Chapter Text
Blue. Yellow. Red. Brown. Emily counts all the colors in her mind as she walks through the school, St. Langeton’s hallway. New school and new city. The whole family shifted from North Carolina to Amherst a week back, leaving their whole life behind.
Emily reaches the lockers and comes to a stop. She chooses an empty locker and arranges her stuff inside.
Lavinia, her sister, that is, left her at some point during the walk to the lockers. She had already made friends.
“Hey,” A voice says and Emily jumps and turns around to come face to face with a girl whose hair is curled at the ends and she’s wearing specs. “Haven’t seen you around before.”
“Yeah, that’s because I’m new,” Emily replies.
“Nice,” Abby grins. Emily blinks. “I’m Abby.”
“Emily,” Emily replies and manages a smile back.
“What class do you have?” Abby questions.
Emily looks through her timetable. “AP English.”
Abby smiles widely once again and raises her hand in the air. “High five, girl!”
“Oh-“ Emily gives Abby her high five, more than a little confused by the girl’s behavior.
Abby leads Emily to the AP English classroom and they take their seats. Emily finds one at the center beside the window. Abby goes and sits with a girl who has blonde hair.
The professor, Miss Delancy, starts a poem by Maya Angelou, and as homework, she gives them an assignment to write an essay about what the poem means to them. At the end of the class, Emily gets up, picking up her stuff, and Abby makes her way toward her, the blonde girl at her side. “Hey Emilyyyy,” Abby sing-songs.
Emily forces a smile. “Hey,” she says.
“This is--“
“Abiah,” The blonde girl says.
“Hi girl,” Emily says and smiles at Abiah.
“Nice to meet you,” Abiah says, taking Emily’s hand and kissing it. Emily narrows her eyes, pulling a face.
“Uh, yeah, nice to meet you too, Abiah.”
Next, is breakfast. Emily doesn’t get a choice, really, and sits with Abby and Abiah. “So,” Abiah says, leaning in, “Do you have a boyfriend, Em?”
“Mm, no,” Emily replies. “Do you?”
“I do,” Abiah says. “And don’t worry,” she takes Emily’s hand in her own. “We’ll find you one too.”
“Thanks.”
They spend the whole breakfast time pointing out boys to Emily, and Emily rejecting each one of them.
***
School ends with Biology class. Everyone’s assigned partners and Emily’s partnered with a girl called Susan. A girl who has basically the same hair color as Emily’s, a girl who wears a red plaid skirt and fishnets, a girl who looks stunning.
“So, Susan--“ Emily begins.
“It’s Sue.”
“Huh?”
“Everyone calls me Sue,” Sue says and smiles.
“Okay, Sue,” Emily says and smiles too. Her first genuine smile of the day.