Ever since she was little, Tess defined people by color, there was
something about hues and textures that personified personalities for
her. Maria, with her eccentricities and independence was orange,
unabashed, fearless and yet full of feeling. There was something
about the other girl that Tess couldn't ignore, even if the human
loathed her with every fiber of her being. She wasn't sure if it
was the loud girl's loyalty or her bravado, but whenever she was in the
same room as Maria, her attention drifted toward her. Tess would
imagine alternate universes where they were friends because they had so
much in common, other than this secret, but she'd never say anything,
knowing that Maria's loyalties lay with Liz, just like the rest of
them. So she would continue to do what she always did, sit on the
sidelines and watch, defining people as colors until they paid her
attention.
