sun

Small patterns of stars within a constellation are called asterisms.

***

Would people care if I disappeared now, if they suddenly couldn't see the face of Daphne simmers anymore.

I know I wouldn't.

Those were my everyday thoughts as water splashed on my new Jordans as i made my way to the front doors of my high school Edenville.

I'd forgotten to set my alarm like usual and had to skip my various morning rituals. I was sure I looked like an uglier version of Echidna, the Greek mythology mother of all monsters, not exactly the best look on a rainy Monday morning.

Who was I kidding? I never had a best look.

And it was Monday, who looked good on Monday anyways?.

I picked at the skin on the insides of my wrist as I realized I missed breakfast. Again

7th time in 3 weeks.

I gulped down my saliva, making it a point to visit the school cafeteria as soon as I was free.

I would not go down that road again. Not anymore. I promised her. At least it was the one promise I could keep.

I put in my earpiece as I continue my way into the schools, ignoring the people who glanced at me before looking back at their friends smiling knowingly.

Where are my non-existent friends please?

Oh right? Even imaginery, they wouldn't want me

I was in lack of better words, a social outcast. There wasn't a better word to describe Daphne simmers president of the Loners, outcast and seriously out of their minds group.

I came up with the last one, of course. Anything to describe the vengeful fog.

"You don't need to do anything to your hair,sis. You look beautiful like that okay? And don't let anyone tell you otherwise " Aster scattered the hair I'd taken hours to do that morning, I had stayed up all night trying to do it like Cleo Andrews did hers on her YouTube channel . It was the reigning style then. A hair like the senior, cleo Andrews was a chance at being a popular.

I shook off that painful memory as it felt like ice on veins, I wasn't about to go off on the students that surrounded me, waiting for The Daphne simmers to perform one her 'going off' acts

They called people like that crazy. And crazy was a no-no in Edenville.

You either fit in or you don't. You either went noticed or unnoticed.

And nobody liked going unnoticed

Right at that moment I felt like Theodore Finch from All the bright places, I felt like throwing something at someone, preferably a board.

Add a few chairs to it.

" It's okay to be different, Daphne, you know why? Cause it means you've thought of something no one else did. It gives you a sense of satisfaction, being unique." Aster had frowned when she saw how I had wanted the new barbie doll, everyone had when I didn't even like barbie.

I choked up a bit as the familiar white fog threatened to take over and rushed around the hallway, hurriedly breaking through the back doors of the building . I jogged up to my favorite bench, far away from the human population. No one came out here. I was even sure no one had heard of it too.

I gasped out as my chest closed up. My hand crawling up my hands trying to feel my pulse

Where is it? Where is it?

I released the much needed breath as I found my pulse let the soft pound calm me back to reality

I couldn't go for my first class at this point.

It's not like anyone will notice. I thought amused, a small smile creeping on my now flushed face.

"Are you Smiling at nothing now?" A deep voice sounded at the side of me, making my neck turn with a sharp sound. My heart rate increased as I saw a familiar-not so familiar face.

Ajax king

He'd shown up at Edenville middle of the semester during our sophomore year capturing the attention of everyone but was quickly forgotten when he showed signs of being a loner. He never wanted to be with anyone, preferring to disappear before and after class. No one tried though.

Nice of us right?

I studied him, his dark hair was scattered around as if he hadn't bothered to comb it and when I looked closer, I noticed white particles on his hair.

I almost scoff at that. I was sure he didn't know he was dripping in paint. His green eyes were wide and slanting down and there was a shallow cut on his right eyebrow that separated it in two different parts. He looked rough around the edges and probably didn't know.

But I'm sure that wasn't what made me look at him, it might've had to do with the onslaught of colors that decorated his clothes. He looked like a sign board for children.

"The day you meet him or her" Aster winked " I'll be there arranging the wedding decors" she danced round my bed until I tackled her, the both of us falling into heaps of laughter.

"Sorry to scare you, saw you run down here" he shrugged as if he didn't almost cause a premature death right now. I could feel my heart beat hard against my chest

I glared at him, noticing the sketch pad by his side, It was large and it instantly sparked my curiosity. With my hand still on my chest, breathing deeply I asked "what do you want? Why are you here? You're on my bench"

He settled down against my bench, stretched his too long legs in front of him and frowned up at the sky in deep thought.

"Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behaviour. " he finally said- no he quoted I realized, his eyes looking at me. A small part of me hated the fact I had worn an old T-shirt with faded jeans, my hands once again sought out the now soft pound of my pulse. The bigger part of me wondered about what he said.

"You're quoting Mr Antolini " I smiled a little as I remembered the book. She liked 'the Catcher in the Rye'. No she loved it.

No

Ajax looked at me with surprise that quickly turned to admiration before he turned his eyes back to the cloudless sky. His hands picking at the paint stained fingers. He had really long, lean fingers.

I didn't notice that of course

" Not many people know about the book" he said biting his lips a little, I noticed a little scar on his chin, a little bit darker than his skin.

I wonder what happened.

I shook my head and grumbled " don't expect people here to know it. We only know which handbag is trending and which hair is so yesterday"

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

The green eyed boy laughed.

" I honestly would like to apologise for scaring you, it wasnt my intention . Just felt worried when you rushed in here. Let's start again" he brought out his stained hands " I'm Ajax king and you are?"

He was polite. Why was he talking to me?

" I already know you. You're kind of known" for being a crayon box  i wanted to add but I wasn't up for humiliating myself in front of him "I am Daphne simmers"

" Oh? you're the Daphne simmers Mr David's talks about all day long " he said suddenly looking dazed and I froze.

What did Mr David's say?

"What?" I asked nervously, thinking of ways I could run away from this conversation if it went down a road I couldn't take. I picked at the insides of my wrist, thinking of possible ways I could run away from this.

like I always did.

" Mr David's? Your old astronomy teacher, said you were the best student he ever had. Didn't tell us why you dropped it,though he made it seem you loved it more than your own soul" he was looking at me again as if wondering why I sounded like that. He was curious and at that moment, I hated curious Ajax

" Yeah! I dropped it. Didn't like it anymore" my voice cracked at the end as I said what I felt was blasphemy.

It wasn't about not liking it. It was about it never being the same without her or the stars.

The stars were gone and they weren't coming back without the main light. The sun.

My sun.

"Its okay, I didn't mean to pry or anything" he said, tilting his head. He offered me a crooked smile.

The pressure in my chest slowly calmed down. " It's alright. I have a class now. Bye". I left my bench as fast as you could say 'hey'

All day, my mind was tortured with the guy with green eyes. Ajax king.