In Color. {l.r.h.}

them

Halli rolled out of bed, stiff from dragging herself up from the door the night before. The floor was too cold for her liking, and her jeans were crumpled around the knee from sleeping in them.

Her mother's words unceasingly replayed inside her head. "Idiot," she mumbled, stretching her legs. "I'm an adult. You're an adult, Halli. You can do whatever you want!"

She flung open her door, pausing briefly to knock on Cameron's door. "Cam, if I don't come back, you get my paintings, my dad gets anything else, and my mom gets a middle finger."

Cameron crinkled her eyebrows. "Oh... Okay? Where are you--"

"Okay, bye now!" She zoomed down the staircase and to the park. She found hers and Luke's usual bench and slumped down. Familiar heavy footsteps made their way to her.

A bright smile spread across Luke's face. "Fancy seeing you here." Halli jumped up and threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms tightly around him. The sudden shock of Halli's small frame against his stiff body caused Luke to hesitate before embracing her. "Hey," he whispered. "You're okay." He held her close, listening intently to her heartbeat.

She pulled away, a soft red blush flooding her cheeks. "Do you want to see my apartment?"

Luke's eyes widened. "What?"

She chuckled. "My mom is... different, and she said that you could be a sociopath or something and I might die if I stuck around you, but honestly I wouldn't really object to that so... What do you say? That way you won't have to come to this park bench to see me. I mean, I'm basically either here or at my apartment anyway."

Luke grinned. "Let's go."

Halli held out her hand and led the two of them to her little apartment building, through the lobby, up the twelve sets of stairs. She pushed open the door with a grin. "Welcome to Casa De La Halli."

Luke smiled at the plain white walls, scarce furniture, and crumpled clothes all over the floor. "Love what you've done with the place."

"Oh yeah, I'm an aspiring interior designer. Hey, do you want a water, maybe a snack?"

"Sure."

"Okay, get it yourself."

Luke chuckled before going to search through the cabinets. He came back with two glasses of water and a bowl of Lucky Charms. "Halli, I must say I'm disappointed in your lack of food variety."

"Yeah, I basically only have cereal."

"But I did manage to find a chocolate bar for you, and here's your water." He handed them to her.

She looked at him seriously. "You didn't have to do that."

"It's my pleasure to serve you."

The words struck a chord with Halli. Serve you. She didn't need anyone to serve her. That was the whole point of her getting her own apartment, her own life. She was independent. She didn't need someone to serve her.

He spoke again. "Is there anything else you need? I can get it for you. Maybe something other than cereal?"

"Get out," she whispered, turning her back to him.

Luke had the inflection of an abandoned puppy. "W- What?"

Halli refused to turn around to face him. "You heard me," she mumbled. "Out."

He rose to his feet but wasn't quite leaving without putting up a fight. "Why?"

She whirled around. "Because I'm not your responsibility!" Her hands smacked her sides in tightly clenched fists. "Get out, please. I don't need a babysitter."

"Look, Hal, if I came across in some demeaning way, I'm sorry. I really wasn't trying to-"

She raised her voice. "Did you not hear me? Because I thought I made myself clear."

"Yeah, but you're not a responsibility to anyone. I like being around you. You must be a genius to find your way around New York without your sight. Just because you can't see me doesn't mean you're a burden."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

Halli felt like she could boil over at any moment. "Ugh! Just leave already!"

He grabbed her hand. "Halli, I lov-"

"Out!"

And with that, the door slammed shut.