Purple

Twenty-Nine

Dedicated to Girl_Glader1

It has been a while since the outburst. Liam threw himself back to work, but it wasn't a surprise. Chubs didn't go back to work garden duty, but he wasn't ratted out about it. Luce went back to being with her brother, still practicing but also doing other things. Ruby went back to taking lessons with Clancy, well, or at least tried to.

"Where is your head today?" When she didn't respond, he said, "Show me what you're thinking about." When she opened her mouth, he interrupted her, "I don't want to hear about it. I want to see it."

Ruby glanced up from a pool of sunlight that was on the floor coming from the window. She looked at him and saw a look of annoyance that she had only seen him wear once. She closed her eyes and reached for his hand again; she brought to mind the memory of Zu's backpack disappearing into the wild thicket of trees.

Over the past couple of weeks, their conversations involved fewer and fewer words. When they wanted to get their point across, they shared in their own way: through their minds.

But this wasn't one of those days.

"Sorry," she mumbled. She couldn't even bother to feel disappointed.

"I do have other things I could be doing," he continued. "I have rounds to make and people to talk to, but I'm trying to help you. I'm here with you."

She sat up straight against the headboard, ready to apologize again when he rolled off his bed and moved across the room to his desk.

"Clancy, I really am sorry."

By the time she came to stand near the desk, he was already typing away at his laptop. He let her stand there in silent, gust-twisting worry, for what felt like nearly an hour before he bothered to look at her from whatever he was doing. He seemed tired and bored of pretending her existence wasn't there when clearly it was.

"You know, I really thought that letting your Yellow go would help you focus, but I guess I was wrong." He shook his head. "I was wrong about a lot of things apparently."

She couldn't react to what she was told. Too much was going on and they all wanted to come out at the same time. She was offended, but then she was pissed, but then she was a bit hurt, but then she wanted to throw everything she can get her hands on at him.

She needed to leave. She knew if she stayed even a second longer she would say something that would ruin their friendship, although it was already ruined by what he said. He should have realized that she could have spent the last few weeks with her, but instead, she had agreed to spend time with him.

She didn't say anything to him. Instead, she turned sharply on her heel and stalked toward the door. As she opened it, Clancy said, "That's right, Ruby, run away again. See how far you get this time!"