Live in Color

seven - orange

When I finally manage to dodge and push my way through the obnoxious crowd of teenagers and reach Jamie, she's already leaning against the lockers, talking casually with Jericho. I groan out loud, the noise getting lost in the conversations around me. Hiding from their sight, I debate whether or not to join their conversation. If I do, then I'll have to talk to Jericho. If I don't, though, I'll have absolutely zero control of what comes out of Jamie's mouth and meets Jericho's ears, which makes me feel uneasy.

After a couple more seconds of waiting, I finally gather enough courage to approach the two. As soon as I come into view, both of their eyes snaps to me. Jamie's face brightens, as if she's happy I'm here, while Jericho just looks cornered and uncertain upon seeing me. His tongue flickers over his top lip apprehensively before turning his head to look away from me.

"Natalie!" Jamie beams. "Nice of you to join us. I was just explaining to Jericho here what I had told you before."

"And I was telling her to mind her own business," Jericho snaps back.

I feel anger bubbling inside of me from hearing someone talking to my best friend like that, but Jamie just laughs sweetly. "Cute," she clicks her tongue. "But your business happens to be my best friend's business, which means it's my business. So I am minding my own business. Isn't it great how that works?"

Jericho rolls her eyes at Jamie's antics. He shoulders his backpack, trying to move around Jamie, but she sidesteps to move in front of him. He sighs, exasperated. "Are you going to move?"

"Nope!"

Jericho's jaw clenches. He turns his amber eyes to look at me. Every time they had glanced at me before, there seemed to be some sort of life in there, but now they're just cold. "You seriously want to talk about this? Tell her to leave."

I swallow, but don't reply or move.

Jericho groans out loud, dropping his backpack on the floor when he realizes he's not going anywhere. "This is ridiculous. Fine, okay, let's talk. Soulmates are stupid and pointless. Great talk, can I leave?"

Jamie rolls her eyes, "See, that's where you're wrong."

"No," Jericho argues defensively. "That's where all of you are ignorant."

"Jesus," I scoff at his bitter tone. "What crawled up your ass and died? Calm down, this isn't a trial, you're not defending your freedom. We just need to talk."

Although Jericho doesn't seem pleased with my words, he does significantly relax after exhaling deeply. He obviously really doesn't want to be here- standing in the hall after school with the two of us- and frankly, neither do I. But if Jamie is right about rejection causing depression, then I know something needs to be done.

Finally, I begin slowly, "I don't want to go insane in the future. Especially not because of you."

Jericho bites down on his lip- which I'd appreciate if he didn't, because I don't want to be distracted right now- and mumbles, "I don't either."

"Well then you two have to work something out," Jamie says as if that's the answer to everything. When we look at her doubtfully, she continues, "Look, you two obviously don't like each other. But you still are each other's other half. If you're not going initiate a proper soulmate relationship, then at least try to be friends. You guys will need to be around each other in or the effects of rejection will just keep settling in, at least for now. The future will play itself out."

"We can't stand each other," I blatantly point out. "I don't think being friends is that great of an idea."

"Try," Jamie insists. "If anything, it'll be a great acting exercise."