Colors
Back To School
I was scared out of my mind to go back to school. I felt so unprepared, and I just knew I wasn’t going to fit in anymore.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
I looked a lot better than I did three days ago. My perfectly curled hair was no longer tangled. And, although I was still abnormally pale, it didn’t look quite as unhealthy as before.
Sam walked into my room, stunning. As usual. "Belle, what the heck? Get dressed, we're gonna be late!"
She went into my closet and brought out one of the many outfits my mother had bought me. A plain blue top with black skinny jeans. Simple, but still gorgeous. “Here, put this on, slap on some makeup and let’s go.”
I did as I was told and we made it outside just in time to hop on the bus.
It was a lot louder than I remembered it being last year. Everyone on the bus knew each other, of course. We'd all been neighbors our whole lives.
Sam and I walked to the back of the bus, and I vaguely heard people whispering my name. I wasn’t social with anyone, instead I read my book all the way to school.
When the first bell rang, every freshman walked into the auxillary gym as a mob. We sat in the bleachers, and waited for the teachers. When they entered, they locked all the doors, and the assembly began.
Our principal, Mr. Bandt, grabbed a microphone, and began. "Hello, class one-oh-nine!"
The room exploded in claps, and cheers. Mr. Brandt smiled, "Welcome, to your freshman year. I know how anxious you all are, and we plan on answering all of your questions by the days end."
For thirty minutes, Mr. Brandt walked down the line of teachers, introduced them, and their positions in the school and they were dismissed one by one. In the end, only the principal, vice principal, and students were in the gym.
"Now," He began, "to answer the question that you've all been asking since childhood." Kids quieted down instantaneously, tension filled the air, and people whispered. All knowing that this could possibly be the most important day of our lives. "The colors, printed behind your ears as an infant are individual. When you were born, as you all most likely know, you were taken in front of the council, and were each appointed a color. There is only one other person, in your generation, with your color code." He looked at us all, taking us in. He seemed uneasy to tell us. I turned to Sam, and whispered in her ear, "What is he getting at? Why doesn't he just spit it out, so we can get to class?"
She took my hand, "Calm down, Bay. We'll find out."
Mr. Brandt took a breath, and started up again. "The boy or girl that you are matched with, will become your fiance."
All hell broke loose. People were outraged, others were ecstatic, a few were crying. I wasn't sure how to feel. Mr. Brandt seemed to be looking directly at me. Lord, no... I thought.
"You will spend an hour together, every day, getting to know eachother. You will be observed, by both sets of parents, sometimes others who may know you better, and have a report written about your relationships progression. Also, during the one-year break between graduation and college, you will be married. If you should choose to have children, you will go through a process in which the council will either accept or deny your request. Your "honeymoon" will occur at one of the many resorts that Grayson provides. Those of you who have sour feelings toward this, realize that this has been happening since our town was founded. It will only get better from here."
I looked at myself in the mirror.
I looked a lot better than I did three days ago. My perfectly curled hair was no longer tangled. And, although I was still abnormally pale, it didn’t look quite as unhealthy as before.
Sam walked into my room, stunning. As usual. "Belle, what the heck? Get dressed, we're gonna be late!"
She went into my closet and brought out one of the many outfits my mother had bought me. A plain blue top with black skinny jeans. Simple, but still gorgeous. “Here, put this on, slap on some makeup and let’s go.”
I did as I was told and we made it outside just in time to hop on the bus.
It was a lot louder than I remembered it being last year. Everyone on the bus knew each other, of course. We'd all been neighbors our whole lives.
Sam and I walked to the back of the bus, and I vaguely heard people whispering my name. I wasn’t social with anyone, instead I read my book all the way to school.
When the first bell rang, every freshman walked into the auxillary gym as a mob. We sat in the bleachers, and waited for the teachers. When they entered, they locked all the doors, and the assembly began.
Our principal, Mr. Bandt, grabbed a microphone, and began. "Hello, class one-oh-nine!"
The room exploded in claps, and cheers. Mr. Brandt smiled, "Welcome, to your freshman year. I know how anxious you all are, and we plan on answering all of your questions by the days end."
For thirty minutes, Mr. Brandt walked down the line of teachers, introduced them, and their positions in the school and they were dismissed one by one. In the end, only the principal, vice principal, and students were in the gym.
"Now," He began, "to answer the question that you've all been asking since childhood." Kids quieted down instantaneously, tension filled the air, and people whispered. All knowing that this could possibly be the most important day of our lives. "The colors, printed behind your ears as an infant are individual. When you were born, as you all most likely know, you were taken in front of the council, and were each appointed a color. There is only one other person, in your generation, with your color code." He looked at us all, taking us in. He seemed uneasy to tell us. I turned to Sam, and whispered in her ear, "What is he getting at? Why doesn't he just spit it out, so we can get to class?"
She took my hand, "Calm down, Bay. We'll find out."
Mr. Brandt took a breath, and started up again. "The boy or girl that you are matched with, will become your fiance."
All hell broke loose. People were outraged, others were ecstatic, a few were crying. I wasn't sure how to feel. Mr. Brandt seemed to be looking directly at me. Lord, no... I thought.
"You will spend an hour together, every day, getting to know eachother. You will be observed, by both sets of parents, sometimes others who may know you better, and have a report written about your relationships progression. Also, during the one-year break between graduation and college, you will be married. If you should choose to have children, you will go through a process in which the council will either accept or deny your request. Your "honeymoon" will occur at one of the many resorts that Grayson provides. Those of you who have sour feelings toward this, realize that this has been happening since our town was founded. It will only get better from here."