Uniquely Ordinary

Chapter 6

I led Eli to our third class with relative ease.  The signs on all the walls made my work significantly easier.  We didn’t hesitate to walk in and introduce ourselves to the teacher.  She pointed out available seats, which we took to immediately.   Most of the room was empty as the other kids chatted in the halls before the bell. There were a few minutes before class was due to start.  Eli must have realized this and spun to face me.  “So Ellie huh?” Was all he said as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively in my direction.  He looked completely ridiculous due to the fact that he still had his sunglasses on so that his eyebrows popped over the top at his gesture.

“Nah man it’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like?” He prompted teasingly.

“Shut up.  I just remembered her and was excited to see her.  I haven’t really seen anyone else I went to grade school with.”

“Excited? Yeah okay.” Eli scoffed sarcastically.  “You practically jumped her!” He laughed at me.  My face turned red.  I shoved his arm in retaliation for lack of having a good answer.  “Oh dude you are going to be so whipped. Scratch that, you already are!” Once his chuckles died down, he finally asked, “How come you never told me about her before?”

“Dude I told you it’s not like that! She’s just an old friend!” I know Eli didn’t believe me because I sounded so flustered, but I was only flustered because he didn’t believe me in the first place! Eli just put on a knowing grin and turned to face the front of the room.  I felt the need to redeem my pride.  “At least I’m not a freaking robot.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re implying, not so subtly, might I add, that I have an emotional attachment greater than something platonic with a girl I haven’t seen or heard from in the past seven years.  Not to mention that given the fact that we have not interacted since the tender age of ten, it is unlikely that we even have the same personalities as we did then.  So your claim overly presumptuous, but at least it indicates that I have emotions and am not a robot.”

“And I am?”

“Emotional detachment. you distance yourself from others.  Your only form of entertainment is the shock in people’s voices when they find out you’re blind.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them instantly. Eli was far from sensitive, but he had never liked the brash use of the word.  I had also called him emotionless, which didn’t earn me any favors.  But as usual he sensed my regret and forgave me before I apologized.

“Don’t pull that psychoanalysis crap with me.  Besides you contradicted yourself. I do find it amusing to shock people, therefore I do have emotions.”

“Oh.” It’s not often I find myself speechless and I must say that is definitely not the most comfortable feeling in the world.

“Even if I was an emotionally detached robot, you’re friends with me, so what does that say about you?”

“Touche.”

“Dofus.”

I smiled at his insult choosing not to respond as the teacher called the class to attention.  I was glad that we had resolved a potential spat before it existed.  

Our other class periods passed in monotony.  The subjects being taught were things both of us already knew.  Riverside had been a boarding school, but unlike most, we spent twelve hours in school related activities and only had a few hours to ourselves to relax and do what we wanted.  Within those twelve hours we received a regular education as well as a military based tactical education full of unconventional subjects.  Many of the things the teachers touched on in this school had already been covered in Riverside.  My talent had kept me even more bored than Eli, who listened in order to get a refresher.