Black as Night | P. Parker

Chapter Eight

Onyx was a natural early riser. Before she and Hannah "moved in" to the abandoned building and they were still on the streets, it was hard to sleep in any longer once the sun began to rise and shine in your eyes. And the curtains in the abandoned building hadn't been great at blocking out the sun either. So bright and early on the morning after her nightmare, Onyx woke up and looked around her room.

She would need to put the school supplies May had bought for her in her backpack and get dressed, brush her hair and look presentable. Being homeless had had one advantage. Onyx had never had to look presentable to go out in public, knowing that each person she came across would know she was homeless. Now, though... Now she had to look like she was a respectable member of society. That meant not looking homeless.

With a sigh, Onyx did as she knew she had to, dressing, packing her school supplies in the backpack and crossing the hall to the bathroom where she brushed out her hair and brushed her teeth. Looking in the mirror above the sink afterwards, Onyx felt... different. On the streets, the best reflection you got at yourself was in shop windows, broken pieces of glass or public restrooms.

Seeing herself in what was not a public bathroom, in clothes that weren't dirty and had been being worn for several days and nights without wash, with a clean face, brushed hair and a fresh face from one of the best night's sleep she'd had in a long time, despite the nightmare, Onyx felt like she was looking into the eyes of a stranger.

No, she told herself, now was not the time to dwell on such things.

Onyx immediately removed herself from the bathroom, passing back into her own room and crossing to the window once more, watching the moving people and city outside. Onyx liked people watching. She found that it helped to distract her mind and keep herself in a neutral state.

And a neutral state was important. Over five years of having her abilities, she had never actually gotten full and total control of her powers. She knew they were tied to her emotions. Anything too strong and she could lose the small amount of control she did have. By keeping neutral, she ensured that she would keep that control.

It certainly helped that Onyx didn't feel much of anything at all.

There was a knock on the door and Onyx turned towards it. May appeared in the small opening between door and doorframe.

"Oh, you're awake!" she said.

Onyx didn't reply.

"I was expecting to have to wake you. I have to wake Peter every morning."

Once again, Onyx didn't have a reply.

"Well, anyways, I was just about to start breakfast, you can come out when you're ready."

"Alright," Onyx answered, knowing that May would wait till she gave her an answer.

The older woman left, leaving the door open. For a moment, she waited there, staring at the door and debating on whether or not she could manage to sneak past May. In the end, Onyx knew that she would not be able to succeed in that mission.

Entering the open room, Onyx could see May at the stove. She could hear sizzling and a smell in the air that, while she couldn't place it, reminded her of her childhood. And that wasn't something she didn't appreciate. It made Onyx want to run far away, terrified that it would bring back more memories that she had long since locked away and buried.

"Oh," May said again, noticing the teenage girl as she began to make the steps necessary to get out the door. Onyx turned back towards her. "Have a seat, I'll get you your breakfast."

"I'm not hungry," Onyx said quickly. "I was just going to wait outside."

"Nonsense, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Especially when it's your first day of school."

"Really, it's fine. I'm not hungry," Onyx repeated.

"No, no, come here, sit down." May turned and a moment later, she placed a plate on the island counter and a knife and fork. A top the plate was a golden waffle. Onyx hadn't had waffles since before her father...

Immediately, her mouth watered and she headed for the plate. She didn't even see the grin on May's face as she watched the young girl begin to dig into the waffle. Without even bothering to add any toppings, Onyx cut into the waffle and bit down. In the blink of an eye, the waffle was gone.

Onyx's stomach rumbled.

May dropped another waffle onto her plate.

It was three waffles down before Peter fell into the stool next to Onyx and was gifted with his own waffle. May and Peter began some form of small talk, but Onyx tuned them out. She hated small talk. In her opinion, it was pointless and distracted from the real point of talking to someone. You didn't just talk to someone for no reason. There's always a reason. Always something you want.

"Onyx?"

The black-haired girl turned towards the sound of the voice.

"Did you hear me?" Peter asked her.

"No," she told him honestly.

"Uh, I said that we were going to leave now. Are you ready?" he asked her.

"Yes, I just need my backpack."