A Love So Deep

Chapter Three

   As I sat down to breakfast, the image I'd seen-or thought I'd seen-would not disappear from my mind. I couldn't get rid of it. And I had a feeling of deja vu every time I thought about it.
   "Morning, hon," Grandma Tia spoke as I sat down at the table.
   "Hey," is all I replied in a low voice, my mind still racking.
   Granny Tia dat down something on the table and sat down by me, scooting the chair closer. "Okay. What's wrong?" she asked.
   I looked up at her, suddenly realizing my sudden mood change. Trying to figure this out was making me slightly rude. "Sorry. Um, nothing. Nothings wrong."
   "My daughter had the same exact expression when something troubled her," she said, "so I know something is bothering you. Spill."
I paused. If I told her, she'd probably think I was losing it. I tried to dissuade her. "It's a crazy idea. And I might be late."
She glanced up at the wall clock. "You have fifteen minutes before the bus arrives." She put a hand to her cheek, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Indulge me."
I gave a heavy sigh, trying to figure the best words for it. When nothing would come fast enough, I just made a shot of it. "While playing on the beach with Nova last night, I saw something in the ocean. A human."
"Boy or girl?"
I was sort of wondering why that would matter to her. "I-I'm not sure. I think it was a . . . a boy." I hadn't really paid attention to detail.
"If it was a male, it was no doubt some nut doing no good in that ocean. The world's full of them."
"Maybe it was just a trick of the moonlight," I attempted, trying to make my own self believe it.
She nodded. "Or it just confirms your grandfather's tales we're actually true."
I looked at her, watching her with a steady gaze as she got up and went to the sink. Any beliefs I'd had of fairytales died with my parents.
My appetite suddenly became slim and I just looked at the breakfast on my plate. Anything I thought about always seemed to lead up to my parents, and although seemingly dulled, I always felt the same heartache when they came up to my mind. A loss that would never die, always forever present.
Suddenly realizing that I'd be late for my bus ride, I snatched the slice of toast from my plate, gave a kiss to Granny Tia and a pat to Nova, and flew out of the house.
Such daydreaming thoughts and broken memories would make me late and that was the last thing I needed.

~

My day went like yesterday and every other day when the ones most responsible for my torment were present. And so I resumed my usual actions, ignoring all who came within distance and saw me, and focused on mostly my work. And I couldn't wait until the end of the day, even though it had just began.
But then like the wind with a rolling tide, something shifted. Changed.
"All right, everyone," the teacher, Mrs. Prescott, called as everyone shuffled about, chairs scraping the linoleum with the noise of many voices. "Settle down, settle down. Let's get seated to begin the class." Once all settled down to a just barely still altitude, she began the session. "Okay, now. I know I'm about to possibly throw you all for a loop for what we discussed yesterday, but it all equals into one complete subject. Today, we are going to be talking about-"
A knock at the door ceased her words and several students shifted to look at the door. Mrs. Prescott moved away from her desk to open the door to let that person in. "May I help you?"
In the mix of conversation, I would've never even looked up from what I was doing. But when the person Mrs. Prescott had asked a question to did not reply verbally, I couldn't help it, as I knew it was rude to do so without reason.
And if I ever lived to see one by what everyone always said in such a term, it was as if a Greek god had entered the room. It was like he had been chiseled out of stone and come to life, a person of such beauty that he shouldn't have existed. His short black hair was like a normal teen boy, the front wispy to where it barely covered his eyes around his olive skin.
Slight murmurs and whispering began as he reached Mrs. Prescott a slip of paper. She seemed in awe as she reached for it, then seemed to recollect herself as she read it. After a moment, she whispers something to him to where he replies with a shake of his head, tapping a hand against his throat.
"You . . . can't speak?" She observed.
He shook his head again, the wispy strands following in motion.
I shook myself, putting myself back in check and returning to looking at my textbook laid out in front of me.
"Class, this is . . . Aarion Finn from . . ." I could hear her struggling to pronounce the name, which I found a tad odd. When she couldn't get it, she spoke. "I'll look into this, Mr. Finn, or you can tell us the right pronunciation when you can. However, you may take your seat in the far back, as it is the last one open."
At this, I looked up. If it had been any other place, I wouldn't have cared, but having no one by me in the back in some of my classes was a relief to where I could truly concentrate. Yes, I could be nice, but within a couple days, the gossip would taint his ears and then he's be just like-
Without intent, my eyes caught sight of him and I was star struck, realizing Mrs. Prescott had acted like she had. Although seemingly born with handsome features, his eyes were what turned me immobile, gluing me in the spot. They were like no other eye color I'd ever seen-or at least known a person could have. For a moment, I thought they were an ocean blue, but then they were a sea-green. It was like they shifted in color like the ocean.
Stop staring! I silently shouted at myself, my brain seeming to not transmit that info back to do so. And he was looking back at me as he walked, as if in slow motion, seeming to study me . . .
The spell was broken when my pencil clattered to the floor, loudly it seemed, and I looked away, reaching down to get it as he went on past to sit at his designated desk.
"Okay. I'll also need a volunteer to show Mr. Finn around the school," Mrs. Prescott spoke up as I raised back up.
Amber jumped to the chase, raising a hand for only a second before standing, slightly tilting a hip to show our new student her curves. Ugh.
"I will, Mrs. Prescott," she implied. "I know La Jolla High like nobody else."
"I understand that, Amber," she spoke, "but you've already showed another student the ropes a month ago and everyone deserves a try of it. I'll choose this time." She waves a hand in a gesture to get her to sit back down. She searched the room like a sonic radar and I quickly averted her gaze, looking at my textbook, hoping to avoid-
"Miss Keaton," she spoke up.
I paused for a brief second, wishing suddenly that a hole would appear beneath me and swallow me up.
"Erika, did you hear me call you?"
I looked up, looking at her, trying to plead with her silently. "Yes?" I said in a small voice, almost a whisper like a frightened child. It didn't take much to see all of the classroom staring at me. Why couldn't I be a turtle or a hermit crab?
   "I'm volunteering you to show Mr. Finn around the school for a tour," she informed.
   I could feel Amber's eyes burning holes into my shirt; I tried to back out. "Are-are you sure?"
   Half the classroom fell into laughter and I ducked my head, feeling my face growing warm with embarrassment. Mrs. Prescott reacted only seconds later, shushing the class back into silence. "I've decided you as the choice, Erika. Unless you have some explanation to why you would be unable to do it . . . ?"
   She waited for such from me, but I had nothing that would stick to pull me out of the hole I hadn't even dug. "No. I just . . . I . . ." I couldn't come up with anything.
   "It's settled then. After class, you can show Me. Finn the school's grounds and escort him to his assigned classes. Thank you, Miss Keaton."
   I slouched in my seat, barely paying attention to the rest of the session as I wished now for the day to become final.