Why is the Sky Sad?
It's Me
Red hair.
James loved red hair. The way it was so incredibly shiny and smooth. The way light seemed to dance off each perfect strand, illuminating the thousands of colors, the auburns, browns, coppers. He loved how it moved, bounced with every beautiful keystroke. The way it seemed to go on forever…
It was so much better than the pathetic black mop he was so lucky enough to endure. Actually he didn’t even have black hair. Black hair didn’t exist. Technically he had really dark brown hair. He mind as well be a blonde.
He sighed, staring as she broke into a new melody. All the light in the dim room seemed to be concentrated on her, the spotlight on her glowing body. It was beautiful, she was beautiful.
God, James really loved red hair.
***
“Hello?”
When James heard those words leave her lips for the second time he knew he should respond, acknowledge her presence. Step away from the wall, dare to show her who he was.
“Hello?” She was closer now, only a few feet away. He had a choice to make; stay or leave. Leave or stay.
His breath caught, droplets of sweat daring to make themselves known. He wanted to stay, oh, he so badly wanted to meet her again. But after what happened the last time he saw her… Really talked to her…
No, he wasn’t going to think about that. And he definitely wasn’t going to stay and suffer that humiliation again.
“James?”
He turned, slowly, squeezing his eyes shut. It couldn’t be her, she couldn’t be talking to him. She didn’t remember, it wasn’t possible. He wanted her to be there as much as he hoped she wasn’t.
“James, its me. It’s Emma.”
Like he didn’t know who she was. He opened his eyes.
“You remember.”
She remembered.
***
“What happened are you okay?”
Joanna Jones asked, her voice obnoxiously high. With the last patience he had, James smiled. It wasn’t Joanna’s fault she was so disturbed and weird. Her parents were most likely below par, average whatever. Or so said his mom. James wasn’t particularly sure he believed her.
“I was only sick yesterday. I’m okay.”
He went over those words like a billion times since his mother said them to him last night. He was just glad he got them right.
“Good. That’s great, super wonderful.” The silence that followed was awful. All James really wanted to do was run and go back to his mother and her killer advice. Until he saw her.
“Emma.”
Her name left his lips before his brain could register his thoughts. But it didn’t matter, because she smiled. It was so sweet, perfect and it made him smile too. He whispered some excuse to Joanna before making his way to her. He meant to say hi, some sort of greeting but no words could make sense in his mind.
“Hey James, you’re okay right?” If he wasn’t before, he was now.
“Oh, um, yeah. I’m okay. I-I just wanted to say thanks,” he cleared his throat, “You know for, uh, finding me and getting help.”
She ran a hand through her hair, so red, so beautiful, so perfect.
“No problem.”
“I like your-” James stopped himself, not wanting to sound like an idiot. Although he figured it was kind of too late.
“Yes?” Her smile was blinding, like white fluffy clouds in the blue sky.
“Emma, c’mon.”
James’s mouth was open though those words didn’t come from his lips. James and Emma both turned, looking towards the third grade hall.
There, standing next to a poesy of thick-necked kids with little beady eyes. stood Dirk. His hair was buzzed, something he claimed everyone cool was doing. He had told James that morning that it wouldn’t work for him, with a widow’s peak it’d look stupid. James held in his tears until he was alone, the words written on the bathroom stall his only connection to the outer world.
“One second.”
“Hurry up.” Dirk’s voice was masculine.
“I guess I’ll see ya later James. I’m glad you’re okay.”
He watched her walk away, like Joanna Jones always did to him. He watched the swing in her step, the bounce in her hair. Her shiny, smooth strands, the sunlight that wrapped around her like a halo.
God, James really loved red hair.
James loved red hair. The way it was so incredibly shiny and smooth. The way light seemed to dance off each perfect strand, illuminating the thousands of colors, the auburns, browns, coppers. He loved how it moved, bounced with every beautiful keystroke. The way it seemed to go on forever…
It was so much better than the pathetic black mop he was so lucky enough to endure. Actually he didn’t even have black hair. Black hair didn’t exist. Technically he had really dark brown hair. He mind as well be a blonde.
He sighed, staring as she broke into a new melody. All the light in the dim room seemed to be concentrated on her, the spotlight on her glowing body. It was beautiful, she was beautiful.
God, James really loved red hair.
***
“Hello?”
When James heard those words leave her lips for the second time he knew he should respond, acknowledge her presence. Step away from the wall, dare to show her who he was.
“Hello?” She was closer now, only a few feet away. He had a choice to make; stay or leave. Leave or stay.
His breath caught, droplets of sweat daring to make themselves known. He wanted to stay, oh, he so badly wanted to meet her again. But after what happened the last time he saw her… Really talked to her…
No, he wasn’t going to think about that. And he definitely wasn’t going to stay and suffer that humiliation again.
“James?”
He turned, slowly, squeezing his eyes shut. It couldn’t be her, she couldn’t be talking to him. She didn’t remember, it wasn’t possible. He wanted her to be there as much as he hoped she wasn’t.
“James, its me. It’s Emma.”
Like he didn’t know who she was. He opened his eyes.
“You remember.”
She remembered.
***
“What happened are you okay?”
Joanna Jones asked, her voice obnoxiously high. With the last patience he had, James smiled. It wasn’t Joanna’s fault she was so disturbed and weird. Her parents were most likely below par, average whatever. Or so said his mom. James wasn’t particularly sure he believed her.
“I was only sick yesterday. I’m okay.”
He went over those words like a billion times since his mother said them to him last night. He was just glad he got them right.
“Good. That’s great, super wonderful.” The silence that followed was awful. All James really wanted to do was run and go back to his mother and her killer advice. Until he saw her.
“Emma.”
Her name left his lips before his brain could register his thoughts. But it didn’t matter, because she smiled. It was so sweet, perfect and it made him smile too. He whispered some excuse to Joanna before making his way to her. He meant to say hi, some sort of greeting but no words could make sense in his mind.
“Hey James, you’re okay right?” If he wasn’t before, he was now.
“Oh, um, yeah. I’m okay. I-I just wanted to say thanks,” he cleared his throat, “You know for, uh, finding me and getting help.”
She ran a hand through her hair, so red, so beautiful, so perfect.
“No problem.”
“I like your-” James stopped himself, not wanting to sound like an idiot. Although he figured it was kind of too late.
“Yes?” Her smile was blinding, like white fluffy clouds in the blue sky.
“Emma, c’mon.”
James’s mouth was open though those words didn’t come from his lips. James and Emma both turned, looking towards the third grade hall.
There, standing next to a poesy of thick-necked kids with little beady eyes. stood Dirk. His hair was buzzed, something he claimed everyone cool was doing. He had told James that morning that it wouldn’t work for him, with a widow’s peak it’d look stupid. James held in his tears until he was alone, the words written on the bathroom stall his only connection to the outer world.
“One second.”
“Hurry up.” Dirk’s voice was masculine.
“I guess I’ll see ya later James. I’m glad you’re okay.”
He watched her walk away, like Joanna Jones always did to him. He watched the swing in her step, the bounce in her hair. Her shiny, smooth strands, the sunlight that wrapped around her like a halo.
God, James really loved red hair.