Seeing in Color

Two

Annabeth

I woke up before my alarm went off. I don't even think I slept that night. I stayed up studying and reading, going over my schedule to make sure everything was nailed into my brain so I wouldn't forget anything the next day.

I know it sounds crazy, but that's the way I unwind and relax. 

I woke to artificial light seeping through my thick grey curtains and bouncing off my laptop screen. I blinked the glare away and sighed, peeling my face off a textbook page and slamming the book closed. Surrounded by textbooks, novels, American literature, and numerous folders filled with notes, I twisted around in my bed to glance at my alarm clock.

5:45.

Larry!

My neighbor always left for work early in the morning, and as he pulled out of his driveway in his police car, the lights would flood into my bedroom, which happened to face his house, and wake me up. I was starting to get used to the early start of the day, even though it was just thirty minutes before my usual alarm.

I was a morning bird, yes, but I only am because of the stress of my academic demand and the need for a college tuition.

And coffee.

I turned on my owl lamp, groaning at its harsh light, and flipped off the side of the bed, landing in a pile of laundry I hadn't yet folded and stashed away in my dresser. I reached forward and grabbed the handle to a dresser drawer, pulling it towards me. Using only the touch of fabric on my fingers, I snatched up a plain grey V-neck. Sitting up and slipping it over my torso, I looked around for jeans to swap with my ratty Star Trek pajama shorts.

Just then the door to my room opened. I looked up to see a very tired, very annoyed cousin peek through the doorframe and rub his eyes. I nearly laughed out loud at the sight of his Ninja Turtles fleece pajamas and messy mop of golden hair. His grey eyes were droopy and sleep-deprived.

"Morning," Magnus staggered past me and flopped down on my bed, shoving the textbooks and papers to the side. My younger cousin curled up in my dark grey covers, coughing and blinking sleep out of his eyes, and glanced around my room. "Seems like you haven't unpacked much."

I nodded, my eyes flickering around the small yet comforting, cozy room I now called home. I hadn't unpacked my boxes in several weeks, but I didn't feel the need to.

"You ready for school?" My tired cousin yawned and flipped through some of my notes. He brought his fist to his mouth and coughed.

"You mean, ready for him?" I chuckled. "I can handle it, Mag. You worry about yourself and your own problems. You haven't even gone over you schedule yet or studied one bit! You will not be ready for college."

"That's three years away," Magnus laid down and stared at the rays of light dancing across the dull white ceiling. "And who says I'm going?" He mumbled under his breath and coughed.

I nearly had whiplash, I turned my head so fast.

"I say so!" I stood and put my hands on my hips. "I am all you've got left, buddy, and I won't be letting you waste away in your bedroom, away from people and problems. Finish high school, get your diploma, attend college, get a degree..."

Magnus mouthed the words as I recited them, coughing in between sentences. I know he hated the fact that I was right, but he didn't say anything after my speech. He just sighed and rolled off the bed, straightening up and walking past me to the door. I rolled my eyes at how tall he was. A year younger than me, and he's already surpassed my five foot six by several inches.

Cousins. Sometimes, they're worse than brothers.

I closed the door behind him and changed into blue jeans, slipping on my slate grey Converse high-tops. Sighing once more at the stack of clothes I had to put away after school, I opened my door and walked out. The hallway was dark, the only light to be seen down a few feet at my cousin's bedroom door. The sound coughing came from his room. I stepped carefully into the kitchen and fumbled for the light switch. The florescent light came flickering on, and the chill of the icy air welcomed me as I opened the freezer. Searching with my eyes for the small brown box of breakfast sandwiches, I heard more coughing.

"You know," I said as I used my hand to toss a few bags of ice and boxes of frozen meals out of the way in search of breakfast. "You don't sound too healthy. Maybe you should check your temperature."

"Already on it," I heard Magnus call from the direction of the bathroom.

"Hey, where's the box of breakfast sandwiches?" I yelled, shutting the freezer and opening the fridge, hoping to find anything to eat. Alas, it was in vain.

More coughing and the sound of a nose being blown.

"That better be a tissue and not my bath towel."

"I have a fever, and the symptoms of a cold," Magnus walked in, a box of tissues in one hand and a thermometer in the other. "I should stay home today.  Oh, and I finished off the sandwiches yesterday."

I slammed the fridge shut. He did look sick: His eyes were puffy, and his nose was redder than the tomato I spotted in the drawer of the fridge. "I'll have to get any assignments from your friends."

"Or you could just get some from my teachers," Magnus plopped down at the table.

"Ah-ah-ah!" I shooed him away. "People eat at this table! You're infecting it and everything you've touched today. Go lay down and rest."

"But what will I do all day?" Magnus complained as I led him down the hall to his room.

"I don't know. Nap," I shoved him into his room, starting to close the door as I finished speaking. "Read a book, watch porn."

"Porn?" Magnus coughed again. "I don't- "

"Whatever just don't leave the house and don't infect the living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, even the hallway! J-just stay in your room!" I slammed the door shut.

"But what if I have to pee?" He croaked through the door.

"Open a window! I haven't watered the shrubs in weeks. I bet they're thirsty!" I chuckled and walked down the hallway to my room. Shuffling through my textbooks, I stuffed the ones I needed into my grey backpack.

Okay, you've probably noticed by now: I love grey.

Slipping an army green jacket on, I snatched up my bag and headed out to the front room.

Slipping out the door into the chilly morning air, I locked up and shouldered my bag, pulling up Google maps on my phone.

As I climbed into my grey Nissan Altima, an old but well-loved car, I clicked on the directions to the nearest breakfast place.

Starbucks.