Grayscale

Chapter eight-More Photos

I'm walking home from school and what do you know, that black Holden comes rolling up beside me again.

The vehicle and I both come to a stop. The window rolled down to reveal Cassidy.

"Hey Stranger, could I kidnap you for a little?" smiles Cassidy.

I get into the car, only to say "I've never been kidnapped before but I don't think you're doing it right."

This of course results with a punch in the arm from Cassidy. I rub my arm as I pout at her. She only rolls her eyes at me.

I turn up the radio and smile as I begin to serenade Cassidy.

"You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright light

Feeling pretty psyched

It's the end of the world as we know it"

I laugh as Cassidy starts yelling the lyrics at the top of her lungs.

"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT, AND I FEEL FINE"

One again, we are met with strange looks be passersby.

We soon arrive at a small blue house on the outskirts of town. Cassidy parks the car in the rocky driveway behind a nice red Cadillac.

Cassidy notices me eyeing the Cadi.

"It's my brothers. He LOVES cars. Hes got a mustang too. It's in the shed," she explains to me.

When we reach the front door, Cassidy doesn't hold back on what must be a daily routine for her.

"HONEY, I'M HOME!" Cassidy confidently yells out, flinging open the door.

I cock my head at her in confusion. It's not long before the dots get connected though. I watch as a blonde Labrador comes bounding up the hallway towards us and jumps up at Cassidy, almost knocking her over. Honey must be the name of the dog.

After Cassidy and Honey finish their greeting, We head to a back room behind the staircase.

"Welcome to my art room," Cassidy smiles as she plonks herself on a paint splattered stool.

I wonder around the room before sitting down. A ray of artwork fill the walls. The bench was an explosion of colours. A large window sat above the bench top displaying a pleasant scenery. Mugs stuffed with pencils and glass jam jars filled with anything but jam. The room held the perfect atmosphere for any artist.

I looked to Cassidy. She was staring at me with yet another stupid smile on her face. She must have been able to tell what I was thinking.

She reached into her backpack a pulled out the silver camera.

"Oh no...really again?" I moaned.

Cassidy only nodded in reply.

Click!

Cassidy looked down at the photo she had just taken. She turned the camera to show me.

"It's beautiful," she exclaimed.

"uh, are you blind? That's a terrible photo. I'm not even smiling," I begin to point out.

"That's the point, you useless paperclip! You look tired and unhappy. It shows your grayscale world but one day, even if it takes me a million years, I promise to make your world a burst of colour. In the meantime, I would like to take photos of you and paint them to show our progress," Cassidy explained as she took another photo.

I briefly sat there thinking things over before opening my mouth.

"Y-you want to-to help me?"

Click!

She enthusiastically nodded back in response from behind the camera.

The ends of my mouth began to curl up into a smile ever so slightly.

Cassidy must have noticed because she was quick to take another photo.