[ WP ] Everyone has a mark on their chest that is indentical only to their soulmate 's .

They used to say that everyone's got a partner. Someone out their to share their life with, to be together with until the end. 
 
 That was before I was born. 
 
 See, everyone has their mark. Everyone has that identifying insignia on the back of their right hand, the one that proves two people are meant to be together. Sure, people get in relationships anyway, and sure some people stay single anyway. The soul-mate lifestyle is n't for everyone. As for me, I'd love to have someone to call my own. 
 
 Except, I do n't have a mark. 
 
 Where everyone else's hands have fancy symbols, some with intricate circular designs, other's looking angular and polygonal, my hand is simply bare. When I was born, the doctors had no idea what to make of me. In the end, they simply told my parents that I was a special case, and that I'd unfortunately never find love. 
 
 All through my years, it was a source of many things; at times, humiliation. At others, pity and sympathy. I hated the feeling of people treating me so tenderly, yet I could never deny the truth; that I was destined to be alone. 
 
 On one particular day, I was sipping a coffee at my local bookstore. They had a cafe there for people to eat as they read, and it combined two of my favorite things; being alone, and silence. Nobody ever bothered me here, and I relished the fact that I could be left in peace. 
 
 `` Excuse me?'' 
 
 I looked up to see a girl about my age standing awkwardly at the opposite end of my small table-for-two. She wore blue jeans, and a white and black hoodie where the sleeves covered most of her hands. 
 
 `` I was wondering if you'd mind me sitting here? It's just that the other tables are taken, and there's nowhere else to sit-'' I was already waving my hand to singify it was fine with me. 
 
 `` Sure, no problem here.'' She smiled, and nodded her appreciation. Sitting down, she reached into a book-bag, and brought out a copy of `` Destiny'', some book that got popular lately because of its'Romeo-and-Juliet' kinda themes, where two people with matching marks came from opposing families and tried to be together. Simply rolling my eyes, I remained silent and continued sipping my coffee as I read my own book. 
 
 Silence passed between us for a while, before she closed her book and sighed. Unexpectedly, she struck up a conversation. 
 
 `` Well, that sucked.'' I raised my eyebrows in surprise from her speaking. `` I'm sorry?'' 
 
 She looked at me with this exasperated look in her eyes. `` My friend recommended this book to me, thinking I'd like it. Honestly though, it's all crap.'' She leaned in closer to me. `` I mean, that's all anyone goes on about when love is talked about; everything revolves around the stupid marks on our hands. Is that really how we should base society?'' She gave a small huff of frustration. 
 
 I could n't think of anything to say. Obviously, I somewhat agreed with her. Soul-mates did tend to be perfect for one another, but I would never find one anyway. What kind of person would I be if I did n't disagree with the condemnation that had been given to me since I was born? 
 
 `` Yeah, I think it's kinda dumb too.'' Her eyes flashed, and I could see some sort of relief come over her. I do n't know what came over me, but the next thing I knew, I was asking, `` What's your name?'' 
 
 She smiled slightly. `` Charlotte. And yours?'' 
 
 `` Tobias.'' 
 
 `` Well Tobias,'' she replied with a grin, `` it's nice to meet someone with a similar point of view.'' 
 
 A momentary beeping came from a wrist watch on her left hand, and she looked at the time. `` Aw, sorry. I've got somewhere to be.'' She stood up to leave, and as soon as it had appeared, my temporary elation left me. I muttered a farewell, and turned back to my book. 
 
 `` You know, this was fun. Do you come here often?'' I looked up again to see her looking expectantly at me. 
 
 I stammered, `` Ev- every weekend.'' She smirked. `` Well then, I'll see you next weekend?'' 
 
 The next few weeks passed in a blur. No longer was I alone, I had found someone to spend my time with, to confide in. I knew that it would cease as soon as her soul-mate came around, but who knew? It could be a long time from now, and I was n't going to turn away someone like her. She treated me like an equal, not as something to feel sorry for, and I loved it. 
 
 At our meetings, we always read together, talked about various things, and laughed together. After the first month, I knew I liked her. After the second, I figured that this was the closest thing I could possibly have to finding my soulmate. 
 
 One day as we sat there, I was laughing at something she'd said when she became very serious. `` Hey, do you remember the first time we met? When we talked about love being based on our marks?'' 
 
 I stopped laughing and nodded slowly. `` Yes... if I remember, we agreed that it was n't the best system?'' 
 
 She nodded, and looked down. `` What if you met someone that did n't share your mark, and you truly loved them, but then your soulmate came into your life?'' She looked up with a sort of sad look in her eye. `` Would you leave them for your soulmate? Or stick with the relationship you'd made?'' 
 
 I felt my world crumbling around me. This was it; Charlotte had found her soulmate, and she was going to leave me. I just started shaking my head. `` I should've know this would happen...'' I muttered. 
 
 `` What?'' asked Charlotte, with a confused look on her face. `` Are you alright?'' 
 
 I sighed. `` Look, I understand that I've likely just been filling a hole for you, something to occupy your time until your true match came along.'' 
 
 She said nothing, her mouth simply a small'o'. 
 
 `` I just want to say that honestly, you've made me a lot happier than I've been in a long time. You kept me company, you treated me like an equal... I'm happy that you found someone.'' 
 
 I looked up with a sad smile on my face, only to raise an eyebrow in bewilderment when she shook her head. `` No, not me! I was wondering about you! Would you leave someone?'' 
 
 I jerked in surprise before busting out laughing. `` Ha! Sorry, but I do n't have the luxury of even a choice like that. My life is destined to be lived out alone.'' I'd never shown her my hand out of fear that she'd simply feel pity for me like the others, but I decided to finally reveal my secret. I reached forward, and pulled pack the sleeved of my right arm, displaying my bare hand. 
 
 As I did so, both of Charlotte's hands flew to her mouth as her eyes widened in shock. I smiled sadly. Yep, here came the sympathy. I damned myself for allowing yet another person to see me as nothing more than a pity-case. 
 
 Slowly, she reached her left hand up to her right hand, and pulled back the sleeve which had so carefully before hidden her hands. It was only then that I noticed something of monumental proportions. 
 
 The back of her hand was absent of any mark either. 
 
 In stunned silence, the two of us sat there staring at each other, realizing that we'd both likely been told the same thing from birth; that neither of us would ever find our soulmate, and would wander the world alone forever. And yet, here we had been, cursing the system while sitting next to each other for months. 
 
 After a while of letting the realization sink in, I cleared my throat. 
 
 `` So, uh... we still good for next weekend?'' 
 
 

