I hold hands with Archie as we walk on my front walkway, smiling at each other as we move further away from my home. 

Our world is nothing but black and white depths of muck.

There once was color. But mother refuses to believe it.

I believe there was once color. My ears have been blessed with grandmother Josephine's stories of her color-filled childhood.

The day all color disappeared from the world, was the day my mother was born.

Mother forbids me to ask grandmother about the colors. She does not wish for my head to be filled with such "ridiculous fantasies". 

But when mother is away, from time to time, I sneak stories from the lips of my grandmother. Stories of rainbows spread across the sky. Of lush grass and clear, sparkling streams of running water. Trees filled with delicious fruits, pinecones, and acorns.

Oh, the things I would give to live when color once touched the lengths of this earth. 

"Archie?" I ask as we pass the corn fields on the road that leads us into town.

"Yes, Nora"?

"Do you often think about the colors"?

"Yes, quite often. Why do you ask"?

"I have a mission".

"And what might that be"?

"To have grandmother Josephine tell us stories of when the colors still stood, when she was mere years younger than ourselves".

"Won't your mother disapprove"?

"Yes. But we will ask my grandmother in secret".

He stops walking for a moment, clearly thinking; "Okay. Let's give it a shot". 

"Splendid!" I exclaim, clapping my hands together joyfully,

"Yes, splendid indeed. I believe this will be a very interesting experience," and he takes my hand into his own again.

We continue down the dirt road, walking closer to town and the school.

Archie has always been my closest friend.

Admittingly, I will say that he is my only friend.

My mother was different.

She was the popular lass at her school. Always asked to the school formals, dressed in the prettiest clothes, and followed by hoards of young lads, desperate to take her hand in marriage.

But she dismissed all of them. Her eyes were only resting on my father; Nathan Whitlock.

A low-class farmer's son, who has now grown to be the highest, well known factory owner in Georgia. As Emmett has now graduated from the twelfth grade, he is expected to take over the business when father retires because Emmett has made the choice to not attend university.

Mother regularly reminds me of my beauty, but no boys seem to capture that said beauty when looking at me.

Archie has always mentioned his liking of my clothing since he came of a matured age, but never notes the features of my face, which has led me to believe he either is only assuring me I look as a fair maiden should, to somewhat satisfy me, or maybe he hides it. But I suggest the latter, as I rely on him constantly for assistance when it comes to self-affirmation and self-confidence.

And Emmett, well he mostly ignores me. We've grown apart over the years. 

We reach the church on the opposite side of the road.

It's a nice church. Not fancy like in wealthier towns, but not decomposing like our last church that I have only seen photographs of, as it was taken down before I was born.

"Would you like to go inside?" Archie asks.

"No, as it isn't Sunday morning. I would rather only enter those doors when mother obliges that I do so". 

"Fair, very fair," he says, and we move along past the church, heading even closer to town.

These weekend walks are a routine for the two of us.

We enjoy the peacefulness of the birds singing in autumn, and the enjoyment of a day alone. Two friends, together. 

I hesitate as we pass the sign directing you to our little town in Georgia before asking Archie; "May I ask you something? Do you ever think of me as an attractive maiden"?

He stops walking and looks at me, dropping my hand. 

"Excuse me"?

I shamefully duck my head and rub my leather heeled boots together, silently cursing myself for asking such a stupid question.

"Nora," he says, lifting my chin up with his fingertips, gently forcing me to look at him.

"You," he takes my hands in his, "are the fairest maiden to ever walk this land".

"No I'm not," I mutter, shaking my head. 

"Yes," he says, looking into my eyes, "you are".

"You've never said anything of the sort up till this moment".

"That doesn't mean I haven't thought anything of the sort. I may have just been too bashful to admit such a thing to your face".

Oh.

"But... but you cannot even see the colors of my skin, or my hair, or my eyes. How could you say that I am such a fair maiden when you haven't seen my true features? When even I haven't"?

"Nora, no matter how hard it is for me to look at you and only see the black and white colorless voids that fill our world, I will always value you as the prettiest lass to ever live".

"Well..." I pull my hands from his and wrng them together, blushing furiously.

"Nora, there is no need for you to be embarrassed when you are with me. I am right here," he lays a hand on my shoulder.

"Promise"?

He crossed his fingers in an "x" over his heart; "I promise". 

I smile and whisper, "Okay," bringing my hand to his again, swinging them back and forth in the space between us as we walk into town as the road changes to cobblestones dusted with dirt and fallen leaves.

The sounds of automobiles trudging past and voices whipping through the air surround us.

A sputtering vehicle, choking out fumes of exhaust rumbles past us, the driver peering at us out of his windshield.

We continue to walk, until we come to the crossroads.

One road branches off to the left towards our town's two schools; the elementary and junior high school and the upper grade school where I attend with Archie, and the road angling straight ahead leads to where the town hall stands in the middle of our shops and factories, and the other peels off to the right, towards the train tracks, out of our town.

We walk to the left, passing by small bakeries and clothing shops displaying full sized mannequins in the windows dressed in men and womens wear.

We stop in front of an accessories store, and walk in, the bell chiming, signaling our presence.

The cashier, a woman no younger than mother, looks up from her book, smiles, and returns to her page.

"That's friendly," Archie mutters.

I lightly punch his shoulder, "Be nice".

"Nice? Alright," he walks up to the cashier booth and asks, "Excuse me? Where might I find your finest necklace"?

I step up behind him and hook my arm through his, waving my hand dismissively, "Oh, no, no, really, we were just browsing. There's no need to-",

"Not at all," Archie butts in, "I will purchase your finest piece of jewelry for my lady".

His lady?

"Right this way," the cashier marks her page and leads us to a back room with large cases of shining jewelry.

"Archie, you know I don't wear jewelry. In fact, wearing sparkly pieces of metal is hardly my top priority when romanticizing life".

"Well, now it is," and he stoops over a display case of necklaces embedded with jewels I am sure will take my head off as they look very heavy.

I stand behind Archie, my eyes widening at the size of the stone embedded necklaces and the cashier says; "Ah, I see you have discovered our assortment of diamonds and rubies".

Dragging Archie to the next case, I politely decline; "No thank you, we will look at another display please".

"What? You don't like diamonds?" Archie questions.

"No, they are beautiful, although I would certainly not be caught dead wearing one of those," I say, distastefully sweeping my hand over the glass of the first case.

"You wouldn't want to wear a showstopping neck rock either I suppose," he says, gesturing over to a rack of agets on strings.

"Fine, let's move on". 

"Well, take a chance with these," he says, nodding his head at the case in front of us.

Carefully laid on velvet strips inside the glass are lockets. Different shaped lockets. Hearts, circles, squares, and diamonds with tiny clasps and hinges.

"I like these".

"You do"?

"Mhm, yes".

"Which one would you like"?

"You're not seriously considering buying me expensive jewelry, are you"?

"Of course I am. And I am done considering, I have decided I am going to buy you a locket no matter the cost".

"These select few range from $80 to $150, sir. Due to the gold covering".

Archie's face turns a shade of red as he stuffs his hands into his pants pockets, "Do you happen to have a cheaper set of lockets, ma'am"?

I stifle a laugh into the shoulder of my dress and follow the lady and Archie to the other side of the back room, to a smaller case of lockets. These ones are silver.

"And what would the cost of these be"?

"All are $25".

Archie nudges me forward with his arm, "Go on, I'm willing to spend my money on you".

"I'm just not worth $150"?

"No, I certainly didn't mean anything like that"! 

"No need to work yourself up, I was only teasing".

I lean over the glass and examine each chain locket.

The heart shaped locket catches my eye. Its defined edges gleaming sharply through the glass.

"I would like this one, please," I say, pointing my index finger. 

"Whatever my lady would like".

Again, my lady, what game is he playing at?

As the cashier packages the locket, she glances at her wrist watch and briskly says, "I'm very sorry to rush you two lovebirds, but my shift ends at precisely 9:00, and it is five minutes to nine". 

"Oh, no worries ma'am, but I would like to correct you in saying, that we are not-",

Archie cuts me off, "Yes, yes, very sorry for keeping you so long, we will be checking out now".

Excuse me?

She leads us back to the front but halfway to the booth I yank his elbow and hiss; "Archie Alden, what is the matter with you"?

"I haven't the slightest idea what you are referring to".

I stare in shock at the back of his head as he walks up to the cashier booth and pays for my locket.

"Come along, Nora, we should be getting you home now," he says, beckoning to me. 

I bunch up the ends of my dress and stalk out of the shop with him, the cashier calling out; "You two have a lovely day"!

"You as well!" Archie calls back.

We round the corner out of the crossroads back to the bakeries and I stomp out in front of him, my boots kicking up dust and dirt, not caring if the ends of my dress become filthy.

"Why the sour attitude, Nora"?

"No, you don't get to say that. Since when do you call me 'your lady'? And in front of a stranger? I am the definition of calm right now"!

He takes my arms in his but I wrench away, crossing my arms tightly over my chest, breathing erratically. 

"Nora. Please, I was just... Well, I wasn't exactly teasing you, I just wanted to try- I... Help me out here, please"?

"How? Would you prefer if I joined in on whatever," I wave my arms in the space between us dramatically, "this, is? Because I can't help you as you'd like me to at the moment".

He sighs softly, and runs a hand through his hair, ruffling the ends.

"Nora, I deeply apologize for referring to you as 'my lady', and in public, it was my wrongdoing. I am trying my hardest to convey empathy, I just... often struggle with these things is all".

I sniff disapprovingly.

"Tell me what I must do to make this up to you, please"?

"Nothing".

"I will buy you another locket".

"No".

"I will do your schoolwork for two weeks".

I stamp my foot, "No".

He drops to his knees in the dirt; "Nora, I will..." he stops and thinks.

"Unfortunately, I am not quite certain as to how I should end that plea. Go on ahead, pity me, laugh at my vulnerability, I won't shame you for it." He hangs his head.

I look down at him, contemplating whether I should forgive him with a slap on the wrist, or turn him away.

"Well, come on then, we haven't got all day," he mutters from my feet.

I sigh, bending down, and kneeling in front of him, our gaze leveled when he lifts his head.

"You've lost power over me by doing that".

"I am well aware of that, and I do not care," I say, shaking my head remorsefully.

"So, you're not going to scream at me, or shame me for calling you 'my lady'"?

"No, I will do nothing of the sort".

"Well, then you must have a reason for this. Pray tell".

"I would never disrespect you, Archie.You are my friend. My only friend. Calling me 'your lady' was new to me. It was unexpected, and I was not comfortable in the shop in front of the lady".

"I'm sor-",

I whip my hand up; "Save it. It'll do us both some good".

He hands me the wrapped locket; "Here, you should put it on".

I take it; "Thank you".

"You're welcome".

I slowly unwrap the package, unveiling the silver heart shaped locket.

"It's even more beautiful out of the case," I breathe out, delicately turning the locket over in my palms. 

"And it'll be even more beautiful on you," Archie says, taking the locket from my hands and unclasping the hook. 

"You really don't have to-", but he's already tucked the two braids over my shoulders, and strung the chain around my neck, snapping the hook through the chain.

"There. Very pretty".

An awkward moment of silence hangs between us. Empty words left unsaid. 

"We-" both of us speak at the same time, and we laugh.

"Ladies first".

"We are kneeling in dirt, if you've at all forgotten".

"No, that fact has lingered in the back of my mind. Now, you speak".

"I just spoke. But we should be heading back fairly soon".

"Let us get on that, then," I say, and he slowly rises to his feet, brushing the dust and dirt off the fabric above his kneecaps, and lends me his hand to pull me to my feet.

"She's going to kill you," he says looking at the bottom of my dress.

I look down to see the dirt lining the ends of the dress.

I look up, smiling; "Who"?