The Experiment (Draft)

Colors

Owen:

This was really weird. Whoever these people were, they knew everything about me. I have never told anyone that my favorite color is green, despite the fact that I usually wear blue, and yet the bed is green, and the walls are green, but almost all of the shirts in my closet are blue. Out of nowhere, Lydia is standing in the doorway, looking around.

"Hey Lid." I croak. Why is my voice like that? My voice hasn't cracked since freshman year. Whatever.

"Hey Owen. I didn't know your favorite color was green."

"Yeah, I guess most people don't-"

"Since you always wear blue. Yeah, I noticed that." She interrupts."I was going to see if there was some food somewhere and make some lunch. Do you want some?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"Alright then. I'll call you down when you are ready." She says as she walks down the hall. I hear her knock on Luke's door, curious, because she didn't knock on mine. It was probably because the door was already open.

"Um, Luke?" I hear her say through the wall.

"Yeah?"

"I, uh, was going to make some, uh, lunch. Do you want some?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, I will tell you when It's ready." I hear a loud thud down the hallway, and peek my head out just in time to see her pick herself off the ground. It wasn't those stilts she called shoes, because she was barefoot. I did notice she always seemed to be stumbling around at school. I take a peek in my closet, noting all of the blue polos I see, I want to be able to wear them all, but there isn't enough time. But I don't want to seem weird because I change my shirt before every meal. I decide to ask Luke.When I open the door, Luke is just pulling a tee-shirt over his head. I guess that answers my question.

"Hey man, I was just about to ask you if you were going to change, but that answered my question."

"Alright then. Hey, do you have a bunch of suits in the back of your closet too?" He asks.

"Yeah, which is weird because I only wear them to church."

"But remember Lydia's rule? That means that for dinner we have to wear them. Not that I'm complaining."

"Do you think that Lid has a bunch of, like, dresses in her closet?" I ask

"Well, there is only one way to find out." We walk across the hallway to her room.When we open the door, I am practically blinded. Everything is white, except to rows of shoes on her wall, and her perfume bottles. Everywhere.

"Wow, I didn't know her favorite color was white." I say.

"It's weird, because it's not. I know for a fact that Lydia's favorite color is blue." We open the closet door to see rows of color. In the back are these really fancy dresses. But the thing that sticks out the most is that she has another door in the back of her closet.

"Hey, Luke, do you see that?" I say pointing to the door.

"That's new." When we open the door, it's all mirrors. and shelves of even more color. Bottles and palettes and creams of every color. It takes me a minute to process that it's all makeup, not and art studio.

"Ahem." I look around to see Lydia standing in the doorway.

"Well, you know you could have asked. Anyway, thanks for finding this. I didn't know if I would have any makeup. By the way, lunch is ready,"

*****

The kitchen looked like it came right out of a Better Homes And Gardens magazine. We all sat down at a huge mahogany table, eating chicken salad sandwiches in silence when Lydia decides to break the quiet.

"So, uh, who's making dinner?"

Silence.

"Someone besides me better know how to make food."

Silence.

"Well?"I can tell she is getting frustrated.

"Luke, I know that you can at least make some box macaroni and cheese."

"Yeah I can, but..." He pauses, "Um, I thought it would be weird to eat mac and cheese in a suit."

"Well, I refuse to cook both dinner and lunch. I mean I love to cook, but I'm not a slave." She retorts.

I pipe up. "Well, I guess it's settled then. Mac and cheese is for dinner." We finish in silence, and when we all head back to the kitchen to clean up, I have an idea.

"Let's go sit in the hot tub." I grin