Geek by Day

The Gleam in Your Eyes is So Familiar

The Gleam in Your Eyes is So Familiar 

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I met the girls again at the front of the school, standing under my pink umbrella. I had pulled my Voi jumper closer around me, trying to keep out some of the icy wind, "Too scared to go in without us? " Sarah called over to me. They waved goodbye to Ebony and hurried over. 

"No," I replied quickly shaking my head, "Okay, maybe a little," I admitted. Where was I supposed to go? I literally had these girls and the only other person I knew was Typhan, but I didn't think he knew me.

Speaking of which, I felt like I had to tell him that I knew him. I wasn't strictly about keeping my double life a secret, I just didn't want to tell anyone. Which was different. I had a plan just to sink into normal life and just slowly bring it in, more or less unnoticed until the point that it wasn't unavoidable anymore. It was a lot of work but it was better. 

I wasn't really into the conversation as we walked in, I was too busy thinking about Typhan. May as well get is over and done with. I shook my umbrella outside and put it in a plastic bag so it wouldn't soak my locker. 247. Three down from Typhan, I'd noticed the previous day. Once I'd realised who he was Monday, all day Tuesday I was hyper aware of him.

Sarah and Ness turned to head to the next locker in the line, down the hall to Ness's, "I'll wait here," I told them, "I'm gonna talk to him," I muttered, subtly pointing to the group behind me. I had realised last night how I knew him. 

We were munching away at cakes in my room when Ness was telling us a story, she was very animated and swiped her arm across to tell us how big something was and she hit her empty glass off of its position on top of my chest of drawers. She hurriedly tried to pick up the broken glass and sliced the palm of her hand open. I pressed the buzzer in my room and waited for someone to turn up, it was like the air steward button on an aeroplane. 

I turned around and she was sucking the blood from her hand. I boked. Immediately, I squeezed my eyes tight shut and turned my head, "Bathroom," I pointed to the door. My voice came out weird and I realised I wasn't breathing through my nose. The flash view I got of the sticky, red mess seared my eyes. I bit hard on my lip and took a few deep breaths. 

"You okay, Alyssa?" Sarah cocked her head to the right. 

"Yeah, I'm not so good with blood," I shuddered again, the picture of Ness bleeding getting clearer if anything. "I'm going to throw up," I groaned, wishing Ness would hurry up.

Once the mess was cleaned, Ness was bandaged and I couldn't smell the metal in in the room anymore, I calmed down. I explained my phobia and my weak stomach. The two of them left to let me breathe and get an early night. After they left, I walked up to my room by myself, stomach still churning.

I have literally the worst stomach, I'm sick at least once a month for the stupidest reasons! Last time it was- I halted and my mouth dropped open, "I know how I know Ty!" I yelled into the empty hallway. 

Ness winked, "Good luck," Sarah waved and they headed off down the hall. I took a deep breath I had prepared what I was going to say. Planned it all out so I sounded smooth. But of course in real life that almost never happens. I had two social settings, business and casual. Business was too smart and pretentious to be used everyday, casual was to clumsy and stupid to talk to businessmen. 

Today, I was unfortunately set to casual. Inarticulate (sort of), panicky casual. When he was alone at his locker, I walked up to him slowly. "Hey," I said calmly. Why was I so nervous?! It was a good start, I reassured myself. But it didn't last. Being me I said, "I know you." Bluntly, as if I was accusing him of something. 

He stopped filling his locker with books and raised an eyebrow at me, "Sorry?" He swung his bag up onto his back. 

"I mean, I've met you and I couldn't figure out where but I've remembered!" I didn't process it until after I'd spoken, "Sorry," I said quickly. I cleared my throat and let my business mode take over. 

"I think I might have seen you at my house, the third Friday of July?" I smiled, his eyes widened and he looked shocked, but only for a split second before he tried to reel it in. 

"I don't think you did, Alyssa," He answered dryly. He avoided eye contact, this was clearly a touchy subject. He locked the small blue door and began to walk away from me.

As he passed I whispered. "My name is Alyssa Chaplin,"

He stopped and looked at me strangely, "I know," He still looked confused, but I think he had half a clue. I stepped in front of him and blocked his path. He was directly in front of me, so close I was smelling his minty toothpaste. I had a brilliant view of his deep blue eyes, but then he looked away.

"As in a David Chaplin?" I said it slowly, I introduced myself formally all the time, this shouldn't be half as hard. I became formal and charismatic because the person I was talking to was formal and charismatic. I got to feed off of their attitude and mimic it. With Typhan however, he was sloppy with manners like a normal person and that I didn't have to mimic. 

"No you're not," He said in disbelief. I nodded slowly as a response. He shook his head and looked up, asked he was trying to think back to that night. He probably wouldn't have recognised me. 

"I had on a purple, floor length dress? My hair was pushed up and I..." I trailed off, looking at the floor. I looked up to meet his eyes again and he looked almost like he was in pain. 

"I- I... That couldn't have been you," He muttered, looking me up and down. Then, he realised what he'd said, "No I didn't mean it like that," He was getting flustered, he stammered a few times. "Come on," He grabbed my wrist and pulled me around the corner into a more quiet hall, and the into a dip in the wall. I jumped when his warm hands touched my cold skin.

"Who are you." He said, it was not a question. 

"I told you, Alyssa Chaplin," I said, my expression was a warning not to get too angry with me. He nodded as an apology. He was getting twitchy, this was plain mean. Time to get to the point.

"I was there." I said plainly, "You had on the uniform, the white shirt, black bow tie and trousers. You're one of our extras for this town," I listed. We always kept the same extra staff for the monthly parties, it was just easier that way. I kept going, "You had a platter of food, I took a piece of quiche from you, tried to thank you and..." I winced, my face towards the floor, "I threw up on you." It was only a little, I swear.

I slowly looked up, his face flattened. He clearly remembered very well me now, "That was you?!" He nearly yelled, looking around to check that no-one was watching, "I was just making some extra money, I did not sign up to be threw up on!" His voice had a playful tone, "Yeah, I remember you," He started to laugh. The bell rang, well it didn't ring because this was a new school building and they got an electronic bell that beeped five times instead. 

I just giggled back, "Come on Typhan," I nodded my head towards our English class, "Let's go," 

"Wait," Suddenly, he was serious again, my heart jolted when he put his hand on my arm, "You can't tell anyone about this." He looked me dead in the eye with those blue pools again. 

"I won't if you won't," I held out my pinky, "Promise?"

When he smiled, his whole face lit up, "One more thing, I know you pay my wages and all," He pointed his finger at my face, "But never call me Typhan again!" 

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