Illusion

4 | You Can't Hide

4 | You Can't Hide

THE SUN CAME DOWN in small infrequent rays that afternoon but Iris was happy for the short waves of warmth. She had sat under the same chestnut tree everyday at lunch for four days; sitting down and eating there had become a habit, much like seeking out the sight of Joey. Iris had never known such simple pleasures to be so fulfilling as they were now. A lot of times that week Iris had caught the eye of Joey and her body reacted in such a strange way. He would smile or wave in greeting towards her, and she never knew how to react. Oftentimes Cecelia was with him, making it even more awkward. To avoid certain embarrassment, Iris hid herself in plain sight. She tensed, controlling the spasm in her muscles until she was sure that nobody could see her. She was comfortable like this and took to eating her sandwich in peace and quiet.

Her surroundings were calming, nothing was out of the ordinary but a strange young man stood out from the crowd. He was hunched over much like Iris was, sitting on a bench and he sat with his hood pulled far over his forehead. The boy's rare movements were noticeably slow, wary and cautious. He looked around, like an owl in the night before closing back into himself again. He was looking for something, but Iris could not tell what. She scoped the area around him for anything that may have helped her but nothing was of use.

Back at the boy Iris noticed he had taken down his hood and she was shocked to see how he really looked. After the realisation of not recognising who he was, a layer of intrigue settled. There was something about this boy - something strange and darkly alluring. This boy reflected the same vibes he did at the nurses office, and it was just as haunting despite the increased distance. The Boy from The Nurse's Office had very pale - nearing on translucent - skin. His aura was bold and varying, so much so that Iris was surprised that nobody else seemed to notice. Maybe they knew that the boy was different. Maybe that was why he seemed to be isolated and alone. It would explain the conflict that put him in the nurse's office and the reason why people walked passed him like he wasn't there. It was ironic, because Iris would have never been able to miss him.

Times like these Iris would tell herself that there couldn't possibly be anybody else like her. If there was it meant danger or change - two things Iris couldn't handle at the moment. What if he had noticed her like she had with him? Why hadn't she noticed this the first time she saw him? Questions were running through her mind, many that she thought he may be able to answer. Fear kept her rooted at the bottom of the tree, however. She wouldn't approach him. She couldn't.

So Iris watched in tense silence, waiting to be caught staring. Despite the fact that she was literally invisible, she had a feeling that if the boy looked, he'd spot her in an instant. She couldn't control her flurry of thoughts, she didn't know what to do to stop the silent panic from setting in. With curiosity, Iris took a deep breath, prepared her mind and delved into his psyche. She swam through and looked around, disturbing images flashing up at her. One with blood all over and unrecognisable bodies. One with a bright white light and a silhouette. Many images spun of people screaming and crying. Iris left as soon as she could and regained her composure but she couldn't erase the dreadful images from her mind.

The boy had to be disturbed, especially after what he'd experienced. Nobody ever spoke to him, and Iris wished that people would. She had strong feelings that the boy was in the same position as her, and a friend, although silent, was a friend all the same.

"Hey, can I sit with you?"

Iris snapped her head up a captured the eye of Joey, who was smiling in the most endearing way she had ever seen. At first she couldn't think of what to say, but subconsciously she nodded and he sat down next to her. He could obviously see her, which was the stem of her initial shock. Being invisible meant that nobody could catch her off guard. But Joey had succeeded. She couldn't question it, maybe she just hadn't turned invisible like she thought. A problem with her powers was a problem for tomorrow because Joey was settling himself next to her now under the tree.