Gaining Colors [Complete]

Chapter 6

Alexis ordered the contact lenses for Casper by mail. It would take two days to arrive at her apartment, but even when the wait was short, both were too anxious to receive the package and try the lenses on him.

Every night they would walk in the park till late hours, which caused Alexis to almost fall asleep in class. Luckily, Elizabeth was there to elbow her in the ribs to keep her from closing her eyes. Casper would pass the mornings watching TV or reading books, but since he was too fast at it, he was starting to feel bored. He decided to start cleaning the house, but he realized that it was impossible to do it everyday. The furniture didn't get enough dust during the night to deserve being clean up again.

Alexis was at the university when the postman ran the bell. Casper didn't know if he was allowed to open the door, but he did it anyway.

It was the first time he had seen another human being up close, except from Alexis.

The man was young and had multiple pieces of metal on his face, along with some black draws running down his neck.

He stared at Casper with his mouth open for some seconds.

Remembering what he was doing, he gave Casper the package.

"Man those eyes are amazing!! Where did you get those lenses? Do you put talcum powder on your skin to look like that?? That's so cool!!" The young guy said, his voice too piercingly high for Casper's ears. Thinking of something quick to say, he hurried to answer the man.

"I don't remember where I bought them, and yes, I put talcum every morning." Casper said, not really understanding what was the talcum thing.

The guy went away, leaving Casper with the small package. He opened it revealing a small box full of little green material that seemed too fragile to touch.

He waited for Alexis to come home, to help him put them. Even when she arrived and gave him her help, it wasn't easy the task. 

His eye was stubbornly refusing to open when he approached his fingers to it.

After twenty minutes of trying, Casper stared at his new reflexion on the small mirror in the bathroom. No one would ever be able to say that they were fake. The lenses adapted to his eyes like a second line of cells, hiding the so unnatural white underneath.

"How did the guy reacted to you?" Alexis asked worried. The last thing she wanted was to have people asking questions or even someone calling the police because of Casper.

"I think he reacted well. He kept staring at me and asking me about something similar to talcum. What is it, by the way?" He asked.

Alexis laughed hard at that. She showed him the talcum powder and Casper understood immediately why the man had thought about the possibility of him showering himself with it.

"Do you think we can go out now? I think the talcum could explain to people why I'm like this..." Casper asked full of hope.

"I honestly think that's not a good idea, Casper. The guy could be on drugs or something to come up with that idea and most people in the street would find it strange to see you so white..." Seeing his sad expression, Alexis tried to calm him.

"I think we can try something else. I don't know if it would work but why not?"

"What is it?"

"I used to wear some bronzing product, I think I have it somewhere." Alexis said, opening the cabinet below the white washbasin.

She found what she was looking for and showed it to Casper.

"You need to be careful to apply this or you will turn orange." She explained.