I glance up at the clock an hour later above the desk where I’m sitting. I’ve been working the counter for a little while, and we’re about to close.
I press the intercom button on the wall and clear my throat.
“It is 5 minutes to 5, please make your final selections and make your way towards the counter, The Reader’s Repository will be closing shortly. Thank you.” I switch off the intercom and go back to the book I’m currently reading.
Someone clears their throat, making me jump. I glance up and see the boy from earlier standing on the other side of the counter with The Picture of Dorian Gray in his hand. I raise my eyebrows, “Have you been in here all this time?”
“Yeah, my friends have been looking for book for over an hour. It got annoying like thirty minutes ago.” He confesses, and hands me the book in his hands. His eyes flare pink. Pink is typically disgust, but I can feel the frustration coming from his eyes this time.
“Not a reader?” I ask as I ring up the book.
“Not really. I think I might be if I knew some good books to read. As it is, I’m lucky to get through reading my homework.”
“That’ll be 12.97.” He digs out a ten and three ones from his pocket. “And I know exactly what you’re talking about. Anybody can sit down and write a book, but it takes something special to make someone want to read it.” I hand him three pennies and watch his eyes slowly turn yellow. Curiosity. He doesn’t ask anything, though. He just stares at me.
Against my better judgment I ask, “What?”
They’re still yellow. “I was just wondering where you got that from.”
“What I just said? That just came to me.”
I’ve been looking into his eyes too long. My own eyes are starting to hurt. But I can’t look away.
“There is no way that ‘just came to you’.” He states, picking up the bag with his book in it.
“Um,” I can’t think straight. The pain is blinding me. Why can’t I look away? I’ve never had this problem before!
“Are you okay?” His brow furrows and his eyes turn to gray. The pain bursts in my head with this sudden change of color.
“I’m fine,” I pant. “I get headaches sometimes.” I press my hand to my head in an attempt to stop the pain. Normally the pain only starts when I look into someone’s eyes for more than a minute. And normally it only happens with eye colors that aren’t default. So, hypothetically, since gray is a default color (not a common one, but still considered one) the pain should have gone away when his eyes changed. The pain should have gotten better, not worse. That’s the way it’s been for the past 16 years… so why is it changing now?
“I’m fine really.” I manage to croak between waves of pain.
“I can go get help-“ He starts to speak, but I don’t let him finish.
“No! No, it’s fine. I’m fine. I swear.” Whenever I talk to doctors about my “condition” they make me out to be some freak of nature. I quit talking to doctor’s about my problems a long time ago. Better to take care of things by myself.
“I’m not leaving here until you call someone to tell them you’re in trouble. I can’t leave you here like this when you look like you’re in serious pain!” He shouting now. I can’t believe his stubbornness.
“Okay fine!” I yell, if nothing else then to make everyone shut up. My head hurts enough as it is.
I whip out my cell phone and hit speed dial. “Mom? Hey, don’t freak out please. I got one of my um… headaches… again. No, I’m fine. I swear. I’m only calling you because people at the store are insisting I call someone. Okay. Okay. Love you.” I snap the phone shut.
“You happy now? She’s coming to pick me up in a minute.” I close my eyes and rub them with one hand. Gradually the pain resides.
“Okay, that’s good. Thank you.” He raises an eyebrow and calls his friends, “Ready to go! Come one guys!”
“Come again!” I call weakly after him. I hear his laugh, “Oh, I will!”
What the heck was that supposed to mean?
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Irised
Teen Fiction"That's Knox Parker, Rae." "Thank you Captain Obvious. I know who he is," I roll my eyes and buckle up. "What's wrong?" "That's the biggest jerk at school. He's popular and he knows it, he's good looking and he knows it, he's funny and he knows it...
