Dye | Tyrus/Ambi

Part 11: Prove It

TJ's POV

As I round the corner of the hallway, neon blue flashes in my sight, and I glance over to get a better look at the girl passing by. When I realize who it is, I call out to stop her.

"Amber?" 

She spins around and comes over to me, a casual smile on her face. 

"Hey," she says.

"When did you dye your hair?" I ask, trying to think back to whether it was like that this morning or not. I don't think it was. 

"What dyed hair?" she asks. 

"Amber, your hair is blue."

She blinks innocently, responding, "Hmm, weird." 

"Amber—"

"Relax," she says. "Worry about yourself. I see the pink is still there."

I become self-conscious again at that. I had forgotten that my cheeks still had faded pink lines on them for a few minutes. I've been avoiding my friends all morning so that they wouldn't ask me about it. 

"Yeah," I say. "Who knew food colouring stained skin."

"Everyone," Amber responds. "But it's cute. Have you talked to that boy yet today?" 

"No, I haven't," I reply. "I've been trying to stay away from all people today. I just want to wait until this pink is gone."

"I bet that boy has pink left on his face too," Amber says. 

"Great," I respond sarcastically, "so people can know we match."

"Oh, come on. It's cute," Amber insists. "Matching pink warpaint with your boyfriend—"

"He is not my boyfriend," I hiss. "And don't say that so loud. Anyone could hear."

"TJ, literally no one cares. You've only been here for two weeks, so you wouldn't know yet, but this is a really gay school. Iris and I took a poll in grade ten and found out that 35% of the kids here are LGBT+, and that's just the people who are out."

"So that's why you're still in grade ten math," I conclude. "You waste time taking useless polls."

She rolls her eyes. "I'll see you later, Pinky."

"Later, Blue."

She smiles and walks off down the hall. I carry on in the opposite direction, but as soon as I turn the corner, I spot Reed and Lester and immediately change course. 

"TJ!" Reed's voice calls, but I'm already rushing away. 

I curve through the halls and into the side stairwell that leads from first to fifth, hiding behind the wall until their footsteps pass. 

"TJ?" comes his voice again through the wall. 

Eventually, I figure it's safe to leave, because I no longer hear them around, and I step back out into the hallway. While my focus is behind me, checking to make sure my friends are gone, my feet step forward, and I collide with another person. I'm relieved to see that it's Cyrus and not someone who would make fun of me. 

He smiles up at me with gentle eyes and touches his finger to my cheek where the pink is. 

"That never came off, huh?" he observes. 

"I see it didn't for you either," I say. 

He shrugs. His pink warpaint is more vibrant than mine, showing that he probably didn't spend as long as I did trying to rub it off. I kind of like the way he looks with it. It's a reminder that I was with him, and I like knowing that something about me is a part of him now.