Neurosistale

Chapter Seven

FADED GOLD

(July 4, 2012) (Tamuz 14) (Wednesday)

Chara looked around. She thought back to her farm, to the huge field. This time of year, the wheat would be nearly four feet tall, swallowing her from sight. And despite it being green, almost brown, Chara would see nothing but color as she ran through it. Rainbows in every direction. Constant reminders of God's promise to Noah: the earth would never be flooded again.

She blinked back to the present. Grey and lifeless. The most disappointing part was she was used to it by now. She'd rather not be sad, though. Tonight they would go hiking, and she would see the color again.

Chara skipped down the sidewalk, singing loudly the same song she sung every year on this day: America the Beautiful. She made sure to sing loud and proud. America wasn't perfect, but it was from God. It said so in the pledge, something she was glad to repeat daily in school. It said so in the National Anthem, which her and her father would sing on their hike. It did in almost every song she had learned. People just never sing far enough into the song to realize it.

"Chara!"

The girl stopped to look around for the voice. It was. . . Kade? She ran over to him. "Why are you wearing glasses."

"They're cool, aren't they?!"

Chara hopped onto the curb between the grass and the wood chips in the playground. "You look weird with them. But in a good way. You should keep them." She stuck her arms out, trying to balance as she walked across the curb. Kade walked next to her, talking. She almost lost her balance and she swung toward the playground.

Kade froze as he watched Chara's arm swoosh up, past his face, then come back down as she regained balance. Was she trying to knock him out?

Chara giggled at his shocked face, "sorry."

"It's okay."

"You were talking about how you got glasses?"

"Mhm. I was playing with Austin and fell from a tree."

"You need to stop doing dangerous things."

"You climb trees!"

"I grew up climbing trees!"

"We're both kids! We haven't grown up at all."

"That's not true. My dad says I'm more grown up than old kids he sees around town."

"That's because old kids haven't grown up either. That's why they're still KIDS."

"That doesn't change I'm still more grown up."

"Whatever." After a few seconds of standing there, Kade blinked, "what were we talking about?"

"You have a concussion!"

"No I don't!"

"Do you even know what a concussion is?"

"No."

"It's when you hit your head really hard. Like falling from a tree and hitting your head!"

"That's how I got glasses!"

"That's how you get a concussion!"

"Aw, look at my brother and his girlfriend," Austin teased, "fighting like a cute couple!"

"Uhhh, EWW!!" Kade whined, pushed Chara away from him, "THAT'S GROSS!!"

Chara, slightly surprised at the push, stumbled down the short step into the wood chips.