Seeing in Color

Eight

Travis

I admit I'm a trickster.

I steal phones, pickpocket for wallets and loose change, and pull sneaky pranks on strict teachers and jocks who think they rule the school. I'm also a lacrosse player who can't goalie to save his life. Unfortunately, the first day of school is also lacrosse tryouts. My younger brother, who drives me crazy all the time, is planning to go to the tryouts to cheer me on, though I know I'll suck.

I was complaining about the heat, standing with my brother under the shade of a tree on the school lawn, when I spotted the prettiest girl I had ever seen. At first, I thought she was a tree spirit, a nymph or something from Greek mythology, because she was sitting under a little tree that cast a shadow over her body, her face illuminated by the stray flickers of light seeping through the canopy of leaves. My heart beat faster than the time a seven-foot-tall attackman from Rolland Preparatory School was running straight toward me during a night game, his eyes shining like the Devil's. And believe me: that night my heart was preforming heavy-metal rock number.

Gosh, she was beautiful. Her dark brown hair fell over her shoulders like a waterfall of chocolate, her black and white striped tee hugging her body just enough to reveal the frame of her chest. She was wearing fading overalls like a farm girl, with a rip on the knee. Her mustard colored high-topped Vans were contrasting in the dirt and shadows. Her face glowed with light, and her rosy lips curved upward a bit as she talked, chatting with the girl next to her. A strange feeling went through me. She looked vaguely familiar. I became lost in thought and happened to glance at her friend. I froze.

Miranda Gardiner.

Oh boy.

I turned to my brother. Connor was flipping through Instagram, liking several aesthetic photos. My younger sibling was a photographer at heart but hid that fact from a lot of people. He said it was just a hobby, but it seemed to be the only thing he did all summer. All I did was practice lacrosse in our backyard, breaking two kitchen windows, three garden gnomes in our elderly neighbor's yard, and scaring a stray tabby.

"Don't look now, but your ex is underneath that tree over by the school," I hissed. I swear I heard his neck crack, he turned his head so fast. His blue eyes widened in surprise, and then boiled in anger. A frown formed on his face, and he tightened his clutch around his phone.

"Did you not hear me?" I shook my head and glanced back at the tree and the two girls underneath. Well, one girl in particular.

"Shut up. I can't handle this relationship drama today. We broke up last year. She probably doesn't even remember me." With that, he turned his back and pulled his phone out again, cussing underneath his breath.

I didn't think he was over like he said he was, but that wasn't my business. I shrugged and looked at the new girl, blushing slightly when she spotted me. I turned my face away quickly, but I knew that she saw me. Shoot.

"Let's head inside," Connor sighed, picking up his pack and walking quickly into the school. This was so unlike my brother. He hates school.

Today I must have been possessed by some evil spirit, because before I knew it my feet were carrying me down the sidewalk and up the stairs. I managed to control my body enough to take one last long look at the brunette under the tree, giggling with her friend. She really was very pretty.

She also looked familiar.

I walked in the doors and lost sight of her. Connor hurried down the halls to his class, not saying a word to me. I shrugged as he disappeared into History and continued down the hallway to my locker. Unpacking my heavy bag, mostly full of school textbooks and a set of extra pencils. The other stuff in my backpack was the start of a prank I hoped to pull this week, but only after tryouts.