The Color of Hate

Chapter 11

There is no goddamn way.

Matisse is right here. In front of me, in the library. That means he heard me cry and try to get out and curse. Which means he knows we're stuck here too.
But he doesn't seem as alarmed as me.

,,How long have you been here?" I ask, even though I know the answer. Rhys is sitting on the floor, in the mystery aisle and reading a book I can't see the name of.

,,About three hours." he says. My face turns red with embarrassment, I try speaking but he cuts me off.
,,Which is long enough to have heard everything." he says smirking.

I can't belive this, out of all the people from this school who could have heard me have a panick attack and cry like a maniac it just had to be Rhys.

I was lost in my thoughts for a few minutes and when I look up Rhys started reading his book again.
He probably felt someone looking at him as he looks up at me, laughing.

,,What is it?" I say annoyed.

,,Take a picture, it lasts longer." he laughs.

My last problem right now is responding back to his dares, I'm in no mood for fighting.
Not while my brother is at a police station right now.
Not while he is blamed for murder. Right now it feels as if I am the only one really caring about him not being home right now. Even if my phone was charged, I doubt my mom would have called. I bet she's sitting on a beach right now, not giving the smallest fuck about her kids.

Rhys's smile quickly dies down as he sees me in my own thoughts, not even talking back to his dare. If there was more light in this library I would say he almost looks...sad?

,,What happened? Why were you crying?" Rhys says, patting the carpet next to him, indicating for me to sit down.
I do so, not because of him, but because I can already feel my legs numbing as I have to talk about Lucas again.

I lift my head up, staring at the celling as I try to get the words out.

,,Lucas got arrested." I finally say, tears filling my eyes again.

,,Shit." he says, lifting his eyes up at the celling too.

That's all he says? Shit?

Maybe he already knew about it, his father is the one who ordered for him to get arrested after all.

He starts speaking but I interrupt him.

,,Look I just wanna get him out, I want my brother back home, safe. I don't know if my dad was murdered or not. But what I do know is that it wasn't Lucas. I just know it. I really don't care what your father thinks. I know my family better than him and the fact that he is the one who put my brother in prison makes me hate your family even more." I say, nearly out of breath by the time I finish speaking.

I turn to look at him but find his eyes are already on me. He doesn't look angry at me for calling out his dad though

We just sit in silence for a while. Me staring into a blank space while he is staring at me, trying to read whatever I have in my mind.

How would he be able to know what I feel, when I don't even know it?

Like I said the first time I met him, I hate breaking the silence, so it's been about twenty minutes when I decide to get up and go get my book from the other aisle.

Might as well read while we're stuck all night in a library, right?

,,Did you ever have panick attacks before?" he says as I sit back down, finally breaking the silence. I don't want to answer him but I don't really have choice.

,,Yes. Only once. But this was the first time I was alone, or at least I thought so." I answer, dreading his next question. But as he doesn't say anything, I decide to be the one asking the questions now.

,,Why didn't you come out and help me? Do you really hate me that much?" I ask, a weird pressure rising in my stomach as I wait for him to answer.

,,You have to learn how to calm yourself down when stuff like this happens. Because it definitely lwon't be the last time you have to go through this alone. It's good to know how to be your own help." he says, surprising me with his words. I try to speak but he keeps going.
,,If you really wouldn't have been able to calm yourself down, I would have helped. But I knew you could, you are strong, but you need to realize that."

Wow.

That was..unexpected.

Why is he so nice? Maybe he just decided to cut me some slack since my brother just got arrested.

Or maybe he wants something from you. A voice in the back of my brain is telling me. You can't trust anyone. It speaks again.

She is right, I can't trust anyone. But I should trust someone. Not Rhys, obviously. I just mean I could be more trusting with people. I have been broken because of trust many times, but not as many as I was for not trusting the people who cared about me.

,,Thank you, Matisse." I say, barely above a whisper.

,,No problem." he responds, going back to his book.

It's been an hour and this is getting really boring. I am way to stressed about Lucas to be able to sleep, so I decide to be the first one to talk this time.

,,Let's play truth or dare." I say snapping the book out of his hands, making sure to not leave any type of mark leading to the page he was at. Have fun looking for it later.

,,Okay. You first." he says, sitting up from his almost layed down position, voice cold as ice.

,,Okay, Matisse. Truth or dare?" I ask.

,,Truth."

,,Ugh, boring. What is your least favorite color?" I ask, because I really expected him to chose dare.

,,Green." he answers blankly, staring right into my eyes.

That's his way of making me feel better?

,,Truth or dare, Ma?"

,,Truth."

,,What is your least favorite color?" he asks.

,,Get your own damn questions next time. Black." I say, staring right back into his eyes.

,,Get your own damn answer next time." he smirks.

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Sorry for not posting for a while but school is almost over!! So I'll be able to post way more.
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Have a beautiful dayy!❤️🫶🏻