Helpless, Not Hopeless {Open}

Galaxy Exsaedia

Galaxy had assumed he dyed his hair often. Most people did. Galaxy hadn't for a while, but that was just because she couldn't decide what to change it to. She liked her hair as black and red, and she had a hard time finding something she liked better.

Derick's question about her eye hadn't surprised her in the slightest. Everyone asked at some point, and it was usually sooner than later.

"It isn't a touchy subject at all," she lied. She hated talking about her eye, but it wasn't something you could just shrug off. It demanded an explanation. She'd gotten used to pretending to herself and other people that she didn't care. It was just a story now, like something that had happened to person far, far, away, though she knew it had happened to her.

"I was playing around with this stick when I was little, maybe four. I don't really know what happened, but one second I had an eye, the next I didn't. My parents tried to make the whole glass eye thing better by starting me on a collection. So I've been collecting glass eyes for a while now. I wear a different one every day, and I've got some pretty wacky ones."

Galaxy wiped at her right eye, her real eye. Why was she crying? She never cried when she told people. She brushed the tears away quickly and hoped Derick hadn't noticed.

Galaxy Exsaedia

A waiter approached the table with their meals. Galaxy's eyes went wide as she saw the enormous plate of shrimp being set down in front of her. She hadn't thought there'd be so much. She was hungry, yes, but she didn't think she was that hungry. She didn't realize she was gaping at her plate until Derick spoke. "Awful lot of shrimp we've ordered!"

She blushed. Ugh. He probably thought she was a pig. But then she reminded herself that he knew how hungry she was. He wouldn't think that sort of thing at all. Derick offered her a piece of his sushi, and she accepted. She opened the package that held her chopsticks. She'd never used chopsticks before. How did they work? She glanced at Derick's hand, then tried to imitate the way he held them. One chopstick flew out of her hand and whacked her glass of water, and the other fell onto the table.

"Oops." Galaxy chuckled. "I guess now you can see how I poked out my own eye. Small wooden things aren't very nice to me, I guess."

Galaxy blushed a little bit at her inability to hold the chopsticks. "I've never used chopsticks before. Could you show me how?"

She was a little embarrassed to admit that she'd never used chopsticks, but she knew Derick wasn't the sort of person to tease her about it. She didn't often go to restaurants that gave you chopsticks with the meal. Even when she did, she usually just used a fork. But today was as good as any to learn how to use chopsticks.

Galaxy Exsaedia

Galaxy watched as Derick instructed her on how to hold her chopsticks. It felt awkward holding them, but it looked right, and at least they didn't go flying out of her hand again.

"Yeah, something to practice with would probably help."

She was glad to be learning something new. She was glad to be here, doing something new. Her life had become monotonous, doing the same thing every day. Her friends were content with that, but Galaxy liked some variation in her life. And today, so far, had been vastly different from anything she'd ever experienced.

Galaxy Exsaedia

The food came quickly, and while she waited, Galaxy tried her shrimp. To her delight, it was the best shrimp she'd ever tasted. Of course, that might have had something to do with how hungry she was.

"The shrimp's great! I don't remember the last time I've had any this good. How's your food?"

Galaxy Exsaedia

Galaxy held her chopsticks and tried to use them. There! She had the food, now to just...Mmm. Yummy.

"I'll agree that food tastes better when you're hungry. This sushi's pretty good too."

Galaxy picked up another piece with her chopsticks, proud of herself for using them correctly. "You're a pretty good teacher, Derick. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this." Just as she said those words, the sushi slipped from her chopsticks and landed in her lap. She picked it up and put it in her mouth. "Well, I'm doing pretty good, anyways."

Galaxy Exsaedia

Galaxy continued to practice with the chopsticks, eating both the sushi and the shrimp she'd ordered. "I'm not usually such a quick learner. You should have seen me in school!"

She'd never been that good in school, especially math. As soon as she'd figure out how to do one thing, the class would be moving on to the next. English had been easier. Reading didn't take that much work, and she couldn't recall ever being assigned to something longer than two hundred pages.

Galaxy put down her chopsticks and stared at her wrists. They still declared the names of Nash Harvey and Topaz Ross. She'd have to get these tattoos removed soon, wipe the slate clean for the next games, as she had for the past three years.

"I noticed you don't have any tattoos. Any reason for that?"

The reason might have just been that he didn't like tattoos. There could be other reasons too, of course. And then, there was always the possibility that he did have tattoos, they were just hidden by his clothing.

Galaxy Exseadia

The bright red of Derick's tattoo drew Galaxy in. She'd always been drawn to the color red for some reason.

There was almost no food left on her plate now, and she could hardly eat another bite. So soon she'd have to say goodbye to Derick. She'd see him again, of course. She went to his store quite often, and she was bound to see him there.

But perhaps it was not so bad that their time was ending. Galaxy was excited to go home and start painting this restaurant. It wouldn't look the same, of course, or anywhere near as beautiful. but she'd like to try it anyways. A painting of this place had to be beautiful. it would just be beautiful in a different way.

Galaxy pushed the last piece of shrimp around on her plate. "So, I guess this is it then."