BLACK ROSE (COMPLETED)

5 -

Friday, 6 PM...

As agreed yesterday, today after school, Fatih and I were heading out for some shopping. According to him, there were a few stores he knew of where we could find me an outfit for the party. The weather was a bit chilly, so I wore my navy blue jeans and gray sweater, topped with a long black puffer coat. Fatih, however, didn't seem to feel the cold; he was out in just black jeans and a black t-shirt. His high muscle mass must have been keeping him warm, I suppose. As we walked side by side, we chatted.

"Why did you transfer to Freedom College, Ece?" Fatih asked. "I mean, from what I know of you, you seem conservative. I'm just surprised you chose our modern, progressive school when there are so many others that might suit you better."

"I didn't choose it. My uncle forced me here."

"Your uncle?"

"Yes," I sighed. "It's a long story."

"I'd like to hear it."

After taking a deep breath, I began, "My parents are no longer alive. They died in a boating accident. After their death, my uncle took care of me. God bless him, he didn't leave me alone, and he met all my needs, but... well, our religious views clash a bit. During a period when I was overly devout, he enrolled me in your school temporarily to punish me and to mold me into the ideal girl he had in mind. He hoped that by distancing me from my old conservative school and enrolling me in a secular one, my excessive piety would diminish. And so, here I am, in the same class as you..."

"Did you wear a headscarf before transferring to our school?" Fatih asked.

"Yes. I had only recently started wearing it. But still, having to take it off when I joined your school made me feel sad. God willing, I'll wear it again when I return to my old school."

Fatih, listening intently, murmured, "I'm sorry for you. I know how distressing family pressure can be. I've experienced similar torment."

"Really?" I asked as we walked side by side on the sidewalks of Kadıköy's back streets. It was cold and the sun was setting, but the streets were still crowded. Young lovers walked hand in hand, arm in arm.

"You've probably heard, our class at Freedom College is reserved for students with special talents, or rather, powers."

"Yes, I know," I said. "My uncle warned me that I might have friends with super abilities."

"Until two years ago, I also had a special talent. It was something present in my father, grandfather, and even earlier generations. It was like a family seal. And my parents were proud that I possessed this power too. But one day, I lost it."

"What do you mean?" I asked, astonished. "Did it just vanish, poof?"

"Yes," Fatih continued. "Naturally, my family was very upset about losing this power that they held in such high regard, passed down through generations. They tried all sorts of methods to help me regain it. Some were quite unpleasant. And they still pressurize me a lot to 'get better,' almost ostracizing me. My classmates, too. They all have different special talents, and because I turned into an ordinary person, almost all of them look down on me. I feel the pressure every second. Just like your uncle's pressure on you, it wears me down."

"I understand," I said sadly. "It's very wrong for them to ostracize you. Just as it's wrong for my uncle to punish me for my faith, it's equally wrong for your family and friends to treat you this way. I don't judge people by their business cards, but by their hearts. Even if you were extremely untalented as a person, it wouldn't make me love you any less. I mean, as a person. As an individual..."

Fatih, evidently moved by my words, sidled closer to me as we walked and draped his arm over my shoulders. Gently caressing my shoulder, he said, "I'm glad you came to our school. And I'm glad I got to know you."

Normally, I wouldn't like a guy holding me like this and it would make me uncomfortable. It did make me a little uncomfortable now too, but not as much as I had expected.

"Thank you," I said quietly. To break the emotional moment and the embrace, I sidestepped like a crab, moving away from Fatih and making him remove his arm from my shoulder. Then I started a playful conversation to lighten the mood: "I'm not going to ask about the superpower you lost, but tell me about one of your talents. It doesnt have to be a superpower, but still an extraordinary talent. I don't want to hear clichés like 'I swim well' or 'I play the piano.' Surprise me, Fatih!"

Fatih thought for a moment. "I can eat three hamburgers and three chicken burgers in one sitting. With a soda, of course. Otherwise, it's tough."

"You eat very unhealthily," I replied.

"No, I eat a balanced diet."

"H- how is that a balance, Fatih?"

"I'm balancing red meat and white meat."

I chuckled. "You silly goose!"

"Do you have any extraordinary talent like mine, Ece?"

I didn't want to talk about my telepathic ability just yet. Hearing about it usually made friends distance themselves from me as if they'd seen a zombie. After all, no one wants every thought exposed... So, I brushed off Fatih's question: "I can touch my nose with my big toe."

"Hmm..." Fatih pursed his lips and nodded as if he found it interesting. "Flexible, huh?"

"Yes."