My Short Stories

Colors of Love (Short Story)

I am not normal. Never was. Nor will I ever be. Sure, I am just an average kid in school, but there is one thing that makes me stand out above the crowd.

My eyes.

Each day, or even each hour, my eyes change color. Not just from navy blue to sky blue, but really change color. My eyes have been blue, brown, green, red, yellow, and purple. Even orange once.

Why does it do this, you may ask? It changes with my mood. I have got it down to a science, however, to only change color once a day. Usually, I keep it at a grey or blue, but if it is anything more vibrant than that, I try to cover it up in some way. I like to keep my hair slightly longer, just in case. I would also love to wear contact lenses, but my mother insists that my eyes would help me make friends. Like I would ever want to, though.

Now, with this in mind, on to the story of how I got exposed...

It started as just an average day. Woke up and checked in the mirror, and my eyes were a soft grey. Neutral, good. I threw on my black hoodie and rushed out the door before my mom could say goodbye. I knew that if she did, my eyes would switch to black in an instant, and she would have a fit. Black for frustration, and exhaustion, that is. She is probably the clingiest human alive, and I can not stand her attention.

When I stepped outside, I scanned the street for any of the other kids in my neighborhood. It was too early for me to deal with anyone. Thankfully, the roads were empty, and it was a quiet bus ride to school.

Nothing really happened at first. A few classes passed without incident. No one came up to talk to me, as usual, and I was alright with that. It was not until English when my teacher put on To Kill a Mockingbird that an event occurred. Atticus shot that rabid dog, and suddenly, I felt my eyes tear up. I pulled out my phone in a flash, and sure enough, my eyes were a deep navy blue for sadness. I wiped away my tears and tried my hardest to go back to feeling neutral, but something about that damn dog...

After class, my eyes softened to a grey-ish blue, so I kept my head low and ducked for the bathroom to hide until they returned to normal. Within a few minutes, they lost the blue tint, and I stepped out of the stall. To my surprise, a tall and athletically built kid stood in front of the bathroom stall, apparently waiting for me.

"Hey, you are... Taylor, right?"

I nodded, thoroughly confused.

"You intrigue me." He said confidently, pinning me to the stall door. "I saw something happen in class earlier. What was it?"

My mouth went dry, and I swallowed, "I am not that interesting. I am sure it was nothing."

"Funny." A flicker of a crooked smile and a gaze that never wavered from my eyes. "Uninteresting people generally do not have to say that." He lifted my chin so I would meet his stare.

I had to get out and fast. One step closer, and I would be mesmerized. A tingling feeling nipped at my cheeks. The boy's breath hit my neck, and his eyes drew me in. I knew my eyes would change color if I lingered just a moment longer.

"What are you trying so hard to hide?" He smirked, examining my face like a work of art.

"Must have been the lighting. I think I had my phone out for a while; it could have been that." I lied, then ran out of the bathroom and to my next class.

That was a close one...

Another couple of days passed uneventfully. The boy from the bathroom, Wayde, did not bother me anymore. I still saw him in English from time to time, but I avoided him as best as I could. Until, of course, the universe decided to poke fun at me again.