DogBird

Chapter 6: Roe

My head swiveled towards the tranquil voice and sure enough, the owner was Kyrie, the small smile from the night before still effortlessly taking up residence on his serene face. Pleasant surprise filled his features as his eyes met mine before his lips twisted into an amused grin. He tried to hold it back but I could easily see it and it made my cheeks flame in embarrassment even though I wasn't even aware of what to be embarrassed about.

His eyes shone with hilarity as he waved a finger between the two of us. "You two make quite the pair there," He muffled through his subdued laughter. My eyes traveled back to the angel before me and I had to say, he wasn't wrong.

Standing next to each other really brought out the differences between us two. His fair hair and skin were like porcelain, delicate and majestic. His softly rounded jawline just accentuated his striking appearance, paired with the slim nose and the gently curved eyebrows that were only slightly darker than his hair. Looking closer, his icy-blue eyes were framed with thick pale lashes that could make a girl jealous with their length. His slightly off white clothing further supported this angelic image. He wore a mandarin collar dress shirt in an appealing cream color tucked tastefully into his slightly darker slacks that were trimmed to fit his legs perfectly, leaving some space for mobility. On his feet were stylish and simple loafer mules, also a shade of cream with golden bees printed onto the leather. The clothes he wore laid flatteringly on his elfin frame. He didn't look real, as if he didn't belong to this world.

Then you had me; ghostly white skin that contrasted hauntingly with jet black hair that fell chaotically around a sharp diamond face. My clothes were always worn, sometimes enough to sport moth holes around the seams, and today's choice of attire was no different. I wore a faded black Lynyrd Skynyrd band tee that was stretched from over-washing with holes forming around the loose-fitting neck and the bottom hem. Beneath it was the washed out jean shorts that I made last year out of a pair of jeans that were too short for me. They fit my wiry frame loosely, as I liked in order to hide any feminine features. On my feet I wore simple ribbed white socks that were discolored from years of use and now appeared as more off white along with a pair of chunky black sneakers I bought from a thrift store a few months ago for only five bucks, a good deal if you ask me. The black paint on my nails was chipping and my ears held a few earrings, some dangling with a small chain and others simple studs. All of the piercings on my body were done by me with a needle and a lemon as a small rebellious act against Saundra's tyranny for total control. She was not happy when she saw the small bloody holes in my lobes and threatened me if I didn't let them close, but I took what she dished out stubbornly, refusing to let go of this one thing that made me feel a little more in control of my fucked up life. If nothing else, at least I chose the holes in my ears.

Us standing next to each other was like a renaissance painting of angels versus devils. I raised my eyebrows slightly, still taking in the polarity of our appearances as Kyrie stepped closer. What I failed to remember was the fact that my face was battered and bruised, and quite obviously, which Kyrie took notice of. He gasped lightly as he hurried over to me, gripping my chin just like Avery had earlier. Without a second thought, I slapped his hand away, my eyes sharp with fright and caution as my body stiffened.

The two near strangers stared at me in shock, paired with an almost hidden spark of worry and distress. Realizing what I did, I slowly uncurled myself from my defensive position and rubbed the back of my head as my eyes fell down to Kyrie's right hand. "Sorry, you caught me off guard," I mumbled, hoping they wouldn't notice the strain behind my words.

A small huff of laughter left Kyrie, void of humor and filled instead with empathy somehow as he looked at me with compassion in his gentle mossy gaze. "I'm sorry too, man. Didn't mean to freak you out like that, I just noticed the bruise. That's quite the shiner you got there." He pointed at his jaw, indicating the blotchy purple and yellow mess that marred my own. "You didn't have that last night. What, you get into a fight with a bear on your way home?" he joked, but I could hear the real question clawing through his façade of an inquiry.

I chuckled, my hand wrapping around my elbow across my torso as I shrugged. "I wish, that would be a lot less embarrassing. I fell down the stairs when I got home."

A velvety hand caressed my jaw and I turned my wide eyes to Yuki, who held a vicariously felt pain in his soft gaze. A sympathetic smile fluttered across his lips as he looked at me. "That must've hurt quite a bit, huh?" he asked, his voice reminding me of a mother's. The sound acted as a reminder for something that I lost years ago and almost made me tear up, but I held the salty traitors at bay with the mask that I had built to perfection over the last ten years.

I nodded faintly, my cheek rubbing against his smooth palm as my eyes softened with emotion. I smiled reassuringly at him as I subconsciously leaned into his touch, "Yeah, it hurt, but I'll be okay."

His pale eyes went wide as they flashed between my eyes and my mouth and my rare smile faltered as I became self-conscious. When he noticed what he was doing, he shook his head lightly before slowly pulling his hand back to his side. Once more, he took up the graceful position of a ballerina.

A hand landed on my shoulders and I jumped slightly as my head whipped around to face Kyrie. "Want to come over to my house? I got a cream that can help the bruise heal faster," he offered, gesturing over his shoulder with the point of his thumb.

I tossed this idea around in my mind, gathering the pros and cons of going over to his house. On one hand, I could hang out with some people my age and learn what it was like to be around people that considered each other friends. On the other hand, I could go back to my prison cell and sit there like the good little jailbird they wanted me to be.

Coming to a final decision, I nodded at Kyrie, going against everything I have ever been taught and not regretting it in the least.