The clock, a sentinel of time, marched in relentlessly, its hands sweeping across its face in a tireless dance. The time was around 6:05 am.
Luca who had had quite an ordeal the previous day dozed off on his bed, he had reached home at around five in the evening the previous day, and the patient cloth had met its demise as Luca threw it into the dumpster on the curbside opposite the apartment complex immediately when he reached home.
After about one hour, Luca yawned, the ray of the sun spilling on his face through the window, it was closed but the curtains were cast aside making way for sun rays.
He blinked a few times and reflexively used his hands to wipe his face, bringing down the smooth palm down from his forehead, he noticed a fluffy sensation on the side of his cheek.
He sat up immediately, caressing his cheeks.
What's up with this hair, I had a haircut yesterday, how come...
Luca mused, he made a confused look, his bright hazel eyes squinting as he furrowed.
He got down from the bed, wearing only underpants, his short black hair was tousled, and there weren't any dangling strands of hair on his forehead this time, he had cut them off during haircut the previous day, his bare chest rippled with lean toned muscles, Luca had grown fit since a kid, he hadn't even worked out for once but his muscle was all toned.
Perhaps it was my gene.
So he would think.
Luca's bright hazel eyes twinkled with curiosity, he made his way to the bathroom. He had a hunch, and boy, did he need to check it out. In a flash, he was in front of the bathroom mirror, eyes wide, almost expecting his reflection to jump out and say 'boo!'
But nope, it was just him—or was it? There, staring back at Luca, was what looked like his doppelganger, if his doppelganger fancied itself a star about to belt out tunes on stage. His cheeks were decked out in muttonchops so grand they'd make any Victorian gentleman jealous or, better yet, his own grandpa in his heyday, complete with the signature chops.
What's up with these hair, weird, is it because I'm in puberty?
He mused while remembering his biology class on growth and development.
What a weird start for another academic year
Luca heaved an exasperated sigh.
He had been promoted to tenth grade, although he didn't go to school the previous day,
Luca thought back at the bully issue he had, Going to school with such facial hairs would surely attract the bullies' attention, Luca had sat alone ever since the bullies started making their move on him, he had never retaliated, and they seemed to be getting bored with him, so this is the last thing Luca would want to happen, resuming school with muttonchops.
But it's strange, I don't remember having sideburns when I entered puberty, does it grow overnight?
The idea that he hadn't noticed something about himself felt strange to Luca. Besides, he always had drop fade haircut, the barber would have shaved the sideburns away. He was the kind of guy who paid attention to the little details, especially since he'd been living on his own. Luca could remember turning fourteen and noticing every new change in his body, like the first hairs that started growing in private places. He even counted them for a while, until he got bored and he felt it was stupid and then stopped.
But now, sideburns? How did he miss those growing right there on the side of his face, where anyone could see them?
Luca shrugged off the confusion and grabbed his toothbrush, Luca suddenly knew it was associated with the strange powers he had, like how he had finished ten plates of fillet steaks due to that insatiable and undescribable pang of hunger, he could still feel the sting of crying over the money he spent. His budget had been stretched thin. He was just a normal high school kid, or he wanted to behave and believe so, not racking his brain on weird stuff. It wasn't that his classmates would think it was weird, after all, they were just resuming, some would have undergone different changes as a teenager, even he had undergone some changes like the couple inches he grew, not talking about the facial hair.
That one is weird
He mused.
He put some toothpaste on his toothbrush and started brushing, leaving the mystery of the muttonchops behind.
He brushed his teeth.
I should make sure to buy a shaving razor when coming from school. I'm not a fan of muttonchops after all.
Rinsing his mouth thoroughly with water from the tap, he let the cool water cascade into his mouth, swishing it around to purge the remnants of sleep, then expelled it back into the sink with a decisive stream. With a flick of his wrist, he turns on the shower.
The sound of water springing to life filled the room with a promise of renewal. As the first droplets of warmth splattered against the tiled floor, the shower enveloped him, water tracing the contours of his body like a thousand tiny fingers. He lathered his skin, his hands gliding over his form, washing away the night's inertia. Droplets collided with his flesh, mingling with soap to create rivulets that carried away weariness, leaving a sense of rejuvenation in their wake. He stood there, in the baptism of warmth, as each rinse brought him closer to the clarity needed to face the day ahead.
He stepped out of the bathroom and closed its door, water dripped down from his wet naked body to the smooth floor of the room as he walked, he couldn't care about it, after all, he was living all alone, and he made sure to lock the door of his room either when he was at home or not at home, so anybody wanting to barge in would need to knock, and of course, he would have prepared himself by then.