𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛- 𝑜𝑛𝑒// A PAIR OF GREY EYES

{𝙲𝙻𝙾𝚄𝙳𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝙶𝚁𝙴𝚈}

~𝓞𝓝𝓔~

~H A N N I E L~

I always used to obsess with the word 'perfect'.

Because my life was so perfect... Everything around me... Everyone... Things I did... People I lived with... Every day I woke up to was so perfect...

I actually thought the word perfect was made for me. Specially.

But, how foolish of me to think so...

Nothing could be perfect...

No one could be perfect...

Even this life, could never be perfect...

No matter how much we wanted something, and the universe just wasn't willing to give us, then maybe we should just leave it... Because no matter how much we try to bend the universe to our will... Something would always go wrong.

And that was proved to me.

When my father and mother had sat me down with sad smiles on their faces, I knew something wrong was about to happen. I dreaded it... And they made me confused.

But as the positive person I was... As the person who had been a coward all his life to face anything bad... I covered my fear with a smile.

Then, they broke the news to me...

It felt like clouds of grey on that day...

Like something had actually... Unbelievably gone wrong when it shouldn't have.

My father and mother tried to sweet talk me into seeing how the marriage was no longer standing. How they didn't think they could cope anymore.

"We're really sorry, Han," Mom had said and glanced at Dad with a worried look. Then back at me before sighing and placing a hand on my shoulder. "But this... this whole marriage... I'm afraid it can't work again. So sorry, Han."

I grew up.

Two years ago, after my dad and mom had broken the divorce news to me, I grew up.

I became my own guardian, and taught myself every little thing there was to know. It was like I had matured into someone who knew how life was from dozens of experience.

I knew what children whose parents had divorced were like. And I didn't want to be that.

No one knew of my sad little story, and it was just fine that way.

All the popularity, compliments and kisses-up to I gained while growing up as a teenager was enough.

I wanted nothing more.

As long as I ran away from my little secret, and ignored it, then I would be fine. But that's what I thought.

I never knew, there would be a day when all the clouds of grey hidden behind my bright days would surface.

And that was the most dreaded day of my life...

The day everybody who'd know that the boy who seemed to have it all was actually from a home of a failed marriage and separated parents.

I would rather die than witness that day...

⑅

Nothing was permanent.

Everything was temporary.

And so was my changing of schools.

Up until my last grade of high school, I had probably changed schools more than three times.

I wouldn't exactly say it was due to unfavorable conditions.

But due to my mom's business, she had to move locations every time.

Now I had not only relocated from Abuja, I would also be changing schools.

All this relocation began after we came back from Australia and my parents got divorced. Dad had gone back to Australia after that, but the ties between he and this family still wasn't cut yet. All because of Mom.

Several times, he would come for visits and stay for about a week ever since he came to Nigeria. Although he was an Australian.

I actually did not want to know why he came here to Nigeria. But I was fine with it, as long as I didn't get to see his face. Things had gotten a lot quite awkward between us due to no communication. But my life was peaceful in the least, and it wasn't like we faced any problems— Mom and I.

But that peace was soon interrupted when Dad had come over last night after we came here to Lagos.

I actually did not know he was around until this morning, when in the middle of night I went to get some water for myself and saw him and Mom on the same bed as I wanted to check on her.

Then the possibility of having to speak to him in the morning felt so awkward that I practically had my bath and dressed up early to go to my new school.

I left the house before anyone woke up.

And now I was asleep, face on my desk in this new school of mine called Crestview High.

Truth be told, I had definitely not expected something as beautiful as this high school. I guess Mom really did put in some work in searching for the best schools here in Lagos.

"Your new school is Crestview, Han. It's one of the top three high schools here in Lagos." Mom told me the day before.

And now I was here in this extremely all white themed school, with my new uniform that I extremely loved. A white long sleeved shirt, a maroon blazer with a CH badge on the left breast pocket, a maroon pleated tie and a pair of plain grey trousers to go.

It wasn't too flashy or too boring either. It was just perfect. Just perfect as the way it fit me.

I was the only one in class. And when I got bored of it, I decided to give myself a personal tour of the whole school in its white glory.

Being the idiot I was, I walked to the doorway with eyes half open-half closed and bumped into someone while muttering how much Mom and I had to discuss after I got home today.

On realising my mistake, I opened my eyes and attempted to apologise when I saw a pair of lifeless grey eyes staring at nothing in particular.

Needless to say, she scared me out.