Maurcho had pure blonde hair, and thanks to Dean Ambrose, it was fluffy and bounced when he walked. Well, when he walked around the bathroom, otherwise the box kept it down. Maurcho lifted his hair from his face to find the first piece of a diamond implanted there. He 'sighed' and let his hair fall back down.
Maurcho looked down more to his eyes, they were blue, but he remembered when they were black. They changed colors during his time in his previous town. He would have liked the color of them, and he probably would show those blue eyes to the world, but they glowed. That blue glow was 'so pretty.'
People wanted that blue glow, and they tried to get it, but there were others who protected his eyes. But the only reason they only protected his eyes so that he wouldn't die, because they believed they were the source of his power. He let them believe that. If he got contacts, he would be able to wear a mask, but he doubted that they would sell anything like that in a little village like this one.
He looked under his eyes, to around his nose. There were little specks of diamonds littered like freckles around that area. He could probably play it off like that too, just light blue freckles. The people here have seen weirder.
He looked lower at his mouth. There, a single piece of a diamond lay on the left side of his lips. That diamond that cut him every time he closed his mouth. It was connected to the top of his lip so he could open his mouth, but if he closed it, his bottom lip would be cut.
The rest of his mouth was normal, but his throat contained the thing that blocked his speech. A diamond was there in his throat. It did stick out a little, but it looked more like his Adam's apple than a lump. He rubbed over the lump, feeling the pain that it was having a diamond down your throat.
He looked around his mouth, various pieces of implanted diamonds littered on the bottom half of his face. One large shard went diagonally from the side of his lip to his chin. Another smaller one followed the direction beside it.
Then there were three clashing shards on the right side of his face, very painful to take out, and even more painful when they grow back like the weeds that they were. Then the freckles went around the two areas, like stars to outline the spot where diamonds grew on his face. He looked lower at his neck. He was lucky that there were only three diamonds there at the sides, or else he probably would have been taken away a while ago.
Then down to his collarbone, it was a string of diamonds that outlined the bone above his chest. It was a beautiful bedazzle of them, they didn't even really look like diamonds. They just looked like shiny circles. But when they were pulled out, they were diamonds.
Maurcho looked to his shoulders, a very overcrowded area of diamonds on both of the shoulders. He was glad that none of them stuck up, if they did, he would have a problem with his clothing. But then again, the clothing was very loose fitting, so it didn't matter much either way. From his shoulder to halfway from the elbow, he had the diamond shards wrapped around his arms in dotted lines. It looked really cool out in the moonlight when the diamonds would just reflect the light. But he knew he wouldn't be able to see himself in the moonlight again.
He looked past his elbow, an inch above his right wrist, a see-through shard. It looked almost like glass. His gloves sat about two inches above the shard to prevent it from being seen. The back of his hand and fingers were armored by these clear shards, conveniently staying away from the joints so that he could bend his fingers.
He then looked over to his left hand. He could see his bone from the non-existent fingers. He remembered when they found out that his bones were made from the diamond as well. It was horrifying. But it wasn't all of his bones, as they cut open the front of his shin as well to see just the regular white human bone.
They had done an x-ray after that and found that there were only two spots where his bone was diamond; his left hand and his ribcage. Or somewhere around or in his ribcage. But it was much to dangerous to try and take diamond from there without any anesthesia.
So, they cut off the tips of his fingers to reach the diamond inside. And then they cut off the bone that was exposed to the air.
Over and over and over again.
Because every diamond on his body just grew back. And because it grew back, they just kept taking and taking from him.
He was just a working money machine. Maurcho understood, if a person was able to obtain free money, why wouldn't they? But was it really worth the cost of Maurcho's childhood. Maurcho didn't understand morals, but he was sure that they at least had some.
Then again, Maurcho was just a single kid, while his diamonds went out to feed many families that didn't have to work a day in their life. He was the rich families income, and maybe that was what was right. He still didn't like it. He turned away from the mirror and stepped into the bath before the water got any colder.
Allie sat next to his carving of Maurcho, and just thought. He thought about what was keeping Maurcho from talking, from laughing, from being able to express his thoughts and emotions properly.
Then, Allie thought about what had happened yesterday, why Maurcho had grabbed onto his arm and sniffled. Why Maurcho had run off with a wave like everything was all right. And it hurt Allie to think about how Maurcho wouldn't even be able to tell him what was wrong. Because it seemed like he knew how to write, but he was limited to short words.
Well, Allie had assumed so since Maurcho could have just wrote out what was wrong if he knew how to. Or maybe he wouldn't, some people do tend to keep to themselves like that.
Allie turned to the carving and growled, "Maurcho! Why won't you just tell me what's wrong?" Of course, the carving Maurcho didn't reply and Allie just sulked in the corner.
It was hard having a friend that couldn't talk, at least Mega knew sign language, and he knew how to read and write. Allie doubted that Maurcho knew sign language, he would have been using it from the start. Allie tapped his nails against the floor, letting the rhythm guide him to sleep. He got to see Maurcho tomorrow anyways.
Maurcho put on his cardboard box when he heard his mom knock at his door. "Hurry up and get ready! It's your first official work day on the farm!" Dean Ambrose yelled. Maurcho knocked on the door twice to tell her that he was up and getting ready. He quickly threw on his clothes and put on his shoes. And a minute later he was speeding out the door, but Dean Ambrose caught him by the hood again.
"You have to eat breakfast first. I don't want you starving out there." Maurcho nodded and walked with Dean Ambrose back to the house. She was ahead of him and he took advantage of that fact and started running again. He ran as fast as his legs could take him. He didn't have time for food, he wanted to see Allie. He could hear her footsteps behind him. He had to show that he was just playing a game, so he put one arm up and waved his hand.
The footsteps behind him seemed to fade away. But Maurcho still didn't slow down, not until he gets to Allie. He was glad to not have to run through the marketplace, he would have gotten caught easily. He ran straight and jumped over the barn fence, going over to the big farm in the distance. And on his way there, he ran past Allie. He quickly stopped and turned around to face the other boy.
"Hi Maurcho. Uh, why were you running?" Allie asked. Maurcho just shrugged his shoulders, knowing he couldn't say anything else. "Well okay then! It's time for us to do some chores!" Allie said. Maurcho's mood was instantly lifted from the sound of Allie's. It was like the cure to sadness just to hear the boy speak.
They were on their way to feed the chickens when Allie felt like something was coming toward them. He turned around to see a woman running towards them. He waved and that's when Maurcho looked behind them as well. As soon as he saw Dean Ambrose's eyes, he was back to running away.
"Maurcho! Where are you going!" Allie yelled to him but Maurcho gave no reaction. He had a goal to run straight to the orchard. So, he ran and when he got there he started to climb one of the trees, used to it from his previous escape. He looked down from the top of the tree and saw no one was there. But before he could breathe in relief, he heard a voice beside him.
"Why are we hiding from that lady?" Allie asked. Maurcho looked at him and put a finger to his lips to shush him.
Then Dean Ambrose came running into the orchard and past the two boys. Allie laughed and Maurcho put his whole hand over his mouth. Maurcho saw as Dean Ambrose stopped in her tracks and turned around. She looked behind her for him but saw nothing. Maurcho thought she would just walk away but she tilted her head up and started looking in the trees.
Maurcho scooted back more but was blocked by Allie's arm. He nodded thankfully as he saw that he would have fallen if Allie wasn't there. Dean Ambrose walked in their direction, and thanks to Maurcho's bright blue box, they were spotted.
"Maurcho, I can see you. You and your friend get out of that tree. You'll break the branches." Dean Ambrose said. Maurcho wanted to protest against it but Allie already started to climb back down the tree. Maurcho followed him, knowing there was no way out of the situation now. He walked over to Dean Ambrose and she grabbed the back of his sweater.
"This time, I'm not letting you go. We're going to eat breakfast with Frederick." Maurcho didn't look back at Allie as he walked, scared that Dean Ambrose would judge him because he didn't put his hood on.
They walked back up the path to the house. She had made biscuits and gravy, a newfound delicacy to Maurcho. "Aye, why don'tcha take of yer box, eh?" Frederick asked. Maurcho shook his head and continued eating.
"He really likes that box on his head. Wears it all the time. I even wonder if he takes it off when he bathes." Dean Ambrose replied.
"An' ye ain't never seen 'im without it?" Frederick asked.
"Oh no, no I have. He really is a cute boy, wish he would show his face more often." Dean Ambrose laughed. She lied to avoid the embarrassment of having to say that she had never seen her kid's face.
"Hm, I bet he is. Fine young man ye got there." Frederick said as she patted Dean Ambrose's back.
She smiled and looked at Maurcho, "yeah. Sure is." Maurcho smiled, even if he knew that it was just a empty compliment, not really meaning anything at all.
After he ate he went back out to do chores with Allie. Allie had let Maurcho take the lead, correcting him if he made any mistakes. Maurcho did do pretty well considering he didn't understand the instructions the first time that Allie had said them. Allie smiled as he walked them to the orchard again. Maurcho had just eaten lunch, and the two of them had already made quick work of the chores they had done that day.
The sun was going to go down in a few hours but Maurcho had 'said' he wanted to go to the orchard before he left. At least that's what Allie thought he said. Allie sat down in front of a tree and Maurcho sat down beside him.
"You know, you're the first person who's seen my face and decided to stay next to me for this long. Mega is a close second, but he always gets dragged away by his dad and I only get to see him once a week." Allie laughed as he looked at Maurcho.
"Really, you're technically my best friend. But I understand if I'm not your best friend, I mean there are so many other teenagers in the village, or kids too I guess. Do you like to make friends with kids your age or younger?" Allie started to ramble on. Maurcho didn't feel like listening to the entire pity speech and stood up.
Allie stopped speaking and just stared at him, pain evident on his face. Maurcho rolled his eyes and motioned for Allie to follow him. Allie stood up and walked behind Maurcho. They walked out of the dirt and grass of the orchard and to the dirt of the path again. Maurcho sat on the ground and started to draw in the sand. He drew the two stick figures again, one with a horn. He pointed to the blank one and then himself.
"That's you?" Allie asked. Maurcho nodded and then drew a smile on the stick figure. "Aw, you're happy?" Allie asked. Maurcho nodded again. Then he put a smile on Allie's figure.
"I'm happy too!" Allie said. Maurcho nodded again. Then he drew two arms to link the figures hands together. Allie gasped, "and we're holding hands. Does that mean you think we're friends?" Allie asked. Maurcho looked at him and gave him a thumbs up.
Allie fell to his knees and gave Maurcho a hug. "Maurcho. I'm so happy." Allie said. Maurcho smiled and hugged Allie back. Allie stayed there for a second before pulling away.
"I'm sorry that was probably really weird." Allie said as he wiped his tears. Maurcho shook his head and hugged Allie again, loving the feeling of warmth that came from him, even if it was already hot outside. "Thank you Maurcho. I can't believe that I have a best friend." Allie said as he cried more into Maurcho's shoulder.
They pulled away again and Maurcho wrote in the dirt. "5k3ppy here with Allie?" Maurcho wrote.
"Yeah, you are here with me." Allie said, confused. Maurcho erased his name and wrote a space in front of it.
"5k3ppy _ here with Allie?" Maurcho watched as Allie found out what Maurcho was asking.
"Oh no, you can't stay with me. It's almost dark. You have to go home and sleep." Allie replied. Maurcho just pointed at the sentence again and then put his hands together and tilted his head onto them to simulate a pillow.
"No Maurcho. You have to go home." Allie said as he stood up. Even if the words were harsh, Maurcho could tell that Allie was regretting saying them He wanted to ask again but Allie had covered his eyes.
"Go home, Maurcho. I'll see you tomorrow." Allie finalized. With that, Maurcho stood up and started walking home. Allie uncovered his eyes to watch Maurcho go down the path. He smiled weakly, knowing that it had to be done. Maybe someday Maurcho would be able to stay over. And then Allie can show Maurcho his carving!
Allie walked back to his barn happily with that hope in his head.