My hair is dark blue with streaks of silver in it. I guess it is the start of fall.

What's more shocking, however, are my eyes. They seem to be even greener and slightly reflective like a cat's. What does this mean? I don't want another reason to stand out. Another reason to be avoided. Another reason for people to make fun of me. Another reason for people to say mean things about me to each other. Another reason for Master to hate me. Another reason for Master to beat me.

I don't know what to do. I'm panicking and I can hear Sarah and Star, but at the same time, I can't hear them. What do I do? Normal people don't wake up looking different!

"Breathe, Sang!" Sarah shouts.

I gasp for air and try to calm myself.

"I...can't believe that I am going to say this, but you... may... Take the day off of school," Sarah says. Even though she doesn't have teeth, I can feel her gritting her teeth.

Star and I start whooping and I do my happy dance.

"I take it your voice is doing better," Sarah stated wryly.

"And my whip marks and where Master kicked me!" I beam.

"I don't have to got to school today! I don't have to got to school today! I don't have to got to school today!" I sing out happily.

My life is perfect! Why would I ever be sad?! I am never ever ever ever ever ever ever EVER going back to school!!!

"Wait. What?! I said you could take today off. Today. Not eternity. Today!" Sarah huffs.

I give her the biggest puppy dog eyes I can imagine. My lip goes out.

"Today off or no days off. It's your choice really."

Now it's my turn to huff.

"Why?!" I sob. "What did I ever do to you?!"

Sarah rolls her eyes. "You do realize I know that you're faking."

I woke my fake tears and smile at her antics. Eh, it was worth a shot.

"So what are we going to do today?" I ask Sarah and Star.

"Why don't we go to downtown and figure it out from there?" Star suggests.

I grab a sweater and stuff it into my backpack and head to the woods. There, I stop to pick up some money from my hiding spot in a tree. A squirrel used to live there, but it found a better home so I use it to stash my cash. Money is hard for me to find, but every now and then I am able to take a job babysitting.

One strange job was a couple years ago. I was watching a five year old boy at night because Master was out of town with Father. I had sent him into his room to get dressed, but five minutes later, I am pacing and waiting anxiously for him.

I announce I am coming in and open the door. He was standing there pulling up his pants and turns his head and sees me. A smile spreads across his face and he lets out a high pitched, "Meep!"

I must say I laughed kinda hard and was pretty weirded out.

I have taken a lot of strange babysitting jobs, but I am an excellent baby sitter. I only sat on that baby once. And I do sometimes use duct tape, but only in occasion.

I stuff the money into my backpack and start to run. I run so fast I am a blur because I don't want anyone to notice me and ask questions.

I decide to go to the library. I need more books anyway. Star takes me there and we get there right as it opens. I smile to the librarian. She gives me a friendly smile back with a wave.

"Sarah, what do I do if someone asks me why I am out of school?" I ask worried.

"Not a big deal. I highly doubt that anyone will care enough, but if they do ask, just tell them that you do online school."

I smile. See what I mean about her being a genius? You all have smart phones and junk like that. I have TWO smart persons inside my brain.

"You flatter me. All I do is think about every step in the staircase, like a carpenter, while most people just think about one or two steps."

Whoa. That was deep.

I shake my head. If I start thinking like her, I might not stop. Or my brain might boil.

I definitely don't want a boiled brain.

Is it strange that I just got hungrier?

I head to the shelves and spend about fifteen minutes looking for books. I get a textbook on quantum mechanics for Sarah, a book on medieval warfare for Star, and a new cookbook and violin book for me along with others. I walk out of the library with a heavy backpack and a bounce in my step.

We wander around looking for a place to eat, but none of the restaurants look right. Until I see it, Bob's Diner.

It looks beautiful, a restaurant made out of an old church building. It had light blue paint and it's elegant roof had the darkest shingles I have seen. The contrast between the two is interesting and the flowers everywhere make me want to enter.

I open the door carefully, not wanting to attract too much attention to myself. I stand where you are supposed to wait to be seated and admire the breathtaking mural. It is an incredible painting and I only wish that I could be as great as the artist who painted it.

"Woah!" Comes a kind voice. "Don't know how I missed the bell! How long have you been waiting?"

"Bell?" I ask confused. I turn to see a man, maybe in his forties or fifties with salt and pepper hair. He points to the bell attached to the door.

Surprise flits across my face. I didn't mean to be that quiet, I just didn't want to slam it.

I blush and say, "Whoever painted this mural did a great job. It looks amazing."

The man smiles at me, his blue eyes twinkling. "I'll be sure to tell that artist that you said that. I'm sure he'd love to hear that. You can call me Uncle, I'm the owner. What is your name? And is it just you?"

Star mutters sarcastically, "Well, that's not a loaded question."

I give him a large smile and answer, "My name is Sang. Yes, it is just me. Thank you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sang. A waiter will be with you shortly."

I sit patiently until a familiar figure walks up. He is staring at the menu in his hands and says, "Hello, welcome to Bob's Diner... Sang?!"

I smile at his shocked face. "Hello to you too, North Star."

He froze, "North Star?"

"Yes, it suits you. I'm sure it is your real name."

North Star gives me a small smile, but it is the first time that I have seen him smile, so it feels huge.

"Here is your menu. What are you doing here? Why aren't you at school? And most importantly, what the **** happened to your hair and eyes?!"

I raise an eyebrow, "My hair changes with the season, remember? I didn't ask for it to change, it just did. I don't know about my eyes, nor do I want to talk about them. As for school, I don't need a reason, but I wasn't feeling well this morning. I am much better now, I just don't feel like going for the rest of the day, I guess. What about you, North Star?"

North Star's ears turn bright red and a pink tints his cheeks.

"I needed to clear my mind," North Star answers gruffly.

I nod, knowing that he didn't want me to press for whatever reason.

"Are you sure your feeling better?" North Star asks concerned. "Maybe you should go home and get some rest."

He clearly has not met Master.

She would not take kindly to me staying home and resting.

I shiver involuntarily before changing the subject gracefully like a ballerina.

"Would you like to sit with me? If you are too busy that is okay, too," I add hastily.

"I would love to sit next to you, Sang. But let me feed you first. What can I get you?"

I glow and my heart swoons when when he says he would love to sit with me. He is obviously exaggerating, but I appreciate the lie all the same.

I open the menu and scan it. Everything sounds delicious, but one item in particular stands out.

I hand the menu back and request, "Can I have the chocolate chip pancakes, please?"

He groans. "No, not another one. Luke is always obsessing there chocolate and chocolate chip pancakes. I don't think I can deal with another Luke."

I huff.

"Luke apparently has great taste. As a paying customer, I would like to order what I want. Now you will explain why this is a problem and then bring me my food. Is that clear?" I demand. I use a tone of voice that shows that I am not messing around. Few people go against me when I use this voice.

North Star looks shooken. He opens his mouth, but I cut him off saying, "Nope. Just say 'of course, Sang' and bring me my food."

His lips twitch and he says, "Of course, Sang."

He stands and heads to the kitchen to get my food. I wait for my food, knowing that good food takes time.

"Sarah, did we have anything we need to do today?"

"No, it is a relaxing go with the flow kind of day today."

Yay! Now we can see if North Star is busy or stuck working today. Maybe he can go somewhere with me. Not that I think he would really want to.

North Star comes out, finally, with a plate and bowl on a tray. He sets them down in front of me and sits on the other side. The plate has a stack of three pancakes with butter and powdered sugar on top and the bowl is full of fruit.

I lick my lips. I have always wanted to try chocolate chip pancakes, but I have only cooked them for Marie and Master. The fruit looks amazing as well. There are blueberries, strawberries, peaches, bananas, and a yellow fruit I can't tell what is. I am excited to try it all. I have never had blueberries, strawberries, fresh peaches, or whatever that yellow one is.

"Hey, North Star, what is this yellow fruit?" I ask curiously.

North Star's eyebrows climb into his hair. "You've never had pineapple?!"

"Pineapple? I thought it looked different than this." I shrug my shoulders. What do I know? " Thank you so much. I've always wanted to try all of this."

North Star looks furious, but I don't think it is aimed at me, so I ignore him.

I try a bite of each and sigh with pleasure each time. They truly taste amazing.

I hold my first bite of pancake in my mouth and Star lists the ingredients in it and I mutter them quietly.

"Flour, eggs, sugar, chocolate chips, milk, butter, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla..."

North Star looks at me incredulously, but doesn't say anything.

I take a bite of pancake and fruit at the same time and moan with pleasure. I eat my meal quickly, not wanting someone to take it away before I am finished.

When I finally look up from my empty plate and wipe my face with a napkin, I see North Star is red in the face. He is so red that he is almost purple.

"North?! Are you okay?" I don't know what happened, but he doesn't look healthy.

"I'm fine," He forces out. "I'll be back in a second."

With that he stands and leaves in a hurry.

I hope he is okay.

"Sarah, do you know what happened to him?"

"I don't know, but it was strange," Sarah replies intrigued. "I believe he is fine though, maybe he was hungry."

He was hungry? That makes sense and explains the look on his face. I can't believe how mean I am. I make him being me food and then eat in front of him when he is hungry and don't even offer him food?! I am as evil as Master says.

Not too much longer, North Star comes back and sits down.

"North Star? Were you hungry?"

"Hungry?" He asks a little tense, his ears still red as a monkey's butt.

"You were?! I had so much food and I didn't even give you any! You should've said something! I feel so bad. I am really sorry, North Star," I say near tears.

He looks shocked, but relaxed and replies, "Sang Baby, it's completely okay. I am not hungry. You should never feel bad. I am sorry that I made you think you did something wrong."

I smile up at him. "Sang Baby?"

"Do you like it?" North Star asks nervously.

Nervous North Star looks strange, so I quickly reassure him, "I love it, North Star! You are one of the best pretend friends I have ever had!"

"Pretend friend?!" He asks. I can tell he is trying his hardest not to freak out.

Oops. I did not mean to let that slip out.

"Yes?" I answer meekly shrinking back.

North Star studies me carefully. He places his hand on mine.

"Sang Baby, we aren't pretend friends. We are real best friends."

My eyes to do wide I think they will fall out.

"A real best friend?" I repeat in a hushed voice. "I've always wanted one... "

I launch myself at him and squeeze him into a hug. He quickly hugs me back and I melt into him. It is a little awkward since the corner of the table is in the way, but it is the first hug I have ever had.

It is perfect.

It is the bestest hug in the whole world.

I pull back with a red face.

"I am so sorry! I shouldn't have hugged you!" I cry out. I just met him yesterday. Now he isn't going to want to be my friend! My first real friend and I ruin it!

"Sang, best friends are allowed to hug," North Star says reassuringly.

I beam at him and sniffle a little.

North Star opens his mouth, but hesitates before asking quickly, "Would you want to do something with me before school gets out?"

My smile, if possible, grows even bigger.

"I would love to."

I pull my money out and hand it to him.

He looks reluctant to accept it, so I give him a hard stare. He smiles defeatedly and takes it up to the register. I pull in my backpack as he lets Uncle know he is heading out.

I can't wait to see where my North Star takes me.