Be the Red to My Blue

"Excuse me, do you need any help choosing a color?"

The tall boy looks over at me from the hair product aisle, his shining hazel eyes looking almost red, causing me to shiver behind the cashier counter.

"Nah, I think I got it." He picking up a purple shade, examining it with a small smirk.

"Good choice," I squeeze out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I know," he chuckles, before striding over to the counter, reaching out his card. "It's perfect for you."

***

16 year old Anna Claire Leblanc's life has always been normal and rather bland. Her family has always valued education and proper behavior as top priorities, ideals that rooted themselves in Anna Claire's very soul. As the girl whose nose was always in a book and test scores were always top of the class, she had been straight-laced and focused. Anna Claire was cheery, optimistic, and genuinely friendly, even with constant judgement from her peers. But ever since her parents' shocking separation, her life seemed to be spiraling out of control and flipping completely around. Getting a job at her local drug store helped Anna Claire drown out the darkness in her heart and keep her grounded.

But she never expected to meet a mysterious new guy who buys her purple hair dye.

As high school starts back up, Anna Claire can't help but hide her darkness under a bright mask. But when she runs into mystery boy-- literally-- and decides to befriend him against her better judgement, she worries that he will only bring her trouble. She can't help feeling drawn to his fiery free spirit. Her world is rattled as she experiences being a true teenager and steps closer to finding who she is in the world.

Can this boy help show Anna Claire the colorful side of life again, or will she continue to be trapped in a cage of misery for the rest of her life?

Maybe, just maybe, he's the red to her blue.