Splitting Colors
Chapter 2
"Homework on the first day?" Carlos looks over his shoulder at his daughter, poking a spatula into the pan on the stove.
Sarah sits by the island in the kitchen with a pencil in hand and a paper in front of her. She can clearly smell the food on the stove, the sound of something sizzling making her even more hungry. "It's just a questionnaire thing. So the teacher can get to know us," she informs without looking up.
"Hm. Doesn't seem very efficient," observes Carlos.
"It's not. You don't ever actually do anything on the first day of school. You just sit there for the entire period while the teacher talks about them self and tells you all the things you're expected to do throughout the semester," says Sarah as she continues to fill out the blanks on the page in front of her.
"I see," mumbles Carlos. "Sounds like it was a pretty easy day then."
"I guess so," she twists her lips in thought. "I'm still gonna get ahead on some reading though so I don't have to do it later."
Noticing the stack of textbooks on the counter next to her, Carlos smirks at his daughter's determination. "So, did you make any new friends?"
"Um, I made one friend," answers Sarah, not entirely proud of the low number. Still, it's kind of better than she'd expected.
"Am I going to be meeting this friend any time soon?" Carlos sprinkles a variety of seasoning into the pan, stirring up the contents once more.
"Dad, it's only been one day," reminds Sarah. "He just showed me around the school, that's all. Doesn't mean that we're best friends already."
"I know, I'm just excited for you, that's all," he reasons. A few moments of silence pass by. "That was nice of him, to show you around."
"Yeah, he's nice," agrees Sarah.
"What's his name?"
"Well… his name is Kenny Jr., but he said he just goes by Duck." Sarah pushes in the end of her mechanical pencil with her thumb.
"That's a bit of an odd name," comments Carlos as he walks to the other end of the kitchen and opens one of the cupboards.
Sarah chuckles, recalling how the boy had introduced himself. "Yeah, it is."
The man pulls out two empty plates, placing them on the counter in front of him. "Did you talk to anyone else at all?"
The girl inhales deeply, thinking he'll be disappointed in the answer for some reason. "No. No one ever wants to talk to the new girl."
"Why not?" Carlos asks as if her statement is ridiculous.
"Because everyone already has their own friends," she explains, recalling how out of place she'd felt when she first walked into that gymnasium.
"So? That doesn't mean they can't include you." Turning off the stove, he empties the contents of the pan onto the two plates.
"It's not a big deal, dad," says Sarah, genuinely meaning it. She knows all her dad wants is for her to make friends at her new school, but he doesn't understand that sometimes it's just not that easy. People don't just come up to her and say 'hi' and automatically they're friends for life. "I wouldn't want someone just barging into my friend group like that, either."
"Well, I'm sure they'll change their minds eventually," Carlos grins reassuringly while placing a full plate of food in front of her. "It's only the first day, after all."
Sarah drops her pencil and lifts her gaze, smiling warmly at her father. "Thanks, dad." For the words, and for the food.
3 days later
Sarah sits against the pillows of her bed, her one hand holding a novel and the other holding a hot mug of tea. Her headphones are plugged into her phone as she reads in silence, a mellow tune playing through the device on low volume. The lamp on her bedside table is switched on, illuminating the dark bedroom. She'd always preferred to end her evenings like this. It's quite calming for her.
When her phone starts ringing through her headphones, she digs through the blankets to find it. Sarah reads the screen as it vibrates in her hand, seeing Duck's name. She disconnects the headphones then holds the device against her ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Sarah," Duck's friendly voice greets her on the other side.
"Hey," she smiles at the familiar voice, kind of surprised he had called her. Sarah closes the book and extends her legs on the bed. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing much. I was just helping my dad outside with his truck," he tells her. "Anyway, there's gonna be a big party next Saturday and I was wondering if you wanted to come."
Sarah creases her brows, shocked that he'd actually asked that. No one's ever invited her to a party before. The idea of going to one even seems a little frightening, and the thought of who might be there is even more so. "At… Clementine's house?" Sarah assumes. She remembers how Duck had told her that Clementine was the one that threw all the parties at school.
"Yeah, her parents are always out of town around this time of year so she gets the whole place to herself. She made a post about it on Facebook." answers Duck, sounding pretty excited about it.
Of course Sarah didn't know about it, she doesn't have a Facebook. She realizes she's probably the only one at school that doesn't and she wonders what else she could be getting left out of. Not that she would ever use it anyway, but still.
"I thought you said you don't talk to people," questions Sarah. From what Duck had told her about himself, he really did not seem like a party person.
"Yeah, but doesn't mean I don't like to drink," scoffs the boy, as if it is obvious. "Besides, it's not like anyone's gonna know we're there. We could just hang out in the back and judge everyone or something. It'll be fun."
"Are we even invited?" asks Sarah. She really can't imagine herself being a part of something so social.
He chuckles into the phone, as if her question is ridiculous. "The whole school's invited."
Sarah raises her eyebrows, adjusting the blankets in her lap. "Must be a big house," she mumbles, imagining how crowded it would be there. She wonders what it's like to be friends with so many people that you don't even need to bother with invitations.
"Yep. If it's anything like last year's party, it's gonna be pretty great," Duck chirps. "But hey, no pressure though. I totally get it if you don't wanna come. I just thought it'd be fun if you did."
"No, I—" Sarah interjects before even thinking. "It… actually might be kinda fun," she decides. Just because she's never been to a party, doesn't mean that this can't be her first one. Besides, it could be a great way for her to make some more friends. That'll make her dad happy.
"Really?" asks Duck, sounding surprised.
Sarah ponders over it for a few moments. "Yeah. Yeah, sure. I'll come," she confirms, beginning to feel a thrill. Duck is right. She's sure it'll be fun. What's the worst that could happen? "I'll just… tell my dad I'm going to a friend's house. I'm sure he'll let me go."
"I mean, technically that's not lying, right?" Duck points out.
Sarah chuckles softly. "Well, it kinda is. She's not exactly my friend."
"So what? He doesn't know that," says Duck. "Besides, I'm your friend and you're going with me so… it'll be fine."
"You're right… Yeah, it'll be fine," Sarah beams, although she's unsure whether she's trying to convince herself or Duck.
Still, something about knowing that Clementine is going to be there makes Sarah that much more excited.