Vivid Scent

Black hoodie. Tight jeans. Black of course. Hwang Mattiah walked down the empty back roads of his small town. He didn't make an effort to make friends after he and his mother moved (for the fifth time) to a new town in Nevada. He walked with his head down, hood on, and hands in pockets. He was never really one to socialize with others and he managed for it to stay that way. The contact of his shoulder into a firm surface surprised him. He looked up with a blank expression to see a small boy. His head full of brown matted curls. Mattiah tilted his head as he eyed the boy as he swooped down to pick up the two books his dropped. Continuing with a blank expression, he asked "What's wrong with your eyes?" The boy looked up at him and bit his lip.

"I was born like that..one brown, one blue. It's called Hete-"

"I didn't ask all that" Mattiah said as he continued to walk down the street. He wasn't trying to be rude, he just didn't care.

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"Hey hon, I made breakfast." Ms. Hwang stated as he walked into the house. The vivid scent of waffles attacking his nose as she gave him a bright smile along with a small peck on his forehead.

"Thanks Mom," He gave a small smile and wrapped her small frame in a hug,"But I already picked us up something to eat when I was out." She looked at him with a sour face.

"Aish, Mattiah, I'm your mother. Let me take care of you. Stop trying to grow up so fast!" She pinched his cheeks and placed a fresh plate of waffles in front of him. He smiled and set down the bag of food on the table.

"Thank you."

"Of course honey, now eat up! You don't want to be late for school. I want you to wear the new clothes I bought you!" Mattiah took a long, hard stare at him mother. She did so much for him and continued to do more and more. He didn't need those new clothes but she insisted. He didn't need her to buy snacks for him. His three meals were enough. He felt as though he was such a weight on her chest but he just smiled and put the food in his mouth, thankful but regretting.

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He tried not to look so intimidating as he rode the SkieCity Bus to his new school. He knew it would be hard for him because he was starting in the middle of the school year, but that's the toll of moving. A good outcome was that he could easily scope out all the cliques so he would know who to talk with and who to turn a shoulder to, though he knew he was not going to be doing any mingling.

As the bus pulled to a stop, he watched as a familiar face stepped onto the bus. The kid with two different eyeballs. And he was bold enough to take a seat next to the boy who didn't give a care in the world.