Separate ways

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My life is a life wrought with ups and downs, that of an ordinary boy to that of a respected hero, from someone with friends to enemies, from someone who's life felt never ending and then frighteningly short.
I'm Dominic Smith, or Dom, and mine is a tale worth listening to.

I was born in england year 2000, march 6th. I was among the first children of the new millennia, and I was told I was special, after all the Dom wasn't that common where I come from. I certainly didn't feel special, I came from a middle class family and my friends were either equal or above me in terms of money. Didn't have many friends either, I didn't really understand the joys of going out, playing, shouting, laughing, getting drenched in mud and then having to come back in freezing cold with a scolding from your parents and a bath filled with dirt. No one believes me but I learnt to read before I spoke, and spent long periods of my childhood indoors reading or watching all the nice new channels that were coming out at the time.
When school, my junior school called Greenfield's rolled around I was still much the same, but the teachers praised me for being hardworking and polite when all I did was daydream after finishing the work and never talk, when the brighter students among me had fun after doing the work and were scolded and branded 'naughty children' the same children who teased my inability to understand tricks or other such social interactions.
In other words I muddled through without much purpose in my life, then again I was only about 6 or 7.
Before I knew it I was going to yateley school and continuing much the same way, with most of the same people, too.
Then I met her, that one girl, Amber Rose. Despite her fabulous name she was a girl of a lower class, barely making middle. Despite that she and her family had hearts of gold, and one day... I worked up the courage to talk to her. Incredibly smart, polite... and beautiful. Despite all this, she held herself in little regard. Why, I wonder, when she has so much? Its here I begin my tale.

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At age 15, year 11 I was sitting in class, trying desperately to stay awake during chemistry.
"And so bla bla bla..." The teacher said, as I thought about the plot of a book I was reading at the moment.
I was looking around when Amber's eyes connected with mine, we looked at each other with indifference before she turned back to the teacher, I continued looking for a little while then had someone tap me on the back.
"Get on with your work, thank me later." He said.
I looked at the sheet and wrote down all of the answers.
Returning to my daydream, I began imagining a world without school. What would people do all day?
"Dom, if you've finished the work, please tell me so that I can mark you and give me more work." Said the teacher.
"Sorry sir." I responded, handing sir the sheet.
"Top marks. I'm glad someone listens in class." He said, handing me another sheet.
I blinked, then shrugged. I was used to that.

I walked outside, walking around the school like I regularly did alone because I didn't really talk to people. I just needed to make something with my life, if I talked to one person and no one else, it was going to be Amber. Definitely Amber.
I practically walked into her at that moment, causing her to drop her books.
"Oh, sorry." I said casually as I picked up her books for her.
"Umm, dont you have a bag?" I asked as I handed her her things.
"What, you plan on making fun of me too?" She said sharply, snatching them off me.
"Huh? Why would I make fun of you Amber?" I asked, very confused.
"Because I'm poor, duh." She responded, about to walk away.
"But your... your, I dont know why they'd make fun of you because of that, I mean, you get good grades and work hard..." I responded.
She turned around and looked at me oddly, then sniggered.
"Where have you been for your life?" She asked jokily.
"Uh... England." I responded truthfully.
Her expression softened and she laughed loud, people stared as I looked at her.
"Uhh, am I wrong?" I asked her, genuinely wanting to confirm where I lived.
"Nah, your a pretty naive guy aren't you?" She said, walking up to me and slapping me on the back.
"Ow. I'm Dominic. Smith." I responded automatically.
"Amber Rose. Let me tell you about people..." She said as we walked together, as she told me some things about social interaction.

I had done it, I guess. I talked to her and we managed to strike up a friendship. I began to talk some more as she introduced me to her friends, but those girls were all fake and wore makeup and looked like dolls, some of the boys were nice too. But I dont understand why people wasted their money to look fake. Amber was, I dont know, better, I suppose that is the correct way to describe it. I began to notice her more as we developed our friendship, the brown hair and the black school jumper and skirt. And eyes that were fittingly Amber, that shone like... lemons? And glistened in the sunlight. Of course, I usually told her that staring at the sun was a bad idea. I discovered that we were actually quite similar people. She read books and never listened in class. We'd share each others daydreams and I began to develop myself as a person. So... she gave my life a meaning of some description.
I was overjoyed when I heard that she'd be going to the 6th form college at my school, same as me.

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On the day we'd both be in 6th form college, I noticed that Amber was nowhere in sight. I had guessed that she wasn't around, sick or on holiday, as I hadn't even talked to her over the holidays.
Weeks went by, and I became worried about her. Had she been admitted to hospital, had she moved? I decided to ask my teacher about it.
"Where's Amber?" I asked.
"Who?" Responded the teacher.
I looked down with annoyance and shuffled my feet.
"Amber Rose. She was supposed to be coming to this college." I explained.
The teacher shook her head sorrowfully, and I understood that now was my time to drop the subject.
I was walking home that day to see her, as if searching for her had made her appear. She was walking down the street, looking quite miserable.
"Amber? Where have you been?" I asked.
She looked me up and down like I was a stranger, then recognition flashed into her eyes.
"Dom. You've changed..." She mumbled.
"You seem down."
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? I dont have any prospects... no life ahead of me, just the need to survive and nothing else..." She blurted.
I was at a loss for what to do, I stepped back.
"Why?"
"Oh, your such an idiot." She said, flinging herself into me.
Physical contact? Huh. So thats what you do in these situations.
"I'm... my family is too poor to pay for my education, ok? Just leave me alone, you have no reason to be around someone like me..." She said.
I was at a loss for words. Surely if she was smart enough they'd let her in?
I decided to let her hold me for a little while, and then she wrestled herself away from my grip.
She looked at me, and shook her head in despair like she was looking at some kind of idiot. What did I do wrong? Well, I thought that it was best not to think about it.

I didn't see her after that. Ever, not for a long time. I passed my A-levels with flying colours, really, although I didn't much understand what I was supposedly an expert at, I just remembered lines from text books. Something to do with science.
I was immediately chucked out of the house and my parents spent the savings they were keeping for me on a small house and a cheep car in the next town. Looks like I had my own life now. I had to make decisions. It scared me, but I took a job at a nuclear power plant because it paid well. Really well, actually.
Before long I met someone else. She liked me and she was nice... Alice Barnes. She was kind of like my superior in the job, but I thought of her as an equal.
We began 'dating'. It was ok, she asked me to go out with her to a restaurant or something occasionally and I'd follow suit. Those were happy days.