Plain Until Proven Beautiful

Chapter Eleven

Pink-Happiness 

Hot Pink-Attraction 

Light Red-Love 

Red-Lust 

Dark Red-Hate 

Rust-Discomfort 

Bright Orange-Curiosity 

Orange-Excitement 

Dark Orange-Suspicion 

Brown-Illness 

Light Yellow-Cowardice 

Yellow-Fear 

Deep Yellow-Bravery 

Light Green-Envy 

Green-Greed 

Dark Green-Jealousy 

Teal-Shock 

Turquoise-Serenity 

Light Blue-Sadness 

Blue-Melancholy 

Dark Blue-Depression 

Lavender-Passion 

Periwinkle-Annoyance 

Violet-Anger 

Purple-Rage 

Copper- Embarrassment  

Hazel-Nervousness  

Brown-Sickness 

White-Purity 

Gray-Confusion 

Black-Corruption 

Gold-Confidence 

Dylan 

Nicole hasn’t spoken since she told me where her friend’s truck is hidden. The second we walked away from his house she was silent. I want to ask her if she’s okay but I’m also a little more concerned about getting shot. 

I’m not sure how many people made it out, if any. We could be the only ones. I hope with everything in me that it isn’t true. This could turn into some sort of genocide. But why? The Uncoloreds provide no threat to the rest of the world as far as I can see. For now, I have to think of how to keep myself and Nicole safe.  

We make it back to the stream and the safe cover of the woods. Now that we’re not in extreme peril, I notice how cold I really am. I haven’t dried off from laying in the stream. I reach into a bag and hand a jacket to Nicole who is also shivering fiercely. I put a jacket on myself and it helps protect me from the cold just a little bit. 

Nicole and I climb up the hill in silence until we reach the top and the ground levels out. We pass kind of an ugly tree that I take special notice in and continue forward. I finally see a little red truck and I figure that it’s the one Nicole brought up. 

I take both bags and set them in the bed of the truck. Then I open the door for Nicole and go around to the driver’s side.  I put the keys in and look over at Nicole. She has her head in her hands and she’s crying. I jump out of the truck and run back to Nicole’s side. I open the door. 

“Come here,” I say to her, gently, I hope.  

Nicole steps out of the vehicle and I wrap her in my arms, not caring about anything but making sure she’s okay. She buries her head in my already soaked shoulder. We stay like this for a few moments until she pulls away. 

“I’m sorry,” She whispers to me. 

“Nicole, don’t be. That’s what friends are for. Do you want to talk about it?” I try my best to sound comforting. 

“I just don’t understand. How much did he lie to me? And I’m scared. Dylan, I’m so scared. Where are we supposed to go? I can’t go home. How many people died?” 

“I’m sorry. I’m scared too. But we have to do something. We have to get away now. I don’t know where yet, but I know we aren’t safe if we stay here. Once we find somewhere safe, we can figure out what to do next okay?” 

Nicole nods her head and moves close to me again. We stand there together for a while. Her head buried in my shoulder and me, just holding her. I really am scared. I was almost killed. Nicole was almost killed. It’s hard to comprehend the fact that real people around us died. So I just stand here, holding Nicole and taking deep breaths. I have to be the calm one for now. I can’t freak out yet. I can’t cry yet. I need to be strong. I wait for her to pull away and when she does, I help her into the car.  

A few minutes into the drive Nicole asks me to pull over. The second we’re on the side of the road, Nicole jumps out and kneels on the ground. I take the keys out of the ignition and go over to her. When I realize she’s throwing up I rush over and hold her hair back. I close my eyes and breathe through my mouth, trying not to gag. When she finishes, I go to the truck and find a bottle of water. I hand it to her and she accepts. My throat hurts in sympathy.  

We get back into the truck and continue driving. I don’t know where I’m going. I just drive. After about an hour of driving, I see a girl walking on the side of the road. She’s coming towards us. There’s something familiar about her but I can’t quite place it.  

“Stop! Stop the car!” Nicole yells moments after passing the girl.  

“Is everything alright?” I ask her. 

“One second,” She replies hastily. 

Nicole gets out of the car and I follow suit. She walks toward the girl with yellow hair tumbling down her back. 

“Hey!” Nicole yells.  

The girl turns around. I look into her piercing blue eyes. There is definitely something I recognize.  

“Nicole?” She asks. 

Nicole looks right back at her and says the girls name. “Serena.”