Colored In The Sky Blue

(1) Zero

"And that time Cherish fell," Andrea whispered between giggles she couldn't hold back.

We both busted into laughter. How do you fall while throwing something in the trashcan? Somehow Cherish had done it, and man it was funny.

Cherish pulled from her separate cuddle-fest with Derek and mock-laughed with us. Her attempt at making us feel bad only made the flow of giggles harder to control, and even Merari laughed.

Merari laughed at everything though. She was like me and Andrea now. But also Cherish. She flirted more and her favorite word was penis. God forbid she say dick, and not mean Richard.

Remember when Cherish scared guys off by asking to touch their ass, and Merari would call herself Mama Bear? Those were the days. But now its reversed.

Cherish is wise and unaging. Merari is rambunctious and cuddly with every guy she deems a 5 or higher.

Andrea had stopped laughing a few thoughts ago, and so had I. Now I was skipping through Snapchat, coloring my face out of Squad pictures and posting them.

Bryson Tiller updated his story! Excited.

But Cherish slapped her hands on the table. I looked at her, and she looked at me. Her eyes were wild, but it was more of Pay attention Natalie than something crazy. Probably.

"Natalie... Come on, focus," she said in a baby voice.

"Cherish, shut the fuck up," I said. Andrea laughs more, and Cherish just grins.

"But seriously. Kieran --- how are you dealing with him? The fact that he's a vampire and you aren't could lead to blah blah blah blah blah blah blood blah blah blah careful blah blah blah blah fucking kill you. So are you or nah?"

"Yes."

She gasped. I wasn't really listening though. My thoughts turned to Kieran Halloway as soon as she'd said his name. I had a huge crush on him. But not really.

My head had a crush, not my heart. That makes sense right? Whenever he showed up or someone brought him up, I would see him do weird stuff in my head. This time, he was smiling and then grinning, like the fucking Joker. It scared me, but I couldn't not see it. And then his eyes....

Ooops, its gone. I blew it off. I always did. It was these people I hung out with. They made me have weird thoughts. Combination of tiny satan, assbuts and gay angels, bands and ass, penis penis penis would screw up anyone.

"Natalie...!" Cherish shouted. A few others in the cafeteria looked our way but we were loud everyday all the time. This was nothing new.

"Oh what?"

"You guys are dating?"

"Who?"

"You and Kieran."

"Nuh uh."

"Why did you say y'all were?"

"Uh, I didn't hear the question." And I laugh.

Cherish squeezed her eyes shut and flattened her lips. She made that face whenever she was "done with life."

"She's fine," Derek said to make Cherish feel better, I guess. Cherish was chill, but secretly a worried Mom when it came to actually dating boys.

Was she worried about me getting eaten? Pfffft, vampires wouldn't eat me. They could, if they tried, and I guess they would try if they didn't have souls.

But everyone had souls. Especially those connected to Cherek. Or was it Derish?

"I guess yer right. Kieran has my approval..."