Red Or Blue?

Chapter 3

          The next day was terrifying. Madison took my, or Blue's, advice and is being nice to me, way too nice. "Are you okay Madison?" Her little minion Karina asks. "I'm fine, I'm just being nice to Red so Blue with teach me to box like her." She responds. I laughed at that, a little too loudly. "What are you laughing at nerd? I mean, may I help you?" You can tell she's trying hard not to be snippy, but she's failing miserably.
          "So, I was talking to Blue Frost yesterday and she said she knows I bully you. I just want to say I'm sorry for the things I've said and done to you, it was wrong of me." Madison fakes sincerity. I flip her off and keep walking.
         "Why did you flip Madison off, she was being nice." James says, running to catch up to me. "She is only being nice so I- er, Blue Frost will teach her to box." I stumble over my words. "How do you know this?" He queries. "She stated it in her apology" I say, using air quotes around the word apology.

                  Later in English...

        I'm in Ms. Doby's class. She's my English teacher. "Class, you will be writing essays. I will give you a partner and you will have to meet with them after school for the next two weeks. Each person will write an essay about their partner. These essays are to get to know each other, figure someone out." Half of the class groaned when she said the word essays, I don't really care, I love school, so I'll be happy to do the essay. "I get to choose the partners. Now, here are your partners. Madison and Matthew, Rachel and Abigail. Karen and Elena. Amy and Alexandra." I zoned out until I heard my name. "Lastly, Red, you're with James." Ms. Doby says. "Now, get your partners phone number and then you are dismissed." She claps. I write down my phone number on a piece of paper and hand it to James, him doing the same. The bell rings and the room clears out.

                 After school...

   My phone vibrates in my pocket, signaling I have a text message. I look at the name. James. I open the text and read it.

Hey, can we meet up later today for the project?

I thumb a message back.

What time?

James: 3:30?

I look at the time. 3:25.

I yell down the stairs. "Mother!!!"

"DAUGHTER!!!" She yells back.

"Can a friend of mine come over to work on an essay for Mr. Doby's class?!" I annunciate.

"When?!" She asks.

"3:30!" I respond. "It's 3:25 now!" She yells. "I know!"

"Sure!!" She yells. "Thanks mom!!" I yell back and then send a message back to James.

Sure, be at my house at 3:30, here's the address.

Then I attach my address. My phone vibrates with a message.

You live right down the street from me, I'll be there in a few seconds.

I decide not to respond. Within seconds, I hear a knock on the door. "I got it!" I yell throughout the house and walk to the door, opening to see a smiling James with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Come in." I open the door wider so he can step in, then close the door.
            The X's come running down the stairs like children and come to a halt when they see James. "Is that your boyfriend?" They say with baby voices at the word boyfriend. "No, we're just working on a project together." I say. Then I turn to James. "These are the twin doofuses, Xavier and Xander." I tell him. "And I'm their mother." My mom walks in. "This is James. Okay. Introductions are done, let's go up to my room for the project."  I say, walking towards the stairs, James waving and following me. We get to my room and I instantly jump onto my bed, forgetting he's there. "So Red, what's your favorite color?" I scream, because I forgot he was here. "What happened?!" Xavier yells. "Nothing dumbass!" I yell back. "Watch your mouth Red!" My mother yells. "My favorite color is blue."

                3 hours of getting to know each other later...

He's just staring at me and it's creeping me out. I scratch the top of my head awkwardly, forgetting about my hair. A stand of blue kinda shows so I quickly hide it. "Was that Blue hair?" James asks. "No, it's time for you to go home now, bye James." I push him out the front door, shutting it and sliding down the door so I'm sitting on the floor. I let out a breath of relief. "He almost saw mom!" I yell. "Well shit! You have to be more careful next time!" She yells back.