Seeing in Color

Eighteen

"Trust me, you'll want to meet these people." Travis mumbled under his breath. I looked up and we made eye contact. And for once, neither of us quickly looked away. I just stared at his blue eyes as he stared at my green ones.

No one had ever looked at me that way before.

I decided then and there that I was going to that party.

~Later that week~

Travis and I didn't talk much during lunch that week. Miranda decided to join us, though she and the Stoll brothers never spoke a word to each other.

Before I knew it, Friday night had arrived.

I was standing in front of my full-length mirror, staring more at the flowers I had glued to the frame than at my outfit.

"Are you sure you don't want your hair done?" Kayla asked, sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style, twiddling with a stray strand of green locks.

"I'm sure. It's just come undone or get really frizzy anyways."

"Whatever. At least your outfit is really cute. How come you never wear this to school?" She was admiring rib-knit black halter top and black floral print shorts.

"Uhm," I turned and gave her a humorous look. "I don't know, maybe the dress code?"

"Nah, no one follows them anyways. I wore booty shorts last year and no one said anything." She got and leaned against me in the mirror, comparing our looks. She was wearing leather pants and rainbow tie dye cropped shirt. We looked nothing alike.

"Are you sure Miranda doesn't want to come?" Kayla asked as I pulled on my yellow Converse shoes. The party was in five minutes, and Cecil and Will were trying to convince Nico and Austin to come.

"No, not if the Stoll's will be there." Kayla turned off the lights as we left our room, heading down the dark hallway to the stairs. I heard loud guitar music coming from Austin and Cecil's room, and the sound of Cecil yelling over it.

"Guess Austin won't be coming."

We were already down the stairs when I heard Cecil slam his door shut to block the sound of Austin's music. He came storming down the stairs in a Gucci shirt and black jeans. He slipped on his Nike's when he reached the last step.

"He's not coming. Says he has to practice."

"Practice what?" Kayla scoffed. "He's been playing that same exact song over and over all summer and he hasn't gotten any better."

Cecil laughed just as Will appeared from the kitchen, Nico slipping into his shadow as they walked. Nico was just as antisocial as I was, if not more. He never said a word to me his first three days here.

The only person he ever talked to was Will.

"Nico's coming with, but he says that if anyone makes him uncomfortable, he's coming back home."

"Alright, let's go!" Cecil leapt to his feet and raced to the front door. We all called out a goodbye to Mr. Chiron as we passed his office. He mumbled a goodbye as he rifled through paperwork.

A few seconds later, we were on the Stoll's front porch.

Yes, they were my neighbors. But I had never been this close to the door before. They would always come over to hang out with Cecil and Will, but rarely would they ever have anyone over. And it was never me.