That night everybody, came into the room, and I was forced from my hideout on my bed. I fly down to where everybody sits in what could be loosely called a circlish thing. Brigit had saved a spot for me by her.
“Now that we have everybody with us, let's begin. Okay, first category, something harmless. Favorite color. Mine is deep metallic blue.” Curt starts, then motions to Scarlet who’s sitting next to him.
“Isn't it obvious?” she says coolly, “Scarlet, the color of blood, is my favorite color.”
Bryan, the master of positiveness-if that's even a word- smiles. “Isn't that wonderful!” he says without a hint of sarcasm in his voice, “It suits you! My favorite color is jet black.” He nudges Rose, who returns not a death glare, but a hint of....romance? And though I can't explain it, a small ball of jealousy curls up in the pit of my stomach.
“My favorite color is Rose Red.” she says sweetly, then looks at me. “What's your favorite color Shadow?”
I scowl at her. “Gold. Like my wings.”
Brigit pipes up. “My favorite color is the rainbow. I can't really find a color that I like the most, so I like all of it. The rainbow!” Everybody chuckles at her and she blushes.
Dean was next. “I've always liked the calm aura of baby blue.” Funny for a guy the size of a NFL football player.
Venus didn't come to our little meeting, so she didn't go.
“Okay!” Curt says, “Next category is, home state! I came from TEXAS! YEEE-HAAA!” he says in a funny cowboy accent.
“California.” Scarlet says bluntly.
“Florida!” Bryan says.
“North Carolina.” Rose says, slipping into a smooth southern accent.
It was my turn. “Not really a state, but my home is in Washington D.C.” I shrug.
“Really! Cool. I came with Bryan from Florida.” Brigit exclaims.
“Iowa.” Dean says.
That's when she came in.
“Lights out in five!” Mrs. Brody shouts, even though we're hardly a yard away. She narrows her eyes at the boys, who are sprawled out comfortably on beds or on the floor. “What are you doing in here?”
All the boys rush for the door like a pack of wild dogs on a wounded deer. I saw a nature documentary about it once. Not pretty.
Mrs. Brody steps out the door after them and shuts it.
“Party pooper.” I say after she's gone.
“Yeah. I guess we gotta go to bed now, see yawl in the morning.” Brigit says before flying up to her bed.
“Goodnight!” I say to the others before flying up to my bed myself.
I sit there for a good 15 minutes thinking. About what life would be like if I wasn't here right now. I’d most likely be sitting in juvey. Alone. Guards peeking in, every so often. The sweet nurse who would wrap up my knuckles if I punched a wall to take out anger. I look at my knuckles now, examining their many scares. Some from fights. Most from punching hard things. What would life be like, I think (not for the first time), if my parents hadn't dropped me off at that orphanage. What if I hadn't gone into the gang life, if all those tattoos had never been put there? What if, what if, what if? What if I.....I drift off into sleep.
Thump, Thump, Thump. I hear at the door. Wonderful. Another day, waiting to be ruined by Mrs. Brody. Ugh. I fly over to the door and open it. Welcoming her horribly bright face into it. She was wearing that freakish smile again.
