Colors

Three

"Addy...Addy, what's wrong?" mom asked as she walked into the bathroom.
I was still laying in a ball. Thankfully, I had stopped crying.
"Addy, talk to me!" Mom said pulling me to her.
"...mom..." was all I could say.
"Addy what?" mom asked worriedly.
I shook my head and didn't look at her. Slowly, i unraveled myself from the ball. Then I turned my body and looked up at her. She was looking down at me with worried eyes. I looked away and began to pick at my toes.
"Addy...what's going on?" mom asked.
I shook my head. How do you tell someone this? How do I tell someone that I'm seeing things? It's not easy. She's gonna think I'm crazy or have a disease. Or worse.
"i keep seeing things and hearing things. Like people. Like seeing people, hearing them. In math today, I drew faces and wrote down phrases all over my work. I saw one at the school and a few more on the way home. Then I saw another one in the corner of the bathroom..." I said warily.
Mom just looked at me. She didn't seem angry or afraid. Just sad. She looked sad. As if this had happened to her before.
"Ben had this....thing. I got him some help. Ben was fixed. And I will do the same for you," mom said, standing up.
Then I remembered. Ben was 13 when mom sent him away. He had been seeing things and hearing things. He was gone for six months. When he came back, he was so different. He wouldn't hold him self up the same way. Ben changed in there. Whatever they did to him, I don't want it. Even if it can "fix" this, I don't want it.
I shook my head no. Mom was nodding yes and I nodded no. Tears formed in her eyes and she left the bathroom. Leaving me to the slow, piano riffs.

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The next morning, I woke with a splitting headache. I groaned, pulled my hair into a messy bun, and walked out of my room. Mom was in the kitchen sipping on her coffee. She watched me walk to the cabinet and take a few Advil.
"How'd you sleep?" Mom asked.
"...fine I guess," I said rubbing my eyes.
"You know today's Thursday right and classes start in five minutes," mom said looking at the time.
"I'm not going," I said, looking out the window.
"...okay well, I have to go to work so," mom said standing up.
"Okay, I'll be here," I said.
Mom smiled and hugged me. Then she washed out her cup, grabbed her keys, and left for work.
I grabbed a bottle of water, a box of cheese-it's and walked back to my room.