"You should get ready for school, Micah!"

Micah spread his eyelids, baffled from the sight of the amber ball in his eye socket. He stood silent in front of the bathroom mirror before he backed off and ran back to his room.

"I need to put on my clothes and leave quick! I could say I've had lenses on me to hide my right eye, that's it!" He thought as he quickly sprinted past his mom and grabbed a slice of toast from the kitchen table.

"Why're you in such a hurry--"

"Someone's waiting on me outside, I gotta go, mom! Bye!"

He left the house to immediately meet up with Mark.

"I'm sorry if I got a little late--"

"You really saved me there! My alarm didn't work so I woke up late!"

"Pfft, it's fun to see a smartass as you get so stressed up!" He laughed from Micah's nervous fidgeting.

"We're gonna get late if we don't move up the--"

"Don't worry about it, we'll make it!"

"If you say so..."

They continued walking, silently walking alongside each other before Mark asks "What's with your right eye? A new trend I'm not caught up on?"

"N-No, I forgot to put on my lenses this morning."

"That's your real eyes, then?"

"Yeah, it's a little weird--"

"I think it looks cool."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah! I'm sure Bianca will notice it, and the rest of your class!"

"I-I guess... Mark?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it weird that Bianca and I are a thing?"

"I'm not sure what you--"

"I think we are a joke."

"What are you talking about?"

"She gave me a letter yesterday that told me to meet up with her behind the school and... it just feels too sudden. I'm also not in her league. It doesn't make any sense."

"Then... why are you in this crap?"

"I don't know... for the first time in my life I decided to do something different."

"Different? So basically, you're using her..."

"Yeah."

Mark laughed out loud, looking back at him after he regains his posture, "That's not so nice of you, Micah!"

Micah shuckles from Mark's comment and replies, "Hehe, I guess I am a little selfish."

"I'm not the right person to say what I'm about to say, but it's okay to be a little selfish! Just don't overdo yourself, okay?" He pats Micah's back.

"Mark, you're an idiot."

"What!?"

"But you're a good idiot, thanks for your kind words!"

Mark was left speechless as Micah separated from him when they entered the school building.

"Am I a good person? If I was-" Mark thought to himself as he looked down on his baggy pants, "then I wouldn't have been a part of a gang. Well... whatever, no need to be so philosophical right now." He laughs it off before he walks to class.

Micah, managing to get in class in time, leaps into his seat before the teacher notices him. The class starts and everyone is divided in groups of three. The teacher introduces the class with new work that everyone will be working on for two weeks. The work will be a part of preparation for an upcoming debate. As the groups were starting to work as the bell rang, ending the first class. Since the first class on Thursdays always stretch to lunch-time, everyone leaves their desks in hope of getting preferred seats in the cafeteria.

"You wanna eat lunch with me?" Bianca sneaked up on Micah, startling him.

"S-Sure thing, Bianca." His voice felt swayed, as expected of someone startled.

She smiles and link arms with him as they walk to the cafeteria, getting stares directed at them, some in awe and some in spite.

"So, the rumor is true after all..." could be heard from the lot as they passed by. There was a rumor that Bianca and Micah started dating. This was highly unlikely since Micah has been known ever since middle school to be a reserved person and a loner, but this surprised everyone, both in a good and a bad way.

"Hey, lemme borrow some money."

"W-What? Are you poor or something?"

"Yeah..."

She laughs as Micah sighs with his eyebrow furrowed.

"I got some cash for you if you really need it--"

"Thanks!" Micah effortlessly grabs her money without her noticing it at first. She flinches as the money in her hand was gone.

"Wh--"

"Thanks for the cash, Bianca!"

She pouts as she walks off without him. Flustered from the sudden loneliness in the corridor, he runs back to her. They soon met up with the long lunch queue. It didn't take long until Micah and Bianca were at the counter, about to pay for their food. Bianca seemed to be on a diet as she only picked plastic wrapped-sandwiches and a bottle of orange juice. Micah only went with two slices of pizza and a bottle of apple juice, placing the plate close to the woman on the other side. He payed with the money he got from Bianca and waited for her. As they were about to sit down, someone phoned Micah. He picked it up and saw an unknown number, "Who's this?" He thought to himself as his thumb slowly moved towards the green button, answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Is this Micah Lieber?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"I am calling from the hospital regarding Agnes Lieber, she is in a coma."

Micah's hand grew numb, letting the phone in his hand drop to the floor, and as he dropped his phone he collapsed. His whole body shivered before he rushed with desperate and long steps with a hunched posture. Bianca was left baffled as Micah exited school like a wild beast was about to catch his heels.

Time stopped as Micah ran through the main square, gasping for air as a panic attack was about to erupt. He entered the hospital, quickly asking the woman by the counter about his mother. The beating of his heart could be heard, begging to jump out from his chest.

"Follow me, Micah." Her voice was composed, calming him down a little as they walked to Agnes' room.

"Here--"

Micah entered the room and saw his mom, linked up to the respirator with tubes and IV drops. He approached her near-motionless body, staring at her. The room was silent, only the beeping from her pulse fills up the room. His legs quiver and loses balance, gripping onto her bed frame as he tried to hold onto it.

"How could've this have happened? She hasn't had any seizures for so long... and now it happened..." He thinks to himself as his heart shatters from the thought of his mother's misfortune.

"Doctor."

"Yes, Micah?"

His back is faced against the doctor as he continues to talk with him, "Do you have any idea when she'll wake up?"

The doctor was speechless, taking his time before he replies, "In a few weeks or so."

"You're lying doctor... I can take it."

"...If."

"If? You mean..."

"We don't know if she will ever wake up... the chances of her recovery being successful is... almost zero."

Micah doesn't say anything and instead turns around, sobbing and says, "Thank you... for letting me know... doctor."

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