Grayscale

-Chapter 12-

It has been exactly thirteen days since the paper burning, and I haven't seen Sierra anywhere. She's not answering any texts or emails or phone calls either. I've seen Ryan around school, but never Sierra. I can't decide if she's sick, or simply doesn't want to go to school anymore. I miss her constant chattering and her thoughts on everything, even white nail polish.

"Shit," I mutter when the brush off the nail polish swipes onto my thumb by accident. As much as Sierra loves white and loves the idea of starting over, I think I am finally done with starting over. Because I am starting over right now, and it is, in a way, my last chance. I wipe the nail polish off with my other thumb, but it only causes a messier smudge of blue. I groan in annoyance and roll off the bed. So much for "Me Time". My eyes wander around my room and linger on the iPad. I could watch some more Netflix. Was there still popcorn downstairs?

Next to me, the phone vibrates, causing my uncapped nail polish to spill on the bed. I yell out in anger and swipe at it hastily. Curse these stupid, hard-to-remove substances. I chuck the polish in the trashcan, and angrily pick up the phone. "What?"

"Woah, calm down there. You alright?"

I sigh. "Hey, Jasper. Sorry, but my nail polish just spilled everywhere on the bed. What do you want?" I try to say in the nicest way possible.

"There's a football game at seven today if you want to go."

"Sorry, no," I decline.

"Yeah, I thought so. Camping? I'll bring the equipment, you bring the stuff you need. It'll be fun." I can hear Jasper smiling through the phone. I smile, even though no one can hear me. "Sure, why not? Is anyone else coming?"

"By anyone else, do you mean Kaya?"

"Maybe," I say.

Jasper laughs. "Do you think Kaya is into camping and hiking? I think she's going to the football game. But Ryan's coming, if you will."

"Okay, great. Bring paper, lots of it, with your deep thoughts on society and your feelings on it. This will be one of the best nights in a while."

* * *

"That's Sierra's car," I say when Jasper and Ryan arrive to my house.

"That I know," Ryan says.

"She's not mad at you for using it?"

"I don't think she knows I'm using it," Ryan laughs, but it quickly smoothes out into an unreadable expression. "Or cares, at the moment."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Nothing. Do you have your bags?" Ryan asks. I nod towards the backpack I'm holding. "Just this."

Jasper nudges me, and I turn to look at him. "Where's your sleeping bag?"

"In the garage somewhere, collecting dust. I'm not going to use a sleeping bag," I explain when seeing the bewildered expressions on Jasper and Ryan's faces.

Ryan soon starts laughing. "Alright, I see. I guess I won't use one either." He lightly punches Jasper in the shoulder. "You going to use yours?"

"I guess not," says Jasper. "I don't think you'd let me anyway."

"Right," Ryan says. They dump their sleeping bags in my house, then jump into the car.

"Shotgun!" I cry out, running to the front. Jasper is already sitting there, grinning at me. "Hey," he says.

"Get out! I called shotgun," I say to him, trying to pull him off the seat. He holds onto the seat, moving a little towards me, but otherwise, he doesn't budge.