The Color Of You

Chapter 2

Your mother shed tears of joy when the acceptance letter from Columbia University arrived. It was so rare for her to show you any form of affection that you couldn't help but cling to her, soaking up the chance to feel her approval. Leaving high school and your hometown was something you had dreamed of ever since Yelena had moved away, but you couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

Your father had saved up money for college since you were young, and you knew your mother had always been resentful of the fact that he chose to put the money into savings for your education rather than giving her the life she desperately wanted. He had arranged for you to get a room close to the university, and even if you had to share a room with a complete stranger, you hoped this would be your fresh start where no one knew you. You could shed the image of the girl who was the outcast with gum in her hair and the prime candidate for cruel pranks.

You and Yelena had been texting ever since it was time to apply for colleges, and you couldn't wait to let her know you would come to New York where she was. You wouldn't admit to your mother or father that you had only applied to colleges in New York to be close to Yelena again.

"Hey, Ducky," Yelena greeted you as you called her, and you rolled your eyes.

"I've already told you to not use that nickname," you grumbled. Nevertheless, you relaxed on the bed, pleased by the fact that everything between you and Yelena felt just as normal. Yelena hadn't changed, and your friendship remained steadfast.

"Oh, come on. You loved it when Nat used to call you that. But when I do, you bite my head off," she snorted through the phone.

"Whatever...." you mumbled before continuing more cheerfully, "So, the reason I called was because I got the letter from Columbia."

"And?" Yelena asked, and you didn't have to see her to know she was smiling.

"I got in," you answered, and you couldn't help but laugh at the end, still unable to fathom that you got in.

"Hell yeah! I knew you would be accepted. I told you that, didn't I?" she cheered.

"Yeah, you did," you chuckled, smiling as you looked down at the acceptance letter in your hand.

"We will finally be together again." you could hear rustling in the background while you hummed happily in reply.

"Where will you live?" she asked while munching on something.

"Well, I got a shared dorm room." you answered while caressing the letter with the tip of your finger.

"Gross, oh well. I will be staying with Nat in her house. I hate her wife, but whatever," Yelena grumbled.

You froze at Yelena's words. Natasha is married? Wait, Natasha is a married to a woman? You had so many questions.

"Wife?" you managed to stutter out, squeezing your eyes shut in embarrassment.

"Mmm. Yeah, she got married like 4 years ago. Well, actually not long after I moved," Yelena said with a hum.

"You never told me," you said quietly, wondering why you felt so weird about the notion of Natasha being married. Sure, you loved being around her when you were younger, but you were Yelena's friend, not Natasha's. It made sense you weren't invited to her wedding, but you thought it would be something Yelena would tell you.

"Well, I always thought it wouldn't last. Considering they got married like six months after they met, and her wife is weird. But now it's almost 5 years, so apparently she must really love the psycho," Yelena grumbled, and it sounded as though she had moved on from whatever she had been eating to a bag of chips.