Chapter 5: Silver.

First day of school, anxious since unlike the past, my mother isn’t here to accompany me. It’s just me, Gloria and Drake as I force my legs to move forward. The anxiety is so powerful around my legs!

“Uh…Heather, are you okay?” Ria’s voice of concern hits me and I shake my head, more to convince myself.

“Y-yeah…just a little nervous” I give a chortle, eyes moving around until they spot something.

My sharp ears catch onto a sound of distress and my eyes zone on the bent form by the entrance of the large building. Without a moment hesitance, my legs are closing in on the person.

Peering around the person and attempting to help him with his things strewn over the concrete ground, I gasp when the head warmer on his head slides off a bit to reveal tufts of white hair.

White hair? Puzzlement paints my face as I move to speak to him instead. “Hi…are you okay? I can help”.

No response, just a little nod and I take that as a positive reply and pick up his books and other stuff.

“T-thanks” Soft and airy, so unlike what I expected his voice to sound like. Despite that, he’s having his head hung low, hands pulling on his head warmer to cover his ears.

My eyes are roaming, inspecting and searching. He smells…human? Now that’s amusing. The school has a little human population and they’re not likely to attend here.

Maybe he’s not from around here. His scent is too distinct, haven’t perceived something this…okay, that’s enough Heather.

“Where are my manners? I’m Heather, you’re new right?” I ask, curious to know about him all of a sudden.

He hums to my question and I watch his posture fold in a little and realize he must be the antisocial type. Maybe I overwhelmed him.

So I step back to give him enough room as I patiently wait for a name. “Silver”.

“Nice to meet you” With a large smile on my face, from being confident enough to make me a new friend and successfully ridding my anxiety, I reach out a hand.

But nothing happens, like he’s either ignoring me or… he’s probably still shy. It’s getting awkward though. So I chuckle stupidly, “Uh…you don’t do handshakes?”

I ask carefully, too scared to overwhelm him with my overly ecstatic energy and he lifts his head up. And I’m staring…with eyes going saucers…jaw hanging and posture stilling.

“Um… I’m sorry but I can’t see” He says with distress, discomfort tainting his uneasy demeanor and I’m thrown speechless.

I glance around frantically to pick up my words as I face him again. “I uh…we should probably head to class”.

That’s not what I want to say, I want to say something more comforting so he doesn’t feel discomfiture being here. I inwardly slap my face a thousand times.

“Don’t we have to see the principal or something? For the school map and other stuff?” He interrupts my mental scolding session and a bulb blinks in my head.

“Ah! Right, we have to. Can’t believe it skipped my mind…” I glance at him, from beneath my hand on my face to him fidgeting calmly.

His eyes…as white as the clouds, as vast as the sky, soothing like a caress, filled to the brim with so many mysteries- the heck is wrong with my brain cells today!

“Is… something wrong?” Realizing it’s just us in this spacious hallway and classes must be about to start already.

He lifts his head again, eyes directly on me as my heart makes a jump. For a moment, I felt his gaze pierce right through.

“I’ll need your help to get there? Don’t wanna…be a bother” He rubs the back of his neck with a light blush sprinkling over his cheeks.

Not that look! Panic makes me flail my arms foolishly as I fumble for words. “Ah! No need to feel burdened by that. I’ll guide you”.

And so I step forward, holding his hand, “You can hold onto me, Silver”.

I don’t know why pronouncing his name makes something strange stir within me as I lead the way down the hallway to the right.

“Did you recently move to this town? Where did you live before? What do you think about wolves? Ah yes, where do you live?”

I tend to be very talkative when I’m nervous or too relaxed in someone’s company. I wonder which it is I’m ranting from this way. I hope I don’t scare him away at least.

“Uh…I’m sorry, I’m quite the talker. I won’t speak again” Stupid laughter leaves my lips and I struggle not to pull out my hair.

Then I hear a shallow voice flowing from behind me and I halt to turn. And Silver is… he’s saying something I can’t grasp despite my heightened senses.

That’s baffling. His face is distorted, like he’s experiencing some internal pain and I panic, what have I done?

“Silver…I didn’t mean to. I’m… I’m sorry” Not sure how to go about with apologizing for my insensitivity.

He tusks aside as his face hardens, my chest pounding with alarm. I just made him angry. Aw come on! And just on my first day!

“I…I might not know the way back home…forgot to complete my memorization of the paths…” And he grumbles on, making me fall dumbstruck.

I see…he doesn’t know the way back home. Wait- that’s not a good thing at all. When school is over, who will take him home?

“Um…don’t you live with your parents?” Careful enough but his face goes cryptic, eyes going cold and aura spilling displeasure.

He’s like ice, thread without a care and it breaks. Of which I’ve been stupidly doing since we met. There’s no safe zone and I keep pouring on. I hope this isn’t tainting my image?

I won’t talk anymore. I pin my lips together but he grips my hand. “I…might need your help again”.

Oh…this time, I nod and see him having this face of ‘you’re not saying anything’ and I pout.

“I’ll help…in any way I can” I give him my word and lower my eyes to his grip around my hand and my face burns up instantly.

Whipping around, a hand on my chest as I rush my words, “Right! We’re here already. She must be expecting us huh… hahaha!”

I’m so not walking to anyone first again. I’ll wait for them to come speak to me from now on. I suck at first impressions.

                                 ***

Anxious, restless…I just can’t get it off my mind. Too stiff, I twist my neck to the side and get a great fright that has me yelping and falling out of my seat.

“Heather! Are you alright? What happened?” And Ria comes flying to my side as I stable my breath, looking off my palms on the floor to see a hand reaching for me.

“I’m sorry, I wanted to ask for something” He says apologetically, rubbing his neck again. I force a smile, getting up by Ria’s help.

She frowns at him, clicking her tongue with disapproval. “You should’ve just gone ahead with it and not frighten her like that”.

Ugh, she’s mad. Not wanting to feel awkward anymore than I already do, and also not to cause him any distress, I wear a smile and push it all away.

“Ria…no need to get mad at him. It’s nothing. Silver, you wanted help?” I skip to his side and she hisses, folding her arms across her chest.

I nudge her in the side and she deflates stubbornly, “Fine, I’m sorry for sounding so rude”.

“She’s my cousin and bestie, Gloria. We call her Ria for short” I eagerly introduce the two, noticing someone approaching from my peripheral.

“What do we have here? Making friends already?” Drake saunters in, earning admiring gazes from the girls in the classroom and I snort at him.

He grins, his slate-blues reeling a little inward as he comes to stand right next to Ria who grumbles with an eye roll.

“The girls love my new look” He flaunts and I roll my eyes slowly. Geez! He’s been on that hair since he got it done. He got his black hair done in a textured short top with a high fade and won’t give our ears rest.

“You’re disrupting our lunch time, we’re about to go to the canteen” I deadpan coldly and he grits his teeth at me.

“Why don’t you come with? I could introduce you to more friends” He proposes but on a second thought, I’d rather not.

So I dispose of the idea, moving to Silver’s side. “Ria and Silver are more than enough. I’ve got three promises to uphold no matter what. Thanks though, big brother”.

My last words arrest him in tension and I laugh, exiting the classroom with my friends.

But we’re stopped by the threshold by a group of students who smirk at us, especially at me.