Heathcliff

Green Face

I groaned and turned in my bed. Today is the day of going into the third year of secondary school. "Reginald! Hurry up!" My sister called from downstairs. I groaned and sat up. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" I called out and started changing into my new uniform.

It's been a year since Rio woke up from her coma. I can't pick on kids now because she'll pick on me and probably give me a meaningless lecture. "REGINALD!" My door was slammed open, my sister started dragging me out of my bedroom. "Rio..don't you think you're overreacting just a little bit?" "No." She said sternly. Jeez, someone's in a mood. I sighed and tossed my bag over my shoulder. "Reginald, get something to eat! You need breakfast!" "Don't worry, Rio. I'll get something from the canteen." She huffed but didn't say anything. "Can we just go before we miss our bus?" She grabbed her bag and wrapped it neatly around her shoulder. The bus arrived after about five minutes. "Let's get going then." Rio nodded and followed alongside me. One step onto the bus, everyone is already looking at me with scared looks. Rio didn't seem to take notice and just took her seat on the left. I joined her and looked off to the side. The first thing I see is a kid with some weird-looking mask. He has blonde and teal hair. It's hard to see his eyes. "Do you know him?" I look at Rio with a brow slightly raised. "Who?" "That guy with the mask!" Rio said a bit too loud. The guy looked at us. "It's a prosthetic..." I widened my eyes a bit. "I'm so sorry!" I said. "What's a prosthetic?" Rio asked. "It's something people wear to either replace or hide technical, physical, and permanent burns and body parts." The guy offered back. Rio's face seemed to soften up a lot. Biting her lip, she said softly. "I'm sorry." The guy shook his head. "It's okay, don't worry about it...my name's Green Face." "Shark." I offer back. Why would someone name their kid 'Green Face?'. Unless that is. "Where did 'Green Face' come from?" "I didn't have any decent friends, to be honest." I gave the guy a look of sympathy. His 'friends' were probably just dickheads if they called him that. "Can we be your friends?" My sister asked. "Oh! And my name is Rio." Green Face nodded. "I like your names...are you sure you want to be friends with me?" "Of course!" Rio exclaimed. Green Face seemed taken back for a moment. Even if I can't see his face, I can tell he's anxious.

The bus came to a stop. Green Face was the first to get off once the doors were open. "Reginald, did I say something to upset him?" Placing my hand on her shoulder, I said. "No, Rio, you didn't do anything. Maybe he's not used to having friends? Remember what he said?" Rio seems to think for a minute. "He said, 'I didn't have any decent friends, to be honest.''" "Exactly. If you see him around the school, give him a little wave or a smile. It could mean the world to him." "Since when did you become so sincere?" I rolled my eyes at her remark, hoisting my bag over my shoulder.I get off the bus with Rio behind me. Just at that moment, the bell rings. "You know where you're going?" "I do! I'll see you at lunch, Reginald!" She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried off to class. "You two look very alike." I turn my head and see Green Face. "Hey! Green, I thought you already went to class?" "I'm new. But I'm still going to third. I was hoping to go with you and your sister." I scratch the back of my neck. "Rio is in her second year. You can come with me if you want?" Green Face nodded and walked next to me. "Hey, is there anything else I can call you other than 'green' or 'green face'?" "Is there something wrong with my name?" I quickly shook my head. "No, I just! I wanted to make sure you were comfortable." "........." Oh shit, I already messed up. "I've never met anyone like you before. You're quite unique." 'Unique'? Maybe I was right about how he never met a decent human being. Poor guy."Are you alright?" "Hmm? Sorry, just thinking." Green Face nods. "The second bell will go off in two minutes. How much further is it to our class?" I tilt my head upwards at a number plate above my head. Number sixteen. "Don't worry, we're already here."

____________________________________________________________

I sigh with relief. "Finally, we have lunch!" Green turns around and looks at me. "We only have fifteen minutes?" I smile and gently hold Green's shoulder. "Don't ruin my victory." Green chuckles lightly at my words. "Reginald! Green!" Green and I turn our heads and see Rio coming to us...this will be fun. "Who are they?" Green whispers. I shrug my shoulders in response. "Reginald, Green. Meet Yuma Tsukumo and Tori Meadows." Rio declared, gesturing her hands towards the duo. "Hiya!" Yuma said excitedly. He decided to go to me first. "You must be Rio's twin brother, Reginald, right?" "Just Shark," I say and offer my hand out. Yuma takes it almost immediately and nearly breaks my hand in the process. "I like your necklace..." Yuma turns to Green. "Thank you! Uhhh...?" "Green Face" Yuma nods and holds his hand out to Green. "Nice to meet you, Green Face!" Green hesitantly takes Yuma's hand. Unfortunately, Yuma seems to nearly break his hand too. "It's nice to meet you," Tori whispers. She seems shyer than Green. "Nice to meet you too."After that, I heard a soft chuckle beside me. I looked over and saw Green tilting his mask a bit, enough for me to see his jawline and lips curved into a smile. It's weird. For some reason, I feel relief from seeing him smile. Green readjusted his mask or prosthetic and looked over at me. "He was crushing your hand too?" "Yeah, kid's got some grip." Green nodded and grabbed his bag. "That's some...interesting items you got there." "It's my medication. The rest is just emergency use." I inspected the bag in as much detail as I could. His medication, bandages, plasters, scissors, a packed lunch, and...a gun and knife?! "Why do you have those?" I asked, pointing to the two military weapons. "...They are for my father," Green whispered. "Is he okay?" I ask, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "Please don't concern yourself about someone like him," Green says, reaching for his lunch and lifting his prosthetic slightly.It seems like I still have a lot to learn.