Seeing
Dana.
“Time to wake up.” Karyngton’s gentle voice shook me from my sleep. My eyes opened to see her smiling and holding her hand out for me.
I couldn’t keep the smile off of my face. Every aspect of her was comforting. We’d been mistaken for twins several times. I held most of her features. We shared the same light blonde hair, semi-rounded face, button nose, and full lips. We were odd looking in a sense, but we liked our appearances. She, however, was three years older than me.
I took her hand and she helped me steady myself as I got out of bed. I gave her a quick hug before she exited my room. I felt the most comfortable in my room, as Karyngton let me paint and decorate it as I wished. The walls were beige, the carpet was white, and the room was cluttered with things I’d made sure to keep for future purposes, or even emotional reasons.
That was how I liked it. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I could find things better that way, but it made me feel more at home. Sighing, I made my way into the bathroom before beginning to get myself in tact. When I stepped out of the shower, I padded into my room and headed straight for my dresser. After throwing on an old tee shirt, a pair of jeans, and comfortable flats, I pulled my hair into a ponytail and put on a bit of makeup.
Satisfied, I grabbed my backpack and began out the door, but not before furrowing my brow and taking a few steps back. I pulled the pack off my shoulder and examined it carefully, even opening all of the different, confusing pockets and looking inside. I couldn’t understand where my book it would’ve gone.
Once I’d made sure that what I was looking for definitely wasn’t in my backpack, I put it back over my shoulders and grabbed one of my other books before heading downstairs to find Karyngton eating waffles and reading the paper.
When she heard me coming, she folded the paper up and placed it on the granite counter in front of her.
“Want something to eat?” She asked, standing up and beginning to make her way to the fridge. I shook my head, smiling softly. “Are you sure?” I nodded. She sighed. “Let’s get you to school, then.”
The ride to school in her car was short, and once we’d made it, I stepped out and blew a kiss to her through the window. She grinned and returned it. I giggled and waved to her as I turned, beginning up the steps leading to the entrance.
The other students no longer stared at me. They just passed by, acting as if I was invisible. It was completely fine with me. I didn’t feel hurt or insulted, just normal. I don’t recall ever feeling any different in the first place.
Chatter filled the hallways as people opened and closed their lockers, putting things in and taking others out. I tuned it out, as usual. When I reached the staircase, I quickly jogged up them, taking them by twos and attempting to count each pair as they passed by. I was never truly accurate. It was a different number every time.
Some people waved to me as I passed. I ignored them as well. There were three types of people, to me, at Huntington Beach High School. There were the ones who ignored me, the ones who made bets with friends about getting me to speak, and the ones who were too nice, and frankly, I didn’t trust any of them.
My locker was getting closer and closer, but as I walked, something caught my eye. A familiar rose colored book in someone’s hand. Again, I stopped in my tracks before backing up. My nameless friend had my book. I wasn’t sure how he’d gotten a hold of it, or why he’d kept it, or if he’d even read it, but I wanted it back.
I turned to him and tapped his shoulder, causing him to jump. When he turned to look at me, his eyes widened. He looked shocked. I could understand why. Thinking quickly, I grabbed my other notebook from my backpack along with a pen and scribbled down a note for him to read.
“That book. It’s mine.”
He leaned forward, looking closer at the note before nodding in understanding. “Yeah, you left it outside. I was gonna give it back to you today if I could find you…” He murmured.
I just held out my hand. His excuse didn’t matter to me. I wanted it back so that I could move on.
He placed it in my hand, and I put both books back into my backpack. When I turned back around, to face him, he raised his hand from his side and put it on my cheek. One of my eyebrows perked up as he leaned forward, almost as if he was going to kiss me.
“Why don’t you speak?” He whispered, his eyes flicking all around my face. I remained still, unblinking. “I just…I’ve been going crazy all weekend just trying to understand you, Dana.” He knew my name, apparently.
People were staring now. Some were curious, some were just waiting for something to happen.
A small smile crept onto my lips, and before he could stop me, I pressed a kiss to his nose before giggling and walking away.
I couldn’t keep the smile off of my face. Every aspect of her was comforting. We’d been mistaken for twins several times. I held most of her features. We shared the same light blonde hair, semi-rounded face, button nose, and full lips. We were odd looking in a sense, but we liked our appearances. She, however, was three years older than me.
I took her hand and she helped me steady myself as I got out of bed. I gave her a quick hug before she exited my room. I felt the most comfortable in my room, as Karyngton let me paint and decorate it as I wished. The walls were beige, the carpet was white, and the room was cluttered with things I’d made sure to keep for future purposes, or even emotional reasons.
That was how I liked it. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I could find things better that way, but it made me feel more at home. Sighing, I made my way into the bathroom before beginning to get myself in tact. When I stepped out of the shower, I padded into my room and headed straight for my dresser. After throwing on an old tee shirt, a pair of jeans, and comfortable flats, I pulled my hair into a ponytail and put on a bit of makeup.
Satisfied, I grabbed my backpack and began out the door, but not before furrowing my brow and taking a few steps back. I pulled the pack off my shoulder and examined it carefully, even opening all of the different, confusing pockets and looking inside. I couldn’t understand where my book it would’ve gone.
Once I’d made sure that what I was looking for definitely wasn’t in my backpack, I put it back over my shoulders and grabbed one of my other books before heading downstairs to find Karyngton eating waffles and reading the paper.
When she heard me coming, she folded the paper up and placed it on the granite counter in front of her.
“Want something to eat?” She asked, standing up and beginning to make her way to the fridge. I shook my head, smiling softly. “Are you sure?” I nodded. She sighed. “Let’s get you to school, then.”
The ride to school in her car was short, and once we’d made it, I stepped out and blew a kiss to her through the window. She grinned and returned it. I giggled and waved to her as I turned, beginning up the steps leading to the entrance.
The other students no longer stared at me. They just passed by, acting as if I was invisible. It was completely fine with me. I didn’t feel hurt or insulted, just normal. I don’t recall ever feeling any different in the first place.
Chatter filled the hallways as people opened and closed their lockers, putting things in and taking others out. I tuned it out, as usual. When I reached the staircase, I quickly jogged up them, taking them by twos and attempting to count each pair as they passed by. I was never truly accurate. It was a different number every time.
Some people waved to me as I passed. I ignored them as well. There were three types of people, to me, at Huntington Beach High School. There were the ones who ignored me, the ones who made bets with friends about getting me to speak, and the ones who were too nice, and frankly, I didn’t trust any of them.
My locker was getting closer and closer, but as I walked, something caught my eye. A familiar rose colored book in someone’s hand. Again, I stopped in my tracks before backing up. My nameless friend had my book. I wasn’t sure how he’d gotten a hold of it, or why he’d kept it, or if he’d even read it, but I wanted it back.
I turned to him and tapped his shoulder, causing him to jump. When he turned to look at me, his eyes widened. He looked shocked. I could understand why. Thinking quickly, I grabbed my other notebook from my backpack along with a pen and scribbled down a note for him to read.
“That book. It’s mine.”
He leaned forward, looking closer at the note before nodding in understanding. “Yeah, you left it outside. I was gonna give it back to you today if I could find you…” He murmured.
I just held out my hand. His excuse didn’t matter to me. I wanted it back so that I could move on.
He placed it in my hand, and I put both books back into my backpack. When I turned back around, to face him, he raised his hand from his side and put it on my cheek. One of my eyebrows perked up as he leaned forward, almost as if he was going to kiss me.
“Why don’t you speak?” He whispered, his eyes flicking all around my face. I remained still, unblinking. “I just…I’ve been going crazy all weekend just trying to understand you, Dana.” He knew my name, apparently.
People were staring now. Some were curious, some were just waiting for something to happen.
A small smile crept onto my lips, and before he could stop me, I pressed a kiss to his nose before giggling and walking away.