Color

four

I love the sound of rain.

I love the way it patters off the flat roof above me. The sounds it makes calms me.

As a child I never fell asleep to the soft voice of my mother. Instead, I listened to the dropping of rain from the sky as it bounced off my childhood home.

"Penny for your thoughts?" My mother asks me. She wears a quizzical look. Typical mother. Always so curious. Much like myself.

"Oh, I am just thinking of how much I love the rain." I grin.

"Always have." My father says.

My parents insisted we visit the aquarium today. This is where they had their first date. I had a feeling I would be experiencing the lost memories of their many firsts over the next few weeks.

They will leave the last week I'm here. That is the time I will be using my time here as a crash course. I'll be sitting in on my future classes.

"Ready?" I hadn't realized we'd pulled up yet.

"Yes I am." I grab my umbrella and descend from the taxi, my parents following.

I quickly waddle to the large glass doors in the entrance. I always run so funny.

△ △ △ △ △ △

The front desk is beautiful. It's mahogany. The clerks are there waiting for customers.

I'm glad my parents have taken time off of work. There is not a soul lurking in the lobby. It is Tuesday. This should have been expected.

None the less we proceed to a younger guy, cashiering one of the 'lines'. The place is dead. I don't understand why there is so many employees up front.

I can't keep my eyes off the cute boy in front of me. His name tag reads Louis. I don't see color, but I feel something in my tummy.

"Three adults?" He stares.

"Yes." My father answers. He hands him the money, and gives him a smile.

"You're an adult?" He asks me.

I nod. "Yeah." I'm flushed. I'm sure the color looks horrendous on my makeup free skin. Dammit.

"May I ask how old you are, ma'am?" His eyes are smoldering, and the blue attracts me. I know it shouldn't. This is wrong.

But a little flirtation never hurt anybody.

"Ma'am? You're making me feel old." I flush even deeper. "I'm only seventeen. And yourself?" I think about my parents behind me, and I straighten my posture. I must be polite. Not scandalous.

"Twenty." He replies. The grin he wears is very attractive. The sharp teeth suits his cunning personality. I like him.

I nod. "It was nice meeting you, Louis." I shoot him a smile, and walk away with a wave.

I look around as I smile. I don't see anything different. I'm quite bummed he wasn't my match. I don't usually have that kind of connection with people.

My parents are ahead of me. They look upset. I know it's because I was be a little inappropriate. But I wasn't being overly friendly. I have been told my kind manners manipulate themselves into flirtatious gestures.

"Wait!" He shouts. His voice is calming. Even at such a loud volume. It's much higher than a mans normal octave. "I never got your name."

He's flustered. It's very cute on him. The tint to his own cheeks is appealing, but I choose not to think that way. He is not my mate.

"Willow." I say.

I turn my back, facing my awaiting parents. They don't seem as upset. I would never flaunt myself. Especially towards someone who is not my mate. It's not only immoral, but highly illegal.

"So, Dolphins or the Sharks first?" My mother asks excitedly. She grins at me, and we both knowingly foot towards the dolphin exhibit.

△ △ △ △ △ △

I take a bit of my pizza. I look around the food court of the aquarium.

The place is quite large, and now around lunch time, the peacefulness of the place has emptied.

Now, people litter every seat seen. Murmurs of the crowd are heard throughout the dining hall.

It's loud, but fascinating to see all of the people. Families having an outing. Children experiencing new animals for the first time.

A particular blond child near us can be heard rambling on about how the Sharks teeth are just so cool! He's inquisitive about how they become so pointy.

His mother laughs. "That's how they are made, Nolan."

"He sure did! I've never seen such a thing." My father replies.

"That was incredible. Sparky put on quite the show!" I exclaim.

"I've never seen such a thing." My mother says.

My shoulder begins to have hot flashes of pain again, so I roll the joint.

My father finishes his pizza, and tells us he's going up for seconds.

I hum, watching my surroundings. The little boy is now on his mothers lap, curled into her. I smile softly.

"You aren't interested in that desk clerk are you?" My mother breaks the silence.

"No. I was just being kind is all. He seemed very sweet, and well mannered none the less." I smile.

She smiles too. "You are always so kind, Willow. You make a mother proud." She bites into her pizza, and smiles softly in the distance like a movie.

My father returns. "I think we call this a day, huh ladies?"

"Can we visit the gift shop on the way out?" I ask.

"Sure." He grins.