It was downright repulsive.
Lukas invariably mulled over when he'd be able to vacate the neighborhood.
What with the children grimy, unenlightened, radiating with dispiriting frustration and hopelessness, the guttersnipes and impecunious beggars down the block, clad in rags or mucky leather, gloved hands reaching out for oncoming pedestrians for any slight token of gratitude or for money. Lukas would watch their jerky vision come to complete focus on him whenever he'd take his daily walk by, trying his best to calm, they'd begin yelling at him, their speech was noticeably slurred almost every time, even in the mornings, which dumbfounded him. Lukas would continuously pay no heed to their laments; his mother had taught him what they desired the money for, anyways, and he perceived that they couldn't have made it any less obvious. Walking down the block every morning, Lukas was tormented by all of them, he would take steady breaths into the fabric of his scarf and try to get by another. Another. And another, until he was vulnerably sprinting down the block, their curses and screams muffled by his mittened hands pressing against his ears and he ran, making every effort to persist in bravery until he was out of sight, the voices had faded, and he would continue on. They'd never let him forget the time he'd been bolting down the street while they threw shit at him from empty cans to handfuls of dirt, and his toe had ripped straight through the front of his suede shoe and he'd gone flying straight onto the ground, the hard road tearing through his pants and dirtying and scraping the soft skin and flesh of his knees. All Lukas could recall was the howling laughter echoing around him, the stinging in his palms and knees, he'd looked down at them and noticed traces of blood beginning to seep through the raw cuts and felt foolish for crying. Couldn't there had been another way to get around? No. Lukas indubitably wasn't courageous or rugged enough to tread through the woods around the lengthy array of houses that lined the road every morning, the idea seemed so unreasonable that it didn't even strike him anymore. His mother never went with him, either, she was always busy working.
He lived in a dead end on the destitute end of town, high quality clothing or satisfactory food was a fluke to the point where it seemed like a dream. Although the possibility of moving had been up in the air for the longest time, but it was a recent topic in his household once again, which was reassuring, but nerve-wracking to the whole family. Lukas lived with his mother, grandmother, and his smaller brother, Emil, who was six. Just the idea of the price would make Lukas's mother break down from stress. She was desperate, however mostly worried for Emil and Lukas, and she would constantly stroke Lukas's platinum hair late at night, gaping into his deep violet eyes, sometimes she'd be completely lost in them while Lukas stared back up at her, he could always envision the moonlight illuminating onto her soft, endearing expression that always made him feel safe and at home. She would apologize. She would apologize over and over, apologize to Lukas for having to grow up in such vile and formidable conditions. But Lukas would always shift his glance out the window, up to the sky, gazing at the way the stars dotted the darkness like art, not wanting to listen, not wanting to be evoked. But Lukas's mother always took the hint when he'd shift to his side and cover his head with a pillow, quivering or clawing at his ears, silently willing for the words that went right in one ear and out the other to come to an end. Then she'd carry him to bed.
But Lukas kept his aspirations for the future sky high, for he knew he was born with a gift very few people had. It wasn't to his comfort to explain to strangers because they'd all think he was trying to spread rumors because he was air-headed and uneducated. They'd never suspect that a undersized, rawboned and wretched boy to possibly possess powers as dominate and scarce as magic. Lukas was thoroughly breathtaking at it- especially for his young age of only nine years old. He would practice almost every day with the older kids from down the block- most of which didn't even have magic, but the ones who did had it passed down to them by grandparents or great grandparents when they were a tad older than him, but Lukas had been born with it. However, Lukas's mother enjoyed him having older friends. She savvied that they'd be capable of educating him much better than anyone his age possibly could, teach him life lessons, and care for him unconditionally; like older siblings. Which they did, Lukas always felt indestructible protection when he was with them. Only two out of all five of his friends actually held the ability to use magic- Arthur and Vladimir.
Arthur was a bit of a egocentric, tactless lad, although Lukas did look up to him a lot. Lukas was devoted and loyal to making sure his friends felt as buoyant as they could be at all times- especially Arthur, for he was high-strung and snippy often. Vladimir was exceedingly reckless and irresponsible all of the time, but Lukas thought he was so, so, great. He'd get chills whenever Vladimir would shoot him a toothy grin, exposing his fangs- as the others called them, and his burgundy, purely enthralling eyes, would get all squinty and the pure bliss in his face whenever he smiled always made Lukas feel reassured and sanguine. As well as them, there was the sisters, Katyusha and Natalya, along with Xiao-Mei. They'd always come along and sit with Lukas, usually he'd be pulled into Xiao's lap, and they'd help him memorize spells and study, whether it was with flashcards or initials, which Katyusha came up with, or sometimes Xiao would pull out a pen and scribble it across Lukas's palm so he could read it to himself whenever, until it came off. Natalya was always reluctant to come, and never really spoke. She was always dragged along by her sister and she'd always get super defensive every time someone tried to verbally communicate with her. But, it was these friends who kept Lukas's head in the clouds and feet on the ground, and he surely wouldn't change a single thing about them, not for the world.
But when Lukas kicked off his shoes after a long day of laughter and studies, he looked into the kitchen at his mother's face and was immediately struck with the fact that that everything was going to change.
Feedback is fantastic ! :') Also, not too sure if the description is permanent, so.