Colourless

Chapter 33

The sun cast its golden rays down upon the clouds of billowing smoke, turning them bright red; fire red. We have been here for quite some time.

I sat on the grass, a soft breeze blowing through the clearing, gently shifting my hair around. Ariel moved beside me and I shifted my attention to her.

The gentle breeze had lulled her into a deep slumber, which I did not disturb her from. I wanted her to rest after having an overbearing day.

She moved a little before blinking her eyes open, she pushed herself into a sitting position. She groggily rubbed her eyes and stifled her yawn behind her hand, she turned to look at me and blinked twice.

" Where are, what happened?" she mumbled with a sleep laden voice, struggling to keep her eyes open.

I chuckled at her cuteness, " You fell asleep". She seems to be satisfied by my answer because she dropped back on the grass with a content sigh and folded her hands to herself.

I was expecting her to lash out at me, Skye sure did on the phone. But she seemed to have returned to sleep.

A few seconds later she shot up with wide eyes. She looked fully awake now, any traces of sleep whipped off her face.

" I fell asleep, why didn't you wake me up," She asked and quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket, to no doubt see Skye's missed calls. She groaned, pushing her hair behind her ear.

" I already talked to Skye" I said noticing her movements.

She paused a little and knitted her brows together. Her emotions are like an open book, I don't even have to try to understand what she is feeling, it is all written on her face.

" You did" she asked to confirm, her mind was already made as she pushed her phone back into her pocket.

I hummed in reply and stood up, extending a hand for her to take," What do you want to do now, we can always go back early" I asked her, half hoping that she will agree.

She placed her small hand in mine and stood up without any support from me.

She hesitated a little but still nodded at my offer, " Ice-cream?" she asked at me.

" Ice-cream it is" I grinned at her, remembering our first encounter. She seems to follow my line of thoughts because a pink blush dusted her cheeks and she looked down, pulling her hand away.

MR. BROWN'S Ice-cream shop looked just like from my childhood memories, only the signboard and the furniture has changed a bit, but the homely vibe is still persistent.

Ariel walked ahead of me, I entered the shop behind her putting a hand against the door to hold it open as she walked in, a nervous energy in her steps.

She skipped to the display, she is enthusiastic about ice-cream but at the same time, something is bothering her.

We gave our order and she surprisingly ordered a large bowl, occupying a table for two and I sat down across from her.

"Iamsorry" she mumbled something under her breath that I failed to catch, looking down at her bowl with a gloomy pout.

" What," I asked her and she barely lifted her head to repeat,

"I am sorry" she grumbled and quickly took a spoon full of ice-cream.

I know what she means. Of course I do, but the weight might press down on us and create unnecessary tension when all I want is for her to have a few moments to breathe and enjoy her icecream.

" What," I asked with mock innocence and she glared at me, but the pout spoiled the effect.

" I am sorry" she grumbled with distaste.

I frowned in fake confusion, getting ready to tease her again.

" Wha- I didn't get to finish because she jumped from her seat and put a spoonful of ice-cream in my mouth to shut me off.

She left the spoon in my mouth and sat back on her chair with a satisfied smile.

I licked the ice-cream off the spoon, she smirked at me with her arms folded and I smirked back at her, using the spoon to eat my icecream.

" I need a new spoon" she groaned and got off the chair.

Two bowls of ice-cream later I had come to the conclusion that Ariel adores ice cream and it did work successfully in lightning up her mood. She grinned at me from across the table, licking the last of her ice-cream.

We simultaneously left the table and walked to the counter to pay. "How would you like to pay?" Mr. Brown's daughter asked from behind the counter.

" Color scan" I replied and she pushed the machine before us. Ariel pulled the small scanner to her side and brought her thumb to swipe across it.

" Hey, I can pay" I said simply and took the scanner from her, she raised a questioning eyebrow at me but didn't voice it.

I pulled the purple cuboidal from my pocket. It was a small rectangular purple glass cube with a cap and a tip like a highlighter pen, but smaller in size.

I uncapped it and ran it over the scanner, spreading the faded orange colour of my father in a neat strip of colour. I recapped it and slipped it back in my pocket.

We did the payment and exited the shop in silence, I knew that she was bubbling to ask but it is better that she held herself back.

Ariel didn't say anything until we reached my motorcycle "How did you do that" she whispered her curiosity and I smiled.

" We made some innovations"

" How did you make it," she asked again, eyes lit with a curious spark.

" We modified a Helious bowl into a pen-like device. We used it to hold the colour and keep it fresh" I answered her and her mouth formed an O.

It is a basic knowledge that colours, being an extension of a person cannot be stored. It is not needed by them anyways so no one thought about making something like that. But we did have a use for it so we remoulded a Helious to something that we can use.

" You said that everyone is coming tonight, did you mean every colourless" she whispered the last part, still not used to it.

"Everyone in the club"

" The club?" she questioned with a slight frown.

I chuckled at her obvious confusion, " A club, an association, a rebellion whatever you want to call it" I explained, mounting my motorcycle.

Although we had a good time I don't want to give Skye another reason to scowl at me with a burning glare. I nodded at her to hop on.

Just a few more hours and Ariel will have to decide whether she wants to help us or let this rotten town continue to be a mirage to the outside world.