Seeing in Color

Four

Hopping into my vintage golden Volkswagen beetle, the last thing I got from my mom, and speeding out the long driveway to the front gate, Cecil and I argued about the choice of music.

"Rock!"

"Indie!"

"Rock!"

"Indie!"

By the time we made it to Lou Ellen's workplace, we still hadn't decided on a genre. Pulling up the Starbucks parking lot and finding a spot, Cecil and I raced up the steps and entered the expresso-smelling heaven. I spotted my friend's bright purple hair before I even saw her face. She was busy taking an order from two black-haired kids that looked familiar. One was a boy my age, maybe a bit older, with wind-blown hair and a bored expression. The other person was a girl, but I doubted that they were a couple. With black makeup and gothic clothing, she scared me, even from a distance.

Cecil and I found an empty table by the window and waited for the end of our friend's shift.

Just as we sat down, a car pulled up into the parking space our window was facing. It was an older model of a Nissan, and its grey finish was wearing off. The driver side door opened, and a blonde girl stepped out.

"Holy..." Cecil gaped out the window and smacked my arm. "Chase got hot!"

"Huh?" I didn't know who this girl was, but she did look hot. Her long blonde hair blew around her face in the wind, and her tighter shirt made her chest pop out of her green army jacket. Her jeans looked a size too small, but she wore it well. She looked a year older than me, and way out of my league.

"Let me guess," I rolled my eyes as Cecil drooled over the sight of the blonde chick. "She's the hottest cheerleader, all the jocks flirt with her, and she's the most popular diva at school."

Cecil whipped his head around and frowned. "No way! She's the nicest girl I've met! She helped me study for Pre-Cal. Her name's Annabeth, but everyone calls her by her last name. Her dad's the principle, but they had it out, and she now lives with her cousin. She's not a cheerleader, and she is totally not a diva. A lot of boys do have crushes on her, but I doubt that's her type."

I raised an eyebrow. "So, she's lesbian?"

"Dude, you know absolutely nothing about this town, do you?" Cecil glanced at the door as the blonde walked in and stepped in line.

"Uh, no. I moved here this summer, remember?"

"She's the type that loves books and ignores people, though she's nicer than a lot of girls at school. She and her cousin are kind of the weirdos at school, but I think they're pretty great."

"And hot?" I snickered as the brunet blushed. "What grade is she in?"

"She's a junior this year," Cecil took a sip of his water bottle. "So is Percy over there."

He pointed to the black-haired boy, who was busy carrying various brown bags of breakfast to a table where his friend sat. "Percy Jackson. The gothic queen there is Thalia, she's a senior. They're cousins, by the way. Percy is really cool, and he's a really nice guy."

"Nice to know. Anything else about kids at school that I need to avoid or befriend?" I noticed Percy glance at Annabeth and blush a little.

"Well, avoid Drew Tanaka," Cecil offered me a pack of trail mix from his stash of snacks hidden in his backpack. "She's the real diva at school. Her boyfriend is mean, and so are their friends. Avoid them at all costs! Then there's the pranksters, like me and Lou Ellen. Our friend group includes the Stoll brothers, Leo Valdez, and Chris Rodriguez. Thalia hangs out with a group of girls that avoid us guys, and they're all into archery shit. Percy doesn't really have a crowd, he kinda hangs with his cousin."

"So, are there any other new kids you know of? Other than me, Austin, and Katie, of course."

"Well, I heard word that there's a few, but I don't know their names or grades."

Just then a purple-haired girl sided up next to us with frappuccino's. Lou Ellen had changed out of her uniform into a white crop top with a picture of a piglet, ripped light blue jean shorts, and colorful galaxy-print Nikes. She smiled and showed off purple braces, then slid in next to Cecil, passing me a coffee.

"So, did you see Chase and her new growth spurt?" Lou Ellen glanced over at the blonde as she stepped away from the counter with a steaming expresso and a small brown pastry bag. She started to walk out until she spotted a girl studying at a couch by the door.

I could hear the discussion from here. Chase smiled and walked over. "Hey, it's Violet, right?"

The girl looked up from her laptop screen and I saw a flash of recognition cross her face. She pulled out her ear buds and shyly smiled. "Annabeth Chase?"

"Yeah! It's great to see you!" Chase sat down on the armchair across the small coffee table and placed her breakfast on its surface. "How's the family?"

"The same, I guess. Dad still works a lot, and my brother still can't pass a math test. My sister just started dating a popular guy, so I don't see her much at school."

"Do you still go to Rolland Prep?"

"Yeah. You're still at Olympia?" Violet asked, receiving a frown from the girl across from her.

"Unfortunately, I can't transfer without a parent or guardian's signature. I know my father won't sign anything 'til I come home, and my aunt passed away a few months ago."

"I'm so sorry,"

I decided to stop eavesdropping and listen to my friends' conversation.

"...haven't seen Selina at work in a while. I think she moved or something. And Ethan left in the middle of his shift. Said his mom needed him or something." Lou Ellen was saying, tracing the top of her coffee mug with her manicured finger.  She seemed pretty nerveous. "Have you heard back from Leo about his friend Piper?"

"Yeah, her dad moved to be closer to his new job. Oklahoma, I think." Cecil glanced at his watch. "Well, time to leave. Let's get in the car."

We stood and grabbed our bags and coffee, walking toward the door. Lou insisted on sitting shotgun, so all we listened to on the way to Olympia High School was weird Bollywood music and Cecil's complaints.

So far, the first day of school had nothing to do with school.

A/N

love you guys! Thanks for reading! Any suggestions?

- Burgundy

;)