The Masked One - 2

2

The day finally arrived. The first rays of sunshine appeared and the students of the JJRU (Joseph John Ruben University) woke up with a bittersweet feeling. Their vacations were over, and it was time to return to their studies.

I was part of that group.

At 7 am I started moving, throwing my sheets to the side. I took some time to look around as I finished waking up.

After only two weeks since I moved to Novadía, my room still felt pretty empty, but I hoped it would gain more personality over time.

I could not help but yawn as I adjusted my mask and headed for the bathroom. Like most OV carriers, sleeping while wearing my vinculated object was a common thing.

However, the limits still existed. For example, something like bathing with the mask on could be harmful to the material or the paint, so it is always best to wash it afterwards with damp cloths and alcohol.

Once I was ready with that I went to get my breakfast.

That house in Novadía was divided into two areas. In the first, near the entrance, was the living room and an open kitchen. In the second, a small flight of stairs (which seemed ridiculous to me since there were only two steps), led to a hallway with four doors; two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small office.

When I got to the kitchen, I grabbed as many thing as I could. Toast, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, a dinosaur-shaped butter cookie and I also made myself a coffee.

The truth is, although I would normally worry about what I eat, that time my mind was filled with other thoughts.

In the next few hours, many good and bad things could happen, and even though I was excited to finally enter the university I had heard so much about since I was a child, I knew it was something I had to take seriously.

Looking at everything on my plate, I hoped to get enough energy to get through the lectures and classes to come. And, as I devoured it all, I remembered something I had heard mom say before.

Twen: Food is the way to the heart, right?

…

A little more than six hours later (it was already 14:00) my teacher said his last words and let us go home. There were people who ran out of the big hall and other who first needed to take a second to regain consciousness.

I, for one, was not feeling too different from a corpse.

Exhaustion:

The design was mostly white, with something like large cuts that revealed a red base underneath. Like many other designs, there was nothing referencing my mouth. Though, given my exhaustion, I did not feel like talking either. What stood out the most, undoubtedly, were the two chains that fell below my eyes, attached to steel spheres at their ends, the weight of which made it very difficult to maintain my posture.

At that moment, my head was resting on the small table in front of me. I watched the others leave, including those sitting next to me, and finally decided to do the same.

However, even though we left the room together, I said goodbye to them at the door. I was supposed to meet someone I had been talking to for the past few days, and to my surprise, he was already there.

??? : There you are! So, how was the university? You look lively...

Twen: Many... I just wanna go home. I want to eat something, sleep, and eat again...

Many: I get it, I get it... Well, let's go.

He greeted me with a dap and let out a big smile at the extremely satisfying sound we managed to create. I smiled a little too. That energy was what I needed at that moment, so I was glad to see him.

Many:

He was a tall, thin man with dark skin and a ridiculously bright smile. He was three years older than me, and had lived in Novadía his whole life. That made him a great help to me, and added to that was his fun and understanding attitude. Possibly everyone in town liked him, which made his nickname, “friend of all”, fit him perfectly.

As we walked through the halls, I made an effort not to stumble with every step I took, though not with much success. Many had to help me a few times.

I did not know him very well yet, but we got along well. Because he was the “friend of all” and I was an OV carrier, it was easy for us to relate. I appreciated that, commonly, people want to have good relations with those vinculated to an object.

There was, anyway, another reason we started talking, and that is that I was lucky enough to move into a house right next to his.

Many: Twen, I’m actually a bit worried about your condition. If you want, I can skip my next lecture and give you a ride in my car.

Twen: No, don’t worry. It’s not that bad, I’m just a bit sleepy- Ah! … I remember well the streets and the buses I took in the morning. Now I just have to do the same, but in reverse.

Ironically, while saying that I tripped and fell face first to the ground. Many helped me, but his face was already showing his compassion for me.

Many: Sure… But if you get lost on the way just text me and I will try to help you.

Twen: Thank you very much… By the way, I will have lunch here tomorrow. I haven’t been to the university canteen yet, so… Are you going to be here?

Many: Sorry! I don’t have many classes tomorrow, so I’m going with some friends to eat at the mall… But you can come with us, if you want. I don’t think anyone will mind.

Twen: I have classes after lunch, so that won’t be possible.

Many: Wow, I’m sorry… Do you want me to explain how the canteen works? It’s going up those-

Twen: Up those stairs, and if I want to buy something I just get in line and pay when my tray is ready. I saw it earlier on the university website, and they explained it again in one of the lectures today. I think I’m going to be- Ah!

Many: How heavy are those things…?

Finally, we arrived at the entrance of the JJRU, in front of which was the staircase we were talking about. At that point our paths diverged, as Many was going to eat something and I was going home.

Many: Good luck on the way home.

Twen: Good luck with your mechanics lecture.

Many: Oh I need that one! Thank you.

After saying goodbye I turned around and, only a few steps later, I found myself outdoors, surrounded by beautiful scenery. The JJRU campus had a perfect balance between urbanism and nature.

Although it featured many large buildings, there were also plenty of flowers and trees, with grass covering everything that was not a street or walking path.

According to what they said, this was done by and for the students, because Novadía had policies that encouraged care for the environment (and the city in general).

On the campus, all roads stemmed from a central path that stretched from one end to the other. That way, even a new student could move around without any problem.

The view as I walked was pleasant, especially as my mind filled up with a countless thoughts. Some of them were pretty simple, but others were starting to bother me.

Knowing Many would not be at the university the next day presented a slight problem for me. The truth was, I did not want him to become my only close friend in Novadía, but at the moment, that was exactly the case.

That first day, I focused on writing down important information in class, so I had no chance to meet anyone new, or at least to make new friends. I was in such a situation where I was going to have to force myself to meet someone.

Thinking like that, I began visualizing possible scenarios, hoping it would prepare me for the future.

For example, if someone was eating alone, but next to me, I could talk to him. But to get to that situation, I would have to sit next to him without giving any reasons, or maybe he would have to.

There was also the possibility of a group of people inviting me, which would make some sense considering my OV, but it was still unlikely. I could also meet someone while standing in line, or in the middle of class…

Twen: Do I really care that much? At worst, I’ll eat alone. I usually do that when I visit some café, so it shouldn’t that bad, even if it’s at the university. Worrying about that is a bit stupid…

That was genuinely what I thought, so I tried to force myself to think of something different. However, the thought kept coming back into my mind every now and then.

I kept walking until I reached a bus stop, and while waiting I grabbed one of my headphones and started listening to music.

When my bus arrived and stopped in front of me, its wheels moved sideways so that the body of the vehicle could go lower until it almost touched the ground, so it was easier for everyone to get on or off.

I was lucky enough to find empty seats, so I could sit and watch the streets we were taking. Indeed, they were the ones I remembered.

Around 3 p.m. I arrived home.

I greeted mom with a shout and then headed straight to my room. I threw my things to the floor and, although I really wanted to also throw myself onto the bed, I remembered there were other things to do first.

I left my room and went to do my chores, like taking out the garbage and putting away the clean dishes, of which I broke one by accident, but with my powers I fixed it quickly.

It was not a long detour, but I was certainly feeling more and more tired.

Because of that, I felt light as a feather once I finally managed to collapse on my bed. I did not know how long I was going to stay like that, maybe a few minutes, or even an hour, but it surely was not going to be that long.

…

Naps can be treacherous.

When I opened my eyes again, one by one, my body was still half asleep.

I was in a strange pose, with only one of my shoes on, my back sweaty, my throat dry and one of my headphones under the back of my neck. Everything was silent (more so than usual), and it felt as if my body was responding slow to what my brain was asking it to do.

After taking a few second to reorientate I checked the time, and that is how I found out that it was already 17:50. I had spent about three hours lying around doing nothing and I could not feel at ease with that, so I got up struggling.

I went to the kitchen to drink some water and also to fill my stomach, which was already begging for food. I had to steady myself against the walls due to the lack of natural light, but luckily the kitchen was illuminated.

I grabbed the first glass I saw and filled it with tap water, then drank it all in one sip as soon as I sat down. Sadly, it was not enough for me so I refilled it and repeated the process.

I looked around as I thought about what I could eat, but then I realized I had overlooked something… Why was the kitchen already lit?

I heard a high-pitched noise like a bell ringing behind me, and whatever was emitting light stopped doing it. The footsteps could be heard getting faster and faster, and they were moving towards the kitchen.

Suddenly, the lights turned on, and a silhouette appeared standing near me.

It was a woman with rather long hair, blue eyes and a surprised face, though it soon turned into a very warm smile.

Twen: Mom… What are you doing?

Milia:

My mother was a grown woman, though many said her face still looked young and beautiful. We both came to Novadía because I could get into the JJRU and she had great job opportunities, plus she was looking for a new environment in her life. She is caring and quiet, with a perseverance that shows in everything she does. Every time I see an opportunity to help her, I try.

No words came out of her mouth, but her face and movements alone were quite expressive. She took a small paper bag out of her pocket, handed it to me and finally gave me a hug.

Twen: This… It’s from the chocolates I gave you the other day. Those were good, weren’t they?

I kept wondering what my mom was doing, until I saw her walk over to the oven and, gloves in hand, pull out a big pizza from inside.

I quickly got up and began preparing the table. And, while doing that, I realized it was a good opportunity to talk with her.

I turned to look at her and ask her to listen to me, but when I did she was already sitting on a chair, with both her hand under her chin and her gaze fixed on me. She already knew something was going on.

Twen: Well… I’ve been thinking about something lately and I think it’s ridiculous that it’s bothering me so much. I’m really curious about my next friends in Novadía, what they will be like and how I will meet them.

After I said that, mom looked at me with disbelief. It was as if she was saying that she did not believe my words.

Twen: Look, I know they say that everyone wants to have someone with an OV around, and for that reason it shouldn’t be that for me to make friends. But that’s not the issue! The thing is, thinking about the people I met before I came to Novadía, I wonder if I’ll find a group that I can feel just as comfortable with. And more importantly, another question is when it will happen!

She adjusted her posture and looked up at the ceiling. She seemed to be looking for the right words to say, and I wanted to hear them.

Twen: I know it’s not something I can speed up, so I don’t think there’s any point in worrying about it. I guess I’m just a bit anxious… What do you think?

Milia: … Good people attract good people.

That was a simple and short answer, said in a calm, soothing tone. That was a proof of how little mom used to talk.

Her words left me with a lot of thinking to do on my own. I sat across her looking for every possible meaning of what she had said.

That good people will naturally meet similar people. That I am one of those good people. That there must be more such people in Novadía, and I should be able to find them. That it might be simpler than I thought, and maybe I should avoid worrying so much.

Milia: Everything is going to be fine!

Hearing such an honest comment, coming from someone who cares about me, is certainly encouraging. So much so, that it stops making sense.

Perhaps the most ridiculous part was how a short conversation could leave me feeling so satisfied. Preparing myself to overcome such an obstacle seemed to have stressed me out without my realizing it, but her simple words brought me completely back on my feet.

Twen: Mom, I’ll keep what you said in my mind. Thank you… And now, let’s start eating. It would be a tragedy if our pizza gets cold.

She handed me her plate expecting me to hand her a portion, and that is exactly what I did.