Colors

V. Study Of Colors

I pull up in my well aged Volkswagen that's been scuffed up, rained on, hit, dented, repaired more times than I can count, and all in the time that I've owned it. Her house was two blocks from mine, a picture window that's faced towards the horizon over a cliff that accentuates the Sydney Opera House. I put her in park and walked up to the door. I hesitated to, but I knocked to a tune. I wanted to get in my car then and there to just leave, I was really nervous...I don't even know why...it was only a study date for science. Too late, mid thought the door opened to reveal Jess in her after-school-on-a-Friday look. Black sweats, a Pierce The Veil sleeve cut off tee, and her short hair styled back like Halsey's. She was really attractive outside of Richmond High uniform.

"Hey Ash."

"Hey." I gave a cheesy smile, and I got one in return.

"Come on in."

I hesitantly walked in after her, she took a quick right into an open space that was a stair down from the hallway. I looked around the corner and saw what was my Heaven in that instant. She had a full DW drum-set accented with brass Zildjian symbols, and the beauty that it is, a Fender Mike Dirnt Precision Bass guitar with a cherry black body, a black pick guard, and on the frets it had skulls as markers. If it were normal...or physically possible...

I would fuck that guitar.

"Where did you get this?" I reached out to skim its smooth body.

"Oh...it was my dads." At that, a retracted my hand.

"Haha, it's okay Ash, it's mine now, but that design is mine."

"What do you mean?"

"My dad kept it as it came from the factory, but when I got it, I took it in to have it redesigned. Worth it really."

"You think he'd mind if I played it a bit?"

"Well considering he's six feet under, and it's mine, I don't think he'd mind."

"Oh...Jess I'm-"

"Don't say your sorry for my loss. He died a while ago."

There was a silence. For him.

"Can I ask how?"

"He was a soldier. Marine."

"Nuf said."

"Yeah, haha. Sure I miss him, but I'm proud of him more than I am sad that he's gone."

"That's good," I smiled at her. "Do you have a step dad?"

"Nope. I'm kinda glad though, I like it being just my mom and I. Less hectic, but mom does date. She knows how to play the field for sure."

"Haha, that's fucking awesome!" We both laughed for a bit. It was a relief.

"Yeah, so should we get started?"

"Sure."

***

8:10 pm.

"Guess mom's not coming home...oh, she's at her retreat I forgot."

"Retreat?"

"Yeah her work goes on a weekend trip along the Great Barrier Reef. They scuba dive, camp on the beach, swim with dolphins...it's pretty cool."

"Why don't you go with her?"

"All adults, and I've got school so..."

"Good point."

There was another section of time that we did nothing but work. Science formula after science formula, and my eyes were starting to sting and water from the laptop screen. I pulled my glasses out of my back pack and put them on.