I’ll have you know that my father and mother saved up for over a year just to get me a plane ticket to come over here. I come from a normal family who work hard for everything that they have, something that has been passed on to me. I had to opportunity to sleep with a professor to get a good mark…" She paused and bit her lip as the horrible meeting was forced back into her consciousness. "I refused. I will not have anyone question my integrity, or how much I deserve this. Least of all a little brat like you." Delphine pointed at Cosima, who leaned away from the well manicured claw. "Do you want to know the reason that I try to justify this? It’s because I would happily give my body to science if it meant helping others. If it were me who was a clone, I would be annoyed some days, sure, but I would understand that what I was doing was for the greater good. Goodbye Cosima. Email me when you have grown up."
_
Delphine dropped down heavily onto her bed. Her lecture to Cosima having left her both physically and emotionally drained. She heard her phone beep twice. Email. She opened up her inbox and tutted at the sender. Cosima. Of course it was her. Probably messaging to carry on the argument or to defend her prejudices.
‘Delphine,
I know I’m the last person who you probably want to hear from right now but I finished my half of the presentation. I thought that I could argue my side and you yours? It really shows how much a debate there is on this topic and would mean the others could make up their own mind.
That’s not all though.
I wanted to apologize for what I said about you. I don’t know you. All of my life, the pretty, popular girls have beaten me down and abused my naievety. When I see you, I see them. I know that’s not fair, and it’s not your fault but that’s what I’ve been battling ever since our first day. Now I know that that’s not who you are. You’re an intelligent woman who cares for others and wants to do right. I see that now. You were right about deserving your doctorate as well. You’ve worked as hard as anyone else in this class and I know you’ll get it.
I’m sorry. I hope we can be friends.
Cosima.’
The French woman stared at her phone for a few seconds, taking in what Cosima was saying. She now knew why Cosima had hated her before they’d even spoke, and even though she wasn’t happy about it, she could understand it. She replied;
'Cosima,
I’m sorry that you were bullied before, I really am. It is a cowardly thing to do and I bet all of those who hurt you are the ones looking up to you now.
I accept your apology, as you seem to have accepted that I am not the same person as those girls who hurt you.
About the presentation, yes, I like that idea very much.
I hope we can be friends too.
Delphine.’
There were only 2 minutes in between her presseing send and Cosima’s reply.
'Awesome.
Do you want to come to a party tonight?’
Delphine only pondered this for a few seconds.
'Yes, of course. Where?'
'Room 34 in the new
accommodation. Bring drinks!’
_