Different (Scomiche)

five.

I couldn't seem to take my eyes off of the blonde boy. I wanted to learn more about him, like what he did to become a Different and his name. Every lunch time, Kirstie would always have to tell me to look away and that he was right, I shouldn't talk to him anymore.

But I really wanted too. I knew it was wrong to like a mystery in this society, but he was so mysterious and I was eager to solve him. I wanted to know so much about him, about his past.

"Mitchell." Kirstie says, reaching to tap me but stops when she realizes we were in the courtyard. I look over to her. "It's almost 9:00, maybe we should start back home?" She proposes.

"You can go. I'll be okay. I kind of wanted to be alone for a little anyway." I say, looking up. Something about the night sky really spoke to me. I loved to gaze at the stars.

"Okay. Please be safe. Don't be stupid." Kirstie says before disappearing back to her unit.

Not everyone was in their homes at this time. Some Normals stayed up for a little bit and walked around, but not a lot. I know the Differents all come out together when the Normals are asleep. That is usually at 10:00, but I was willing to wait. Sometimes they came early.

Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Mitchell! You shouldn't be near them!' and I know, trust me I do. But my curiosity was burning, one night wouldn't do too much harm, right?

I watch a man walk by. He was a little short, taller than me, but most people were. He has dark brown hair that was tied in a bun behind his head. His beard was grown out to lay a little below his chin.

I couldn't see much else of him, he had turned around and it was pretty dark outside. All I know was that he was wearing black and had to be a Different. He was here awfully early.

I creep over to where the man was, crouching down behind a wall and peeking over. Another figure walks up to him and they do some weird handshake thing. They grabbed each other's hands, bumped their shoulders together and smacked their backs. It's was strange.

"Thanks for coming early, Avi." I immediately recognized his voice. It was the blondes voice! Why was he early? Who was Avi?

"It's no problem. What's up?" The other one, Avi, asks. The blonde sits down, Avi quickly following.

"I'm worried about Draven, dude." The blonde says. Avi nods. "He is going to get his sorry ass killed in a hot second."

"I don't think he knows what he is doing to be honest." The blonde shakes his head.

"He thinks he is messing with the silvers, but all they will do is take him Salik. I wouldn't be shocked if he was gone by next week." Salik? Who was that? Was he the one that killed Drake? I could feel anger burning inside of me. Whoever this was needed to burn in hell.

"Salik already hates him." Avi says and shakes his head. "And it really sucks. He is a good guy that was just introduced to the wrong influences. Anyway, enough about Draven. What about that dude you talked to?"

"Mitchell?" The blonde says. Me? How did he know my name? He never asked and wouldn't tell me his. I couldn't tell if I was angry or scared. Or both to be quite honest. "There is nothing really to say. He is an idiot." I felt myself become more angry than scared. "He takes too many risks to be a Normal. There is no way he will hide it forever. He will be a Different soon enough." Avi nods.

"I can't believe he touched you." Avi says. "That'll get the dumb ass killed quicker than Draven." He laughs.

"He is just a kid, Avi. He doesn't know that it is wrong." I'm plenty aware that it's wrong. And I wasn't a kid. Children's minds don't think the way mine does. Kids don't risk their lives to learn more about someone who thinks they're an idiot. I shake my head.

"Why did you help him? Since when do you care about stupid kids that don't know how to follow rules. You know they do it to be cool." The blonde shakes his head.

"He isn't doing it for popularity, Avi. You haven't talked to him before. He is so curious about everything that he is putting himself in danger." I was aware of it. "And he is going to hurt that friend of his too."

"What is that girls name? They are attached at the hip."

"I think it's Christine or something like that." I shake my head. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I almost scoffed at how wrong his idea of Kirstie's name was.

"Kirstin." I whisper, not loud enough for them to hear but for myself to hear. I see more people start to arrive. I shake my head. I've heard enough.

I turn and walk away. I didn't know where I was walking too. The Differents were all in the way of me getting back home and I couldn't be spotted by any of them. So I find myself opening the doors to the instruction hall and walking thoughtlessly.

He thought I was a stupid kid that would get myself killed. I laugh to myself. Like I didn't know that already. I found out enough about him. That he was a jackass. That he liked to tell my personal business to his friends. I scoff.

I hear a faint thumping sound as I continue walking through the instruction hall. I was interrupted on my walking when a figure jumps out, grabbing me and throwing me behind a wall. He sits behind me, his legs around my body and pulls me up against the wall, holding my mouth shut. I was more than scared, my small hand over his. I look over to see a small group of silvers walking past and exiting through the door and leaving the instruction hall. The boy finally lets go and I hop up, quickly turning around. It was the blonde. He sighs.

"You have to be more careful. You would've been caught if I didn't save your ass!" He snaps. I furrow my eyebrows.

"Were you following me?!" I whisper/yell back.

"I'm not an idiot, Mitchell. I knew you were watching us."

"But apparently I'm an idiot." I say, throwing my hand on my hip. "How do you know my name?"

"You literally have to wear a name tag." I look down. I had completely forgotten about it. "I wasn't lying. You watching our conversation, walking through this hall and not being in bed. You will get yourself caught so quickly."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because you can't figure out how to help yourself. You're just a kid."

"I'm not that much younger than you!"

"You're also a lot stupider." I scoff. "Normals have no idea how bad being a Different really is. If you had any type of a brain, you'd stay the hell away from me."

"Clearly you don't want that!" I snap. "You knew I was there and didn't say anything and then followed me!"

"I saved your ass and you should thank me!"

"Thank you? Thanks for being an asshole."

"I'm going to leave. Next time I see you about to be caught, I'll make sure to let it happen because clearly you want that." He turns around starts walking away.

I don't know what came over myself because I followed him. I even wrapped my arms around him. He stops walking.

"What are you doing?" He asks calmly.

"I'm hugging you." I explain. "Have you ever hugged someone? It's pretty nice."

"You're touching me."

"I know."

"You shouldn't be." I sigh.

"I know."