Violet Eyes

Chapter 2

 Cassy awoke the next morning with her cheeks covered in dried salt. She had gone straight to bed after bringing the water home and hadn't bothered washing her face. It felt crusty and dirty under her fingers. Cassy made her way downstairs and sat down on the wooden crate that replaced their chairs. Jan Mayen hadn't been a very populated island before the happening, so when the 10 European families had been sent there to live, there were only enough resources for 5. Everything had been shared out equally but it meant that half of the families had things that the other half didn't and vice versa. "Good morning sweetheart" her mother said to her. Cassy's little brother was sitting at the table already, scoffing down a bowl of raw roseroot and fireweed leaves along with a few cooked crowberries. It didn't sound like much but it kept them going till lunch. "Morning mum" she replied. Her Mum sighed "Cassy, what did I say about elbows on the table." She moved her arms reluctantly as her brother pulled a face at her. "You too Marc." Cassy looked at him and stuck out her tongue. Usually there was much more chaos in the mornings, with her dad and sister – Avery, getting ready for work, but seeming as it was the last day before the Violet Holidays, they had left for work early, to do as much as they could before the week long celebration. After eating her breakfast Cassy said goodbye to her Mum and picked up her back pack. Cassy's two best friends – Breeze and Jeremiah were waiting outside her front door. They had been neighbours for their whole lives and had never gone a day without seeing each other. Breeze ran up and wrapped Cassy in a ginormous hug. "Cassy!" She shrieked. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!" The two girls laughed as Jeremiah took a step back, pretending not to know who they were. "You saw each other yesterday!" He exclaimed and they all fell into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. No-one had said anything even remotely funny but when they were together, every one of their emotions were amplified which meant that to them, nearly everything was hilarious. It only took Cassy about three minutes to walk to school but she considered that time one of the best parts of her day. The school was located in the old meteorological institute and was much bigger than it needed to be for a maximum of 30 students and 3 teachers. The younger kids start an hour later than the 'high school students' so that they have a longer period of silence to allow them to study. After spending 6 years learning basic skills like the alphabet, counting, astronomy and the effects of radiation, it feels like a relief to turn 12 and finally move onto harder, more challenging work, but it really isn't. The main thing we learn is how to survive, and it's a lot harder than it seems. The first thing Cassy noticed when she stepped into her classroom was a couple making out in the corner. A boy with long, copper coloured hair had one hand on the girls back and one tangled in her plain, brown hair. She couldn't blame either of them. The girl was beautiful. Both her hair and eyes were brown. She was normal. They both were. The boy had startling blue eyes, the colour of the sky and strangely tanned skin. Jeremiah and this boy were the only two people on Jan Mayen with tanned skin. Cassy was constantly wondering how it was possible for them to be even slightly tanned. The entire population of the island was pale, except for her. She was double pale. It was hard enough having a mutation that automatically classed you as pale, but to live with next to no sun. This only doubled the effect of her shockingly fair skin tone. Cassy felt someone shake her back into reality and realized that she had been staring at the couple. "Don't worry about him." Breeze said to her "If Rusty thinks that Eloise is better than you then he's crazy." Jeremiah joined in "you'd have to be crazy to like that *****." Cassy looked at her friend in shock, "Since when do you swear!?" She asked him. "Since I couldn't find a better word do describe that rude witch of a girl." Breeze giggled. "Don't worry Cassy" she said "eventually he'll come to his senses and realize that you're way better than Eloise." Cassy knew that Breeze meant well but she knew that someone like Rusty would never like her. He liked beautiful girls, normal girls. Not girls with pointed chins and heart shaped faces, ugly eyebrows, pitch black hair or startlingly purple eyes. Cassy sighed and took a seat just as the teacher walked into the classroom and announced that their study session had been cancelled and replaced by a day dedicated to the violet holidays and the history of earth. He continued to talk about the discovery of the violet eyes for what seemed like hours before he mentioned her name. "Miss Blanc could you please come up here." Cassy's stomach seemed to flip inside of her. "Cassiopeia?" He repeated. Cassy stood up slowly and tried to take as long as she could to reach the front of the classroom. The teacher continued, "This year we are lucky enough to have our very own Violet Eye being sent out to Rome to search for any change in the levels of radiation." He paused for a moment, grinning as if he couldn't have been prouder to send his student out into the world to die. "Thank you Miss Blanc, you may sit down now." Cassy made her way back to her seat, her face bright red and her heart beating quickly. "Does anyone have any questions?" The teacher asked cheerily. Several hands shot up into the air but only one person spoke. It was Eloise. "Is it true sir" she said with a sneer plastered across her face "that not a single Violet Eye has ever returned after being sent out?" The teacher went slightly paler and glanced at Cassy. Another voice spoke out through the sea of waving hands. "No, it's not" they said, replying to Eloise's question, "A few years ago a Violet Eye returned to Tristan Da Cunha, but she was unrecognizable and had gone mad while living in the world, so no one was able to figure out who she was or where she came from." Cassy felt like she was going to puke and her teacher must have thought so too because he demanded that everyone end the conversation and continue on a new topic.