Live in Color

four- amber

The next period pass by quickly, and lunch finds Jamie, Mitchell, Cole and I in the library, our backpacks hidden underneath us as we sneak in bites of our lunch as we study. Our librarian, an old German woman likes to lose her mind over things like food and drinks in her beloved library, but there's no way in hell I'm skipping a meal. I may not have been feeling myself lately but that doesn't mean I'm willing to give up food.

Jamie is stressing over the test- she stresses over everything- while Cole just tries to understand the basic concepts he never got a grasp on in class (which basically means he slept through lessons). Mitchell mostly just leans back and laughs at us since he doesn't have chemistry.

With five minutes left of lunch, we begin to pack up. As we do, I hear Mitchell's voice ask me, "I'm guessing you know your stuff, huh?"

I turn to him, furrowing my eyebrows. "Hm?"

"You didn't study," he murmurs unsurely. He seems confused, and if there's on thing I know about Mitchell is that he doesn't like to be confused.

"Oh," I mutter. "Is it bad if I said I don't really care at this point?"

Mitchell gains back his confident demeanour at my reply and laughs wholeheartedly, "Of course not, it's basically the story of my life." Mitchell shoulder bumps me, "Good luck."

He walks ahead to meet up with Cole while Jamie makes her way beside me. My eyes discreetly stay focused on the scars at the base of his neck that slightly peek up the collar of his shirt and through his collarbone. To everyone else they look white against grey skin, but to me they're a pinkish white. I wonder why scars are that color. I know that blood is a pure red, I discovered that cutting vegetables a month ago. Maybe it's just the way the skin heals? Maybe I'll ask my mom about it tonight.

Chemistry is a stressful period. I don't know a thing on that test, and I come out of it with a definite feeling that I failed. I head to my last period class alone since we're all split up for our last period and put my books down with a sigh. I really just want to go home and sleep.

"Natalie?" Mr. Owen, my calculus teacher calls me up to his desk. Anticipation almost makes me clutch my stomach thinking what he may want from me. Am I in trouble? I know I said I didn't care but I don't want my parents to disown me. "Would you mind running this down to the office for me?"

I stare at the papers he's shoving at me, blinking a couple of times before muttering, "Oh. Yeah, sure."

I take the papers and almost scurry out of the classroom before I catch myself. Maybe this small walk will help. I really need to just get away from a classroom environment at this point. Hopefully this will give me a small breather that will do me enough good to get through last period.

I put a fake smile on my face when I walk into the office, walking up to the front desk. The secretary from behind the desk smiles at me as she gets up, walking over to get the papers from me. "Good afternoon, Natalie. Are those from Mr. Owen?"

"Yup," I say, handing her the papers. She smiles at me, her red-lipstick-coated lips tugging upwards in a closed-lipped grin.

"You're in his class this period, right?" she asks me. When I nod, she turns back to another teacher and says, "Natalie is in his class, she can take Jericho up." The secretary turns back to me, "Looks like your class has a new student who just came in. Do you mind showing him up?"

"Of course not," I smile.

"Great!" she grins. "Just give me a moment." The secretary disappears behind the wall into a room, probably to get the new student. I sigh, leaning my weight on one leg while I wait. It's not long before the secretary comes back out with the new student and suddenly everything in my body just freezes. I don't breathe, my heart doesn't beat and my blood doesn't flow.