Black

Callie : I

[Unedited]

The new girl, Sierra Fish, was... interesting, to say the least. I was curious about her, so I watched her interact with the three people at lunch. She didn't say much, mainly observed everyone. When she did talk, though, it was always awkward, stumbling over her words and backtracking.

Just my luck that the art teacher, Mr. Cezanne (widely hated by all), paired us up.

We were supposed to do some kind of collaboration; we come up with a painting and one partner gets one side, so we can see the difference in styles. Sierra suggested an ocean theme; I was indifferent. We started sketching together, my half (the right) covered with cartoonish rocks and plants, the occasional half assed fish to go along with it.

Then I glanced at Sierra's half.

I knew I wasn't that good at art, but this girl made it seem like I was the next picasso. Her squiggly lines barely made any sense to me. When she saw me staring, she just smiled and said that she was planning. I waved it off and got some paint. I filled in a few rocks, giving them a blueish tint, painting the plants green and yada yada.

Then I looked at Sierra's part again.

She had only done a few parts, but those few parts looked almost like a photograph. The rocks had the right reflection, the plants seemed to move on their own, and the fish were brightly colored to match the scene just right. Forget my being the next Picasso, this new girl was the next Da Vinci.

I guess I had spent a lot of time staring, because next thing I knew the bell had rung and my side had hardly any paint while hers was nearly finished. How could something so beautiful take so little time and still look so perfect? This girl was going to be the death of me.

"Sieeeeeerrrraaa!" a sing-song voice called out. I turned to see Mercy, a YouTuber that I looked up to, calling for the new girl.

"There's gonna be a fake-as-fuck party at my house, and you have to come!" Mercy shouted, walking up to Sierra and grabbing her hands. This slightly looked like a scene from Mean Girls, or Heathers, except Mercy wasn't a Plastic or a Heather.

I felt slightly sad that she hadn't invited me, but hey, I'm the girl no one notices. Besides, Mercy's a huge YouTuber with over 6 million subscribers and she didn't even know me. I wouldn't have gone, anyways, I was more of a stay-at-home-and-read-in-a-hammock girl.

"Can Callie come, too?" Sierra asked Mercy. This surprised me. Sierra, a girl I had just met, was inviting me, an antisocial African American girl who had barely talked to her the whole hour they'd worked together, to a party?

"Sure," Mercy shrugged. "All we're gonna be doing is dancing to songs while being melodramatic and recording it. We might film a fake sex tape, too. Yes! Let's copy off of Dan and Phil. I already stole their names, anyways."

And that, my dear friends and readers, is how my entire life went uphill and downhill simultaneously.

Sierra smiled brightly, giving Mercy a hug and letting go quickly. "When's the party?"

"Ummmmmmmm... Like an hour after school? I don't know. Whenever I get out of detention. Just hang with Brant and Darien for a while. Or maybe Callie. Yes, hang with Callie. Darien and Brant are probably going to just loiter around a 711. I really don't understand why they find that entertaining," Mercy shrugged. The last bell of the day rang, making Sierra flinch. I guess she was homeschooled before this seeing as that was her reaction every time, but you'd think she'd have gotten used to it by now.

"I'm gonna go read by the beach," I said, standing and gathering my things. Sierra nodded, her face slightly nervous. Maybe she's hydrophobic or something.

"You don't have to come," I offered.

"I kind of have to head that way to get home," she answered. I shrugged.

"Suit yourself." I walked out of the classroom, hearing Sierra say goodbye to Mercy before scuttling after me.