Live in Color

sixteen - lime

"This is scary stuff," Jamie mutters, looking through the conversation with Arsenio. "The dude's name is weird."

I look up after throwing Jude his toy once more, propping my head up on my elbows and watching Jamie pace my room from my bed. "Arsenio?"

"Yeah," she says. "No wonder he has the word 'arse' in his name." I snort, petting Jude's head when he returns the toy to me. Jamie continues to eye me, as if trying to figure out what I'm thinking about just from looking at me. "Aren't you a little freaked out?"

I shake my head, throwing the toy once more. "You saw my reply. I'm not scared of him- I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of that."

"Yeah, but... He knew the guys who trashed your house. He could do worse."

I shrug, "He can try. I'm not afraid to call the cops on him. I'm not an idiot- if he actually tries to pull off those threats, I'm not going to handle it all by myself. I'll let the cops deal with it."

Jamie sighs, throwing my phone on my bed and sitting down beside me, taking Jude when he returns with his toy and putting him on her lap, running her fingers through his curly fur. "So, Jude, huh?"

I smile, smiling at the way Jude playfully nibbles at Jamie's fingers. He's hyper today. "Yeah, I love him."

"How'd you come up with the name?"

"Jericho came up with it," I say, leaving it at that. I don't want to give away anything about Jericho's family- I feel like it was such a personal thing he had told me, it would be like betraying the trust I know he doesn't easily give out if I told Jamie.

Jamie's eyebrow shoot up. "You went puppy shopping with Jericho?"

I roll my eyes at her expression- half teasing, half genuinely surprised- and turn away, burying my face in my pillow. "How is Mitch feeling?"

Even though my voice is muffled from the pillow, Jamie hears me. "He's doing a lot better. He was feeling a little drowsy after we went out tonight though so I'm pretty sure he's sleeping right now." Jamie's voice drops slightly in volume. "You know what's weird?"

"What?"

"I could like... feel it. Ever since Mitchell has gotten sick I haven't been feeling like myself either. Especially when I was at school. When I was by his side I felt a bit better, but still- I just felt really odd. Do you think that's the soulmate bond?"

I turn my head to look at Jamie. Her blue eyes are sparkling as she looks to me for answers. I smile at her, "I think it is, Jamie. You guys are connected in a way, you can feel when he's off."

Jamie hums, looking lost in thought. Finally, she quietly asks me, "Do you sometimes feel that way with Jericho?"

I shrug, "Not really. I don't think Jericho's fully accepted me yet."

"Have you?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you fully accepted him?" When I downcast my eyes, not answering, Jamie continues, "I mean, you were so resentful of him at first. You hated him for running away like a coward. Now... I can see that that's not the case anymore. I'm not complaining, trust me, but what's changed?"

I bite down on my bottom lip. What has changed? Jamie's right- my feelings towards Jericho used to be hateful and livid. I hated what he did to me. I pitied myself for being dealt a horrible deck of cards for my soulmate, I hated the depression I was stuck in, I hated the fact that I was failing school- I hated everything. And I never bothered to hide it, either. Everyone knew something had happened- my teachers, my friends, random students at school. If it wasn't obvious by the way I was distancing myself from everything and the way I was constantly snapping at people, anyone could tell just by looking at me. Back then, I had paid no mind to my physical appearance. My hair was always either in a bun or ponytail while the rest of me was buried in baggy clothes that even in the winter were too hot, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be hidden.