ColorblindThank you for showing up! That is always first and foremost.
Today I just felt like letting a small piece of what I'm into these days go. This is a YA story I have been working on for my daughter, Amy.
I tried to keep it short for you. Less than 1000 words.
In my story magik is derived from the colors of the spectrum. It is about a teenage paranormal named Harmony. Harmony has been colorblind her whole life that she can remember. She's never had a power, never truly "seen" the world she lives in and has been condemed to be an outsider for it. I hope you enjoy this bit, definately more to come later. Happy Reading!
The hallways jammed with students rushing to make their first hour class. Standing at my locker rummaging and rooting around, I delay the inevitable as long as possible. I’ll be late, again. Get another lunch detention from Ms. Idlewilde, again. I hate para-history, but it’s a required class for all freshmen in third semester.
I pull my book from my locker just before the door slams, almost catching my fingers. Leaning one shoulder against the painted metal, Challen Parks’ menacing glare demands attention. He’s the most handsome boy in my school and the biggest jackass I know.
We’ve had a mutual love-hate relationship since first grade, we love to hate each other. Sadly, he’s much better at it than I am. I lack the clout to back up any emotions I might have against him and he knows it.
“Are you planning on hanging out here all day, Gray?”
There’s a predatory gleam in his eye. He knows I loathe to be called that cruel nick-name.
“I’d hate to have to give you another tardy slip. As lead hall monitor, it’s my duty to report suspicious kids trying to skip class.” He smiles like a shark, with way too many teeth.
“Leave her be, Parks.” The familiar voice of Tesch comes to my rescue.
Tesch is my only friend in this suburban hell of a high-school. He’s my only friend period. Though, I wonder if being my friend is good for his social or survival aspirations, particularly now for instance.
Challen moves his broad shoulders off my locker door to turn and face my champion. Other kids are either hurrying to get out of the way or jostling for a better view. Challen’s pack of flunkies forms a semi-circle around us. “Or what, aqua boy?”
The racial insult causes Tesch’s oblong eyes to narrow into slits. He walks right up to Challen, facing off with him nose to nose. “Or the next time you decide you want to take a dip in the pool you might find yourself in hot water.”
“Are you threatening me, merman?”
“And if I am?”
“I think it’s time I showed you who’s the alpha around here….”
A deep growl emanates from Challen’s throat. I can see small changes occurring in the flesh around his eyes as they darken from a light shade to a darker one. His fingers grow long and curl into loose claws.
Oh crap!
Tesch just stands there, not backing up or backing down from our nemesis. Has he lost his freaking mind?
“What seems to be the problem here?”
The concerned tone of Mr. Bellfwigg, the vice-principal, interrupts the building tension. He moves into the arena of male dominance.
I have to give Mr. Bellfwigg props for bravery. Wading into the middle of teen-age paras bent on showing supremacy is a fool hardy thing to do. But I’ve heard brownies are made of tough stuff.
The balding, paunchy male barely reaches my shoulder, but I can feel his power surrounding us. It forces the two opponents apart smoothly. Where just moments before they were close enough to smell each other’s toothpaste brand, they are now separated by a good four feet.
“Mr. Parks? Mr. Wight? I believe first bell has rung and it is time you both moved on to class.”
Tesch is the first to relax his stance. Without a word, he picks up my book bag and loops it over his shoulder. “Come on, Harmony. We don’t want to be late.”
I curl my para-history book to my chest and fall into step beside him. I hear Mr. Bellfwigg shooing spectators and instigators on to their respective classrooms as we walk away.
“Whew… that was intense.” I mumble. “Why did you have to provoke him like that?”
“Provoke him!” Tesch chokes. “Harmony! He could have cut your fingers off with that locker door. I saw him planning it, timing it, a split second difference or you hesitating another moment, and bye-bye digits. You would have been crippled for life.”
It warms my heart that he cares. Tesch has always been there for me, looking out for my welfare, covering my back. I peek up at him as we walk to first period.
He has forced his wildly curly hair into a punk porcupine hair-do. No telling how much gel he had to use to achieve those head spikes. He has a nice face with a strong, rectangular jaw line. Slightly pointed ears poke upward and are pieced six ways from Sunday. His wide mouth is currently turned down in a stern frown. I wish I knew what color his eyes are.
“At least I would have had an excuse for skipping Ms. Idlewilde’s class.” The thought is out of my mouth before I can stop it.
“You’d rather be disfigured permanently than sit through an hour of para-history?” He looks at me with a disbelieving grimace.
We are outside the door of that very subject. “I don’t know. Ask me in an hour.”
I pull the door open and shuffle inside, Tesch behind me all the way. As we head to our seats I contemplate life without fingers versus an hour of pixie hell. I could do without pinkie fingers or ring fingers for that matter. Just need thumbs and indexes really.
Thanks for sharing your time with me. I hope you enjoyed that. I know I did. Hope to see you again, soon.
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