The Color of Truth

seven: aris

Class comes and goes quickly, I don't pay much attention to what's going on around me. I can only think about how Greysen is feeling and why he complimented me this morning. He always says nice things to me but he never goes out of his way or comes across nervous when he does. It's such a strange feeling that his words gave me.

My next two classes go by in the same blur, biology and history. Both equally as boring. But now it's time for English and I get to see and talk to Grey. We also have Tanden and Jaryd in our English class so our whole group is together right before lunch anyway.

Grey is sitting at our table as I walk into class, his heads down and his earbuds tucked safely within his ears blocking him from unwanted conversation. I sit down beside him and he looks up immediately, giving me a thank-god-you're-here type of smile. He must be having an off day so far.

"Hey, how have your classes been today?" I ask him. "Alright I suppose." He says looking back down at the table. "Everyone just looks at me like a monster." He says quietly, almost as if he's commenting to himself. "They'll get over it soon, and they'll catch the person who attacked you guys soon. I'm sure of it." He gives me a soft smile and looks up towards the door. "Hey guys." Tanden greets us. "Hey T." I respond, smiling at him as he sits down. "You guys won't believe what I heard just now." He says, stopping for added dramatics. Whenever Tanden had a story to tell he wanted people to be interested, even if it was a boring topic. "Mr. Campbell quit this morning. Called in and said he wasn't coming back and that no one would find him." He tells us.

Mr. Campbell was our grumpy English teacher. He took pleasure in making sure his stupid were miserable and he disliked Greysen more than he disliked everyone else. We couldn't figure out why, Grey was quiet in class, turned his assignments in on time and was never disrespectful. But on the other hand, Jaryd who was obnoxious as all hell, talked back and turned things in once in a blue moon, was loved by the ashen haired man. None of us understood it.

Even though he loathed his job it still didn't make sense for him to up and quit his job. He wasn't a horrible teacher, I learned a decent amount from him. Maybe he just got tired of dealing with adolescents everyday? It still didn't fit quiet right in my mind.

"Who's going to be sitting in for him then?" Greysen asks, he sounds somewhat relieved that Mr. Campbell won't be showing his face around here anymore. "No clue, probably just random teachers on their break periods this hour." Tanden shrugs. "They'll have to give us a full time teacher at some point right? We've still got half a school year left." Grey says, probing Tanden for more information. "Jeez Greysen I'm not on the board for the school district, I don't know what you want me to tell you." Tanden tells Greysen seeming almost irritated, and Greysen goes silent.

"So uh, has anyone seen Jaryd today? He's not in class yet and it starts in like 2 minutes." I say trying to make the awkward conversation a little less uncomfortable. "He should be here soon." Tanden shrugs. Greysen has retreated back into his headphones and staring into space. He doesn't handle people snapping at him well. But to be fair, neither do I.

Jaryd walks in three minutes after the bell rings and sits down at the table with us. "So why are we here?" He asks the group. "Well it's school, and we're kinda required to attend." Tanden tells him while rolling his eyes.

"Okay genius, we don't have a teacher and this class isn't getting one today. So let's go down and get a pizza and have a long lunch. Forget about his shithole for a couple of hours." Jaryd tells us. Automatically I know Tanden will say no if Grey and I don't. I look over at Grey and see that he could probably use a break.

"Yeah, lets go." I say, surprising the boys. "I'm starving and pizza sounds good." I say shrugging and pulling on my backpack to leave. Greysen and Tanden stand and do the same. Jaryd gets up and we all head out of the class and make our way out of the school and to the pizza parlor.