Odd Obsessions

The lights glow with a hard fluorescent brightness that leaves an outline burned into my retina, so much that when my eyelids flutter closed, the red silhouette is still there. But my eyes stay fixated on the bulbs, my eyes devouring the light spectrum that I’m lucky enough to perceive.

Then the small, barely discernible click sounds, and the light fixtures that are my baubles flick out almost instantly, but because of wires, not yet at the speed of light. I break my gaze from those hanging glass conductors and focus my pupils on where I guess the sound came from.

A long, lanky girl, all angles and no curves, has a finger resting on the light switch screwed into the wall. She wears a baggy sweatshirt that reaches below her waistline and droops over her hands. Past that are a pair of ripped short shorts which overlay holey, sheer tights that stretch down her legs and disappear down into a pair of clunky boots. She has a slim face; light freckles dust her nose and cheekbones. Her hair is choppy, like it was cut with a weed whacker, and an explosion of color is dyed onto the chunks, a swirl of neon rainbows.

“What are doing here, all alone in an empty classroom?” She scans the large rectangular room with desks crosshatching the ground, and with a simple light fixture hanging overhead.

I stare at her, almost shocked or maybe frozen. I have to melt.

“W-we-ll...” I stutter. I start to thaw a little, blood liquefies underneath my skin and rushes up in the vessels that span under the flesh of my cheekbones, perhaps the result of my heart pumping faster. “I-I was just… you know having a bit of time to think…”

Her mouth tilts downwards “Oh. Ok.”

My face flushes even rosier. I stare down at the tiled floor, grasping for air, searching for a conversation. My breaths stop when I note her appearance again. “So have I seen you before…?”

“I’m new around this place.” Her arms drop down, her fingers fidgeting. “I wanted to have a look around this school, check out things.”

“Oh.” I glance behind her form in the open doorway and scavenge the empty halls. “With no one to guide you?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “I’m sort of a solo person. Hey, why were you gawking at those lights?” Her eyes scrutinize my expression for an explanation.

“I… well… um…” If I place my fingertips on my cheeks, they will be singed black with heat. “I… I can’t really explain it…”

She arches her eyebrows, awaiting my continuation.

“I-It’s sort of a fascination, really… I can’t help it. Those bulbs, I can’t help staring at them…” I confess, my words tumbling out. My face inflames, I cast my ashamed eyes to the ground, where they belong.

“Wait, really?! Me too!” I whirl my head up. Her mouth is split open in what I can only describe as an ecstatic smile. She rushes over and plops down into the desk across from me. My eyes widen.

“I’m the same as you!” She giggles. “You see, I have this thing with scissors. I don’t know why, but I just can’t resist cutting with them! Every time I pick a pair up, I just want to snip up sheets of paper! It’s like I’m infatuated!”

I watch, bewildered at her sudden excitment. “So… that explains the hair?”

“Yeah, I’ll cut hair, fabric or anything else... I got kicked out of my last school because they thought my scissor activities were getting out of control…” Her brows furrow.

“Oh…” I trail off, realizing that she is for real. My mouth is open in astonishment. I almost couldn’t believe that there is someone like me. “D-Do you know anyone else like us?” I ask quickly.

“Nope! I was so surprised when I found you! I didn’t think that there was anyone else that has a strange obsession that they can’t control!”

“It’s sort of like I’m an insect drawn to a lamp… I don’t know even why I do it…” I am blurting out details like someone discussing their favorite book. Even though this is a secret I’ve been burying for years, now I’ve finally met someone who can dig it all up.

“Same here. It’s irrational, crazy, maniac worthy even.” Her features settle into a serious gaze. “I’ve been struggling to hide it… but I’ve been expelled from seven schools already…”

I thrust out my hand, the corners of my mouth lifting. “I’m Daniel. I’ll make sure you don’t get expelled from this school.”

She takes my digits in her own, giving me a lopsided smile. “Lucy.”

“So, um… are you sure you don’t want an escort around the campus?”

Her grin widens. “Ok, why not?”