The Parts of a Feather

Part Two- Downy Barbs

It strikes me as amazing how blind people can be, not just in sight, but in actual life. People are blind to details, to other people, to the world around them, and when they do finally notice those details they flip out and go all out on that subject. Politics are weird like that.

With my wings and being able to see them, people noticed that I was nuts instead of gifted so that lead to a good long time of criticism and abuse and then, after years of all the stuff, actual physical harm. Now here in LA, starting freshman year in a new school with only one friend who I sort of knew felt like getting a rad scrub. In other words, starting REALLY fresh. I'm just lucky enough to make it to school on a clunker of a bike that I own and need to repair.

The building was enormous when I finally made it there. Two stories high and a bright white with turquoise trim. It didn't have that much grass, or even trees for that part. There was so much concrete and metal that it made me slightly uneasy. Then again, there wasn't even that many trees where my house was so it sort of made sense, but after living in a rain and tree infested spot of the world for most of your life you learn to expect trees and rain.

There hadn't been a single drop of rain since I stepped foot into this state.

Anyway, I got there ten minutes before the school opened, so it gave me time to try and find the front door. After that, I figured out where my classes were before the first bus load of people came into the building. I watched them all go by from the main hallway, wings folded behind my back, eyes looking around for Milo and his spotted wings. For the mean time, I looked at people's wings.

No two people have similar wing size, shape, or length. They can have the same color, but they'd be different in some way or another; unless they were twins or something like that. There were these two identical twins back in junior high who had the exact same pair of scrawny, V shaped, enormous sapphire blue wings. It was really scary at first since there was no way to outsmart them by knowing who was who. I never did and I probably never will for that matter.

I sighed, thinking about my old life. Would I ever get out and be the person I wanted to be? Or would something happen? I felt my wings droop.

"Hey, no need to get depressed when I come over!"

I jumped and looked around. Milo stood next to me, head tiled to one side and smiling a rather particular smile. The kind that means "I know something you don't know."

"Don't scare me like that!" I snapped.

"Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands above his head. "I'll be nice and stop sneaking up on you if you don't space out and lose focus of the fact that you're in a crowded hall where anything can happen."

"Don't make me smack you, smart ass."

"Hit me with your best shot!" Milo leaned in closer, eyes closed mockingly. "Preferably on the cheek so that you'll feel guilty and--"

"Oh, shut up you goof," I snapped bitterly. "I wouldn't hurt a flea if it didn't want to bite me."

"Then why threat?"

I looked at my feet, embarrassed to admit the truth. Something in my head said that if you acted tough, people wouldn't mess with you. In truth, I liked Milo's teasing. It made me want to laugh. But the scare set me off.

He stood next to me, looking at all the people while carefully putting a wing over my shoulder. "You're staring fresh, so make the most of it. If you don't know who to talk to then hang with me and I'll show you some people you can become friends with. With classes, don't shove people away and let them be friends with you. Who knows? You might score on some of the nicer looking fellows."