Life in Color ✔️

3~My Stalker

"How many of you are there?" He asks in astonishment.

Sage and I share a questioning look, "Five." We answer together.

The reactions people have when we tell them there's five of us always differ. Some think it's crazy or interesting, others think we're lying. It's not even that big of a family.

He lets out a long whistle, "Really?"

"Yup" I reply after a long swig of soda, "Us two, twin brothers that are 12 and a seven year old sister."

I tense waiting for the usual follow questions. How do your parents do it? What do your parents do for a living? Just any question about our home life was bound to pop up at this point in the conversation and then it would get awkward. And really depressing.

But instead he just shrugs, "Ok." Looking at Ella and Stella he adds, "No more surprises, how many siblings do you two have?"

"Just a brother that's 12." Stella says. Her younger brother, Sam, is the twins best friend.

"It's just me." Ella offers up.

She hates being an only child but in all reality she has seven siblings that she doesn't live with. Our three families do pretty much everything together since the Mackenzie's only have one child and the Hollens have no family in the area.

"What about you?" Stella prompts, leaning over the table to get closer to him.

"A little sister who's six" he says fondly. That explains why he was in the elementary school office.

"How did you two meet?" Ella asks the question I was thinking. She points at the two boys to distract from her pulling Stella back into her chair.

I shake my head at the sight of them. Ella's the calm while Stella's the storm. I fit in as the ever shifting wind pattern that constantly changes everything.

"Second period gym." Sage says before belching.

"Red." I whisper, plugging my ears in anticipation.

"Purple." Ella laughs

"Pink!" Stella screams.

"Green!" Sage adds

"Eat it!" We all shout at the newbie.

Ashton stares at us in horror, "Eat what?"

I let out a laugh at the sight of his confusion. An image of his confused face surrounded by swirls of colors popping into my vision. My laughter stops.

"The burp, man." Sage informs him.

"Um... ok." Ashton takes a cautious bite out of the air and we all laugh at his bewildered state.

The burp game originated one day when we were rating burps and Sage yelled out a color instead of a number. We've played it ever since. The last person to call a color must eat the burp in all its glory.

As we eat our lunch, I begin to notice all the different pairs of eyes on our table. An uneasy jitter creeping up on me. I prefer to stay out of the spotlight.