Gray Days

Chapter 13: The In-Between Of Okay And Not Okay

13

Zoey.

On our way back, I lecture him, and later on, quiz him of our lesson.

Me: What's the difference between divergent and convergent evolution?

Rut: When they came from one ancestor, that's divergent. Otherwise that's convergent.

Me: What can you say about analogous structures?

Rut: They have the same functions but has different structures and came from different origins.

Me: How about homologous structures?

Rut: Like what I said before but the other way around.

Me: Be serious, Rut.

Rut: (Laughing) Fine. Homologous structures have the same structures and the same origin but has different functions.

Me: Give an example of the two.

Rut: Whale flipper and forelimb of cat for homologous. Bat and butterfly wings for analogous.

Me: You're actually listening, huh.

He laughs at my remark. And after we run over everything we discussed, it's Rut's turn to talk without interruption. I listen to him as he drives to the mayor's estate on the hill near the valley. At times, he tries to speed up and glance for my reaction and if he's satisfied with what he sees, he keeps the speed.

The mayor's mansion stands proudly with lights like an amusement park and a crowd that of a concert. Looking at the swarm of formally-dressed people, I can't even remember why I agree to be part of this. But Rut, one glance at him and I think he's already enjoying the party.

He has that huge, unyielding grin pasted on his face as he slides out of the car. But as soon as he steps forward, a guy lays a hand against his chest and stares at him hard, shoving him backwards. The guy threatens him but Rut only grins and turning to me, he pulls me beside him and introduces me.

"Flynn, Zoey Adams. Zoey, Floyd Flynn, Chelsea's long-time sucker." Then patting his back, Rut adds, "Enjoy the party, bro," every bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"What was that all about?" I don't know much about petty boy fights over a girl, for one reason, and that's I'm not a guy. But it won't hurt to ask.

Rut shrugs, but he answers. "Nothing to worry about, Zoey. Just a bundle of testosterones bouncing back and forth, that which does not concern estrogen-fueled creatures like you." He looks at me to get acknowledgement of his newly-found Biology wit, but he only receives a pair of confused eyebrows and a suppressed chuckle, which makes him crack up.

If there is a crowd outside of the mansion, there's another one which is less dense inside. Glazing over the people, the entire hall almost immediately feels like the entire world. Famous landmarks of the six continents scatter around the place. There's the Eiffel Tower of Paris in one corner, our Statue of Liberty in New York, the Taj Mahal of India, Rome's Colosseum, the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx of Egypt, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy and almost all the other world landmarks the common person would long to see all clustered in the four columns of the mansion's main hall.

I genuinely am sure that I'm not the only one who have stand in awe in seeing the world right before my eyes. Being one of the common people, I, too, have longed to wander the world, and seeing miniatures of it's famous landmarks seem to double that longing. And the instant regret of going to a party I wasn't originally invited to becomes instant delight.