Scattered Colors

by Jessica Prince

  I didn’t know why. I had no clue what it was about that girl that had me chasing after her. But after watching the sunset together, I felt more determined than ever to get to the bottom of who the real Freya was. My gut told me that there was something special about her, that I was lucky just to know someone like her.

  Maybe stumbling upon her that day at the beach had been destiny. I needed someone like her in my life. I felt a healing presence every time she was around, like she was a soothing balm to my soul. And maybe, just maybe, I would be able to help her heal, as well. I wanted to help push away whatever darkness she had inside of her simply so I could stand back and watch those brilliant blue eyes light up.

  In the short time I’d known her, Freya had helped keep my own darkness at bay. She opened my world up to colors I hadn’t even known existed. With every passing day, I found myself desperate to do the same for her and after watching the sunset, I wanted it even more.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” my mom called from the kitchen. I headed in there to see her standing over the stove, preparing dinner. Her eyes weren’t bloodshot or red-rimmed. The smile she graced me with was genuine. She was happy.

  I walked over to her and bent to place a kiss on the top of her head. “Hey, Mom. How’s it going?”

  “It’s going good, honey.” Her dark eyes met mine, narrowing slightly as she took in my huge smile. Her head cocked to the side as she said with curiosity, “You seem to be in a good mood. You haven’t been getting into any trouble, have you?”

  My head fell back with a loud laugh, and I pulled her into my side for a quick hug. “No trouble, Mom. I just had a good day.”

  “Well, I’m glad.” She stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on my cheek before going back to cooking. “Dinner’s almost ready, so go clean up.”

  I headed to my room with a newfound determination coursing through me. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I actually had a purpose.

  I was going to help bring Freya Linden back to life.

  After watching the sunset with Parker, I spent the rest of the night filling out college applications before finally falling into a blissfully dreamless sleep, not waking until the next morning. I got ready for school feeling lighter than I had in months, and for the first time since moving to Sommerspoint, I didn’t carry dread at the thought of a new day the way I had before. My newfound friendship with Parker seemed to have lifted a little of the weight I’d been carrying on my chest for the past four months. As I stared out the back window at the early morning sun beaming down on the ocean, I felt a twinge of excitement. It was something I’d longed to feel since my mother passed but was afraid I’d never get back.

  It was strange, but agreeing to accept Parker’s friendship had been like opening a sealed window and breathing in fresh air for the first time in a long time. It was a relief. I couldn’t explain why he was able to evoke such strong feelings in me, but just like with every other emotion, the comfort I felt because of him was substantial. The decision I’d made to keep myself closed off was beginning to feel like a vise squeezing my chest until I couldn’t stand it. Since our move across the country, my life hadn’t gotten any better by keeping myself locked behind a thick wall. Maybe it was time to make some changes.

  “Well, someone’s looking chipper this morning,” Stella beamed as I walked up to my locker.

  I looked over at her with a smile that matched her typically cheerful one. “I had a good night.”

  She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to expand on my statement. When I didn’t, she simply shrugged. “Well, I don’t know what happened to you before you got here, but I’m just glad you’re happy right now. You always look so…sad. Seeing you happy makes me happy.”

  I didn’t know if it was possible for Stella to get any more lovable than she already was, but she managed to push the envelope day after day. When she said things like that, I just wanted to squeeze her. We’d been friends for such a short amount of time, yet I couldn’t imagine not having her in my life. She was so genuine. I’d never met a girl with a bigger heart. Because her kindness was so sincere, I couldn’t help what I did next. I reached over and scooped her into a big hug and it felt terrific.

  “Well, this is a pleasant sight first thing in the morning.”

  Stella and I broke apart and looked up to see Parker coming toward us. His signature smirk was present on his pierced lips as he walked through the hall like he did everywhere else, like he was the ruler of everything. “Please, ladies, don’t stop on my account. I was enjoying that more than you know. Keep hugging. And if the mood strikes to throw a kiss in the mix, I’ll be more than happy to watch.”

  Stella giggled as I reached up and smacked Parker in the shoulder. “You seem awfully chipper,” I joked as he rubbed where I’d just hit.

  “What can I say? I had a good night,” he winked.

  “You, too?” Stella asked. “Freya came in all cheerful this morning saying she had a good night, also.”

  Parker’s grin got even wider as he looked at me, and I could feel my cheeks and the tips of my ears heating. Being fair-skinned and easy to blush was a curse. “Is that right, gorgeous?”

  I glared at him as soon as the endearment passed his lips but it was too late. By Stella’s gasp, she’d heard and misinterpreted its meaning. “Are you two…? Oh, my GOD!” she squealed, jumping up and down. “You totally are!”

  I held my hands up in an attempt to calm her mini-freak out. “We’re just friends, Stella. That’s all.”

  Parker threw his arm over my shoulders and pulled me into his side. “That’s right. Weird-named Freya over here finally showed some mercy on me. We’re the bestest of buds now. We might even go and get one of those little heart necklaces that say ‘best friends forever’. You know, the ones that break apart? What do ya say, gorgeous? I’m calling the be frie for part. That piece is totally mine.”

  “Awe,” she cooed. “That’s so cute.”

  Parker cocked his head to the side as he studied her. “Anyone ever tell you you’re like an energetic little fairy?”

  At that, Stella and I both broke out in a fit of laughter.

  “What? What’d I say?”

  The bell rang for us to get to class and the two of us linked arms, leaving Parker behind as we made our way to Mrs. Wilkins’ room. He jogged to catch up just as we entered. I kept my head down, ignoring the threatening stares from Brynn before taking a seat at my desk. I could practically feel the hate radiating off her as her glare burrowed into my back.

  “Her panties seem to be in an exceptionally tight bunch today,” Stella whispered as she sneered at Brynn. We both chuckled as we pulled our books from our bags.

  “What are you two giggling about?” Parker leaned in and breathed against my neck.

  “Lean back,” I hissed, both thrilled and anxious at his close proximity. My stomach felt like a million hummingbirds had taken flight in it. Despite my earlier revelation that being friends with Parker was a good thing, I wasn’t quite capable of handling the nervous energy I felt around him. I didn’t want to be attracted to him; I wanted to think of him strictly in a platonic sense. But he just had to go and be so damn cute. The jerk.

  “What’s the matter, gorgeous?” I could hear the smile in Parker’s voice as he spoke. “Does me being close make you feel all tingly?” I grabbed my pen and turned just far enough around to pop him on the head with it.

  “Ow! Dammit! What was that for?”

  “You’re gonna get us both in trouble.” I tried to make it sound as though I was concerned about the teacher catching us talking during class. The truth was it was the prying eyes of the other students around us that had a ball of apprehension tightening my chest.

  “You know, if we weren’t besties, my feelings might be a little hurt right now.” Stella giggled from beside me, and God help me but I couldn’t hold back my own laugh. Parker just made it too easy to forget all the difficult things.

  “Just so you know,” he le
aned in and whispered against my ear again, sending a thrill up my spine. “You smell really, really good this morning.” My stomach did a massive somersault. Oh, Lord. That boy was going to be the death of me

  Going into Biology later that morning, I made sure to walk at a fast clip past Parker’s table, only offering a limp wave in acknowledgement. I should have known that wasn’t going to satisfy his appetite for attention. As soon as my books were on the table, his large shadow was looming over me. I looked up to see him standing on the other side across from me, his signature smirk firmly in place.

  “What, no hug hello?” he asked cheekily.

  A low groan rumbled in my chest. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”

  “Ooh, nice SAT word, gorgeous. I’m impressed.”

  There was no way I could let Parker or anyone else in the room see just how much he was affecting me, especially with Seth looking back at us with a confused expression, so I did my best to play up my annoyance.

  “Will you please go back to your table? It’s not even lunch time and you’re already bugging the crap out of me.”

  “All perks of our friendship, Freya. You’ll get used to it.” He smiled genuinely and I felt my heart skip a beat or two. Parker cut his eyes over to where Michael was sitting next to me, watching on in rapt fascination.

  “You’re Michael Pavlock, right?”

  “Uh, y-yeah,” Michael stuttered, obviously unsure why Parker was speaking to him. If I had to guess, I would have been willing to lay money on the fact that Michael was another one of the kids Parker hadn’t bothered talking to until right at that moment.

  What Parker said next floored me. “Keep your hands off my girl or I’ll break your arm.”

  My eyes shot to his as I let out a startled laugh. His lips were tilted up in a smirk but there was no laughter in his dark brown eyes. I couldn’t help but feel that, while he tried to brush it off as a joke, there was a definite underlying seriousness to his threat toward Michael. It led me to question what I’d gotten myself into by agreeing to become friends with my mysterious neighbor.

  “Go away, Parker,” I ground out between clenched teeth.

  He returned his gaze to mine, his eyes smiling at me even though he’d just been slightly terrifying. “See ya later, sweetheart.”

  He walked away, leaving me reeling from his new endearment. First it was gorgeous, then sweetheart. I knew I was in a whole mess of trouble when I wasn’t able to tamp down the giddiness building up inside of me.

  “So, are you two dating now or something?” Michael asked in a hushed voice as he watched Parker walk back to his own table.

  “No, we’re just friends. He just likes to be an asshole sometimes.”

  “Oh, okay. Good.” Michael sat in contemplative silence for several seconds before turning back to me. “Do you think he meant it? You know, the whole breaking my arm part?”

  I laughed nervously. “Of course not.” The truth was I couldn’t get a read on Parker well enough to know whether or not he’d been joking. God, I really hoped he’d been joking.

  “’Cause, I mean, he doesn’t have anything to worry about. Not that you aren’t pretty!” he rushed to add, ratcheting the discomfort at our table up tenfold. “I mean you are…pretty, that is. But, um…I kind of like someone else.”

  “Oh. Well…that’s good.” Thanks to Parker, Biology was going to be a complete disaster. On one hand, I had a tablemate so keyed up I was afraid a loud noise might cause him to wet himself. On the other hand, I couldn’t quit playing Parker calling me ‘his girl’ over and over in my head. I liked that way more than I should have.

  “You know Stella, right?” Michael cut in, interrupting my internal musings. “Aren’t you two friends?”

  “Uh, yeah. We’re friends.”

  “Do you…” he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Do you know if she’s seeing anyone?”

  At his question, my face split into a grin so wide my cheeks began to ache. “As a matter of fact, I have it on good authority that she’s very single.”

  The excitement on his face was just too cute. I had a feeling I was going to enjoy playing matchmaker.

  The moment I walked into the cafeteria, the whispers and sideways glances started same as every other day. I was really starting to despise being the new girl, and I knew a part of the fascination was my newfound friendship with Parker. My cheeks heated and the tips of my ears burned as I tried to ignore everyone around me while I made my way through the line. I kept my focus trained on the lunch lady as she piled mystery meat onto my tray, feigning calm collectiveness even though my heart felt like it was about to beat right out of my chest. The worst thing that could ever happen to someone as uncomfortable with attention as me was to move her to a small town where gossips ran rampant.

  “Ew! What are you eating?” Stella scrunched her nose as I slid my tray onto the table and took a seat in front of her.

  I glanced down at my plate. “Uh…meatloaf?”

  She leaned in closer to get a better look. “I think that’s supposed to be Salisbury steak, but I can’t tell with all that goopy stuff on it.”

  “Really?” It was my turn to scrunch my nose as I pushed the tray away. She lifted her hands to take a bite of her sandwich. A turkey sandwich had never looked so good. I was starving, and there was no way I was eating that glob of meat-like substance in front of me.

  “Yeah,” Stella started when she caught me staring. “I’ve been telling you, you need to start bringing your lunch. When are you gonna listen to me?” Luckily, she took pity on me and tore her sandwich apart, offering me a half.

  “Thank you,” I said around a mouthful.

  “You’re welcome,” Stella said with a little giggle. We ate in silence for a few minutes before she placed her half of the sandwich down and leaned closer to me, whispering, “Everyone’s still staring at you.”

  “I noticed,” I responded dryly. “They stare every damn day. Seriously, this town needs to get some better entertainment. Having a new girl can’t possibly be that interesting.”

  I noticed her eyes widen slightly as her eyes cut up and over my shoulder. “I don’t think that’s why.”

  Just as I took another bite of my proffered meal, a tray dropped down onto the table right next to me, ringing loudly through the cafeteria and startling a jump from me. My head shot sideways just as Parker pulled out the chair at my side and plopped down.

  “Hey there, gorgeous,” he said with a devilish grin, that lip ring of his shining from the florescent lights above us.

  “What are you doing?” I asked in a hushed voice as I glanced around to notice our little table had garnered even more attention.

  “Eating lunch. What’s it look like? Hey, Stella, how’s it going?”

  “Uh…” was all she could come up with.

  Parker began digging into his meal, not the slightest bit uncomfortable with everyone staring and whispering or the fact that he was ingesting something that might actually sprout and grow in his stomach.

  “You don’t like the enchiladas?” he asked me around a mouthful of food.

  “That’s what that is?!” Stella squeaked.

  Parker shrugged casually as he shoveled another bite into his mouth. He seemed oblivious to the intense anxiety slowly starting to creep up in my chest, threatening to suffocate me. I needed everyone to stop staring.

  “Parker,” I hissed. “You can’t sit here.”

  He paused momentarily in his chewing, looking at me with wide eyes. “You going Mean Girls on me, sweetheart?”

  “No,” I huffed with a roll of my eyes. He grinned again and took another bite. “I just don’t like all the attention.” I twisted to face him head-on and spoke quietly. “Every single person in here is staring. Can you just go back to the table you usually sit at so everyone will mind their own damn business?”

  “Who cares what people think?”

  I grumbled angrily. “I don’t care what they think. I just don’t like them all
whispering about me. It’s…unnerving. Like they’re just waiting to pounce or something.”

  He scoffed. “A little melodramatic, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t know about that,” Stella stated, twisting her little fingers together nervously. “Cassidy looks like her head’s about to pop.”

  Fantastic. “Just great. Are you trying to get my butt kicked, Parker?”

  “Cassidy’s an idiot,” he mumbled between bites. “You don’t need to worry about her.”

  “Well, that idiot’s walking over here right now with her minions in tow,” Stella told us. My back shot straight as the little hairs on my arms stood on end. I’d never been in a fight in my life. I felt confident enough that I could at least hold my own against one girl, but add in her posse and all bets were off. I wiped my sweaty palms on the legs of my jeans as they approached. I couldn’t bring myself to turn around as the sound of shuffling feet came to a stop right behind me.

  “Hey, Parker,” a high-pitched voice said. I could only guess it belonged to Cassidy. “Why aren’t you sitting with us like you always do?” Her tone was whiny, and I struggled to suppress an eye roll.

  “Didn’t feel like it,” Parker answered blandly, not bothering to turn around to address the group crowding our table.

  “Who’s your friend?” I could hear the venom laced through her words but decided that maybe, if I were to be polite, she wouldn’t have a reason to target me for the rest of the year.

  I spun around in my seat and got my first glance at the beautiful blonde standing there. Her icy smile didn’t hold an ounce of kindness.