Hey!! So, I got this huge case of writer's block, and couldn't think of anything to write! But, I think I've fixed it! Things are about to pick up guys! *wink wink* Stick around!
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Upon seeing Katie in the doorway, Knox drops my hand, and I hold it to my chest as it starts to throb again.
Katie glances from Knox to me, to Knox again, before saying in a deathly serious voice, “What is going on in here?”
Knox shrugs nonchalantly, and says, “I came back here to see if Rae was back here, and I scared her. She dropped her coffee and burned herself. I was helping clean it up.”
Katie’s eyes blaze red still. “You left me in the front of the store, without saying anything.”
I watch Knox’s eyes widen in shock and turn gray (confusion), “I told you I was coming back here! You must have not heard me.”
Katie narrows her eyes and “hmph”s rather loudly before turning on her heel and walking out.
I raise my eyebrows and follow after her; it’s almost time to start reading. I pick up the stack of books I chose earlier and settle myself in an armchair near the fire. I grin as I watch parents shove their kids towards the floor where I’m sitting. I can almost hear their thoughts:
“Oh, please sit down. I need five minutes of alone time…”
“Come on, now. You’re shy NOW? Where was that attitude the rest of your life?!”
“Not another tantrum… oh dear…”
My lips twitch in amusement as I wait for the kids to get settled. Some of the parents of the younger kids stay and let their kids sit on their laps, but most leave them to go shop for books. I don’t blame them, these kids don’t look too well behaved.
I start reading, pausing at the end of each page to “Vanna White” the picture on the page as I call it. I perfected reading sideways a long time ago, so that’s never been a problem for me. I notice Knox and Katie out of the corner of my eye working behind the counter. I showed them how to do it briefly, and they seem to have picked it up rather quickly.
I glance out at the sea of kids, and see most of their eyes are purple with happiness. Cool. Every year I get a few pinks though. That’s disgust. Those are normally the kids who’s parents forced them into this. Coincidentally, the misbehaved ones normally.
Probably why the parents forced them into this. So, they could get away from them…
There’s also one little girl with white eyes. White is a color I don’t see too often. It’s one of the colors I can still feel. At the beginning of seeing the colors I could feel the emotions behind every single one. Now it’s just the uncommon colors I can feel.
White is fear.
She must be painfully shy and scared to be left here without her parents.
I continue reading, and keep glancing at her every once in a while. Still white.
I pick the next book with her in mind. Every kid loves dogs right? Well they all should. I pick a story about a dog who thinks it’s a reindeer, and sure enough, a few pages into the book her eyes shift to purple.
Mission accomplished.
I just wish I could fix everyone that easily.
I finish reading to the small children, and their respective parents come back to pick them up. A sigh escapes my lips as the fire starts to wane, the embers glowing their sad “I’m dying, someone stoke me” glow. I poke at them trying to revive it, to no avail.
Oh, well. I’ll be leaving soon anyway.
I notice Katie now looking through books on the shelves and make my way over to her.
“Looking for something specific?” I ask, as her hands glide over the books on the wood.
She shakes her head, blonde hair falling over her shoulders, “Nope, just browsing. Thanks, though.”
I nod, “Sure thing.” The clock above the shelves catch my eye and I scrunch up my nose at it. Ten minutes till closing.
I walk over to Knox, who’s still behind the counter. He’s just sitting, staring at a spot on the wall. I wave my hand in front of his face to get his attention and he jumps a few inches in the air.
“Thanks for helping,” I tell him as I clean up the counter.
Even though my back is turned to him, I can still feel his eyes on me. That always makes me uncomfortable. I turn back just as he says, “You’re welcome.”
His eyes are gray. Confusion.
Why, though?
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“Rae, get your butt out of bed!”
I mumble incoherent curses and burrow further in my warm cocoon of blankets.
“RAVEN KEATING.”
I open one eye to double check what I knew I would see. Ryker is standing beside my bed, looking angry. Christmas. Yay.
“Go away, Ryker. Go open presents by yourself,” I mutter and roll back over.
“You know why I can’t! I don’t want to open presents with mom and dad! It’ll be bearable with you down there! Please!” He whines and pleads.
Christmas morning is one of the best mornings of the year for the standard family. Opening presents with family, listening to Christmas music, and hanging out.
Not in my house.
Christmas normally ends with people yelling and throwing pillows at each other. It’s never fun. I hate it. Not to mention, I’m not a morning person, which only adds to the discomfort of the morning.
I groan miserably as Ryker gives me a puppy dog look.
“Fine,” I moan, “But give me twenty minutes. I’m taking a shower first.”
Ryker’s face lights up and he hugs me, “Thanks! And if I come up here and find that you didn’t take a shower, that you fell asleep again, I will hurt you.”
I roll my eyes and swing my legs off the bed, “Whatever,” I grumble and snag a towel from the closet.
I turn on the hot water as warm as I can physically stand it, and stand under the downpour of water. I lean my head against the cool tile as I remember one Christmas morning many years ago.
“Mommy, open my presents!” a five year old girlish squeal had escaped from my lips without permission.
My mom nodded, looking distracted. She opened the box, revealing a pair of socks I had crocheted myself.
I had spent all my time on those socks for weeks. They were my mom’s favorite color, and I couldn’t wait to see her face when she saw them!
She lifted them out of the box, and bit her lip. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Her eyes.
They were many different colors.
Not one of them was the color for happiness.
I shampoo my hair as I remember that day. Yeah, I was five and I was basically horrible at crocheting. But I had given her that gift from my heart.
And, without knowing it, she had thumbed her nose up at it.
That was the first Christmas that left me in my room crying.
It was the first of many.
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Alright, thanks for reading everyone! Please vote and comment feedback! Voting doesn't take long, and it really motivates me to write more!
~Juliana
YOU ARE READING
Irised
Teen Fiction"That's Knox Parker, Rae." "Thank you Captain Obvious. I know who he is," I roll my eyes and buckle up. "What's wrong?" "That's the biggest jerk at school. He's popular and he knows it, he's good looking and he knows it, he's funny and he knows it...
