Blue

Chapter Three

The day had begun like any other but no day is ever like the others. Some of them are similar and mirror one another in the best ways. Some begin off in a bed of flowers and the next moment falling down a rabbit hole with flying pianos and chairs going down with you. Some days remind you of the light in your life. Some remind you of the wretched. The cruel reality of the world.

Some days bring smiles.

Some days bring blood.

Some days bring death.

There wasn't a day that Safiya had imagined more than the one where she finally expressed her feelings to her best friend. To her dear Maya who may blacklist her as soon as the words leave her lips. But Safiya knew that she was past the point of waiting for her life to begin. She was sick and tired of watching everyone else be happy, but feel unable to fully reach that peak. Safi was never one for secrets.

It was what drew her to send that text. What gave her the strength to put together her sloppy poster of glitter glue and ragged cut out letters. She wanted to be able to hug Maya for however long she desired. She wanted to know the feel of Maya's cheek against her fingertips as well as she did her own. More than anything she needed to know if Maya would spare her these moments. Moments with only her and their hearts in each other's hands.

Any minute now she would walk through the hall and there would be no going back. This wasn't only a friendly venture and anyone who glanced their way would walk away knowing that for sure. But Safiya didn't want the moment for anyone other than for her and Maya. Half due to how she yearned for the only eyes she could find to be Maya's and because if she was rejected it wouldn't be such a public blow. Mostly because of Maya's beautiful eyes and the need to have them only find Safi's.

She had cracked open her locker door and hung the messy poster she had spent all night before making from a hook. The worst pickup line in history was plastered across it in bold letters: I'D BE ONE LUCKY NUGGET IF YOU'D GO TO PROM WITH ME.

And, of course, in the hand that was free of roses, she held a small box of chicken nuggets that were fresh out of the cafeteria microwave. Safiya knew the gesture was enough to make Maya laugh which was all she needed to continue her speech. Chicken nuggets were a good way to anyone's heart. At least from what Safi had learned from her life.

The minutes began to pass in the hallway. Checking her phone for the time and swiping through their last texts every few seconds probably didn't help much with the sweat forming over her brow. She was starting to take over Alex's look which wasn't something she was aiming for when trying to stay cool for a big moment.

Right when Safiya was beginning to worry that Maya couldn't come out of class in time, footsteps clicked against the old tile floors. Her heart felt as if it jumped in her throat and blood rushed through her ears. The absence of any other sound other than Maya was enough to remind her that she had forgotten to put on music. Music was how the two of them spoke to each other sometimes. Whenever they were having a moment of hurt and simply couldn't summon the words to explain, they would grab the closest phone to run through a vast number of playlists they had created together. The song would begin, the beat coursing through them as if it were the only thing to matter. It was the first thing to capture their attention but certainly not the last. Lyrics would ring through their ears, telling the story that neither of them could speak. Music shared their emotions to one another when nothing else could.

The last time they had relied on this method was when Maya's dog passed away a few months ago. They had both grown up with that dog, one who had never flashed a mean tooth or barked in a way that didn't share excitement. A text had dung on her phone to let Safiya know the news and though she would've preferred a phone call, she never judged Maya. Sometimes speaking was too hard.