Scarlets and Emeralds

7 | Spencer

I gasped at what I saw.

It was a Scarlet.

A girl. She seemed to be about my age. She looked tired, frightened, and uncoordinated. I swallowed. I knew there were a few Scarlets who lived here; that was probably why she was here, too. I needed to stop overreacting. Act. Calm! I screamed at myself inwardly. I just didn't want to get on her bad side. In the end, whether she lived amongst Emeralds or not, she was still their master.

For a moment, her eyes flicked towards me. I forced myself to breathe out. I need to sell this story. "Hello," I say kindly. "Scarlet. Just heading to the . . . barber's." I ruffled my hair nervously for good measure.

She nodded distractedly. "Well. Right. Carry on."

If I didn't know better, I'd say she looked like she was trying to avoid me. No, not me—people in general.

Was she trying to hide from someone?

I decided it was too dangerous to try to learn more. It's not my business, and trying to figure out what was going on would only increase my risk of getting discovered myself.

So I set off in the other direction, but stopped abruptly when she said in a nervous-sounding voice, "Uh . . . hey! Isn't the barber's over . . . there?"

I followed her pointing finger to a shop just across the street. It was brightly colored with a spinning red-and-blue barber's pole. A large sign above the door read Barber.

I began to sweat rather heavily. "Um, I, there's another across the town," I gulped.

She eyed me curiously. Not hostile, just curious. I almost breathed a sigh of relief, but I knew I wasn't out of hot water just yet. I continued on my way.

Once I rounded the corner at the end of the road, I looked back and saw her, still standing there, looking frightened and unknowing.

So I did exactly what I knew I shouldn't do, never, ever, especially not with a Scarlet.

I turned around and walked right back.