"ORANGE, HURRY UP!" Red yells from the open front door. "I NEED TO GET TO WORK, AND YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!"
"I'LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE, HANG ON!" I yell back.
I set down the small tray of snacks near Sabre, as he's sat in front of the little TV on the dresser in my room. I set it to YouTube and put on a 10-hour-long compilation of animal videos since he seems to like those. Sabre looks up at me while he's sat on a cushion with a blanket around himself, a little confused, as I press play on the video.
"What's going on?" He asks.
"Me and Red gotta leave the house, we both have places to go to every day." I explain, petting Gerald before I go, who was sitting on my bed. "You have to stay in here until we get back, we can't risk anyone out on the street seeing you from the window in the living room. The bathroom is the door right across from mine. I'll be back around 4:30, I dunno how long Red is gonna be at work."
"ORANGE!" Red calls, and I rush to grab my backpack off my bed and head out of my room.
"Seeya later, Sabre!" I say, then answer Red. "I'M COMING!"
As soon as I'm out the front door, Red quickly shuts and locks it behind me as I head to the car. He gets in a few seconds later, starts the car, and we're off.
"Okay, I already told my boss that I'll have to drop you off at school every morning until summer, so he knows about that." Red says as he drives towards the school. "This is the first day the shop's open, so hopefully I'll be home a little after you're off school, but then again this is the second coffee shop in town so I have no idea how hectic it'll be."
"Are the shops competitive or something?" I ask as I stare out the window, wondering about the lives of the other people in the cars around us. Are they better off than us? Worse? Only they know.
"Nah, the original owner of the only shop the town's had since forever retired, and left his business to his sons." Red explains. "They had different views on how they wanted the shop, but rather than argue and cause a big scene they decided to open a sister location and have each of them run one of the shops. Pretty good compromise, if you ask me."
"Huh. That's nice." I reply as we make an all-too-familiar turn.
Soon enough, we're at the drop-off lot at the front of the school. Red gives me a quick hug before I get out of the car.
"Have a good day at school, Orange!" Red cheerfully says as I sling my backpack over my shoulder.
"Thanks Red, good luck at work." I smile back.
Red drives off, and I start walking on the long, kind of winding main path towards the front school entrance. Bushes and small trees decorate the garden beds off to the side of it. Teachers are saying 'good morning' to students as they walk in, under the almost neon sign above the main doors.
Well, here I am once again, another day at Citrus Branch High School...
...Ew.
I'm halfway up the path when a familiar voice follows a playful jab to my shoulder.
"Hey, Orange! What's hanging?" Funny asks with a grin.
"My sanity, by a thread." I answer, remembering there's a geometry test in 6th period I forgot to study for. Crap.
"Funny, wait up!" Funny's twin, Happy, calls out as he runs to catch up. "Don't go so fast, dude! I wanna say hi to Orange too!"
"Hey, Happy." I greet my other friend, giving a small grin.
YOU ARE READING
An Altered Tale | A Rainbow Quest AU
FanfictionOrange Steve, along with his adoptive father Red Steve, were looking forward to their summers; Red just got a new job at a coffee shop, and Orange was finally old enough to help with the bills other than doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. It on...
