In Color. {l.r.h.}

them || now

(a/n: this is a year later ok)

Halli probably looked pathetic, sitting there all by her adult self on a bench in the middle of the park. Good thing she couldn't see how the people stared at her. She slumped back and squinted her eyes upward, as if that could bring back the sight of the little ducklings all waddling across the sidewalk. What was she doing here? Why didn't she just leave?

Luke stumbled over a particularly large tree root that sat contently above the surface of the dirt path he was wandering in search of cell signal. Stupid tree. Stupid park. He was grumbling to himself under his breath when his eyes met those of a girl who seemed to be about his age, sitting on a park bench not far from where he was almost face-planting. Her long blonde hair, appearing as if it hadn't been brushed in days, cascaded all the way down her back and draped over her pink and white striped shirt and cherry red jeans. Interesting.

She was staring, and he was hungover.

He marched across to the nameless girl. Her gaze never moved. "What are you looking at?" he demanded, tapping his foot.

She crossed her arms, shifting her weight to one side. "Nothing," she said flatly. Who does this guy think he is?

His crystal blue eyes locked with her strikingly grey ones.

"Oh is that so? I saw you staring at me."

She threw her head back, seeming to find this situation absolutely hilarious. "Okay, buddy. I can assure you I was not looking at you."

"Look, just because a nineteen year old man is at a kids' park doesn't mean I don't--"

"Oh my God, I'm blind, you idiot."

His jaw practically fell to the ground. "I'm so sorry. I... I didn't know. I'm... I'm sorry."

She chuckled. "I've been blind for a bit over a year. It's nothing new to me." Luke was just glad she couldn't see how badly he was blushing. "So, what is a nineteen year old man doing at a kids' park anyway?"

He plopped himself down on the bench beside the strange girl. "My cousin is having a Power Rangers birthday party at the stone pavilion over there." He vaguely gestured to the right, before realizing this was unnecessary. "I'm Luke, by the way."

"Halli." It was silent for a moment as Luke's eyes traced over her features. She spoke again. "Can I... Oh this is weird. Can I see you?"

He furrowed his brow. "No..."

She laughed. "No, I mean can I touch your face so I can try to figure out what you look like?"

"Does that really work?"

"I don't know, a lot of blind guys do it in movies."

"Then it must be true. Go ahead."

She placed her small hands delicately on the sides of his face. Luke could feel people's stares burn into him. Her hands reached the slope of his nose. "Yup, that's a nose."

"Good one."

"Thanks. For my next trick, I'll find your... Is this a lip ring? This thing that's way too cold and pop-outish to be part of your face?" (a/n: RIP lipring)

"Bingo."

She removed her hands. "So what do you do, Mr. Lip Ring?"

"I'm in a band." He scrunched his nose. "We're not that good."

"Ah, but A+ confidence."

He chuckled. "What do you do?"

She bit her lip. "Believe it or not, I'm an artist. Or, I was. Now I'm..." She paused awkwardly before mumbling, "Depressed."

"Off to a great start already."