Indigo

“Amarantha! Amarantha!”
She opened her eyes slowly, turning on her bed as the yelling continued. The sheets were tangled around her body and she pushed them away, trying to search for the place the yelling was coming from.
“What?”
She yelled back, still drowsy.
“Come down!”
The yelling boy continued. Amarantha walked up to her window and, resting her elbows on the window sill, looked down to find a tall teenager with hair the color of burned sugar and big, hazel eyes with a wide and welcoming smile on his lips.
Amarantha rubbed her eyes and yawned.
“Come on!”
The boy said impatiently, stamping his feet against the delicate grass.
“Get your coat and let’s go and get some pie!”
“You better have not stepped over my mother’s amaranthas again or she’ll definitely kill you this time.”
She said as she turned around and looked for clothes. She slipped into a nice pale blue buttoned dress that fluttered just above her knees and a black coat with fake fur around the hoodie. She took her keys and cell phone from the counter and slipped them on the coat’s inner pocket. Locking the door behind her, she stepped out into the evening.
“Aren’t you cold?”
Tyrell asked her as they walked down the sidewalk. Amarantha turned to look at him: his face was a bit pale and his lips where quivering even though he quite a thick sweater and a coat and scarf on top of it.
“No...”
She said with a smile. I don’t know what cold is, Ty...not hot, not warm, no nothing.
“You’re so weird.”
He stated, with a huge smile. They walked together towards the pie shop, talking and laughing about how Mrs. Moore had called Tyrell a ‘flower assassin’ the last time she was him. Tyrell pushed the door open and there was instant ringing of small bells. They walked towards one of the old fashioned booths and waited for the waitress to come. The feeling of the place was good: a bit too romantic for Amarantha’s liking...the lights were a bit dimmed, and the colors of the furniture were in between red and golden reminding Amarantha of the spectacular Sun dorm...
“How are you two today? It’s been weeks since you’ve stopped by!”
Marla, the usual waitress said quickly as she handed the menus.
“Finals takes over one’s free time, right Amarantha?”
“Oh, yes they do...”
“Okay, I’ll leave you two to decide and I’ll come back later.”
Amarantha flipped over the menu, unsure of what to order.
“How did your finals go?”
Tyrell asked her, his fingers twitching slightly.
“Mhm? Oh, all right...You?”
“Almost failed math...”
“Oh...that sucks.”
“Mhm...”
Marla walked towards them, fancy notepad in hand.
“Okay, guys what are you getting today?”
“I’m going for a caramel pecan pie.”
“Slice, half or full?”
Amarantha looked at Tyrell’s expectant face and sighed,
“Half.”
“With the usual cup of non-fat, sugar-free soy milk?”
“Yes, please.”
“Tyrell, what can I get for you?”
“Chocolate peanut butter pie number two, please.”
“Half and cup of 2 percent milk?”
Tyrell nodded. Marla gathered the menus and smiled,
“Five minutes!”
Amarantha stared at the table in between them, drawing small circles with her fingers.
“You’re quiet...”
Tyrell commented, propping up his elbows so his chin could rest there comfortably.
“I’m spazy.”
Amarantha corrected him, continuing to trace invisible circles.
“Is there a reason in particular?”
The words slipped off his tongue in a preoccupied manner. Amarantha kept quiet, pondering how she could explain her friend what was really worrying her. Marla came trotting back, a pair of cool pies served on a wavy white plate and their drinks in funky cups. She placed their orders in front of them and skipped back to attend the rest of the costumers. Amarantha took her fork and gently prodded her pie, pushing it on top of her fork and gently tipping it into her open mouth. She could hear Tyrell quickly devouring his.
“Is it good?”
She asked, not taking her eyes away from her own as she slowly ate it away.
“Quite good. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you haven’t told me was wrong, by the way...”
She took quick sips from her soy milk and place her knowing eyes on his.
“Have you ever felt different from everybody else? And that that difference makes you feel...guilty?”
Tyrell almost choked on his pie. Could she have noticed...?
Amarantha raised an eyebrow, staring at him quizzically.
“Er...like when everyone’s failing English and you’re not?”
Amarantha shook her head, frowning.
“Have you ever felt you don’t belong? That whatever makes you different doesn’t let you know who you really are? Like you’ve been labeled...Have you ever have learned something about someone that changes the perspective you have on them completely? Have-“
Tyrell gently placed a hand over Amarantha’s, who was shaking now and tears were about to crawl down her cheeks.
“Calm down. Eat some more.”
Amarantha did as she was told and swallowed the pieces of pie, trying to imagine they were her worries and that soon she would get rid of them. But that didn’t go down her throat, even after the soy milk had pushed them down she could still feel a lump in her throat, making her uncomfortable and feeling as if she couldn’t breath properly. She finally gave up on eating more pie and pushed it towards Tyrell.
“I’m full...eat what’s left.”
Tyrell stared at it. Usually Amarantha left him a quarter of the half pie, not more than a half! He decided not to mention this fact and ate eagerly without looking at her.
He felt the things she described, and he didn’t feel any different from her. His anxiety triggered in the form of excessive eating and talking. Since he didn’t trust what came out of his mouth, he decided to eat his problems away, instead.