Ｓｔｕｄｙｉｎｇ
1954
San Francisco, California.
Eleanor is writing an essay while Haydn and Iris study. She already graduated high school and she is finishing her medicine studies. In addition, she is thinking on studying psychology. Haydn stares at the girl and Eleanor feels his gaze. She turns to look at him with a smirk.
"You should be studying, you know?" She tells him as he lays next to her. The red-haired girl looks at them with a smile and continues studying the Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin. He scoffs looking at her.
"I can't concentrate with you around, you know" He responds smiling as he surrounds her shoulders with his arm. He pulls her closer to him and kisses her gently. She laughs between kisses and her hand rests on his chest. Iris takes her glasses off and coughs loudly with a laugh. The couple pulls away laughing.
"If you please, I'm trying to study" Iris informs grinning "I can't use mine or someone else's powers to pass" She comments narrowing her eyes jokingly.
"You're right" Eleanor says looking at Iris "He is just incapable of paying attention to one single thing" She murmurs jokingly. He rolls his eyes and looks at the ground. As she touches the bracelet on her wrist she gets images of the past.
Eleanor walks home alone quickly, putting her hands over her skirt scared of showing something. She is a 15-year-old, walking through her peaceful but lonely neighborhood during a cold night. She was studying with Iris, who became her only friend. She stopped talking with Haydn, avoiding him to call her a weirdo. She looks around paranoiac, but doesn't see anything nor anyone. She keeps on walking at starts to read someone's mind.
"Maybe I can get to her. Should I call her? Because I think I should, but I don't know, maybe she runs away which is what I would do, to be honest" She hears a male voice. She starts thinking about how weirdly disorganized thoughts are, yet we understand it.
"Eleanor!" She finally hears. She turns around, trusting her instinct, which says it is not a serial killer. She finds a grown up Haydn running in her direction. She gives him a small smile when she realizes he is grinning "Hey" He murmurs breathing a little heavily.
"Hi" She replies awkwardly "What are you doing here?" She asks slowly.
"I was-" He starts saying "Just jogging" She looks at him with an amused look.
"At 11:30 PM?" She asks grimacing.
"I like exercising before going to bed" He makes up narrowing his eyes. She nods "Maybe we can walk home together?"
"Sure" She replies with a forced small smile. They start walking.
"Eleanor, can I ask you a question?" He asks with a frown. She nods again looking at him blankly "Why did you stop talking to me?" She lets out some air and shrugs.
"Things happen, people change..." She says. She decides to read his mind and see his intentions. She frowns noticing she can't do anything. He looks at her and gives her a small smile.
"You don't have to hide from me. I am like you" He tells her looking at the front. She stares at him confused. He sighs and nods "I blocked your powers, abilities... Whatever you want to call them... And copied them" She starts hear everything again and feel everything. She sighs as she shuts everything down. He looks at her and she looks back.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asks softly "I would have understood... I would still be your friend"
"Eleanor, you were my best friend" He reminds the girl "I am so sorry" She looks down and Haydn grabs her wrist and pulls her closer to him. He surrounds her with his arms and she hugs him back, tightly and slowly. He hides his face in Eleanor's neck. After the long hug, they pull away and look at each other "Do you think we can-?"
"Yes, I'd love to start again" She responds before he even finishes.
"Remember I can read your mind too" He reminds her jokingly with a smile. She punches slightly his arm and laughs "Ouch, that hurts" He actually says laughing.
"Eleanor!" Iris calls her friend. She shakes her head and looks at her "I was telling you that we need to shop for dresses"
"Dresses for what?" She asks as she eats from a bag of crisps that Haydn bought. She takes a Coca-Cola.
"You have a graduation, and we have something called prom" Iris tells her friend as she takes her pens and organizes her books. Eleanor nods.
"Oh right" She remembers.
"By the way, you are coming to prom with me, aren't you?" Haydn asks looking at Eleanor. She takes some air but nods smiling.
"Yes, of course" She responds with a forced smile. She lost her prom because she was way younger than everyone. She prefers other kinds of parties rather than a group of school boys in the gym "Should we go now? We can catch the bus to the center" Iris nods and puts her things on her backpack "See you later" She says as she takes her bag. She kisses Haydn's lips quickly and smiles.