Split

5

Xenilla fell asleep around the 5 minute mark of class. Aeoie, on the other hand was steadily taking notes. Even as Mr. Quill spoke, wrote, or showed, her pencil never came off the paper, and her eyes never came off Mr. Q. I sat back in my chair and looked up to the ceiling. I closed my eyes and tried to remember K’Nyla’s sweet perfume. But my thoughts were quickly interrupted with Aeoie calling for Mr. Quill’s attention. “Might I be able to use the restroom, sir?”

                Mr. Q didn’t say anything, instead, he pointed to the door. He was never the type to give a straight, verbal answer. In fact if he wasn’t teaching, he wasn’t much for saying anything. When she left the room, she quickly reentered. “I um… don’t know where I’m going…” She said with a sheepish smile.

                “Mr. David, would you be willing to show Miss. Aeoie here the way?”

                I opened my eye and looked over to the door. Her sweet smile was way too piercing. Who could say no, honestly? I got out my seat and shoved my hands in my pockets as I walked over to the door. I could hear Amber whispering about Aeoie, so I made an effort to bump into her as I walked by. “Sorry.” I mumbled as I exited.

                We walked down the hallway and around corners. “We’re going to the farthest bathroom I can think of.” I told her as we walked. “I need the air.”

                I prefer it this way, but for some reason, walking in silence with Aeoie around, just seemed awkward. I looked over my coat collar, down at her. “So… what were you going to say, about your sister’s eyes?” I asked.

                “Oh, Xenny’s eyes? They’re gray. She doesn’t like them gray though. She doesn’t want to look too much like me. ‘It’ll mess up your purity, if people thought I was you’ she told me as we grew up. So she made it her mission to look different. So her blue eyes are just contacts.”

                “I see.” Well, I was right about the contacts. Pretty cool story though. Short and sweet.

                We stopped at my designated bathroom, and I beaconed her inside. “Want me to wait? Or can you find your way back?”

                “I’m older than I seem, you know…. I mean, I am older than Xenilla, believe it or not.” Aeoie said as she looked down at her feet. “If you wish to go, or stay is up to you. But thank you for walking me here, none the less.”

                “It’s fine. Like I said, I needed the air. So I’ll wait. Just… don’t be long.”

                She smiled before walking in. When the door shut behind her, I sat on the wall around the corner. Sitting outside the girls’ bathroom would just be weird. I started to swing my chain around. Closing my eyes in thought, I continued. When I opened my eyes again, Aeoie was in my view. Sitting on the wall directly across from me, her knees to her chest, and she laid on them. “Um, Aeoie?”

                She quickly lifted her head and blinked. “Are you ready to head back to class?” She asked.