Seeing in Color

Nineteen

//AUTHOR'S NOTE//

I COULD NOT FIND A SINGLE GOOD FANART OF JUST TRAVIS!!! AAGGGHHHHHH

Travis

Katie stood still, her gorgeous emerald eyes darting nervously back and forth between my own eyes and the wall. I waited for her to respond, but it seemed like hours before she said anything.

Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"

I was surprised. She actually wanted to talk to me.

"Sure. Do you want to go downstairs, away from the noise?"

"I'd rather go outside, where I can breathe."

I smiled and waved behind us. She turned and I led her down the stairs and through our massive living room to the backdoor.

Our backyard wasn't much compared to our neighbors'. We had a patch of trees in one corner, and a trampoline in the other. I walked towards the trampoline, but Katie stopped. I turned and saw her eyes flicker to the trees and sighed. I hadn't climbed those trees in months, my back would be aching tomorrow.

But she turned away from the trees and followed me to the trampoline. I helped her up and we sat crisscross, facing each other, in the center.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked, admiring the small blush on her cheeks as she met my eyes.

"Do you like me?"

My heart skipped a beat and my head started spinning.

"W-what?" I asked, eyes widening. "Like, a friend?"

"As a person. What do you like about me?"

"Oh...well, for one, you're quiet. I enjoy peace and quiet sometimes, though most people don't realize it. And your smile, even if it is rare, is adorable."

She turned beet red at this and turned her face away, her hair falling over her eyes. I reached over and brushed it away, and our eyes met again.

"Your eyes are beautiful, and you're really pretty."

"Stop.." She blushed deeper and pulled away, starting to get up. I reached up and shoved her back down, my arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her into a hug. I felt her gasp, tensing up at first.

She didn't try to pull away.

"I don't know much about your personality, seeing as you never talk to people. But I want to know you better."

Katie relaxed and curled her arms around my neck, melting into the hug. We leaned back and fell onto the trampoline, her torso on top of mine, holding onto the other like we could never be separated.

I wondered what the others would think if they happened to look outside the balcony doors and see us like this.

I wouldn't care.

Katie was here in my arms, a bond of trust forming between us, and I was happier than I had ever been in years.

But it didn't last forever. She soon sat up and let go of me, sitting beside my body and pulling her knees to her chest. I sat up on my elbows and smiled at her.

"What do you like about me?" I asked, receiving another blush from her.

"You don't care what other people say about you. You are who you are, and nothing will change that. You've found yourself. I admire that." She smiled. "Plus, you're hot. I guess that's a bonus."

I laughed, sitting up. "Good looks are always a bonus."

She laughed, and my heart soared. Her laugh was adorable, too.

"You always know how to make someone feel happy. You're also pretty funny."

I gasped dramatically. "NO! I had no idea!"

She giggled and I smiled wider.

"So, are we friends?" I asked, and her smile faded. She glanced at me quickly and looked away.

"Oh..." Her eyes darkened. "I guess we can be...friends..."

"Good." I stood up and bounced my feet, sending her rolling over. She laughed and got up, bouncing on the trampoline with me.

"HEY!" I heard someone above us yell. I looked up to see my brother and Cecil on the balcony, laughing. "HOW DARE YOU GO JUMPING AND NOT INVITE US!"

"Well, then come down!" I yelled back, cupping my hands around my mouth.

They quickly disappeared and I turned to Katie. Her smile was the most beautiful things about her in those few seconds, and that was saying a lot. Her eyes met mine again, and I knew deep down that this girl was my future.

I didn't understand how this had happened so quickly. We'd only been talking for a couple of weeks, and she was already my favorite person in the world.

The rest of the night was chaotic. My brother, Cecil, Kayla, and Will joined us on the trampoline, and Nico disappeared into a tree. Chris left for his date and Leo had to go home, and we booed as they walked out the front gate. Katie seemed to enjoy herself, leaving the trampoline for a few minutes to admire a rare flower my mother was growing in her flowerpots on the back patio. Kayla knocked Cecil to his feet, and he retaliated by throwing her over his shoulder and parading around the edge of the trampoline with her until he tossed her into the middle with a thud. Lou Ellen perched on edge of the fence and filmed everything.

Soon, we all tired out, and collapsed on the trampoline in a circle, our feet at the edge and our heads in the middle like those cheesy VSCO pictures. We all laughed and stared up at the rosy twilight sky above us. Lou Ellen squeezed in between Kayla and Cecil, and Katie lay next to me with a daisy in her hands. I felt the trampoline move as Nico crawled up, Will moving over so he had room beside him.

So many friends, new and old, surrounded me.

I could feel the happiness in the air.

I turned and looked at Katie again. A single, small tear trickled down her cheek. I frowned and reached a hand over, brushing it from her face. She grabbed my hand and laced her fingers around mine, meeting my eyes and smiling shyly. 

There was a burning sensation on my arm, underneath the shirt sleeve, but I didn't pull away.

I didn't let go of her hand.