The World In Color

ii

"Today's the day. Today's the day that I'm finally going to win!" I say to Samantha, my best friend, as we sprint to school. "I'm finally going to beat you!"

"You say that everyday Zara."

"But this time I mean it!" I say as we sprint past the crowd of preoccupied people going to work and to the bus stations. That's when it happened. I saw a flash of...something. It was so - what I guess you would call - bright. It was so quick that I would have thought I had blinked had it not been for the strange flash; I think I saw the colors.

"Did you see that?" I called to Samantha, but she was already far ahead. I hadn't realised I'd stopped. I began looking around to see if anyone else had seen the colors. It didn't look like anyone had. Was I just imagining things? Did I really see the colors?

"Sam! Sam! Come Here!" I yelled once I caught up to her.

"What happened to finally beating me?" She yelled and jogged over to me.

"I got a bit - well not a bit; quite a lot really - distracted" I said making sure to keep my voice low so the students passing by couldn't hear me.

"What do you mean? Zar, what could have possibly distracted you so much that you were three minutes behind me?

"Let's go to the showers, Sam. I'll tell you what I mean when we're alone."

***

"Are you sure it was the colors?" Samantha whisper-yelled.

"Yes I'm sure, now be quiet before someone hears you!"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. What were they like though?"

"I don't know how to describe them. They were, I don't know, beautiful."

"What did they look like?" I could tell sam was beginning to get excited by the way she was bouncing up and down looking as if she were about to burst.

"I don't know. How do you describe color; something that you don't really know anything about?"

"Like you would explain anything else I guess"

"But that's the thing!" I said. "There's no way to describe what I saw. What I saw was something so extraordinary! I don't think that it is even possible to describe it!"

"Well is it true though?"

"Yes, of course it's true! Why would I lie about seeing the colors?"

"That's not what I meant!" Sam yelled, "What I meant was did you really know exactly what colors were called what?" Sam seemed more excited about the colors than I did.

"I really don't know. I only saw them for a second. In all honesty, I'm just glad that I have a soulmate out there somewhere."

"Well yeah, but I mean aren't you at all amazed by the colors?" Sam asked while getting out of the showers and drying off.

"Well, sure I am, but the soulmate part is truly the best part." I say copying her and going to dry off and get ready for the day.

"God, I'm so glad they have showers in the locker room. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't get my morning run in!"

"Die, I'm sure. You're so overdramatic at points, Sam." I add the last part as she falls to the ground.

"But you love it Zar! Don't even try denying it!"

"I know Brooklyn likes it." I tease.

"Shut up" Sam mumbled. She hated it when I teased her about her crush.

"Awww. I'm sorry." I say fighting back laughter as the bell which signals the beginning of the school day rings.

***

"Finally!" I hear someone scream as school is finally let out.

"And that", I say pointing towards the voice who shouted finally, "is why I take all AP courses."

"Here I thought I was the reason you took AP; you get to see my face in five out of eight classes!" Samantha cried with mock sadness.

"But alas, you are quite the opposite."

"Yeah right, you would be lost without me."

"I'm so sure." I say heading towards my mom's car.

"It's true!" Sam insists.

"Shut up, dork. Are you going to my house today?"

"Sure, why not. Am I invited for food though?"

"Why can't you just say dinner like a normal human being?"

"Because, dinner is dinner. I want food twenty-four seven, not just at meals!"

"Why am I friends with you again?" I question as I get into the car.

"Hello, girls." My mom greets as we get in. "Sam, are you staying the night?"

"I would love to Mrs. Chord." Sam says in an overly polite voice.

"Then I hope you like caramelized pears and salad!"

"Oh, trust me, if it's food then I like it."

"I know Sam. You eat enough for two grown men and still maintain that figure of yours." Mom commented.

"She's a lucky duckling." I say.

"A what?" Sam says, bursting into a fit of giggles.

"It's not that weird." I cried defensively.

"Sure it's not." Sam said rolling her eyes.

***

"Are you going to tell them?" Sam whispered at the dinner table.

"I don't know. I might."

"Do it! They need to know. Maybe they could help you find out who it was!"

"How would they do that Sam?"

"I don't know, but they probably can."

"What are you girls whispering about?" My mom asked right as I jabbed Samantha in the stomach to get her to be quiet.

"Oh, nothing." I said lying right through my teeth.

"I'm so sure it's nothing." My mom said.

"It's not nothing." Sam replied.

"Well what is it then?" My mom countered.

"Nothing." I said again.

"She saw the colors!" Samantha blurted.

"No I didn't!" I cried. "She's delusional!" I tackled Sam and covered her mouth to keep her from saying anything else.

 "You saw the colors?" My mom shouted in joy.

"Yes." I said glumly. "I didn't want you to know yet but, thanks to Sam, you do."

"Well, who is it?" My father asked.

"I don't know."

"Oh, come on Honey. Tell us, please." My mom begged.

"No, I really don't know who."

"How do you not know who your soulmate is?"

"Because it was during mine and Sam's morning run that I saw them. I brushed passed someone and saw color."

"Why don't we put an ad out asking people that saw the colors today to come to the house?"

"Mom, no! I really don't want to sound desperate; I am far from desperate."

"I know that honey", my mom replied coming over and rubbing my arm,"but we need to figure out who it was. We can't let this opportunity slip through our hands like this."

"What opportunity?" I asked.

"The opportunity for you to find your soulmate. What if this person were only visiting this city and is leaving soon? Then what?"

"Then I live alone with four dogs and a cat. That's the end of that." I stormed up to my room after that, not wanting to hear what anyone else had to say.