Color Outside The Lines || l.t.

Chapter 1 - Naomi Carter

"Life is a funny thing, the minute you think you've got everything figured out something comes along and turns it all upside down. Don't reminisce on yesterday, just for the future. Tomorrow's a new day." - Zayn Malik

Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa: five of the greatest women in the history of mankind, or at least in this past century. I know of another woman that could be added to that list: Naomi Carter. True, she is not as famous as the others. Her deeds were not as grand. But her heart... her heart was just as big and pure. Her way of life inspired others, myself included.

Who am I? Tommy Tomlinson, son of Louis Tomlinson. And yes, the very same Louis Tomlinson who is 1/5 of the the famous boyband One Direction. But that detail will not play as big of a part in the story as you would think. No, no. This story is a love story. Actually, it's more than just a love story, it's a life story.

I will narrate it as best as I can. Though I was too young to remember.

And so, our tale begins once upon a September afternoon.

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I had just completed my first day of preschool. I stood waiting at the gate with my backpack on my back and my matching lunchbox in my hand. I was not there alone. My teacher Ms. Carter, waited with me.

She was stunning. Though I was too young to appreciate such beauty, I remember being in awe of her. She was tall, well... taller than me. But I suppose anything could have been taller than me at that age. Her blonde hair was up in a bun. Around her fair neck she wore a string of pearls, which matched wonderfully with her white button-down blouse and khaki pants.

"Did you have a good first day of school, Tommy?" she asked, trying to pass the time along.

I looked up at her, and nodded slightly. Quite frankly, I was intimidated by adults.

"That's good," she said, giving me a big smile, "And you weren't scared at all, going to school all by yourself?"

I shook my head, but didn't look up at her. I was afraid she would see I was lying, and red laser beams would shoot out of her eyes.

"Not even a little bit?"

I hesitated before shaking my head again. I continued to look at the ground.

She patted my shoulder. "You're a very brave boy."

"Thanks," I said, smiling a toothy grin. I was more pleased that she bought it than I was with the compliment.

"To tell you the truth, today was my first day of teaching. And I was pretty scared."

"Aw, you didn't hafta be scared!" I said, "You did great!"

She looked pleasantly surprised. "Was I? Really?"

"Mmhmm," I hummed with a reassuring nod.

She smiled and patted my shoulder again. It was then that a familiar black Mercedes pulled up on the side of the road. I saw the driver's door open and my dad stepped out.

"Daddy!" I called out to him.

He walked up to us. He was wearing black skinny jeans and a black sweater. Black was the usual in his attire now. It was very rare to see him wear any other color. Ms. Carter opened the gate for me and I ran up to him.

"Hey buddy," he said, messing up my hair with his hand, "How was school?"

"Good!"

"How was the lunch I packed for you?"