The girl he sat by was small and waif like. Her eyes, that he had seen an instant before she had turned from his glance, was reminded him of a new blade of grass pushing from the earth, reaching hungrily for the sun, their innocence so apparent. They stirred a part of him. But it was her hair that caught his attention. Her hair wasn't blond or red or black, it was a silver waterfall that when she stood, fell past her knees. It wasn't dyed silver. It was threads of moonlight even though it was early morning. He wanted to run his hands through it and touch heaven. Heaven? When had he ever thought of such a place? He wanted to laugh at such a thought. He leaned a little closer, not too much, she mustn't notice. The moon kissed hair smelled like a fresh breeze that held allusive scents inside. It'd been such a long time since he'd felt such freedom. It touched something in his soul, that he tried to keep hidden from people, even himself. He felt an emotion best left alone, rise. He couldn't name it because he'd never felt it before. It was too much. He badgered and beat it back down to its place. He took a deep, calming breath and looked away from the gleaming silver hair.
~*~
He is beautiful, Leera thought as she sneaked a quick glance at the boy beside her. His face was oval shaped and pale skinned. It looked as if he'd been locked in a dark room for all his life. His lips would have been sensuous and full, if they had not been pressed in a hard line. As if he was holding something back and was angry that he had to. She sighed. She wanted o know what his mouth would look like when it was smiling. His hair was black. The kind caught the sun and reflected blue. His eyes seemed as uncontrollable and deep as the sea before a storm. They called out to her, seeming to plead with her heart. Always hinting at a more than they showed. It made her curious to find what lay beneath them. She wanted to be the one to make him smile.
~*~
"What's your name?" He was surprised he had asked
"Leera, Leera Storm. You?"
"Alexander Sextant."
"As in Alexander the Great?"
"Yeah."
"Who are your parents?"
"I don't have any."
"Really? I don't have any either. They died 1 year, three weeks, and six days ago."
"When did yours die?"
This was not what he'd expected her to be asking. He hated the topic of parents. There was nothing he could say about them, so he stayed away from that.
"Look," Alexander said turning to her, "I don't know why you're asking me these questions, but stop."
Leera shut her mouth and looked straight ahead.
He sighed, not in regret, but in anger. Why did everything he said turn into something that hurt people? He remembered then, they had not wanted him to leave. They said that he had disappointed them, failed them. He despised failure.
~*~
"Okay, line up by last name. Then sit side-by-side. Achitson, Anderson, Aster, Malerston, Melacost, Valkeri, Sextant, Storm" the man droned on until he had called all their names, then he left. They had been brought to a space shuttle station, after be specially being interviewed by the military man.
~*~
"Excited?" Leera asked Alexander
"No"
"Why not?"
"I've done this too many times before to be excited or even happy about it." In fact he was angry. He did not want to be on this shuttle, he didn't like the fact that he was forced on to it.
"Oh"
There was a pause, where nothing happened.
"Look, I don't want you to feel bad about earlier."
"It's okay. I'm all right. Anyway, I thought you might want to be friends." Leera smiled and held out her right pinky finger. "Friends?"
He hesitated, not knowing what to do, but knowing he wanted this, the friendship, the innocent hope that shown from her eye. He held up his right pinky imitating her. Not knowing what to do. Her eyes were huge and there was a small smile on her lips. As if this was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. They hooked their fingers, squeezed, and shook them.
It slowly pulled at his heart. When he realized that she didn't know. She doesn't know? He thought. It amazed him. He realized when he looked at the other thirteen-year-old kids, that they didn't know either, or they would have so animated and happy looking faces. He let his hand drop. They don't realize what they are or what they'll become. He thought bitterly, wishing he could trade places with any other child. His eyes stared, hard, jealously at a group of kids who were laughing.
"Alex?" He jerked his attention back to her, "is something wrong?" She watched, fascinated by the way his face went from one emotion, to a carefully crafted face of blankness.
"No, what made you think that?"
"Nothing." She decided it would be best if she said nothing until later. Leera looked though the window; they were almost there, to their next home. They landed in ten minutes. The children nervous but excited to have the freedom of no parents in a strange place, shuffled off the space shuttle.
"By the way, since you're determined to be friends, you can call be Alex, but call me Alexander around the other kids."
Leera only nodded, her eyes darting about that prison like complex that would be their living quarters for the next few years of their lives.