Uniquely Ordinary

Chapter 1: Familiarly Foreign

My heart feels like it is trying to escape the cavity it lies in.  Blood is pounding in my ears and tapping a steady beat in my fingertips.  For the first time in a long time, I'm going back.  The place I call but do not consider, home.  It is merely the place I spent most of my childhood.  "Cal, calm down.  You're going to explode if you don't sit down."  I looked at Eli, my best friend in the entire world and my only confidant.  He put a hand on my shoulder forcing me back into my seat. 

We were on a small speed boat watching as the shore approached at an increasing speed.  The sky was clear, the air warm, and the landscape beautiful.  It could not have been more deceiving.  Anxiousness I didn't even really understand was crawling all over my chest tightening it in like a cage. The waves frothed against the sides of the craft, occasionally spewing cold droplets onto my face.  They distracted me only for a moment before my mind returned to its panicked state. 

Would anyone even remember me? I had left so long ago, seven years in fact.  I was only a child, fresh out of fifth grade when I went to military school.  It was my choice to leave and I would never regret the decision. I met Eli there and I understand that the friendship we forged was not an ordinary one.  It is something I know will last a lifetime.  But still, I wondered if any of the other kids would remember me.  Even as a child I knew I was different in more than just one way.  Because of this, I mostly kept to myself.  I played self-sufficient and productive games, studied by myself, and didn't speak much.  I was not and am not unsociable, quite the opposite in fact, but I didn't have anything in common with my school mates, other than age that is.  As a kid, I didn't fully understand how to communicate with people that just didn't understand me, but now I knew.  Eli had helped with that.  He was the first person that understood anything about me.  He helped me understand other people and how to find commonalities between them.  He spurred my curiosity about human behavior and cognitive thread maps.  My other curiosity was fueled by great internal motivation.  I knew this also made me different; my thirst for knowledge is boundless, as is my capability for retaining it. 

"I can hear you clenching your teeth," Eli stated with annoyance. "Even over these blasted waves."  I rolled my eyes.  Eli's hearing was...sensitive... to say the least.  It was something that had saved us during our many escapades, but at times like these, it was just annoying.  Here I was ready to embark upon the mother of all social domains, high school, with people that may or may not remember me, and all he could do was make unnecessary comments over my distressed state. The nerve!

"Don't act like you aren't nervous jackass."

"At least I'm not a being a little bitch about it." Eli retorted.  Our terms of endearment were something only we would understand.  The supervisor from the military school made his lack of understanding evident as he barked an order to us. 

"Cut that racket immediately! I will not tolerate fighting or any misdemeaning behavior on my ship!"

I didn't think it wise to point out that the speed boat was hardly a ship or that he had no ownership over it.  Instead I smirked at Eli who without even turning my way, held a grin of his own.  I turned my gaze back to the shore and my stomach rolled again.  This was a new beginning, I reminded myself.  My chance at tasting normality.  Eli sensed my wariness and laid a comforting hand on my shoulder.  He suddenly bent over and grabbed the athletic sports bag at his feet that held most of his belongings.  I watched as he felt for the front zipper and rummaged until finally, he produced a chocolate bar.  Wordlessly, he handed it to me.  "How thoughtful." I teased in a whisper.  Eli rolled his eyes and slumped his shoulders back onto his seat.  I almost spit out the piece of chocolate heaven that I had just placed on my tongue.  Eli rolling his eyes was an amazingly funny sight to see.  He huffed, obviously irritated with my antics and placed his famous RayBans back over to cover his eyes.  I smirked to myself and continued to melt the chocolate against the roof of my mouth.  In all media sources of entertainment, I noticed that women are supposedly obsessed with chocolate.  I didn't care if it questioned my masculinity, chocolate was a gift delivered by angels on earth.  Especially dark chocolate.  I immediately began to feel better once the sugar hit my bloodstream.  I frowned to myself.  I had to be more careful.  I should have eaten more for breakfast before I left, even if I had been too nervous to stomach anything.  I couldn't afford this type of luxury.