Earth to Mars

electric blue haired mystery

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  She was far away.

So far away in fact that no one could touch her. Well besides Tris, who was sitting right next to her. But you get the idea. This crazy idea that someone could be so far up in the clouds when they're only sitting a few feet away.

In a seat situated in this deathly boring classroom is where she sat. Her notes out in front of her but her eyes drifting across the sky. She looked as if she was trying to find someplace better. Although anyplace was better than here to be honest.

While he, just a boy, wished he could fly there with her. Wherever she was going, he wanted a one way ticket just to catch up with her. Anyplace was better than here, but he knew of only one place he definitely wanted to be.

"Mr. Adler did you comprehend any of what I just said? Or were you too busy staring into space?"

Oh, he thought. I'm not the only one staring into space.

Just as he was trying to come up with a smartass remark the bell rang.

Everyone got up grabbing their stuff and headed to the door. Mrs. Ellins huffed as she headed back to her desk, probably angry to have not been able to give him a detention.

As he grabs his bag and rushes out of the room he looks to see if he can find her amongst the crowd. Discreetly of course.

He finds her quickly, even with her small statue her hair sticks out like a glow stick in the dark. A bright bold blue that is quite a stark contrast compared to everyone else's normal yet mundane hair hues. Watching her move through the crowd reminds him of a fish swimming upstream. Her shoulders holding strong against everyone elses' pushing weight from the force of the second bell. As in the gotta-get-to-class mindset that most of Erwin High School students seem to have.

He doesn't catch up with her though. He never does. He just likes to watch her from afar, as creepy as that sounds. Instead he heads to his locker and leans up against it and just stares down the hall. Seeing her open her own locker and grab what she needs. She looks like she's on autopilot, like she always does. And he wonders if she'll ever switch back on.

The rest of the day ends on a peaceful yet dulling note. Archer didn't call attention to himself like he usually does. He felt drained, almost as distant as she always looks. He imagined that was what connected them somehow. He knew he was grasping at straws to come up with this explanation but it was all he had.

He met his friend by the front of the school and as they walked to the parking lot he watched her again. He didn't mean to, he never does, but his eyes were always drawn to her. Wherever she went his gaze followed. He wished that he wouldn't sound like such a stalker, he was above this as so he thought. That he could woo a good amount of girls at school, or elsewhere, but he couldn't keep his mind off of a particular electric blue haired mystery.

She headed to the bus where all the other kids were waiting and laid low like she always seems to do. Leaning against the pole with her headphones in and her eyes fluttering shut. Archer wanted to know what she was listening to, what genre took her to a far off land. But he'll probably never know, he won't ever ask. She's too vibrant for his fading light.

So he got in his car and drove away that day. That Tuesday afternoon with his friend laughing beside him about something funny he's seen that day but his eyes were glazed over as he took his twenty minute drive home. Because there was this one girl on his mind and he couldn't seem to shake the feeling he'd finally talk to her soon enough.

For the presence of Margo Brais was one thing but he knew getting to know her would be out of this world. And he was willing to make that happen.