Colors

eight

"Woah."

Jai laughed nervously, not meeting my eyes. "Yeah, woah."

"How did I not notice this before? I'm actually stupid," I said incredulously, turning his hand around in mine. "Woah."

"Yeah, you're pretty dumb," Jai said, an odd smile plastered onto his face. I realized just how inconsiderate I was being. No one liked to be gawked at like a zoo animal.

I dropped his hand immediately. "I'm so sorry if I made you uncomfortable. That's so weird of me-"

"No... it's... it's okay," Jai said slowly.

"No it's not. I shouldn't have grabbed your hand like that and acted all weird-"

"It's okay," Jai decided.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

I grabbed his hand again, playing around with his finger. "How the hell did I not notice that you have six fingers?"

Jai laughed. "No idea."

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

"Oh, my bad. I forgot that I'm supposed to walk around shouting, 'Look everyone! I have a sixth finger!'"

I stared at his hand in awe. "You're like Hrithik Roshan!" Hrithik Roshan was a famous Bollywood actor with, you guessed it, an extra finger.

He laughed again, sounding much more at ease than he did a few moments ago. "I get that a lot."

"How the hell did I just... forget it. Stupid idiot," I muttered.

How did I just not notice something like that?

I knew I could be oblivious, but I liked to think that I was still observant. I guess I was both oblivious and unobservant.

What a combination.

"Wait, I think yours is different than Hrithik's... yours is on your pinky."

"Yeah, I think his is preaxial polydactyly, and mine is postaxial."

Jai laughed, probably after seeing the confusion written on my face. "It just means that his is on his thumb while mine is on my little finger."

"Oh." I decided to do some research of my own. Science was my favorite subject, but I had never thought to learn about extra fingers. It didn't occur to me until now.

"Is it genetic?"

"We don't know, actually." Jai still wouldn't quite meet my eyes, but his hand was much more relaxed than before. It was on the sweatier side, but I didn't care. It was probably because of me. "My family can't trace it back to anyone specifically, but it might be from my dad's side."

"Huh... cool."

I wanted to know if it would hurt if I bent it back. Obviously, it was part of his hand, but maybe it didn't feel quite the same. I bent back the extra part slightly, and he yelped.

"Ow! What the fuck?"

My eyes widened as I released his hand. "Sorry, sorry! I wanted to know if you would feel that..."

"Are you stupid? Of course I would feel that," Jai said, shaking his head but smiling. He shook his hand and curled his fingers around.

"Does it still hurt?"

Jai exhaled in disbelief. "Here, how about you tell me? Let me bend your fingers back..." He reached for my hand, and I pulled it back.

"Point taken."