Resemblance

They conversed for long till late at night and Jess had slept off on the couch at some point as a result of tiredness.

Zeke slightly tapped him to wake up and helped him back to his room.

He ensured Jess was comfortable before turning to leave, but a faint "good night" from Jess made him pause.

He turned around, his gaze lingering on Jess's serene face.

The lights in the room was very bright even at night, there was one thing he noticed here, it was that Jess doesn't like to turn off the light for any reason.

He couldn't see, yes. But once he gets in a dark room, he will know and would ask to turn on the light.

The bright rays highlighted his features, and for a moment, Zeke was struck by the uncanny resemblance to Abel.

The only distinction was Jess's dark grey hair, which stopped slightly below his shoulders, with some strands resting on his face as he slept.

This particular vision of him could only be seen at night because Jess makes sure that, his hair was always slicked backwards with no single strand out of place.

Every other aspect of Jess's appearance was identical to Abel's - the shape of his eyes, the curve of his mouth, the contour of his features. It was as if Zeke was gazing at Abel's twin.

Even their shared fondness for long hair was evident, although Jess's shoulder-length locks were a far cry from Abel's extremely long tresses.

As Zeke stood there, he made a mental note to address Jess's sight impairment.

With his powers, he could heal Jess's eyes, but he hesitated, wary of arousing suspicion.

He couldn't simply place his hand on Jess's eyes and restore his sight without sparking questions.

The people around him, including Jess, might begin to doubt his true identity, wondering if he was kind of creature impersonating Damion.

But his desire to avoid such complications didn't diminish his willing to help Jess.

He has decided to find a way to restore Jess's sight, and he will find a way do it.

He might disguise as a doctor, tamper with his medicine or anything, there has got to be something he can do.

And in doing so, uncover the truth behind his sight complications, because he knows it wasn't something that just happened out of nowhere.

*******

Yuli's days in school as Diana had returned to a sense of normalcy, with the principal's welcome return bringing a semblance of order to the chaotic halls.

However, it seemed like her peace would be short-lived, as she was summoned to the principal's office to address the lingering fallout from her confrontation with Francine.

Principal Everett's expression was stern as he gestured for Yuli to take a seat. "Diana, I'm sure you're aware of the videos circulating online, depicting your... altercation with Francine. I must say, I'm disappointed, but quite surprised."

Yuli adjusted a little in her seat, her eyes fixed on the principal's desk. He was disappointed? Was there a time he ever regarded Diana? He had no right to say he was disappointed!

She knew he was going to side with the obnoxious Francine, his niece, and had prepared herself for anything.

But to her surprise, the principal seemed impartial, even hinting at a deeper understanding of Francine's notorious behavior.

"I know Francine can be... trying, at times," the principal said, his tone measured.

"And I'm not naive to the fact that she's been involved in several incidents of bullying. But I also believe that you, Diana, have shown remarkable restraint in the face of her provocations."

Yuli's mouth slightly formed an O shape in surprise. She had expected the principal to be biased, but instead, he seemed determined to handle the case fairly.

As the principal continued to discuss the details of the incident, Yuli's mind briefly wandered to Ryder, when he was mentioned, the notorious bully who had previously made her life miserable.

But after she had stood up to him and humiliated him in public, he had stopped coming to school.

It was as if he couldn't bear to face her, or the rest of the school, after being so thoroughly defeated.

Didn't Alice say that he might make a comeback with his dad? Well, She was kind of.. waiting for them.

But they'd better not cross paths with her carelessly.

The principal's voice snapped Yuli back to attention, and she straightened up, ready to face whatever consequences lay ahead, or.. not even face it.

But to her surprise, the principal's expression had softened, and he was looking at her with a hint of proudness.

"Diana, I think you've shown remarkable courage and resilience in the face of adversity. And I believe that you deserve a second chance. So, I'm willing to let you off with a warning this time."

Yuli's gave a small smile to the principal, relieved that he didn't try to make things hard for her, which would probably make her break some more rules.

The principal nodded at her. "But let me make one thing clear: I expect you to continue showing the same level of maturity and responsibility that you've demonstrated so far. Can I trust that you'll do that, Diana?"

Yuli's eyes sparkled with sarcasm as she smirked. "Same level of maturity and responsibility... or do you mean same dumbness and weakness, being the easy pushover I was before?"

Principal Everett's expression turned thoughtful, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded Yuli.

"I must say, Diana, I'm quite surprised at your change. Nowadays, you seem very smart and look like a promising student. Not initially, of course - we all know what you were like then." He paused.

"Oh, so you do" Yuli folded her arms and nodded knowingly before he continued with a hint of a smile on his face.

"But now, I think it's quite for the best. You've had a positive change in you, and I must admit, I'm impressed."

Yuli raised an eyebrow, with defiance in her voice. "Principal Everett, I didn't change so you'd be impressed though."

He stared at her for a few seconds without saying anything and Yuli continued "Infact I didn't change.. I just became... some girl.." She trailed off.

Principal Everett's expression turned thoughtful, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded Yuli.

"Well, perhaps that's true. But I like that girl you've become. And one thing is certain, Diana, you've shown remarkable improvement and maturity during the past weeks. And I must say, I'm pleased to see that."

Yuli snorted, a wry smile on her face. "Thanks Principal Everett, but save it. I know I am cool." She shrugged.

"Alright, you may leave" He dismissed her.

Yuli stood up and made for the door. She twisted the knob, opened it, and paused, turning back to look at Principal Everett.

"Oh, and one more thing," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You might want to consider putting Francine and her crazy gang on a leash. She's behaving like a rabid dog, and someone needs to teach her some manners." She paused and smiled.

"Also, I wouldn't mind giving more free lessons to her if she wouldn't know better than to come trouble me."

With that parting shot, Yuli opened the door and walked out, leaving Principal Everett wondering where the audacity came from.

He decided to finally call Francine to order this time, he can't continue having her misbehave around the school.