Gold That Appears To Be Silver

Chapter II: True Colours

~Follow your own rainbow instead of following the rainbows of others and you'll might find your own jar of gold

After class, I hastily leave the classroom without sparing a glance at Taylor. It's not like we have magically become friends. I just decided to tolerate her.

I attend my other classes without any drama, except for the drama that is always making its appearance inside my head.

After my last class, walk on my own with my bag draped over my shoulder to the bus stop. I take one fast look at the sign and it states that all the buses are cancelled starting at 15:30.

Dread is spreading through me since I really dislike walking and anything that has to do with using my muscles. I immediately come to a halt when a motorcycle is stopping in front of me.

I look up and recognize the unflattering features of Taylor's face beneath her bright pink helmet.

She gestures for me to sit behind her, so I hesitantly obey. Her motorcycle is just as pink as her helmet, which makes it even more off-putting aside from it being a motorcycle. They scare the shit out of me, I do not even like being dependent of the driver of a bus. Imagining what it must feel like to sit behind someone who is directly in control of your movement, I always promised myself to never put myself in such a position. But here I am, sitting on the most ridiculous motorcycle with the most ridiculous girl I have ever met.

'Hello, Jay,' she greets me and I immediately dislike it. It's better than the other nicknames I have been sporting, sure, but I just wished she would not call me anything at all.

She laughs a little at my lack of response. I can add her laugh also to my dislike-list; it sounds like the screech of a crow. She offers me her second very pink helmet, which I put on rather clumsily. I feel rather embarrassed, since I have a reputation to maintain.

'Where do I drop you off?' she asks me, not impressed by the murderous look I just gave her.

'Rosestreet 26, it's near that big park,' I tell her.

Taylor nods and the engine lets out a big roar when she starts speeding up. A shriek almost escapes me, but I manage to hold it in. Taylor talks above the noise of her motorcycle to reassure me that she is an excellent motor rider. 

We both remain quiet during the ride, until we have arrived at my home. I step off her motorcycle and give her her hideous helmet back. She stares at me with her brown doll-eyes, patiently waiting for what I'm about to say.

'Thanks for the ride. I owe you one,' I thank her and I can even muster up a tiny smile for her.

'No problem. Is there any chance that if I will talk to you tomorrow, you will talk back?'

I give her a sincere smile. 'You are stepping over the line. I'd rather make eye contact with Mr Thrayne during class tomorrow.'

I give her a nod as to say goodbye and unlock my door after I have finally found the right key through the jungle of keychains. 

I'm immediately being greeted by both of my parents, their faces expressing nothing but affection towards me. I only respond with a soft "Hi". The two of them are the most hideous people I have ever seen in my excessive long life of seventeen years.

Their faces are both grown with thick, hairy warts and thick hairs themselves. Aside from that, my mother owns  the most greasy, thin hair that has ever existed. My father is entirely bald with thick, ugly veins instead of hair.

If they look like that from the inside, what does it make me? Do I carry any of their genes inside my own reflection?

I have never discovered why my parents look like that. For me, they've always been good parents. They are busy people, sure, but they have never actually given me a reason to distrust them aside from the way I can perceive them.

'How was school?' my mother asks, whilst I was being distracted by a flea that jumped from her hair.

'School was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary,' I answer flatly.

'Jaydee, you're always at home. It's understandable and healthy that you don't want to stay at home with your parents. Why don't you ever meet up with friends?' my mother asks out of the blue, while exchanging a gaze with my father, who hasn't said anything yet. This isn't a rare occurrence, my mother always talks as my father always observes until it gets out of hand. He always takes the upper hand when the situation gets too heightened.

'I do have plans for my free time. I want to apply for a job as a waitress at "The Eye Of The Tiger". Furthermore, there are no nice people at my school. I will have to wait until I'm going to college to meet up with friends I like,' I tell them.

'You'll have to know which college you want to attend if that is the case. But I think it is a great idea that you are applying for a job,' my mother says while stroking her hairy chin.

Relieved that I am off the hook, I go to my bedroom and remain there for the rest of the day.

The next day is filled with school again. I try to tell myself that it will be over soon enough, in hope that'll help. But just like putting a plaster on a scar, it will never work.

I discover that I have English, which is one of the least worse subjects at school. Alex also has it with me, which makes me more interested in attending. Maybe I can learn more about my gift if I can learn more about her.

Unfortunately, I also share English with one of Alex's unflattering friends who claims the seat next to her.

So I'm alone, although you don't hear me complaining. Our teacher is starting the lesson with the most feared words in history: 'We are going to do a project surrounding the assignment that we have spoken about before. I'll make the pairs. Don't whine because you can't work together with your best friend this time. We want everything written in correct English, obviously.'

I am not very affected by this, since partnering up for group's assignments has always been something I dreaded. Usually, I am left with the least popular person in class who also happens to be the most ugly of them all.

'I will reveal who will work together right now, so listen carefully. I'm not going to repeat it. Kate and Megan. Tom and Lilly. Charlie and Devon. Alex and Miranda...' he begins and I focus on when my name is being called.

'Flynn and Jaydee. And last but not least, Corwin and Jamie.'

I make eye contact with the so called "Flynn the King", who's seated next to Alex. He's unsightly, hence I immediately regret taking a look at him at all.

His meaty lips are curling up in a smile that makes me want to butcher it and feed it to the holy cows themselves.

I give Flynn the King my middle finger, forgetting that we are in a classroom with about thirty witnesses. Twenty-eight of those thirty witnesses are yelling and whistling.

One of the two silent ones opens his mouth: 'That will be an interesting paper to read.' It gains the teacher a few chuckles.

When class is over, I am not sure how fast my legs want to take me out of the enclosed space. A soft grip on my arm prevents me from giving in to that urge. I flinch from the sudden contact and rapidly pull my arm out of the owner's hand. A twist in my stomach makes its appearance as I recognize the identity of the grabby person.

'You didn't have to embarrass him like that in front of the whole class, Jaydee,' Alex says, with flames that are becoming more intense within every second in her blue green eyes.

'You don't even know him. He is a great guy who has been through a lot.'

I give her a "look". 

'Are you sure of that? I don't care about his struggles, he is not a good person.'

I scoff at Alex for trying to put me back in order, especially since she does not know who he truly is. I can see his true colours and they are telling me to keep him at arm's length.