"Here." A maid said, throwing a tray onto the ground before walking out the room.

The door slammed shut behind her, the brass handles shaking at the impact.

He could hear the boisterous chatter from the dining room. Flinching, he inserted an ear plug into both of his ears.

Ah, that was much better.

The room was quiet and dark, the two things Asher loved the most.

He could feel his stomach grumble as he stared at the lone tray sitting on the floor a good five meters away from him.

He slowly rolled towards the tray, bending down to grab it after much difficulty. Overtime, he grew numb to the excessive strain the movement had on his back.

His meal consisted of a small dish of soup with mushrooms, cauliflower, and carrots. Of course, the dishes were already cold, as usual.

Asher was positive those were the leftovers of Elliott's dinner. His stepmother spoiled Elliott to the point that he might as well be the head of the family, if it weren't for the fact he wasn't of age yet.

Asher, on the other hand, was a by-product of an affair between his father and a mistress - something unwanted, just like the leftovers of Elliott's meal.

He slowly drank the soup, savoring the bitter taste of neglect.

He reached over to the handle of the closet door, which hung his uniform. After spending twenty minutes struggling to put on his top, he finally succeeded in putting it on.

He hung his backpack and keys onto the handle of his wheelchair and rolled towards the front door. His room was on the first floor situated near the maid's chambers. It used to be on the second floor, where Elliott's room was located. After the incident, his father simply reassigned him a room closer to the entrance of the mansion.

Asher gritted his teeth as he rolled down the stairs, trying his best to control the speed lest he injured himself.

He heaved a sigh in relief as he rolled towards the limo just by the entrance of the mansion. He managed to get into the car after a while, much to Elliott's annoyance. Asher didn't pay any mind to it and continued to fold his wheelchair. Unfortunately, the wheelchair stubbornly refused to fold, even after he exerted more power.

He clenched his teeth, feeling both the driver and Elliott's gaze on him.

"Help him and you're fired." Elliott said suddenly, "Between him and your kids, you know who you would choose."

The driver lowered his head and kept silent.

After seeing Asher struggle even more, Eliott yawned and signalled the driver to drive him to school.

Just as the driver started the car, Asher managed to fold the wheelchair in a nick of time. He shut the door and glowered at Elliott, a torrent of thoughts bubbling in his mind.

If only I wasn't like this, they would all pay, he thought.

~

Elliott had already entered the campus by the time Asher was done unfolding his wheelchair.

Just as he prepared to enter the building, the driver whispered a low "sorry" and drove off. Asher only scoffed as he saw the car slowly disappear in the distance.

If they felt sorry, then they should've helped.

Scum.

He entered the elevator, cringing at the squeaks and creaks as it pulled up to the fourth floor. For a school with such backing and funding, it was a wonder where all the money was funnelled. Certainly not on basic maintenance.

As he approached the classroom, he prayed that he wouldn't see the three dreaded numbers: 403. It represented everything that has terrorized him for as long as he could remember.

He heard a light clink, followed by rushed footsteps.

"Oh you forgot this..."

He turned around to find a girl kneeling down to pick up his keys.

When she looked up, he was immediately drawn to her eyes. They had to be the most beautiful pair of eyes he had seen in his life - crystals that glistened under the light, reflecting a myriad of pinks, purples and blues.

He was so entranced he almost forgot the girl could see his abominable pair of eyes - grotesquely green and a complete eyesore.

"So pretty." He heard her whisper.

Pretty? Me? Asher thought.

Is she talking about my eyes?

Asher clenched the armrest of his wheelchair. No, he decides, She can't be...I'm ugly...

She hooked the keys back to the handle of the wheelchair.

He didn't recognise her. With her pair of eyes, she would have caught his attention if he passed by her in the hallway. Just who is she?

-

-

-

Rayne's POV

"A-Anyways, I dropped your keys sooo..." I said, trailing off as I gripped my uniform.

Asher stared into my eyes then at the keys hanging on his handle.

I felt my cheeks turn hot the longer the silence dragged on. He only rolled into the classroom without a word.

I must have offended him with my comment. What would someone who has been told his eyes were a sin for his entire life think otherwise?

I should slowly build a friendship with him.

~

When class was nearly over, the teacher called me back inside. I walked in with my head lowered and stopped in front of her.

She whacked my head with her ruler.

"Miss Willows, don't ever do that in my class again. Understood?"

"Yes." I said, rubbing my head while fighting the urge not to shout in pain.

"Now, because you were sleeping in class, you won't be able to pick your new seating partner. Instead, you'll get the leftovers." She said with a smirk playing on her lips.

"How can she say that without a shred of remorse?" I found myself whispering under my breath. The novel had described the numerous instances the teacher had stepped in against Asher, but it was nothing compared to seeing this in-person.

How does the novel justify the bullying? Asher is different. He has green eyes. He is a danger to society.

I frowned at the kid who was supposed to be Asher's desk mate, edging her seat towards the person sitting on her right.

"T-That's a bit rude, teacher. No student should be called that." I said.

The stammer in my voice had betrayed what I felt. Talking back was never my forte, and the teacher knew very well that was the case.

"Hah, you want to sit with him?" She asked, crossing her arms.

The look on her face was that of ridicule.

"Why would I not? What's wrong with him?" I questioned.

Some students behind me gasped. The classroom immediately erupted in chatter and I was tempted to roll my eyes. They are so dramatic.

"I don't know what happened during your wonderful nap in my class. However, since you want to talk back so much, you can be his desk mate and be responsible for everything he does...Now sit!" She said, turning away from me, effectively ending any room for negotiation.

I couldn't hold back my laughter and mentally held a middle finger towards her.

I turned around, trying to ignore the gazes on me as I walked towards the back where Asher sat.

I opened my mouth to greet him, but decided against it. He clearly wasn't in the mood to talk to me.

Elliott gave me a perplexed look as my other classmates spoke about me in hushed whispers. I shot him a glare before looking away.

"Why is she acting so..different? Did she hit her head or something?"

"I know right? She used to be so quiet...what's her name again?"

"Poor her. She has to sit with him and take care of him. She's probably crying inside."

I laughed as I cried tears of joy. The ignorant can remain ignorant. All that matters is I can be the light in Asher's life, just like he was in mine.