Chasing Blue

Chapter Eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
INDIGO

My alarm clock pulls me out of my dream, bright and early on Tuesday. I groan and roll over, slamming my hand down onto the hell-sent device. Yesterday, I had class after class. And today, I have to be at my internship from eight until four. I set my alarm for six thirty last night, having the grand idea at a late eleven thirty, that I wanted too look nice for whatever today decided to bring me.

My eyes drift back shut of their own accord, and it's with great strength and determination that I open them back up, and throw the blankets off of my legs.

I head to the bathroom and dig through one of the drawers, in search of my straightener. It's buried deep, but once I find it, I plug it in.

My own reflection emits a grimace from me as I catch it in the mirror. I look like someone who drank until lung failure and then some. I didn't even drink yesterday, but the amount of thinking that has been happening inside my poor head . . . Maybe I am hungover, in a sense.

Getting ready takes much longer than I would like, probably because I'm too busy thinking about my mom's advice. It feels wrong to go on a date, knowing how Kolby feels about me, and how I think I feel about him. But I can't get hurt again. And though I believe with my whole heart that Kolby would never treat me the way Greer did, I didn't think Greer was as capable of hurting me as he was, either. If Greer Evans taught me anything, it's that I need to learn how to put me first.

I decide on a simple dress. It's ivory in color, with sleeves that tie at the elbows. Sadie calls it my Mary Jane dress. I think it's adorable, paired with some cute brown boots. Oh yeah, I am the definition of cute and put together. I glance at my clock. I am also the definition of late.

I get there in record time, park, curse living in Illinois as I walk from the parking lot to the building. It's so cold, and there's even a chance of snow. The building is decked out in Valentines day decor, pink, red, lace, hearts. As far as the eye can see, a celebration of love.

My mood deflates almost instantly.

I had almost forgotten the special holiday literally in two days. It had hardly even really crossed my mind. Probably because I've been doing, roughly, the opposite of celebrating love. I make myself take a deep breath, and then I walk past the front desk, and up the stairs, to my office.

When I sit down, there's already a stack of papers beside my keyboard. Curious, I reach forward and grab the top one off of the stack. On it, is a name, an address, an age, and a plethora of personal information about one Kaity Herring. I grab the next off the stack, and it's a similar situation, so is the next, and the next. I frown. Okay, I think to myself, applications, but what for?

"Oh good, you're here."

I jump and frantically look up. I relax slightly as I see Mr. Quincy's familiar face. Today, he is dressed very casually, in only a pair of jeans and a polo shirt.

"Yes, yes," I say, my heart beating a million miles a minute in my chest. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Mr. Quincy shrugs, "Most interns call it quits after the first week."

"Oh, Mr. Quincy," I begin, but he cuts me off with a hand raised towards me.

"Henry," he says, nodding, "I want you to call me Henry."

I must make an odd face, because he chuckles, and adds, "Mr. Quincy makes me feel old, like I'm my father, or something."

Right. "Well, then, Henry, why would I quit? I've worked really hard for this."

"Most kids want to be an instructor right out the gate. They don't like the idea of playing receptionist first." He fiddles with one of his belt loops, when i don't say anything,He crosses his arms, and leans against the door frame. If i wasn't so caught up on Kolby, I would think he's hot.

"So," he says, but then trails off, as if expecting me to fill in the silence. But with what, I don't know.

So, I just mimic him, "So."

He sighs, and looks down at his ankles, which he has crossed, so that his entire body weight is on the door frame. Then, he pinches the bridge of his nose, and when he speaks, he speaks to the toes of his shoes, "Any grand Valentines day plans?"

I scoff, shaking my head, "No, no, I uh, well, I don't have anyone to have plans with, I guess you could say." I could have plans, I almost add, but I still feel like Kolby needs to make me feel like I can believe him, one hundred percent. Greer really fucked me up, didn't he?

Henry looks up then, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "No? Well, I would think a pretty girl like you would definitely have a line of suitors."

I blush at the compliment. "Not this year."

"Would you be interested in one? A Valentines day plan, that is,"He says, but he seems hestiant, and he stutters as he talks, throwing in odd umms.

I lock eyes with him, "Are you asking me to be your Valentines date?"

He nods, super slow, "Nothing too fancy," he's quick to tell me, "Just friends, for now, yeah? Some food and a movie?"

I smile. A date -- food, a movie, on Valentines day, no less. "I think I'd like that."

• • •

When I get back from lunch, with a group of fellow interns, and, of course, a certain manager, I am all smiles What started as a kind of blah day, has turned into a fantastic one. One, I'm following my mom's advice to a tee, two, it's with a hot guy, and three, there's a bouquet of flowers sitting on my desk as I open up the door.

They're in a blue vase. There's a wide variety of flowers, but they all have one thing in common, their all shades of blue, purple, or, even, indigo. My heart does a twist in my chest as I recognize my favorite flower of all time -- Blue False Indigo's. They look kind of like vines, but with indigo-colored blooms stemming from them. I think it's pretty obvious why I favor them so much, and there's only a select few people in the world who knows they're my favorite.

Slowly, I approach the vase. There's a note attached to the neck of the vase. I go to grab it, and realize my hand is shaking something awful.

Ignoring it, I pluck the note from the vase, and flip it open. In Kolby's chicken scratch, it reads:

Roses are red,

Indigo is you,

There nothing I would not do,

To prove my love for you.

- Kolby

I stare open-mouthed. God, I'm an awful person, aren't I? I'm going on a date with some guy I've barely known tomorrow, when the guy I actually like is sending my flowers and love notes. My mom's voice echoes in my head, telling me to see how far Kolby will go. After all, if he wanted to, he would, right? How far is too far? At which point do I become as bad as Greer? Worse than?

I sit down with a sigh.

a/n: hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii pls don't hate me!

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