Live in Color

nine - pink

The next couple of weeks are... weird. Jericho and I are no longer avoiding each other like a plague, and thankfully, are actually trying out this whole 'friend' thing. Despite trying though, I have to admit that we're failing pretty spectacularly. We manage to get ourselves into arguments at least once a day that are the result of us attempting to talk to each other. I don't know why I bother- more than half of the time I'm left wanting to wring his neck from frustration.

The other times when we do talk and it doesn't end in a fight, though, Jericho seems decent. He can keep up a conversation easily and is actually fairly easy to talk to. Well, at least I feel like he would be because with the strain in this 'relationship' we're working on, it's kind of hard to open up to the guy. He's so closed off, it's like he'd rather be lowered six-feet under before spilling his feelings to someone.

Besides that, it's been quiet. I'm still not feeling as depressed as before, although I haven't exactly been happy-go-lucky either. Jericho hasn't answered us still as to what happened the night of the protest to make him so late to school. He doesn't really tell us much at all, come to think of it. There's no more protests or other chaotic activities going on in town. Things are toned down and manageable- peaceful.

That doesn't last long.

It's a Wednesday in first period- the worst day of the week in the worst period of the day. It's Mitchell's seventeenth birthday so he's not in the class for the first half because of the ceremony. Jamie is twirling a pencil in her hand, not even bothering to pretend to do the work assigned to us, watching Cole and I play tic tac toe. Just when Cole and I are begin to start a new game, Mitchell walks in.

Cole grins brightly at him as Mitchell approaches, "Happy birthday, dude!" They fist bump and Mitchell sits down in his seat, turning to face us.

"Happy birthday, Mitch," Jamie smiles at him, and I repeat the phrase to him as well.

Mitchell receives a couple of more happy birthdays, causing for him to smile and thank everyone while he takes out his stuff from his backpack. He turns to us, resting his cheek on his fist as he scans over mine and Cole's games with furrowed eyebrows. I tap his arm, grabbing his attention.

"How was the ceremony?" I ask.

Mitchell beams, "No blood sacrifices!"

"Wow!" Cole exclaims sarcastically. Mitchell rolls his eyes and smacks his arm. "No, but seriously. It went fine, right? Because you were so freaked out to go."

Jamie rolls her eyes, "Are you serious?"

"It was nerve-wracking not knowing what I was getting myself into!" Mitchell argues, causing us to laugh. "No, but really; it was fine. Kind of cool, honestly. I just don't know if it was worth seventeen years of hype."

Cole hums, "That's so true."

"Yeah. What's the work?"

I name him off the pages and question. Mitchell nods, opening his notebook and reaching for his pencil case. He groans, giving up and asking, "Does anyone have a pencil?"

Jamie bites down on her bottom lip. "I think I do," she says before going off to look in her pencil case.

"How's things with Jericho?" Cole asks me in the meantime.

I had ended up telling Cole and Mitchell everything about the situation I'm stuck in. Now that I'm no longer completely depressed and void of human emotions, I feel pretty bad leaving my friends out- the people I know genuinely care about me- and decide to just let them know. Of course, because Cole and Mitchell are amazing human beings (albeit annoying at times, but I forgive them), they don't judge at all.