HeRo (Sⓗort Stⓞrⓘⓔs)

GLASSES

GLASSES

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For as long as I remember, I had worn the same boring, rounded glasses since childhood.

The glasses were too large for my narrow nose, always sliding down. It became a habit to push them up, even after I grew into them. As a kid, the glasses were the source of my torment. Having worn out, bulbous lenses equaled being a nerd, despite school never being my forte. I was too socially awkward to actively participate. I hated drawing attention to myself. My heart would beat fast, and I'd fix my glasses out of comfort.

My glasses were my weakness, and my solace.

But they were also my savior.

It was a cold Saturday morning when I first saw it. The day was bleak, with dark and angry clouds drifting across the sky. I had taken off my glasses, only briefly, to clean them. It was something that I did every morning.

I scrubbed at some speck of dirt on the far left lense, when something whizzed across my peripheral vision. My head shot up like an ostrich, and I gazed around. I could barely see at all without my glasses, but add the fact that it was a filtered dark, and nearly impossible to make out anything.

Yet somehow...I had seen something.

I swear I had.

"Fawn! Fawn!" I heard my mother call.

I snapped my head away from the corner and peeked out my window, sliding my glasses on my nose. Instantly, I felt the oncoming headache subside, and my eyes adjusted. I wrinkled my nose in discomfort, a gross feeling covering my skin. I rubbed at my wrist, and then grabbed my bookbag, jogging down the steps. I jumped over the last one that squeaked, and pushed my glasses back up as they fell down.

"Fawn, you're going to be late if you don't eat quickly," my mother chided.

I rolled my eyes, and she studied my face as if I was a specimen in a petri dish. She, along with my dad, always checked to make sure I wore them. Every morning it was the same thing.

I'd always have the same answer. "Of course."

I never questioned it.

After scarfing down some horribly burnt eggs, courtesy of mom, I slipped on my shoes and hopped in the car. Mom followed closely behind, my feet tapping as she filed in.

When I made it to school, I stepped out of the car, waved goodbye to my mother, and then sighed as she pulled away. Another day in Hell.

My hood was pulled over my head, masking my face, and shadowing my frame. I blew back some hair that fell in my eyes, and continued on my way into the building. No one noticed me per usual. I didn't mind. If I didn't blend in, then people would see me.

I hated school.

I wasn't even good at it.

I slammed my locker, grumbling under my breath as I headed to first period. I wish the title "nerd" came along with the intelligence.

Proceeding into the classroom, I took a seat towards the back right hand corner.

I closed my eyes eyes and laid my head down on a desk, feeling the sleep creep up over me. I always slept during classes. No one cared. I laid my head down, buried in my soft sweatshirt, and slipped into unconsciousness, the sounds of footsteps a lullaby.

-

Beep! Beep! Beep!

This is a fire drill. Would all students report outside. I repeat, would all student report outside.