It's A Colorful World

Chapter One

Ever since I was a child my life has been gray and dull. Growing up in a black Christian family was hard especially once I realized I was gay. For a long time I kept it to myself and when I finally had the courage to tell my family it blew up in my face and it seemed like my world got darker. Now I'm all alone living in a small studio apartment in New York City with my cat Sookie and trying to figure out what to do with my life.
It wasn't easy, everything seemed to go bad. My family won't talk to me except for my brother who begs me to come home, he doesn't really accept me, he just wants me to be somebody I'm not. But I've hid myself for such a long time and it got me nowhere. At least I'm being true to myself.
I walked into the coffee shop, and threw on my apron. It was busy as it always is in the morning. A line of people impatiently waiting to get coffee, most tables full, the loud noises of my employees rushing to make all kinds of drinks. I clocked into work and found my boss, Esther, who is also my best friend. She was ruffling through papers mumbling to herself in the back office.
"Hey." Esther whirled around, she looked flustered and angry.
"Sienna Grace Turner, you're late!"
"Sorry, traffic." She rolled her eyes and pushed me out the door.
"Don't do it again, now go take some orders," I nodded and started heading to the register before she grabbed my arm. "And, put a smile on your face, you're gonna scare away the customers." I chuckled and went over to take a man's order.
"Hi sir how may I help you?" I said in my most cheery voice. The man gave me an angry stare.
"Maybe have better service," he mumbled under his breath. I pretended I couldn't hear him.
"I'm sorry what was that?" He shook his head.
"I'll have a black coffee to go."
"Okay, anything else?"
"No, just make it quick, I'm late." I nodded and put his order in before taking his money. I kept going and taking people's orders and soon enough the line got shorter. Janice, one of my coworkers, came over.
"I need a break from making drinks, wanna switch." I nodded and went over to the orders. As I worked I heard a regular customer, Lizzie talking about the pride parade and it caught my attention. I looked over to see her talking to Janice about it. She was covered in rainbow with a rainbow painted on her face, a rainbow flag in her hand and a pin on her jacket. She was pretty and came here everyday, no matter what she always had a smile and ordered something new. It amazed me how bubbly she was and I didn't even realize I was staring until my coworker got my attention.
"Sienna, Sienna?" I shook my head and looked at Zack.
"What?" He gestured to the girl.
"Seems like you are a little distracted?" I could feel my face turning red but I brushed him off.
"I zoned out." He smirked and nodded.
"Sure, it's  not like you stare at her everyday. Surprised she hasn't noticed. " I ignored him and went back to making drinks. However I listened in on her order.
"I'll have a medium iced green tea lemonade with two pumps of raspberry, please."
"Will that be all?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, to go or to stay?"
"Stay." I whirled around and grabbed the order out of Janice's hand.
"I'll get this." I sneaked a peak at Lizzie and we made eye contact. She smiled and my cheeks flushed red. I rushed to make her order and once I was finished I saw her sitting at a tiny table. She was reading a book and had a smile on her face. I took that as a chance to bring her, her drink personally.
"Here you go Lizzie." She looked up from her book and I handed her the drink.
"Thank you." I nodded and turned back around but stopped.
"Hey, umm, what's with the rainbow stuff?" She grabbed a flyer out of her pocket.
"It's for the pride gathering in Central Park, I'm part of the planning committee, would you like to come, Sienna?" I hesitated.
"Uh, I don't know, I might be busy." She handed me a flyer.
"Well just hold onto this in case, and if you do come, you should find me." A little smile creeped onto my face as I took the flyer and tucked it into my apron. I saw Zack wiggle his eyebrows at me and I rolled my eyes. After a while more people came in and sat down with her. They talked for a while and soon they all left.
I went to clean up their table, and I noticed she left her book. I grabbed it and ran out the door. I looked but I couldn't see her, then I saw a flash of her red hair. I ran after her.
"Excuse me, hey, wait." I caught up to her and realized that it wasn't her just someone else with red hair.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you were someone else. My bad." They shrugged and walked away. I headed back to the coffee shop defeated. Janice and Zack teased me as I put her book with my stuff.
"So are you going to go to the pride parade?" Zack asked.
"It's not a parade it's a gathering, also no why would I do that?"
"Umm because 1: you're a lesbian, 2: to give Lizzie her book back. It's a sign that you guys are meant to be together and this is your chance to talk to her again." Janice was a hopeless romantic.
"It's not a sign, It is just a coincidence." Janice rolled her eyes.
"You have such a bad outlook on life it's boring."
"Hmm." That was all I said before going back to making drinks. However the thought did stick with me. I could go to the pride gathering. I have never been to one before and while my friends at work are great I've never met anyone else that was gay. Maybe it would be good for me, and I would be able to see Lizzie again.
---------------------------------------------------
A few hours later Esther came up to me.
"Hey, Sienna I need someone to stay a little bit longer, can you do it?" I looked at the clock and realized the pride gathering was about to start. I wasn't going to go but I thought about it.
"I can stay." Janice said as she dropped her stuff and put on her apron again.
"What, no I can stay." But Janice shook her head.
"You can go to that pride parade." Esther raised her eyebrows.
"It's a gathering."
"Whatever, you have to go and meet Lizzie and give her her book and it will be a scene from a romance movie." I rolled my eyes.
"You are a hopeless romantic." Janice clasped her hands together.
"Please, play out the fantasy I have because no one does that stuff for me and I need this type of romantic shit in my life even if it's not about me. And anyways you need something good in your life, Lizzie would be so good for you.
"What if I don't want to go?"
"Now hold on, Sienna. As your best friend and your boss, I am telling you to go to that gathering. Especially since you didn't tell me earlier so now you have to go to make it up to me otherwise I will be pissed at you." I gave Esther a pointed look.
"I could deal with you being mad at me."
"Can you deal if I fire you?" Esther crossed her arms across her chest and we stared at each other for a moment.
"Fine I'll go."

A/N
Hope you like the first chapter, i'll try my best to post frequently. Sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes.
Love y'all