Heart Condition

Chapter Six: Eyes

My teeth were chattering when we pulled into the parking lot. And it took about fifteen seconds after the bike stalled to a stop that my phone started buzzing.
            Sasha hopped off, walked over and reached for my hand, “Are you okay?”
            I smiled, shivering “Y-yes. Just give me a second.” I took a deep breath, and let the crisp air flow out slowly. “Better.” I said, pulling out my phone.
            He nodded, “So you were walking your dog; what time did you get up this morning?”
            “Um, about five forty-five.” I didn’t look up, but I could feel him make a face.
            “Why in the hell would you wake up that early?” He asked, shaking his head.
            I slipped my phone into my pocket, “Because, usually, I have work. But today I didn’t, because I covered someone else’s shift last Thursday.”
            “You work at BCB before school and after?” He started across the parking lot, and I struggled to keep up with his long strides.
            “Unless I’m at the animal shelter, which is every Tuesday and Thursday after school.” I pulled out my chap stick, biting at the stupid skin on my bottom lip; the cold air made my mouth and everything around it wig out. We reached the pavement, and Sasha stopped at the entrance, standing against the fence.
            I felt uncomfortable here, like I’d body-swapped; the number of girls I’d seen hang around the lacrosse guys at the front gate was immeasurable. I fidgeted, my hands back in the pockets of my pants. Sasha smiled, “Animal shelter. That makes sense.”
            “How so?” I asked.
            He shrugged, “Your dog and cat. You’re an animal person.”
            “I guess.” I said, “We’ve had Levi forever, or at least it seems like. My mom said we got him when I was two, because my dad said that kids who grew up around animals were more likely to become sociable.”
            “Any truth to that?” asked Sasha.
            There was something changing when we talked. A couple of the kids sitting on the benches looked over, a few more walking casually closer to our perimeter; but I didn’t mention it. I wasn’t afraid; or at least, not yet.
            I glanced over his shoulder when I answered, “You tell me.”
            “Well,” He looked up, “I never had pets, but I do have a sister. So I understand the social part, at least.”
            “A sister?” I asked, caught off guard “How old is she?”
            He said, “Seven. She’s in second grade, and is obsessed with Miyazaki movies. Also swing sets, but I feel like that’s sort of a prerequisite for elementary school students.”
            My fingers prodded at the seams stitched inside my jeans.
            “What’s her name?” I thought about what she must look like; not tall yet, soft brown hair, eyes dark enough to coat the irises from view, unless the sun caught them like it was right now.
            He smiled, “Noelle, which doesn’t make sense to me just because my parents almost never call her that unless she’s in trouble; they call her Elle. But I usually just call her Nellie.”
            A sister. I never would’ve thought. I smiled at a thought and asked, “Does she sit in the sidecar, too?”
            He smiled, “Sometimes. I usually stick her in when we’re going to the park, though. My mom nearly has a heart attack at the thought of her anywhere near my bike.”
            I nodded, and when Sasha looked at me again, his face changed. Eyes narrowed, studying something about my face that he didn’t seem to notice before.
            “Whoa.” Was all he said.
            “What?” I reached up, wondering if I still had crumbs from my toasted ham and cheese on my mouth “What are you staring at?”
            “I never noticed before.” He said softly, smiling “Your eyes. That’s incredible.”
            My heart slowed, and the tension in my stomach dropped down past the involuntary ralphing stage. I shut my eyelids, taking the subject away from it’s analytical counterpart. My head turned away, and I covered the side of my face so he couldn’t see.
            It was one of the only things my dad left to me.
            I tried to smile, “It’s a genetic…mutation. My dad had it, too.”
            “I’ve never met anyone with one brown eye and one blue eye.” He said, and I tried to imagine what kind of face he was making; His eyes were probably bugged out, hearing the sound ‘mutation’ and thinking I’d been thrown down in toxic sewage as an infant, “Here, you don’t have to…” He reached for my hand, but didn’t take it. I wondered why.
            After a moment, I moved it away and sighed, “I guess it’s kind of pointless. I think I was just surprised you hadn’t noticed…before.”
            “I think it’s absolutely astonishing.” He joked, winking at me. I couldn’t help myself; I tucked my chin to my chest and tried not to blush.
            Hearing the bell, I started toward class, and remarked, “I think I need to buy you a thesaurus.”

            “I concur.” He said, staying beside me as I walked.
            The silent eyes slowly turned to moving lips while our feet fell in line out of the parking lot.

            Outside the classroom, we waited against the row of lockers.
            Sasha pointed his head toward the classroom “Math’s not your thing, huh?”
            I laughed, “Not even close. I despise it’s entire institution. Why should I have to learn the use of ‘e’ when I don’t ever need to apply it to anything?”
            “Problem-solving skills, mostly.” Sasha kicked at the tile of the busy hallway, “I mean, I agree with you, to an extent; if you’re not going into a career in the field, then you shouldn’t have to take four years of math. Of course, college curriculums…”
            “Ugh, don’t even get me started on colleges.” I raised my hand, “I’m a sophomore, and I’m already scared shitless about where I’ll get in, or what I’m going to major in.”
            He barked, “Ha! You’re scared. Try being a junior who just bailed out of a perfect college opportunity.”
            Of course; Shasa deciding not to play lacrosse meant that he didn’t have a chance at an athletic scholarship.
            “What do you want to do instead?” I asked.
            He hesitated, “I…have no idea.”
            “Well, we’ll have to figure that out, maybe.” I tumbled over the words, and he smiled.
            “You should get to class.” He gestured, “Surprise her. Did you want to study tonight?”
            I nodded, running my hand against my hair and hitching up my bag “I have work at…three-thirty, and I go until about seven-thirty or eight.” I cringed, “But you probably don’t want an encore of last time.”
            “I don’t mind.” He flashed me a smile, and my feet willed me to my desk.
            After the second bell, Numel walked in, scanning the room. Locking her eyes on me, she raised an eyebrow, “You should be flattered to know I’m surprised to see you, Miss Brighten. This is a change of pace for you.”
            “Time for a change, I guess.” I replied, pulling out my notebook.
            I nearly broke my hand and burned holes in my paper taking her notes that day.