Birthday Suits

11: Dylan Armstrong

11: Dylan Armstrong

        Belle was slowly making her way through each person in her grade, ticking off names, crossing out things on her list, making notes about her peers. Her posts were almost daily. Between homework and work shifts and other priorities, it was sometimes hard to just sit down and write.

        She wanted to address everyone by the time the year was over. Once she had gone through every single name, she wasn't sure what to anticipate for her graduating class. Belle didn't expect to change the world. Her intentions were to acknowledge an issue she felt so strongly about and hopefully educate her peers on the seriousness of it. What they did with that information was beyond her control.

        Comments were getting increasingly positive. Some still wavered hesitantly and the question of her identity always occurred. At school, people were starting to throw around names about who it could be. Just about everyone had been suspected at least once, including Belle herself.

        "I'm putting my money on someone from the computer club. The blog is pretty standard, you know? It's the perfect cover," Hanna said over lunch.

        Belle picked up her drink bottle. She'd be offended, but she already knew her computer skills were lacking. Besides, it wasn't her aim to make a visually appealing blog. It was the content that mattered.

        "I don't think so," she said.

        "Well, who are you betting money on?" Hanna pressed.

        "I think it's a teacher."

        Her friend's eyebrows shot up as she considered her answer. Belle was sure to contribute equally to the uncovering of the anonymous blogger, showing enough interest and disinterest when necessary to ensure her cover wasn't blown.

        "That actually makes a lot of sense. I mean, all the kids that have been mentioned are pretty much the underdogs of this school. Maybe it was a teacher trying to give us little people a confidence boost."

        Hanna's response shocked Belle. In all honesty, she thought she was addressing everyone from all groups and clubs around her school. Apparently not enough so. She didn't want anyone to feel excluded from her project.

        So, that afternoon, her next post was for Dylan Armstrong.

        Brown eyes are the most common type within the world, but they're never acknowledged as special or beautiful or breathtaking. That changes today. Dylan Armstrong has amazing eyes, all in size, shape, and pigmentation. Those exact eyes have seen wonderful things, captured memories, recorded events, and witnessed magic. And even though brown eyes have failed to make an impact in books, music, and poetry, they make the biggest contribution towards our unspoken lives. Someone's brown eyes are memorised behind the eyelids of another's. Someone's brown eyes are another's inspiration. Someone's brown eyes are the cause of another's smile. Dylan Armstrong may not think he's beautiful, but I do.