Dream in Colour

Chapter Four

By the time I kick my body into motion, the boy is already turning the corner away from me. Breaking into a run, I cross the street and sprint down the sidewalk. I slow down to a jog when I get to the corner, but it's too late. He's somehow gone. Completely and totally gone. Still, I slowly make my way down the sidewalk, looking back and forth to see if I can see him anywhere. Nothing. It's like he vanished into thin air. I groan in frustration, running my fingers through my hair as I uselessly scan through the various shades of grey.

As I'm turning, I see a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye, and when I whip my head around I see a young girl bouncing a basketball off an alley wall. The ball is vibrantly orange. Craning my head around, I try to find the guy from mere moments earlier, but he's nowhere in sight. With a sigh of defeat, I turn and make my way back the way I came from. As I go, I can't seem to shake the feeling of eyes burning into my back.

Once back at my car, I get in and turn it on. With my head full, and now my heart heavy, I pull away from the curb and make my way down the street. I just so happen to have to turn down the street from before. I slow down just slightly, so as not to come across as creepy, but I still see nothing. I do notice, however, that the car out front of an apartment building is an emerald green, like the grass from my dream.

My thoughts shift back to everything I learned this afternoon as I go. If what Hector is saying is true, then this must be very hard for whoever my soulmate is. He's been told his whole life that he only gets one soulmate, and suddenly he's been given another. I don't blame him for running.

Much too soon, I pull up outside the house. The front door opens as I climb out of the car, my Mom's highly unimpressed face watching me as I slowly make my way up the front walkway.

   "Where have you been? Why were you ignoring me?" She demands once she deems me close enough. I grimace as I try to figure out a way to explain everything to her. To both of my parents. "Well?" She adds sternly when I've made it to the front door and I still haven't answered.

   "That's, uh, it's complicated." I tell her, wincing as she settles the look on my figure as I pass by her and into the house.

"Were you with a girl?" She asks. "Or a boy... either?" She adds on, bringing a soft smile to my face. I love how accepting of me that my parents are. I've heard horror stories about men getting paired with other men for soulmates and still getting disowned by their family. As if they really have a choice. Assholes. "Were you?" She asks, sounding excited as she catches sight of my smile.

   "No, Mom. I wasn't. Sorry." Her smile falls.

   "Then where were you?" She asks, hands now on her hips. I settle my gaze on her and sigh.

   "I was at the doctor. Before you freak out, I'm fine. It's a long story and I don't really know how to explain it. I don't even really fully understand it myself." She narrows her eyes as she studies me.

"Fine." She sighs, throwing her hand up in surrender. "Anyway, you're father and I ate already. I have leftovers in the fridge for you that I'll heat up." I smile gratefully at her, one she returns before she turns and walks away. I feel guilty as I watch her retreating back. I need to find at least some way to fill her in on what's going on. I know how worried she is, even if she's not showing it. With one last frustrated sigh, I follow my Mother into the kitchen.

She's just putting a plate full of mashed potatoes and what looks like chicken and corn into the microwave. She glances at me briefly before turning back and starting to wipe down the already spotless counter.

   "Mom." I sigh. "It's not that I don't want to tell you what's going on. It's more just that I don't know how." She turns to me, just as the microwave beeps. She looks torn before finally moving to the side and grabbing my food out for me.