Say it Back - [ironstrange]

2: An ulterior motive?

Anthony's attention had been moved from his usual friends to the strange loner reading every different category book there is. The boy sat on a bench, now reading a book on the human body and registering all the words. Words he'd then be able to recall even after turning old.

"You have cool hair." Was the first thing Anthony said to Stephen once he walked up to him. Half the recess had passed and the rest of it he'd like to spend with the mysterious boy.

Stephen looked up at him and he could've sworn the last time they spoke Stephen had blue eyes, and now they seemed a greenish yellow. He gave off a surprised smile.

"Thank you." Stephen had jet black hair, with blue undertones, and on each side of his temples a patch of white. It was almost as if it was an old person's hair glued into place.

"Why does it look like that?" Anthony sat down on the wood railing made for practicing balance and could look closer. Only on the right side of his face close to his temple was a patch of skin that was paler than the rest of his face.

"My guardian says it's poliosis. The hair doesn't produce as much melanin."

"Wow," Anthony marveled and a smile beamed. Stephen is so smart.

Now — the two boys weren't old but they were brilliant children. Their brains worked differently than the rest, it was something that they could relate to.

"It's really pretty."

Stephen looked down into his book again and mumbled a 'thank you' while trying to hide a shy smile.

"What did you do this weekend? I started building my robot for my assignment! I call him Dum-E, you know, like Wall-E," explained Anthony and wished he had brought Dum-E to show Stephen.

While all the other kids in his class took time to build "robots" in school Anthony found it more efficient and easier with all the resources he had at home. What Anthony hadn't understood was that the robot needn't be moving or even be made of anything other than toilet rolls and pipe cleaners.

"I like Wall-E," said Stephen, "so I'll like Dum-E too." He sounded a bit more jovial now. He enjoyed Anthony's company but never really knew what to say. Stephen remembered Anthony's question and closed his book.

He knew exactly what he had been doing. But his guardian had always told him — ever since she took him under her wings — to never, ever, mention his abilities, and Stephen wasn't about to. He'd have to lie.

Well, what he said wasn't exactly a lie. "My guardian is from Nepal, I'm learning Nepali. That's what I did."

"That's so cool! I only know one language but I'm good at other things."

The boys talked for a few minutes before another boy ran up to them and asked for Anthony, he wanted him to join them in a game of tag.

"Can Stephen join?" Asked Anthony, then turning to Stephen and asking "do you want to join?"

Stephen remained silent, watching Anthony's friend thinking for a brief second. The boy smiled and nodded. "I'm Happy," the boy introduced and held out his hand. Stephen shook it.

The three boys ended up going to the playground and joined in on about 6 other kids running around like wild animals in a frenzy.

There were few times were Stephen felt so appreciated among other kids his age, and all of it because of Anthony. He had suddenly been really sweet to him.

Sudden was the word. Stephen thought long and hard about it on his way home, speculating that it might be a trick. No one had ever noticed Stephen before, why would it happen so suddenly? They must be trying to trick or humiliate him.

But that wasn't the case.

&

"How do you know if someone wants to be your friend?" Stephen asked his guardian, called the Ancient One, while nearly stabbing his fork into the Dal bhat — one of Stephen's favorite foods.

"When they're friendly, I'd say," joked the Ancient One.

"Everyone's friendly to strangers. You always taught me to be."

"We're not all brought up the same, Stephen," she said and put down her cutlery. "If someone is friendly and seems interested in you and your life I'd say someone might want to be your friend."

"How do I know if it's a lie?"

"That's harder to determine. You should give this person a chance."

And give Anthony a chance he did. The two of them became inseparable, and they appreciated each other like no one else did.