Chapter Thirty-One: Days In Color// My Sky Is Like An Eggshell

             I spent my time with my head down, picking up Aaron when I needed to, not talking much to my dad or anyone else. I dove right back into my books and photography. Carefully skipping the pictures of him on my camera. I wasn't ready to delete them yet. The days passed with my head in my books, never looking up for anything. Sometimes, I'd find myself sitting, chin resting in my palm as I watched people walk by. I'd name the colors they wore, observing how they walked, or the way their voice went up and down as they talked.

And then I'd remember who taught me all that and lower my eyes again, furiously trying to get back into reading instead. And I kept it up... this careful avoidance of any reminders that someone had once actually been in my life and stayed there. It's strange how abrupt it all was. No proper goodbye. No last conversation. He just... left.

One moment he was there. The next, he was gone.

And the ground fell out from beneath my feet as I drowned in my self-created floods. Every night. Waking up was hardest. For the first few seconds when I opened my eyes, I was happy. Looking out the window at the beautiful light filtering through my window.

And then it would all crash down on me like a waterfall, a heavyweight sucking all happiness I'd given myself.

He left just like my mother.

"Hey. Help me."

Aaron poked my shoulder with a pencil.

"Ow! Aaron, don't do that." I slipped my t-shirt off my shoulder, inspecting it. A little red. "What do you want?"

He smiled. "Sorry sis. Help me, will you?"
I sighed. "With what?"

He flapped his paper around. "Miss Aubergine wants us to practice writing the date. What's today?"

"Your teacher's name is Augustine, not 'Aubergine.' That's a fruit or something."

"It's an eggplant."
I blinked. "How'd you know that?"
He shrugged. "Miss Aubergine told me. Duh."

I stared at him.

"It's September."
"September? It's Febu-airy silly. What's the date, I mean."

The wind rushed out of my chest. "What?"

"What?" He looked at me expectantly.

"It's... February."

"Yes." Aaron wiggled his leg impatiently. "What's the date?"

"Uh..." I pushed aside the panic in my chest and checked my phone. "The twenty-fifth," I said, scooting over to see his paper clearly. "That's a two and a five...no, the other side. The five goes on the other side of the two."

"Thanks."

I mumbled a 'no problem' and moved away again, pulling my knees to my chest as I stared at the carpet. February. Of course. Yeah, yeah I know it's February. My chest hurt. He left in September. 

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A/N: Has anyone else ever felt like you've gotten stuck in the past, mentally? Such a jarring feeling, when there's winter in your bones and summer against your skin. 

What do you think about Cecilia & Lyon? Is this it? 

Drop a comment or vote below! <3 I appreciate it! 

-Autumn