Genesis

Chapter 2 - Change

Writer's notes:
Just started this book, hope you guys like it. Don't be a silent reader and comment, I'd love to hear what you guys think about my story so far. Chapter 1 was quite short, so I'll make this one significantly lengthier.

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Ayden continued to stare at his 17-year-old doppelganger intensely, standing still in utter shock. He usual bleached emerald eyes had become a vibrant glow of lilac surrounded by a neon purple glow. His chestnut hair had a small streak of plain purple in it. He took a slow, deep breath and shoved his hand into his pocket, he roughly brought out a pack of painkillers and quickly popped one into his mouth. Ever since the incident with his mother, he had almost been addicted to painkillers, although he knew it was extremely unhealthy; he had a small bubble of hope that the painkillers would cure the pain of loss he felt. The pain that crashed his chest every time he saw a child and their mother walk down the street hand in hand and thought about those moments he had experienced with his own mother.

He had already started to break down, he hadn't always been withdrawn and observant, he used to be the life of the party, that guy that everybody knew and talked to from jocks to the nerds; he was a friend to all and a frequent recipient for the Most Social award. But here he was now, in a horribly stenched bathroom staring at a withdrawn freak of nature he had never seen before. His thoughts came crashing down as he heard an unfamiliar beep from his phone, he froze for a moment. He hadn't gotten a text from anyone in about 4 months, he slowly brought out his phone and read the text,

I know that feeling too, Ayden. Come meet me at Leyton Park immediately after school. I can help.

Unknown number

Ayden slid his phone back into his pocket and looked back at his doppelganger, he'd love to see how anyone could explain this...thing. He splashed his face with cold clear water a couple of times, then began unsuccessfully attempting to hide the purple streak amidst his uniform mane of chestnut hair. He shrugged, there was nothing he could do now, he thought, as he strolled down the multi-cologned hallways of Lakeview, keeping his head down weaving his way through the crowd of students he had once known as 'friends'. He entered the pristine, white Chemistry lab which had a pungent smell from previous failed experiments, Ayden began to wonder if his condition was medical, but then again what kind of disease would it be?

He took his usual seat in the second to last row, it offered seclusion but it was far enough from the delinquents at the back. He had begun to bring out his notebook when an unfamiliar scent diffused into his nose, it came from beside him. He swivelled his now-lilac eyes to meet the friendly gaze of Catherina Hopkins, who grinned at him then turned to retrieve her books. She turned and faced a curious Ayden
"Trying out a new dye?" She teased,
"Change is the only constant thing in the world" he retorted
"Trust me, things will change, faster than you expect." She spoke in an ominous tone as if she knew something,
"Until then, we can hope and see," he suggested, turning to face their passionate Chemistry teacher.
Catherina mumbled something he couldn't quite make out, but it sounded like
'I knew it! He's a purple Genesis'

Indigo eyes?Purple hair? Genesis? Things changing? Ironically, the only thing making sense to him at that moment was the complex equation Mr. Matthews was drawing out on the board.

He might as well not have been in his final class of the day, which was French - he had been rereading the text from the bathroom in his mind over and over again, attempting to figure out the possible sender of this ominous text. He eventually gave up, resolving to wait until the appointed time. Ayden had been halfway down the hall when the final bell rang, he didn't have any time to waste, after all his punctuality was the only attribute of his that he retained after all these years. He darted past the small number of students who had seemingly condensed from thin air, but they didn't matter to him, he had a chance to find out what was going on, he had to find out, and fast.

His nose almost burst at the surge of honeysuckle scented fresh air, he would have stopped to savour the moment, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. In his frenzy he had forgotten where he had chained his scooter, his lilac eyes darted to and fro like a ping pong ball, until it rested upon a black gleaming Ducatti scooter. He dashed over and hopped on, starting the engine which grunted in agreement, and he was off. He set down the cold aired streets in a bid to discover 'himself'.

He drove down the smoothly tarred roads of Lake View, taking a moment to breath and feel like his normal self again, even if it was just for a fleeting moment. He reminisced on the times he had enjoyed in this town, joining the scouts and fishing with his dad, playing catch and having picnics with his mum in the park. How things change, he reflected.
Catherina's words from Chemistry resonated in his head
'Things will change faster than you expect'
Maybe she was right...

Deep inside him there was this sense of understanding and willingness to accept who he had become, or rather turning into, it was almost as though he was destined to be this way. He shook the thoughts to the back of his mind, since when had he ever cared about destiny? He focused his thoughts on his destination, Leyton Park, the park he and his mum visited most weekends to play and have a picnic. They may not have been the richest people in the world, but they were definitely content, although his father had died when he was 7. The cause of his death eluded Ayden's memory and it gave him headaches whenever he thought about it.

He hummed a silent tune to himself as his scooter climbed up the slightly steep gravel driveway which led to Leyton Park, which was also written in large golden letters on the ivory gate. He smirked, change is constant, but some things cease to ever change.

A cold biting wind clipped his tinted hair, as his cashmere jacket rippled in the wind and he crammed his hands into his pockets to prevent numbness. He wondered how he would feel about this explanation that this person was going to offer, above all he wondered about one thing. Will things ever be able to get back to normal?