Chapter one

Chapter one

I can still remember what t felt like to have the cool wind whip my curls against my ears, and the hot rays of sun light me from the center up.  I remember what it was like those first months, only giving away very little happiness and getting to keep most to myself. The first time i gave any away was to a man, about thirty years old, he was wondering my street in Manhattan, New York, where i started. The man was kicking dust as he walked and cursing loudly under his breath. I was across the street when i first noticed him and i got excited, id never Given to a human before and this was my first chance. So i crossed the street and started to follow him. It was a brisk night, late, very few people. i was originally out to go get milk for my roommate, who was also a Faveo. She wanted to make a souffle. She was always trying to make souffles. The man i was following, in the middle of his cursing, all of a sudden, stopped. very abruptly. He stopped walking and straightened his back. The panic had coursed through me, my first thought was he knew who i was, he knew about the Faveo, he knew what we did. But he didnt turn, he didnt speak. The sound that escaped his lips was inhuman, it was a moan like cry, a messy cry. He broke into sobs as his back hunched over. Screaming, screaming, screaming, screaming and crying, screming and crying. It was terrifying. A grown man, on his knees his head in his hands, sobbing over god knows what. I almost ran, i remember that, i almost walked away. The greif and the pain was so much. I was so young and so scared and so, so, so… new. But i swallowed my fear. I went up to him, with slow, tentative steps and placed my hand on his back. Instantly he gasped, as well did i. I felt it channel, a ball of warmth, forming in my chest and slowly flowing from my arms to my fingertips, into him.  My chest went from warm to ice cold in seconds, and i felt nothing but the air around me. The man was breathing hard, but was no longer crying. By the time he looked back i was gone.

I ran up the stairs of my aprentment buiding, my breath was so full and my eyes so tired. I couldnt think or breath or do anything besides run. I stumbled into our aparetnment. My roomate June was in the kitchen making tea. I fell to the ground hands first. I felt her hand on my back.
“You just Gave to a human didnt you?” she said in astonishment

“That obvious.” I groaned, collapsing fully on the floor and rolling onto my back. I looked up at June, she had a huge smile on her pretty little face. June was gorgeous, long blonde hair and bright green eyes. Her eyes brought out the sharp cheek bones underneath them.
“Well yeah youre hands are blue and you look like you just ran a marathon.” she said rolling her eyes. I had forgotten that when you Give your hands go blue. Not a bright blue or anythng, a dim blue, draker by the tips of my fingers and spreading out like ambre. “Dont worry it wont be like this all the time, just the first.” June stood, going back to the kitchen to finish making her tea. “Did you get the milk?”

“Youre kidding right.” I breathed, finally cathcng breath i managed to sit up. June rolled her eyes. “Face it youll never make a perfect souffle.”

“Yes i will! Just you wait.”  she stirred her tea and offered me some, i turned it down. I managed to get up and maneuver my way to the couch. Our apartment is incredibly simple, a walk in mud room, right outside there is a kitchen walk a little future its the living room, then it parts off into a hallway that leads to both of our rooms and a bathroom.
“So what was the first time like!?” June asks excitedly.

“You know youve done it a thousand times.” i laughed spreading out on the couch, to which June immediately shoved away my legs to make room for her to sit.
“The first time you Give to a human is the only time it counts really. Its completely different from every other time. And its been so long that i forget.” She smiled weakly. And just then i remembered how old June was. Her body was 22 but shes been a Faveo for two. Thats a long time for most of us. “Please Cleo.” June never says please, she thinks its too human to beg. So I agreed.
“Alright alright. Well, he was a middle age man. And he just collapsed into tears out of nowhere, screaming and cursing. It was terrifying. But i knew i couldnt just leave him lilke that, so i went to him.” June was hanging on my every word “I placed my hand on his back and i didnt even need to concentrate this time. It grew in my chest, warm and comforting, for a second i felt so incredibly alive. Then it spread from my shoulders to my fingers. nd then i went cold, and i couldnt breathe. I ran rght away. And here i am.”

June laughed. “What's so funny!?” i demanded.

“Its just kinda funny how ordinary yours was. I expected more from a girl like you.” June nudged me.
“One in a thousand means absolutely nothing. Do you know how many of us are across the globe!?” i exclaimed.
“You know i hear that the Faveo government are afraid of you guys, like you have some special powers none of the rest of us have.

“Oh bullshit. Im going to bed.” My body ached.
“Goodnight Lucky One.” June had liked to call me that every since she found out i was one in a thousand.
“Yeah yeah goodnight.” i yawned and headed down the short hallway to my room.
My bedroom was nearly scarce, with nothing but my bed a few books to keep me company. In my defense id only been alive for a few months. I went up to my full length mirror and smiled at my reflection. “Oh Cleo, what adventures you will have” i told myself. I couldnt stop smiling, this feeling of Giving was like no other. I pushed my long dark curls behind my ears. I had caramel skin and blue eyes, an odd mix i'm told, a perk of being one in a thousand they said. This body had a small nose and a lean figure, great for getaways i suppose. I strpped my jacket and jeans and crawled into bed. Its official, I am a Faveo. I have given up my Given virginity. June would have laughed at that.

After that I Gave when I could, June kept making soufflés and becoming increasingly tired looking, she stopped laughing as much and going out. But she still looked at me with those bright green eyes and ask about my day, every evening. I got more and more books so I could truly understand humans, and let me tell you, they were incredible. Every book and every story I read had a soul, meanings and messages and life long dreams. Classics and new novels, fantasy and science. True stories and fake they were all beautiful. I spent my days wandering the streets looking for anyone to help and my nights in a book. I wanted to wander and to live, like they did, the people in the stories. Go on adventures and meet new people. My life seemed so small and insignificant. Little did I know, little did I know.

                             ***

I remember the exact time we met, it was 3:17 in the morning. I couldn't sleep, so i was doing what i always do, wandering around looking for trouble. This night was much like the night i first Gave, dark and dusty, chilly but not too cold. At 3:14 i had found someone looking desperate and lost. Her eyes were wild and her hands twitched. She was sitting against an old run down building off to the side of the street. I could tell right away she was a drug user. I had started to approach her, the closer i got the more obvious it was that she picked at her skin. Her arms were covered in scars and fresh scratches, her hands rubbed furiously at them. I lent down to her and she looked me straight in the eyes. They looked clouded. Instantly i knew this girl was once beautiful. under the clouds of her eyes you could make out the light brown, her hair matched them and her face was in perfect structure (ill add more to her appearance later) but her beauty was hidden by years of self torment and drugs. I placed my hand on her cheek and let the warmth go through me. She stared at me the whole time. Her eyes instantly brightening. I didn't move like i was suppose to, she was captivating.
“Thank you.” She whispered.
I slowly pulled my hand back, she wasn't scared or frightened. She was thankful. I didn't know what to say. No one had thanked me before. I stared at her for a long time, i don't know how long but felt like years until i finally pulled away and started running. But I didn't run back to my home this time though, something told me not too. I looked down at my watch: 3:16. Time was ticking away. I forgot about everything for a while and just ran.  Until the clock struck 3:17 and i ran into someone. I don't mean a gentle bump, i mean i literally slammed us both to the ground. I hit my head on the pavement, hard. I wish i could remember the very first thing he said, i wish i could hear those words, the first words that he spoke to me. But i was blacked out. I woke up to someone shaking me and a voice,  muffled as if someone had a hand over his mouth. I opened my eyes and i saw him for the first time. He smiled at me, that stupid goofy smile with his crooked teeth. He wasn't really all that beautiful or handsome, he was dorky. but in a cute way. He had matted black hair and fair white skin and green eyes. His eyes struck me, his beat feature one would say.
They were a sea green.
“You're alive!” The words were clear now. Oh my god, i thought, even his voice was dorky.
I should have been panicked when i woke, i should have ran or said sorry but instead i said:
“Motherfuck”
I dont know why, id never sworn before, but hey bad habits have to start somewhere.

He helped me up and I dusted myself off. Laughing, the pain in my head was dulling. I had completely forgotten about the girl from before. The boy laughed and wiped his hand on his jeans;

"Hi I'm Traye." He held out his hand, I took it.

"Cleo" I glanced down at our hands and realized all at once, mine were blue. I quickly drew my hand back and shoved it in my pocket. "I'm sorry I knocked you over but I really should go." I was feeling woozy, I started to turn but I stumbled as I did. I felt his hand reach out and attempt to grab my arm. I feel nonetheless, this time landing on my hand and knees.
“S**t.” Traye mumbled, he helped me up. Again.
I hadn't really felt embarrassed until that moment.

“Here im gonna walk you home. Where are you headed?” He asked, his hand twisting the hem of his shirt. He was embarrassed too.
“Oh no its okay im fine.” I said, remembering then that i had been running from the direction of my apartment.

"No really I insist." He asked, a smirk creeping on his face "I mean I've already let you fall twice, it's the least I could do."

"Alright, you win" I said grudgingly, mulling over how in gonna explain this to June, relations with humans aren't forbidden, but anything more than that is. The general idea of the faveo is to stick together and help the humans, not befriend them. But he had that stupid alluring smile that made me want to go with him so I complied.

"Great!" He turned to the direction in which I was headed.

"I am not actually going that way." I say as I turned in the direction of my apartment.

"Well okay then." He caught up next to me.

We walked in silence for a while, just letting the sound of out footsteps fill the air.

"So what were you running from?" He said

He caught me off guard "excuse me?" I said sounding more flustered than I wanted. He knew he knew he knew he knew. The only other words that would come to my head.

He ignored my obvious fear.

"Well it was pretty clear from how fast you were running that it was from something. Especially if it's in the opposite direction of your home."

Oh right. Of course, that's what he meant. I wouldn't admit it at the time but a part of me was disappointed.

Now all I could think was: I am a terrible liar.

I must have been silent for a while because before I could make up an excuse he spoke.

"So what do you think of this whole "The Curtain" stuff?" He said in an obvious attempt to change the subject. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, a tell that he was uncomfortable.

" 'The Curtain'?" I asked dumbly.

"Oh common you've had to have heard of it. It's all over the news !" I just kind of looked at him, we don't have a TV.

"Okay okay I'll humor you. The Curtain is a feeling, sort of. It's happened to me once, I think. It's weird, everyone describes it different. What I got from it was a warmth, it starts in your chest and spreads through your body. It usually happens to the depressed and the lost or lonely it sad it what ever." He looked around flustered "you know how it is." He said gesturing to, what was suppose to be the world.

"Y-yeah in know." He was describing what the faveo do. No one ever really talked about it until now. We've been doing it for sixty years and yes it raised some suspicious when it first started but people just adjusted to it. Until now.

He looked at me skeptical. "Well yeah, they call the warmth or whatever, The Curtain, because it momentarily blinds you from your pain."

"Momentarily?" I asked, curious now. This was an inside look on what we do.

"Well yeah the feeling last a while, but eventually the hurt can only come back. I don't think it ever goes away." He said, looking to his feet. I looked away from him and back at the street stretching out before me. The Curtain. The Faveo must know about this, so why weren't we informed?

We got to my apartment.

"Thanks for walking me home." I said, trying my best to sound pleased.

"It's absolutely no problem." He stood there and looked from me to the floor.

"Okay bye."I said awkwardly, turning towards the door, I'd only gotten a few steps before I felt his hand on my arm.

"Hey wait-" he gasped and so did I. It was happening I was Giving to him but it didn't make any sense I was too drained I couldn't just Give without thinking I needed rest I couldn't have...

But nonetheless my chest turned to ice and he looked mesmerized.

"Holy s**t." He said "you're one of them".