Readers Of The Future

2. Eyes Like Mine

It's the most magnificent room I have ever been allowed inside. Honestly, I don't remember how I got in here. The carpet, bed covers and curtains all have the same animal print pattern, definitely the work of an interior designer.

There is a familiar scent to the room. One that makes my heartbeat pick up speed. This magnificent, lavish room smells like someone I have deerly missed... Mike. Must be my crazy head imagining things, through.

My ears pick up the sound of footsteps approaching. I instinctively sneak under the massive bed and lie flat so I can still see through the tinny space between the hanging bedcovers and the soft mat beneath me.

A pair of legs enter the room in a hurry. Mike's smell fill the room and it's like he is right beside me. Could it be him?

I sneak my head out. The teenage boy has his back on me as he selects a jacket from the closet. I check for his reflection in the mirrors fixed on doors of the volumtous closet. Noooo way!

"Mike!" I whisper. I feel like he will vanish in thin air if I dare call louder. But he didn't hear my whisper.

"Mike! Hurry up or you'll be late on your first day!" A male voice calls out from somewhere in the house.

He runs out if the room with the jacket already in hand. I panic and call out loud.

"Mike!"

And it's like I just pressed the "end" button of a remote while watching a movie. Everything disappears and I find myself in my room dressed in my pajama pants and sweaty. Rays of the morning sun has penetrated through the cracks between the cardboards I use to cover the broken window of my room. I'm about to get late for school.

My mind is in a haze even as I force my legs out of bed. I stumble a few times as I take a quick bath and dress up in my usual clothes that are a little buggy. They tend to consel my extraordinary height.

I reconfirm that dark glasses are in my backpack before gathering the strands of my hair in a ponytail. I hate having to wear them daily but what other option do I have?

I walk to a small mirror I have on a wall next to a framed photo of Mike.

I often find myself staring at my eyes. I used to wish to wake up one day and find them looking normal. May be blue, green, or brown. No bright golden rings around the pupils.

I would visualize that moment when I would run to mother and look her in the eyes. Her expression would be that of extreme joy and she would hug me like she does my half sisters. Too bad I can only fancy that happening and never experience it in reality. I have already understood and accepted it.

I eavesdrops on Gina and Racheal as they are having their usual gossip session while I'm on my way down the stairs.

"Tracy thinks he will fall for her even with that flat bosom of hers. I'm sure she will want to die once he chooses one of us." Racheal says as she carefully sets Gina's hair in a complicated twist. They would look good if they would just get rid of the skimpy outfits they're wearing.

"We have to let her have her chance. When he turns her down, she won't blame us. I really don't want to be enemies with her, you know she can be the devil himself." Gina says and making her sister snorn.

"You're actually that afraid of her? If she tries to hurt you, why not just pull out those extensions?"

Tracy wears extensions? All along I thought it was her hair. I wonder what part of her elegant features is natural.

"Yeah, that would be quite a spectacle!" Gina agrees.

"Better not get suspended for fighting another student! You know how your father would get mad." Mother warns.

I get to the bottom of the stairs and make my way to the kitchen. Both girls giggle scowl she I pass by them.

"Will you not cover those alien torches of yours with something? I don't like people asking questions I have no answers to, you know that!" Mother snaps. She is talking about my eyes in case you did not understand the symbolism.

"I just wanted to feel a little direct sunlight. I have the glasses in the bag and will wear them once I'm outside." I explain.

"Whatever you feel like. Just make sure no one sees you." She says and goes back to whatever she is doing with her phone.

I enter the kitchen, grab a banana from the fringe and pour myself a cup of coffee from a kettle. I eat fast and out just in time to witness my sisters slip into their Father's car and drive off. I can't help but feel dejected. I know I shouldn't since Mr.Milestone is not my father. But my father isn't here and not even my mother wants me.

I think of the dream I had before waking up this morning as I foot to school. Assuming the dream wasn't mentally envisioned, there is hope that Mike is in a safe place. In fact, living a high class life. But if that were the case, he would have looked for his family at least to let them know he is okay. I knew Mike, he wouldn't just ignore us. He can't be in that house, unless Mother and Mr. Milestone knows and didn't tell me.

Tracy, her friends and almost a dozen other girls stand by the fanciest sports car I have ever seen. Guess billionaire's boy must have arrived. And is that even a clothe Tracy is wearing? The short pink thing is too tight. But it does help exaggerate her otherwise nonexistent bosom. Dean Milestone must be in the headmistresses office so they're waiting for him. Tracy runs her manicured nails along the sides of the car in such a seductive manner that one would think the car is alive.

I pass by them and head to my first class. Five minutes pasd and the bell rings. Tracy and her group come rushing in. They may be dying to meet Dean Milestone first, but it surely not worth getting late for Mr. King's Mathematics class. His glare alone makes one want to run back home. I don't love maths but I do get good grades. So I'm never on his bad side.

He walks in ten minutes late with someone in tow. I'm not the type that shamelessly gawk at a man because he is goodlooking. I rarely find anyone goodlooking anyway. But the person who came in behind Mr. King is not simply goodlooking. If physical beauty is all that matters in a human, this guy would be perfection itself. His sheer height and incredible features are literary out of this world. I think NASA ought to start searching for the alien ship that must have brought this guy here. I have been staring for maybe minutes now and I still want to study him longer. He won't notice since the whole class is staring anyway.

I would want to hide my face if it were me. I would probably have worn a hoodie. But this guy is in a fitting, designer button-down shirt and darkblue jeans. His shoes must have cost my full tuition fee plus lunch and dinner. His posture exudes so much confidence one would think he owns the school. A billionaire's son indeed!

"Good morning. As you already know, this is none other than Billionaire McDonald's son, Mr. Dean McDonald." Mr.King finally speaks after giving us a moment to pick our jaws from the floor. "He'll be here for a few months before he returns to the big cities. I don't doubt you will all ensure his happy stay here."

"Of course!" Tracy shouts before anyone.

Mr. king takes his first look at her and all glimmer on his face vanishes. He must have noticed her skimpy outfit. Everyone would have been happy to see Tracy sent back home to change, but today we have a guest in class and Mr.King probably doesn't want him to see the bad side of our school right away.

"Mr.McDonald, you're free to choose the seat you want." Mr.King says with not so much excitement in his voice as before.

Before Dean can make a decision himself, Tracy and her friends are already screaming for his attention.

"Come seat with us!" Racheal shouts. The reat hastily create a space between them and finally Dean has a place, right smack in the center of a group of cheeky girls.

No one else dares ask Dean to sit with them. No one wants to have the rather of this group of chicks directed at them. Luckily for Dean, Mr.King realises his predicament and intervenes.

"Since it's Mr.McDonald's first day here, let him sit with Eric so he can catch up first in case there are topics that aren't clear to him" Mr.King says and somehow Tracy and her group have the nerves to boo him. They may have forgotten for a moment this is none other than Mr. King. His tongue alone could kill.

"Wow! That must be our pack of foolish students doing what they do best, No surprise at all. Would each of you tell us what grades you scored the last time we had an exam?" Tracy and her group hang their heads in shame. If they were to combine all their scores for any exam, I doubt they would get a c+. They're embarrassed, but Mr. King isn't done with them yet.

"I can see how bad you want to get close to Mr.McDonald. But since you're all straight E students, I don't see how he can benefit from you. Besides you people are eighty percent naked, I doubt anyone would want a seat between any two of you." He turns his attention back to Dean who still stands by his side.

"Go a head, take the seat beside that boy in grey T-shirt." He says and Dean saunters towards Eric. He passes by my sit and my heart almost quits beating out of shock. One look at his eyes and mine goes wide behind my dark glasses. I'm certain my jaw is back on the floor.

"He has my eyes!" I almost say it loud.

He glares at me for the brief moment he takes to bypass my seat. Is it because I stared too much or because my mouth is hanging open? Never mind. I didn't expect him to like me anyway. But he has eyes like mine?!