Color

three

"This is wonderful!" My parents continue to discuss and fawn over my new tattoo as if I'm invisible.

"This doesn't mean anything," I grumble.

My mood is unlike me. I am always so humble, and joyful. Not today.

"She's moody." My mom giggles.

"This is wonderful!" My father joins in.

"I'm here you know." I laugh. I look up into the sky as we continue to walk across the campus. The literature building is magnificent.

The professors I met were astounding to say the least. I could get on easy here.

The clouds move. The white blurbs, and I sigh. What 'color' does the sun shine?

President Ardemes tells us the rays of sunshine are beautiful. When you can experience the hues of the sun, you see light in a new way.

It confuses me as to how he's been in love. He's a very lonely man it seems. Not a ring on a chain, and I've not seen one tattoo scatter his skin.

He does wear suits most often. I shake my head. I wonder who his match was.

"Willow?" My father shakes me.

"Yes father?" He laughs at me. His finger is pointed in the direction of an abstract building.

"Is that the art building?" I grin. A shake of the head has me clumsily tumbling ahead. I excitedly dash towards the unknown.

I bump into someone's shoulder, and mumble a quick sorry before I continue my journey.

"Wait up Willow!" My mother shouts.

I shake my head, and feel the wind blow my hair in all directions, blurring my vision.

Once again, I knock into some bloke. This time I stop. "I'm sorry." But he's already walked away.

My parents catch up to me, and grin. "Excited?"

"As I'll ever be."

As I look up into the sky, I see a burst of light. A different kind of light. The clouds background changes into a light shade. I'm not sure if what it means, but I don't get my hopes up. I continue walking.

△ △ △ △ △ △

"That was awesome!" I recall the painting from an ancient painter. I believe Picasso was his name. Hundreds of years ago he introduced abstract art into the world.

I found his indefinite style intriguing. My parents had called it garbage. Saying it wasn't something that deserved to be celebrated.

The art building has an art museum inside on the top floor. All glass, with abstruse walls, paintings, and sculptures that amazed my eyes.

"Did you like the art or literature building better?" My mother asks.

"That's a tough one. Let me think about it." I grin easily. My two favorite subjects. I don't think I could choose.

"What did you like about the literature buildings?" My father asks.

"Definitely the professors. But meeting the dean was cool. I hadn't suspected to meet someone of his importance on campus. I was flustered." I explain.

"He seemed a very nice man. He keeps charge of this campus." My father sings proudly.

I know my parents love for this campus. They had both attended here. My father had applied before meeting my mother, and my mother sent in her application shortly after.

I hope to have a romantic story like them.

△ △ △ △ △ △

My shoulder aches. The hotel we're staying at luxuriously accommodates my needs precisely.

The tubs jets feels incredible against my sore muscles. Thank goodness mom and dad splurged a little on the hotel rooms.

I convinced them to purchase my own room, for privacy reasons. I wanted a little space for myself as they insisted they joining me on this trip.

I can understand their worries. Ietana is in District 7, two districts away from District 9. It was a long drive here.

A sharp pain from the same should shoots into my muscles. I groan. My back now pressed directly against the jet of the tub.

The tension only relieves slightly, but I keep my body still. Relaxed.

I pick my phone up from the sink. It's 20:00. I sigh. There's a few texts from friends back home. Some asking about the academics, and statistics. Others asking about the cute boys.

Some go against the law and mate with others who are not their match. This is highly frowned upon, and might cost you your soulmate.

If you have sexual intercourse, and are caught with someone apart from your mates, it can be punished by death. Well, you're supposed to receive the consequences. But only in rumors have I heard such things being played out.

Others break laws such as getting excessive tattoos that weren't naturally spawned, or interact in gang violence.

Gang violence, or rebellion against the government will have you taken away. I've heard some get put in reformatory academies. They are whipped into shape- literately.

My phone buzzes on the corner of the tub, and I quickly grab it, luckily not dropping it, and answering it quickly.

Close one.

"Hello?" I yawn. I'm tired, and it's only eight at night. I need to get some rest.

"Hi, honey." My mom says over the phone. She sounds quite knackered herself. "Tired?"

"Yes, I am finishing up my bath. Then I will head to bed." I move my feet in the water, catching the bubbles on my toes.

I watch as they pop, and I see lakes of clear water in the center of the bubbles surrounding it.

"Us as well. We wanted to say goodnight."

"You're just a room down, mother." I laugh.

I flinch as a sting erupts in the muscle of the same shoulder from earlier. Rubbing it, my mother replies. "Yes." She laughs too. "Well, we love you, Willow. Goodnight."

I am ready to hang up the phone when my father quickly butts in excitedly. "Remind me to take photos of her new tattoo tomorrow!"

I groan, "goodnight," and hang up the phone.

Unplugging the bath, I take towel, and dry myself off. I'm ready for bed. Today was a long day.