"You're not a freak, Eve. You will never be."
"I know." I chuckled. "I am glad I have you to remind me that. Thank you, Mr. Rellis."
"I thought you don't like formalities?"
"I don't, usually. But sometimes, I do. When I feel like addressing someone in a formal way."
He opened the cafeteria's door for me. I mumbled a quick "thank you" before I entered the place. He led me to the table near the wall and pulled me a chair. That certain moment, I felt like I am a lucky commoner being served by a royalty. I can't help but smile while thinking of it.
"What do you want?" he asked, looking at me.
"Burger, the regular size. Orange juice or iced tea and green salad." I was about to get some cash on my wallet but he stopped me.
"I'll pay it, Eve. Don't bother."
He didn't give me a chance to protest because he already turned his back on me and walked away. And all I did was to stare at his perfect back like it was sculpted without any mistakes. Flawless, to be exact. I don't know what I did to meet someone like him. I never believed in perfection before, not until the day I saw Carter. He's literally the epitome of perfection.
From the glass wall, my eyes shifted to the newly arrive group of students. I stared at them in awe. I can't think of an exact word that is perfect enough to describe them. They are very gorgeous people. Although I only recognized Emery, I knew at the moment that she's with the rest of the Rellis. There were four boys, very much handsome with pale, flawless skin. There were two girls. Unlike Emery's brown wavy hair, the other girl has a black straight hair with red highlights.
I thought Carter was the only masterpiece God has made. But after looking at his family, I realized they are all perfect. The epitome of perfection. Even in different angles, I can't see any flaw in them. No flaws, literally. Could you imagine how inhuman is that? They look so surreal. Like perfect sculptures carved in the most beautiful granites.
"Here..."
I snapped out of my reverie when Carter sat across me after putting the food tray on the table. I immediately shifted my attention to him.
"Thanks." I smiled.
"They are your family, right?" I asked, glancing at the group settled on the table not so far away from us. He glanced at them, too.
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you join them?"
His brow shot up.
"Would you rather want me with them? Am I not a good company?"
"No..." I said quickly, stunned of the question. "I mean, of course I want a company and you are a good one. But I know that they're amazing to be with while I'm boring."
He smirked as if what I said was nonsense and ridiculous. "I wouldn't be here if I find them more interesting than you are."
"Really." I chuckled. Now that's really the ridiculous thing.
"You don't believe me." That wasn't a question, but a statement with certainty.
"Why would I believe you? I know better, Carter. Please don't try to be a gentleman."
"I'm not a gentleman, I tell you. I'm only trying to be honest here."
I shook my head and smiled. He handed me the burger and my orange juice. His order was same as mine. He didn't touch his food, though. He didn't even look interested of it and just stared at me.
"Mind if you tell me about them?" I looked at his family. They were talking silently, almost not moving. "I only know Emery, the student council president."
"That one in the left side of Emery with a little stud on the ear, that's Thomas. On the right, that's Crislord. The red-haired girl is Venus. On her left, Travis and Ross Ambrose, the twins."
My forehead creased, confused.
"Travis and Ross Ambrose? Not Rellis?"
"They aren't our brothers by blood. But they live with us, so we consider them us our family."
I nodded slowly. "But they are twins?" I look at the boys again and tilted my head a bit, processing what features they both have. They indeed resembled each other. Same gray eyes. Same pale complexion. But I think they have a lot of differences.
"Fraternal twins, not identical."
Oh. That explains it.
My eyes drifted on his sea green eyes, wondering why he's the only one who has that kind of eye color in his family. Emery and the rest of the Rellis have amber eyes, like there's a bright sun beneath their orbs.
"Why do you have a different eye color? Sea green. But not the usual kind. Yours is much brighter, much clearer."
He crooked a boyish smile. "Do you like it?" he asked instead of answering my question.
"Yeah. It's... amazing." I sipped on my orange juice. Still, he haven't touch the burger, the fries or even the juice. He didn't even glance at those. "Anyway, you haven't answer the question yet. And you are not touching even a bit of your food. Aren't we supposed to have lunch together?"
He glanced at the food and pursed his lips seriously. "Actually, I'm not really hungry. I just want to have... some time with you. And about the first question, Franklin Rellis, my father, has the same eye color as mine. I guess you haven't meet him yet."
Have some time with me? Why would he want that? Does he feel bad for me because none of the students here wants to befriend me? I must have looked very pitiful, then. Thinking of it that way, I felt my stomach churned.
"Of course not," Carter mumbled, loud enough to reach my ears. My forehead creased. Did he just answer the question in my head?
"Pardon?"
His lips parted, like a thief caught off guard. Then he pushed his lips together again, looking more serious now. But what stunned me more was when his sea-green eyes darkened. Literally.
I gasped in disbelief. I swear, I just saw his eyes turned darker without the help of any lights. It was like a bulb suddenly turned off. Damn impossible. I can't be imagining this time. But... how could that be possible?
"Your e-eyes," I stammered. "It turned into a different shade..."
His hand on the table clenched into a fist, eyes were unreadable and vicious like the hawk's. The darkness beneath his eyes felt like a deep pool of danger, haunting me silently. I gulped and put my burger down, tensed of the sudden change of his mood.
"No. It didn't," he said with a firm, low voice that it sounded almost furious.
"I'm sure of what I saw. I can't be mistaken. Actually, the second time we met, I saw your eyes glowed. Earlier, I saw it darkened. I didn't even blink and I'm certain I wasn't hallucinating—"
"You are certain?" He smirked without any humor. "How could a human's eyes glow or darken just like what you're insisting? It's impossible, Everleigh."
"But I know what I saw, Carter."
"So what do you want to prove? That my eyes crossed the law of science? And then what?" he asked darkly. There is no glimpse of gentleness in his orbs. Only a trace of ruthlessness and unraveled mistery. It shook my faith.
"What are you trying to imply? That I'm lying? I know what I saw. Are you saying that my own eyes fooled me?"
His jaw moved. "No. I am saying that what you saw was only in your mind. It's not real, Eve."
I gritted my teeth. "I was sure, Carter. I was fucking sure-"
"Drop the profanity."
"I don't care." I cussed under my breath out of frustration. "Do you think I was hallucinating? Do you think I'm crazy and just forging all of these? I don't know what's with your eyes but... I swear, I am saying the truth."
He shook his head, showing me that he's not buying my shits. He then stood up, like he had enough of my craziness. That I've gone too far and he's on his limits.
"Let's just talk some other time," he said coldly and walked away, out of the cafeteria.