Only A Leap Ahead

3. Lancelot Fletcher

Ugh! Focus, Scarlette. Focus. Am I going color blind though? No, that can't be. I can see everybody else, perfectly in all the colors I can imagine. Then what did I see in the morning today? Was it even real? No, I'm sure of what I saw. But wait a minute...no one else noticed. He did go into the crowd and no one found it peculiar to see a grey person walking amidst them? Argh! My head hurts.

I clasp my head with both my hands.

"Miss Hebrew", my history teacher calls out. "Are you alright? Would you like to go to the infirmary?"

An escape!

"I'm sorry Mr. Rydynnoff, but my head hurts. Can I be excused?" I plead.

"Sure Scarlette. Do you want someone to accompany you?"

What? Hell no!

"No, Thank you sir.", I respond, surprisingly polite.

I make my way out of the class. I swear I could feel all the pairs of eyes on me. Boring into my skin. It gives me a very creepy feeling. And to add on, I sit on the very last seat of my class. Walking the distance from my seat to the exit, to my escape, to my freedom...is exhausting! But I make it out fine. I take the route that definitely does not go to the infirmary. Now you didn't think I was going to sleep in the heavenly embrace of the infirmary beds, did you? Disclaimer, I am not obedient.

I want to get out of these buildings as soon as possible. I feel as if the walls are closing in on me and it's suffocating. The very thought of it is suffocating. Is this how mom and dad felt when they were stuck in the car...between those seats and...okay to the bathroom first. Why do I allow myself to keep spiraling back to those thoughts?

I make my way to the restroom and splash water on my face. Now this is what I like. The feels of the air on my damp skin. So I race to the middle of the field as soon as I'm out in the open. This feels good. I laugh. Funny how in the morning I was pissed at everything being perfect and now, I find solace in the very air.

"I don't think it's recess yet", a voice says. I jump at the suddenness.

He stands just a couple of feet away, with his hands in his pockets. All this time, was he following me? He waits for a while. But I'm too shocked to answer. More like mesmerized.

"Umm...hello can you hear me?" he asks, advancing towards me. He then points his finger at me, then to his ear and then points it to himself. He makes a question mark in mid air.

"I can hear you", I reply trying to stifle a smile. "Did you follow me till here? Are you stalking me? It was you I saw in the morning, wasn't it? Who are you?"

"Okay let's see. That would be, yes, no and yes. And I am Lancelot Fletcher." he says extending his hand, smiling all the time.

I stare at him, completely confused. "What?" I ask.

"I am Lance-"

"Yeah I heard that part"

"Yes, I followed you to the field. No, I'm not stalking you. And yes, it was me who you saw in the morning."

"I thought I was going mad. Seeing things like...", I say, eyeing him up and down. "Nevermind."

"Go on. I know you have lots to ask.", he says, apparently amused by the interest he has caused.

"Who are you?", I ask.

"I told you. I'm Lancelot Fletcher"

"Yeah but, who exactly are you? As far as my memory goes, people on earth are made up of very vibrant colors. And you are..." I stop mid way. "Why aren't you...", I hesitate to find the right word but nothing comes to my mind, so I say, "colorful?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he says.

"Excuse me, what?" I ask.

He murmurs something.

"What was that?" I ask.

"Nothing," he says.

Weird.

"Anyway, this doesn't answer my question," I counter, determined to know why would I, out of all the people out there, meet such a weirdo.

"Let's just do one question per day, shall we?" he asks, looking tired all of a sudden. I'm sure it's an act.

"What do you mean? Will we be seeing each other after this? I highly doubt it."

"That's two questions," he replies with a grin.

What the heck! He is enjoying this?

"Well then go on. I've asked you my first question already," I say

"And I've answered it, my dear lady. In fact I've answered more than one."

I roll my eyes. My dear lady? The archaic titles. Suits him though.

"Fine. Go ahead then," I say. "I have nothing more to say."

"I don't know where to go," he says.

Did he come straight from the round table? Did King Arthur get so annoyed by his stupid smile that he was kicked off from his chair and now he has landed right on top of my head?

I look at him. He isn't lying this time.

"Okay then, come back tomorrow. I'll ask you all the questions that've been troubling me," I say.

I'll see how long you can keep this little thing of yours going.

"Oh! Interesting. I thought you highly doubted our future meetings," he says.

He comes closer and looks into my eye. "I wonder which part of you is true?"

"Knock it off. I just need answers," I say, holding him back with my hand, not allowing him to come any closer.

"Sure thing," he grins again.

I lie on the grass and look at the sky trying to avoid him. I can feel him do the same. The sky looks beautiful. I don't understand why I got annoyed at it in the first place. We lay there for a while. I glance at my phone. It's almost break time.

"Wanna grab lunch?" I ask.

No answer. I sit up, look around. He's gone. "And you say you have nowhere to go," I say.

The wind carries his voice, the words I couldn't hear.

"You are grey at your heart".