Your eyes

-Do you have any special talent?-, you asked out of the blue.

-What do you mean?

-You know… something only you can do. For example, I can touch my nose with my tongue… Shee?-, you asked proudly while liking your nose. I clapped ironically, showing that I wasn’t impressed.

-You call that talent? What use does it have?

-Well… If my nose is itchy, I can scratch it without using my hands.

-Why wouldn't you be able to use your hands?

-I don’t know. But it 's useful. But do you want to know what the biggest utility is?-, you asked with a smirk.

-Surprise me.

-I can eat my boogers faster this way.

-Gross!!-, I flinched.

-Hahahahaha, you should have seen your face. I’m only joking-, you laughed.

-Yeah, yeah. I don’t buy it. You are gross, just like all the boys.

-Guilty-, you said raising your hand making me chuckle. -So? Do you have any hidden talent?

-Mmmmm, I can cross my eyes! Does that count?-. I showed you my “special talent” by making my eyes look at each other.

-Wooow, so cool. Let me try-, you said trying to cross your eyes.

-Ha ha haaa. You’ll need years of practice to develop this talent, young boy-, I bragged. -Even if you keep trying you won’t…

I stopped talking as I just saw one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen to this day. I didn’t look at them directly before, but now that my attention was locked in them, I was in shock. Your light blue eyes reminded me of a clear sky. They were hypnotizing. But what really caught my attention was that you had small black spots in your iris contrasting with the light blue. Your eyes looked like an ocean with small islands scattered here and there.

I hope one day I can see those beautiful blue eyes full of light again.

Emma was walking back to her apartment after shopping for a few hours with her friends. She spent more than usual since she knew her dad would take her money privileges soon. Emma also invited her friends to eat and bought them matching bracelets with cute ladybugs.

She said “hi” to the gatekeeper of her apartment complex and went to the elevator. She hit the button of the 23rd floor, her mother’s favorite number, and checked on her E-C all the photos they took together. The one where they all had the same starshaped pair of glasses with their tongues out was her favorite. She decided she would print it and stick it on her wall.

She let the front door analyse her finger print and pushed it open. As soon as she got in, she heard the voice.

-Hi Em. Did you have a good day?-, asked Juliet.

-Sigh… Yeah, it was ok.

-What happened to your forehead? Are you ok?-, she asked.

-It’s nothing… I’m ok.

-If something happened to you, you can tell me. I’ll make some hot chocolates and…

-Look-, Emma interrupted. -I’ve had a tough day and I can’t deal with… you today, ok? Please, let me just go to my room.

-... Ok Em, sweetie. I’ll be here if you need me-, said Juliet with a sad tone.

-And don’t call me Em…Please. She used to do it. It’s weird if you say it.

-... I understand. Sorry-, she apologized.

Juliet turned off, making the hologram of Emma’s mother disappear. It had only been a few weeks since her dad installed the AI based on the recordings of her late mother Juliet. Emma was against having an AI impersonating her mother, it was… weird to her. But her father insisted. Hearing her mothers voice in a moving hologram with her looks was too bizarre. She could never get used to her/that.

Not wanting to deal with that drama right now, she went to her room and left the bags with what she bought on the floor. She let herself fall on her bed at the same moment she got a call from Yve.

-Hey, Emma. Are you home yet?-, asked her friend.

-Yeah just got in and had to deal with that again.

-You mean… the AI of your mom?-, Yve asked shyly.

-Yes. My dad says that since my mom was the one that kept the family together, that it will help us reconnect. But I know he just can’t deal with the fact that she is… gone…

-... I can’t imagine how hard it must be…-, said Yve trying to put herself in Emma’s shoes.

-... The worst part is. That whenever I hear her voice… for a split second… I forget about the accident and I think she is real… but then I remember and all the pain comes right back…-.

On the other side of the door, AI-Juliet heard Emma say how it hurt hearing the real Juliet’s voice coming from her/it. With a sense of pain and guilt, the AI went to another part of the house and canceled the hot chocolate she programmed the kitchen to make.

Half an hour or so later, Gyanna called Emma and Yve, meaning it was time to start the study session. Emma went to her desk and sat down. She put the E-Cube beside her and two small floating cameras came out and started floating around the room in order to send live footage of Emma’s notebook to her friends. Emma was the top of her class, so she was always the one sharing her notes so her friends would complete theirs. They studied Biology for about an hour, which is the limit Yve can go without gossiping.

-Have I sent you a photo of my boyfriend?-, she said out of the blue.

-Oh come one, Yve. We are studying here!-, complained Gyanna.

-I’m sorry, ok!. Learning about muscle mass just made me remember him. It’s not my fault he is so… sturdy. Look-. Yve sent a picture to her friends, making her respective floating camera project an image on Emma’s notebook.

-Mmm, honestly. Good catch. Could have gone without the skull tattoo on his chest, but it’s good-, admitted Gyanna.

-Who cares about the tattoo. He is just so dreamy-, she declared. -What do you think Emma?

-... He is good looking.

-That 's it? That’s all you have to say?-, she teased.

-Come on Yve. You know Emma only has eyes for Nyco. Any other man is just meh to her-. Emma did not bite into Gyanna’s trap and just kept silent, although her friends noticed that her usually pale cheeks were getting a little bit reddish. -How many dates have you had with him?-, Gyanna asked.

-3 dates-, Yve answered.

-And you are already in a relationship? isn’t that a little fast?-, Gyanna questioned.

-What can I say. He asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend and I couldn’t say no-, she giggled. -Speaking of which, when do you think Nyco will ask Emma out? They’ve known each other since they were kids. I think it’s about time.

-I am in the call with you two. You know?-, said Emma. -Shouldn’t you gossip behind my back?

-Come on Emma. We are bringing this up because it’s about time you two had a long serious conversation. I think he is just shy-, said Yve.

-Nyco? Shy? Have you even met him?-, she asked.

-No no, she has a point Emma. A lot of guys seem secure on the outside but when having to ask a girl out they are just cowards-, Gyanna intervened.

-...Nyco doesn’t want anything with me. We are just friends-, declared Emma.

-Emma, darling, I know you are smart and all, but that was the dumbest thing I’ve heard all year, and Yve told me her answers for our last physics exam-, declared Gyanna.

-Hey!! That’s the last time I roundcheck answers with you-, Yve complained.

-Nyco likes you, Emma-, continued Gyanna ignoring her friend. -I’ve seen the way he looks at you when you don’t notice.

-Yeah… He looks like he is about to drool any second-, joked Yve forgetting Gyanna’s joke from a second ago.

Emma said nothing. Could they be telling the truth? Could he really be into her and not just see her as a long time friend?

-Look, I even took a picture of the face he makes-, said Yve. This made Emma extremely curious. She didn’t want to say it, but she needed to see that picture. -I’ll send it to you-, Yve decided.

Emma looked at the picture that was projected into her desk. In it, he could see Nyco’s face with his beautiful blue eyes wide open, completed with a gentle smile. She had never seen him with that expression, he really seemed like he was mesmerized.

-When was this taken?-, Emma asked.

-Last week, when you were talking in front of the whole school about the importance of paying attention to our classes because exams are right around the corner or something like that. I wasn’t paying attention-, she admitted.

-It was in your speech about the final exams and our future-, corrected Gyanna. -This is how he looks at you Emma. You have to wake up.

-Sigh… Since you are more interested in gossiping than learning, I’m going to hang up-, she declared.

-What? Come on Emma. Don’t be like that…

-Yeah, We just wanted to help you and…

Emma ended the call interrupting what Yve was saying. The little cameras went back to the E-C. She selected her image folder and projected Nyco’s picture again. A shy smile started forming on her face while she extended a hand as if trying to caress his face.