Color Blind

Chapter 16

About three weeks after the prom, Tia, Lafayette and Scott all graduated from high school. Of course everyone cheered for Tia and Scott as they walked across the stage, but no one cheered louder than Aunt Rachael and me. The funniest thing, though, was the look on Tia's face when almost the entire female audience - even those who had never even gone to our high school - cheered and whistled at Lafayette. The fact that he stopped in the middle of the stage to wink at Tia and blow his mom a kiss only made the applause grow louder. I looked over at Scott just in time to see him put a hand to his forehead, like he was mad at himself for not thinking to do it first.

When the ceremony was over, Tia, Lafayette, Scott and I all congregated outside. Somehow on the way out, I had lost Aunt Rachael and we greeted and spoke to the other graduates while we waited for her to find us. After a few minutes, Scott nudged my arm and nodded to a very tall, tanned, beautiful woman that seemed to be gliding across the grass below.

"There's my mom," he said, smiling down at her adoringly.

"It is?" I asked in disbelief. She looked nothing like I had imagined. "Scott, she's beautiful!"

"Of course," Scott answered cockily. "How could you take one look at me and think she would be anything but?" I groaned and pushed him playfully. "Hey Ma!" he called and waved to her. She looked up and beamed when she saw us. Her smile only made her even prettier and I saw a few men and boys turn around to look as she waved up. "I know they better stop lookin' at my moms like that," Scott declared loudly, trying to catch the eye of one of her admirers.

I watched him, jaw hardened, trying to stare down the men below and could instantly see where Scott had gotten his stunning good looks from. Well, minus the blue eyes and blond hair, of course. I already knew that he had gotten those from his father. I looked back at his mother and noticed that she had very long legs like Scott and even strode in confidence just like her son. "Man, she doesn't look anything like I pictured her," I said, still in awe.

Scott gazed down at me, openly amused. "Yeah, I bet you thought she looked like a little old pale strawberry-blond Irish woman with freckles, didn't you?" I giggled guiltily. That's exactly what I thought she would look like. "Look here, woman," he continued. "Everyone from Boston is not Irish! You watch too much TV."

I hid a smile.

When his mother came up to the level that we were on, I stood on tiptoe and gazed over the crowd to get a better look at her. "She looks like Natalie Wood."

"Who?" Scott asked, shaking his head. "You and those ancient movies."

I was surprised by how dark she appeared to be. "Did your mom just go to the beach or something?"

Again Scott looked at me, amused. "What? Rica, my mother's Sicilian."

"Get out," I exclaimed loudly, "You never told me that." That would explain his ever-present tan.

"You never asked. I figured you just assumed that she was a redneck like my father." I looked away and didn't answer. Scott looked me over, then back at his mother and narrowed his eyes in concentration. "She does look kinda close to your color, though, doesn't she?"

I popped him in the arm.

When Scott's mother was near enough to us, he strode over to greet her. I watched as she ran towards him, arms stretched wide. "My baby!" She squealed as Scott looked back at us, embarrassed. "Oh, I am so proud of you!"

Her thick Boston accent rang clear above the rest and she planted several big kisses on his cheek.

"Ma!" Scott exclaimed, prying her arms from around his neck.