The color of the sky

The color of the sky (Short story)

© Copyright 2018 Erika Vanzin

Cover: Erika Vanzin

First edition

All rights reserved

All right reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author makes no claims to, but instead acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the word marks mentioned in this work of fiction.

Erika Vanzin:

www.erikavanzin.com

https://www.facebook.com/ErikaVanzinWriter/

From the same author:

English edition:

Waiting

Italian edition:

Cacciatori di segreti - La presa di coscienza

Cacciatori di segreti - La scelta

Forse

Cinque giorni per innamorarsi

Waiting

304

Vieni a prendermi

Resta con me

For more informazion:

www.erikavanzin.com

https://www.facebook.com/ErikaVanzinWriter/

This book is dedicated to

everyone that knows

which is the color of the sky.

Chapter One

Amelia was sitting on the bench next to the open window in her bedroom; a light breeze coming from the lake cooled the whole house even during the hottest hours of the day. She took a deep breath in order to absorb the fragrance of that summer; it had a particular scent, so different from those past summers she had spent in her pale pink room writing on her diary, just as she was doing then. It was a smell that reminded her of freedom and that frightened her but, at the same time, made her feel nostalgic. In September, she was going to leave for college to face a new life and would return to those consoling walls with its familiar furnishings only during vacation. She often wondered how she would feel when she entered that same room after months away at college. Would she feel like an intruder or would she simply feel the same heart-warming sensations that she was experiencing at that moment? She had no idea, but she enjoyed imagining what her reaction would be when she came back to those four walls that had always protected her from the brutality of the world. Sometimes when she talked to Linda and Jamie, they would all fantasize about their future. She had, however, never voiced those hopes and dreams to her father; it was already difficult for her to think of leaving him alone in that huge house much less parade her excitement and happiness for this new adventure in front of him.

Not that she was unhappy in that house; in fact, she was sure she would miss a lot of things about it. She was just consumed with the idea of leaving for college, meeting new people, starting from scratch with new aspirations and new adventures – new possibilities that her insecurity and awkwardness in high school prevented her from experiencing. Her therapist taught her how to live that new phase of her life, like a new beginning, and, like a phoenix, she was rising from her ashes.

She looked at the time on the clock on her nightstand, that sturdy pink box with its now faded buttons and red flashing numbers, the one her grandfather had given her when she was five and that had never failed her. It was four o’clock, Amelia put the pen down between the pages of the diary she was writing on and placed it down in front of her on the bench. She wrapped her arms around her knees, which she had curled up against her chest, leaned her cheek on the soft fabric of the yellow dress with white daisies she was wearing and waited. She knew that, just like all the other days of that hot summer, her patience would pay off and not even five minutes had passed when a smile appeared on her face.

Brian was walking on the sidewalk in front of her house; he had Rock, his chocolate-colored Labrador that unfailingly drove her Nebula crazy, on a leash. The Golden Retriever, indeed, started to bark and whine worthy of a horror movie. It almost seemed like her dog waited by the window in the kitchen for her lover to pass by, as she did with the boy. Every day she waited for Brian to finish his practice and to come home in time to take his dog for a walk in the park.

They grew up together, she and Brian; he lived a few houses down from her, at the end of the street. Their mothers were friends and took them to the park together to play; he was the one who defended her the first time when Manuel pulled her braids and threw sand in her eyes. That day Brian’s mom grounded him for a whole week because he punched Manuel’s nose, making it bleed. Amelia had never forgotten the smug look and half smile he gave her as his mother dragged him away by his arm from the park scolding him. Amelia understood on that day he was her hero and he would never leave her; as a result, a silent pact formed between them, where she would allow him to play beside her in the sandbox, sharing her shovel and bucket, and he would defend her from anyone who threatened to hurt her. Years passed yet their bond was just as strong as it was that first day. They eventually abandoned the sandbox at the park and replaced it with kicking a ball around and riding bicycles. Then, when they were ten, Amelia’s mother died and she stopped going to the park, locking herself in her bedroom instead and talking less and less. Little by little, Brian stopped being her savior.

Amelia, however, had never forgotten him.  When he started playing in the high school football team, she never missed a game. She watched him grow up, becoming tall and muscular, with thick curly brown hair, short at first then longer over time. She witnessed his evolution from a shy and silent schoolboy to a popular and confident leader. She saw him go out with several girls and, every time, she imagined what it would have been like to be in their place, getting lost in his immense hazel eyes before kissing his soft lips. She could only imagine it because nobody had ever kissed her, nobody had ever made her feel that euphoria she read in her favorite books but had never experienced in real life.

She quickly put on the shoes she had left next to the bed and ran down the stairs. Nebula was already waiting for her at the door, in a frenzy and whipping her tail around hysterically as she knew she was going to the park. It wasn’t the first time Amelia had done it: every day after Brian had walked passed her house, she waited for ten minutes (to give him enough time to reach the park), then grabbed the leash, her keys and went out to walk Nebula. The dog didn’t know she was the excuse her mistress used to watch Brian from afar while he played with Rock. Sometimes, when the Labrador would get close to the Golden Retriever, Amelia and Brian would exchange a few words but it wasn’t like it used to be, that bond they had as children wasn’t there anymore, instead it was replaced by simple courtesy, making their worlds so distant that it felt as though they had never met before.

Amelia walked over to the door, hooked the leash on Nebula’s collar and, just as she was about to leave, the house phone rang. She felt the ground open from under her feet; her heart stopped completely and then restarted only to pound heavily against her chest. Nobody ever called that number, especially during the day when her father was still at work. She had never told anyone, not even her therapist, that she was terrified by that sound. She had been the one who received the call from the hospital telling her that her mother had had an accident. She had been the one who called her father in tears telling him to rush to the hospital because her mother had lost control of the car. He didn’t even come home to get her on his way to the hospital, he simply came back in the middle of the night with a plastic bag in his hands with what remained of her mother’s clothes, documents and wedding ring she wore on her finger. He didn’t even notice that Amelia was still curled up in the dark next to the bench by the phone, awake, waiting for someone to call her and tell her that her mother was fine. Her father had no idea that she had been alone all day because the babysitter had called in sick and her mother was on her way home to look after her herself. For that precise reason, she was terrified of answering the phone and, for that same reason, she let it keep ringing until it stopped. She didn’t even have time to breathe a sigh of relief when it started to ring again. She had to answer it this time; she couldn’t ignore it again. Nebula had been looking at her with hopeful eyes, she wanted to go out and Amelia would have liked to run out with her but, in the end, picked up the handset.

“Hello?” She almost whispered.

“Amelia, finally! Your cellphone is off, again!” Linda scolded her from the other side.

Amelia felt her legs turn to jelly; she leaned against the wall and slid against it until she found herself sitting on the floor.

“I was charging it and forgot to turn it back on again.”

She heard her friend tell someone else what she had just explained to her and guessed that Jamie was there too with her; in fact, a few seconds later she heard him chuckle.

“There’s a party at Alice’s house tonight, her parents are away for the weekend, do you mind if Jamie and I come over, right now, to get dressed?” She asked without taking a breath.

One of the promises Amelia had made to herself for the summer was that she would enjoy her high school life more. She no longer had the excuse of homework or tests to study for, she was free to do anything she wanted and, unlike Linda’s father, her father let her do almost anything. She didn’t know, however, how to tell her best friends that she didn’t want to get ready for the party, that she just wanted to go out, walk Nebula to the park and take some time to admire Brian. She wasn’t brave enough to tell them since she knew they would think she was crazy.

Chapter Two

Nebula bolted like a bat out of hell towards the park and Amelia could do nothing but keep up after her, despite the fact she was feeling guilty and wished only to turn back to call Linda. She had lied to her friends; it was her first, real opportunity to show them she was going to live that summer to the fullest, instead she made up a terrible excuse and promised to go out with them the following day just to make up for the deception.

Amelia reached the park breathless, her heart pounding furiously against her chest; for the first problem, she blamed the run, but for the latter she didn’t know whether it was for the same reason or because Brian was sitting on the ground not far from her playing with Rocky. The short beige trousers and the green polo adhered perfectly to his chiseled body; his brown curls that slipped over his face reminded her of one of those paintings from the past – he was so perfect that he could only have come out of a painting.

Amelia broke from her trance and looked away from the gorgeous vision in front of her before she was caught gawking. She blushed just thinking of it. She grabbed her book from the bag, her favorite, Emma by Jane Austen, and sat under the usual tree that she had chosen for her getaways at the park. It was a big oak with branches long enough on one side that they almost touched the ground; a part of its bark was so smooth that it almost seemed tailor-made for her back to rest upon. Unfortunately, she couldn’t concentrate on reading her book (not that it was a problem since she had read it dozens of times already, but she felt a bit guilty of abandoning those pages in favor of laying her eyes on the boy just a few steps from her).

She absent-mindedly watched Nebula chase Rocky while her actual attention was really on the boy. She was so absorbed in ogling him that she didn’t notice the two dogs running at full speed towards her. The horrified, distressed look on Brian’s face just a split-second before his dog decided to use her face as a trampoline was something that would remain etched in her memory for life.

When Amelia opened her eyes once again, the only thing she saw was Brian’s big brown eyes looking at her with tremendous concern.

“Are you okay?” He asked her worriedly.

She was too mortified at the idea that he might have caught her staring at him that she didn’t realize she was lying on her back.

“Do you need help getting up?” He continued when Amelia didn’t move or reply.

His question brought her back to reality, making her sit up abruptly and bang her forehead against the boy’s chin.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” she mumbled in embarrassment. “Did I hurt you?” She asked him, examining his face with apprehension.

Brian chuckled and took a seat next to her.

“No, you didn’t hurt me and I know you’re not the type who goes around head butting people. Don’t worry.” He smiled at her, taking her hands in his.

The gesture made Amelia’s heart throb even more furiously in her chest; it was the first time that there was any type of physical contact between them and feeling his skin brush against hers was enough to inebriate her for life.

“But, you still haven’t told me if you’re okay or not. Can I take a closer look at those scratches on your face?” He insisted brushing his fingers against her cheek.

At that exact moment, Amelia’s world stopped; his face was so close she could feel his breath on her skin, and smell the fragrance of his soap and shampoo tickling her nostrils and the delicate mint flavor escaping his lips. She wanted to breathe his scent for the rest of her life and to admire his perfect skin that close every single day of her existence.

“I’m fine,” she managed in a trembling whisper.

Brian moved back, making the space between them suddenly feel so vast that Amelia almost felt herself falling into a black hole.

“It looks like Rocky’s scratched you up a bit. It’d be a good idea to disinfect those wounds,” he stated with such seriousness that Amelia started to worry about how deep her cuts really were.

“Ok,” she answered in a soft voice, still completely dazed as she watched the boy stand up.

She was looking around for her bag and book when Brian held his hand out to help her up.

“Come on, I’ll take you home,” he smiled. She accepted his help and tightened her fingers around his.

She noticed his hands were big and calloused, probably because he played football or maybe because of the chores she often saw him doing, like mowing the lawn or trimming the hedges. She had no idea why he had those imperfections on his hands, but she liked them, they gave her the sense of strong hands used to protect someone. She lowered her gaze and started to look for her belongings on the ground to cover up her embarrassment.

“Are you looking for this?” He asked her picking up the book that was on the grass a few feet from them.

She watched him closely as he carefully wiped the dirt and grass that Rocky managed to smear between the pages.

“Jane Austen, uhm?” He smiled at her.

Amelia lowered her eyes and felt her cheeks blush furiously – she must have been as red as a tomato from blushing that afternoon.

“That bad?” She asked inquisitively.

“No, on the contrary. I think that if I have to choose a book to describe you, I would probably pick Pride and Prejudice.” He replied as he helped her put Nebula’s leash back on. “You’re that sweet, romantic girl who lives for such mush found in those kinds of books…am I right?”

Amelia was surprised he remembered how much she liked reading fairy tales about princesses needing rescue and how she dreamed of finding, sooner or later, her prince charming.

“You’re right. I like believing that true love really exists,” she confessed in a moment of vulnerability.

Brian smiled but said nothing. They walked home in silence side by side and close enough for their hands to touch from time to time.

“Thanks for walking me home,” she said under her breath once they reached the walkway in front of her house.

“Come on, I’ll help you disinfect those scratches,” he offered grabbing her hand and dragging her to the front door.

Her heart was exploding in her chest, making the simplest task of unlocking the door a struggle as she fumbled with her keys when she inserted them in the lock. They entered the house without saying a word and went directly to the kitchen, the only sound perceivable came from their dogs playing in the living room. She reached for the first aid kit in the cabinet over the fridge and placed it on the white marble countertop of the kitchen island.

“Come, sit down here,” he pointed to the spot next to the first aid kit.

Amelia hesitated, then got up the courage and sat on the freezing surface; from that position, she imagined losing herself in those big hazel eyes and suddenly became short-winded. She observed him as he put some antiseptic on a gauze and move closer to her face. Brian’s pelvis rested against her knees and she could feel his toned abs and the heat he was emitting – it almost seemed like she was living a dream. Suddenly, she was brought back to reality when a burning sensation spread across her cheekbone.

“Does it hurt?” He asked with a tone that sounded like a plea for forgiveness as he cringed his face to show he felt the pain too.

“A bit, but I can handle it.” She replied in such a low voice she didn’t know if he heard it.

Brian’s lips were less than ten inches from her face and Amelia couldn’t stop admiring them; she wondered how it would feel to kiss them and the thought alone made her blush for the umpteenth time that day.

“Tomorrow night we’re having a bonfire at the lake, will you come?” He asked her out of the blue.

Amelia’s heart literally stopped. Was he asking her out? Was that why he had been so nice to her the whole afternoon? A million things went through her head but only one of them stood out: she promised Linda and Jamie that she would spend tomorrow night with them. Should she ditch them for the second time in a row?

Chapter Three

Her heart was beating fast in her chest while she was approaching the lake and she could spot the bonfire in between the trees. Amelia asked her father to accompany her there, since she lied to Linda and Jamie for the second time, but she didn’t want to be found by her classmate with him; It would be too embarrassing to admit she has been accompanied by her dad, even if he was the most loved in among her classmates because he didn’t limit her in any way.

She walked increasingly slowly, realizing she was nervous. What if Brian forgot he invited her? Or worst, what if that was a really bad joke to make fun of her? She had some doubts he could do something like that but, in that moment, she was terrified from the idea of being there alone. She almost thought to turn back and hide away for the rest of the summer. How did she come up with the idea of lying to Linda and Jamie? They were the two friends that helped her in those social life situations she couldn’t handle alone and, in that moment, she was regretting her choices. She should have asked Brian if she could bring a couple of friends but, when he invited her, she thought it was a date… even if now she doubted it. Why didn’t he pick her up if he was interested? She came up with a million explanations for that behavior but they were quickly falling in front of her.

She inhaled deeply and tried to calm down, she looked at her dress’ skirt checking for wrinkles and walked the last few yards that were separating her from her classmates. When she set a foot on the sand and looked around, she noticed there was already a lot of people and she felt relieved: nobody would have cared about one more person and she wouldn’t be forced to have a conversation, considering they were all busy enjoying the night.

The sound of a guitar was coming from a hidden part of the bonfire she couldn’t spot from where she was. She looked around trying to figure out who was there and she noticed Brian was there, standing and talking with some of his classmates. In the exact moment he saw her he excused himself and walked to her with a huge smile plastered on his face. In that exact moment her every doubt dissolved.

“You finally arrived! I thought you changed your mind. What are you doing here alone? Come, drink something” he rushed his words.

Amelia noticed he had beer in his hands and his breath already smelled of alcohol, she wondered how long they have been there.

“I just arrived. I haven’t had any chance to drink anything” She whispered so low she didn’t know if Brian heard her.

“Beer? Vodka?” He asked her pointing at a big plastic tank full of ice and drinks.

“Is it ok if I have some water?” She smiled shyly at him while she grabbed a bottle.

“Sure!” He laughed sincerely. “Feel free to do anything you want” he added, walking to a guy from the football team that called for him.

Amelia stood there, dazed from the conversation, unwilling to believe she was there, invited personally by Brian. She looked around sipping from the water and she suddenly realized how out of place she was there; the girls were wearing very short skirts and fashion tops, barefoot, hair done in simple but cute hairdo, on the other hand she was wearing a fifties dress, high-necked and the skirt almost on her knees. She adored that dress, it was one of her mother collection and she loved to wear them. When her mother wore them, she suddenly become another person, happy, radiant, you could tell she loved to wear them. Amelia always felt powerful and invincible in those dresses, she could feel her mother strength protecting her from everything, but not in that moment. That night, for the first time, she felt that dress tighten on her body, it wasn’t appropriate and it made her feel embarrassed. She lowered her gaze and inhaled deeply, trying not to cry.

“Does your dad love to come to the high school bonfire? Because I can’t explain why you told us you had to stay home with him tonight instead of going out like you promised” Linda’s hard voice made her almost jump.

She rose her gaze and found her friend with her harms crossed over her chest and a furious look on her face. Next to her there was Jamie, with his big and sad blue eyes locked on her.

“Linda…” Amelia didn’t know what to say, there were a lot of lies that she needed to explain. “What are you doing here?” She asked then, not knowing how to handle that conversation.

“Did you hear Jamie? She didn’t think to be caught and she is asking us what we are doing here. “We were invited” she hissed even more furious.

“Listen, I’m sorry… Brian asked me to come here and I didn’t know how to say no”

Her explanation seemed to catch them by surprise but, while Linda seemed incredulous, Amelia noticed that Jamie seemed hurt. Maybe they didn’t believe her and thought that was another lie; she felt her stomach tighten for the embarrassment and the pain she was feeling but she said nothing because she deserved it.

“Linda, Jamie! Come to play. You too, Amelia” Brian interrupted them grabbing the two girls by their hands and dragging them not so far from the bonfire, making them sit in a circle with other people.

Amelia noticed some cheerleaders and players glancing at her, half curious half amused, so she decided to sit down fast avoiding to draw more attention. Next to her, Linda and Jamie took their places.

“Spin the bottle? Seriously? Are we back in the kindergarten?” Linda caught her attention with her annoyed questions.

“Why Linda? Are you afraid someone won’t come near your face? I can understand if you are worried, honey…” one of the cheerleaders made fun of her.

“Uh, no, I was more worried about the STD’s I could catch if I stick my tongue in the same places YOU put it… honey” she replied venomously, remarking the last word.

Amelia looked at the center of the circle, her attention driven by her friend’s questions, and noticed an empty beer’s bottle. The anxiety started to fill her stomach making her nauseous; she didn’t want to play, she didn’t want to be part of that party, she didn’t want her first kiss to be with a stranger she didn’t like. She begun to rise to walk away but Linda grabbed her harm and kept her there. Amelia looked at her with wide eyes.

“If you walk away now it would be worst. Stay and keep a low profile” she whispered sincerely.

Even if she were angry with Amelia she decided to help her. Jamie, next to Linda, seemed way more nervous and kept looking worried.

“What do I do if it points on me?” She asked anxiously, she had no idea how to kiss.

What if she showed all her inexperience in front of everyone and they laughed at her? She was already dying of embarrassment.

“Try simply to follow what he does” she suggested with a half smile.

Amelia widened her eyes.

“I know but I never…”

“I know” Linda interrupted her before someone could hear her secret.

Amelia didn’t get to eighteen without kissing because she wanted it. She wasn’t waiting for the prince charming or the love of her life. She was simply shy and she hid so much during high school that nobody asked her out. Her only friends were Linda and Jamie and them, of course, wouldn’t help with her inexperience.

She looked around and noticed that Adam, one of the players, spun the bottle and she prayed it wouldn’t point at her. Luckily it landed on Melanie, a blond and beautiful cheerleader that promptly stood up with a smile. Adam dragged her to him, placing a hand on her back, while he sneaked the other one under her hairs on the nape. Melanie, on the other hand, threw her harms around his neck and placed her lips on his. The kiss quickly became intense, deep, with the tongues exploring shamelessly each other mouths. Amelia was looking horrified at the scene, she couldn’t handle something like that. Never, not even in a thousand years. She felt the blood draining from her face.

Next turn was the one with another player with a cheerleader, and that time too, the exchange of saliva was too much. Amelia couldn’t take off her eyes from that horrible show. When they finished to cling like two giant squids, they walked back to their seats like nothing happened and Brian grabbed the bottle. Amelia’s heart stopped. In that exact moment she realized that her first kiss could be with the guy of her dreams, in front of everyone, and the pressure was too much, making her nauseous. She prayed to not be chosen but in a part of her heart, she didn’t know if she could resist watching Brian kissing another girl. She didn’t know what she wanted but it didn’t matter because the bottle was pointing on her. It wasn’t pointing to Linda or the guy on her left, it was pointed on her without any doubt. She glanced terrified at her friend that was trying to give her a reassuring smile, then she looked at Jamie and noticed he was playing with some rocks in front of him and he had no intention to rise his head.

“What are you waiting for?” A cheerleader laughed when she understood she wasn’t going to stand up.

Amelia rose her gaze and noticed Brian standing in front of her and he was waiting for her a bit embarrassed. She stood up dazed, her heart was beating furiously in her chest and her breath was short. She walked towards Brian and he was really quick to grab her behind her back with one hand and the other one on her neck, exactly like the other guys did with the cheerleaders. It seemed like a move they tried a lot. Amelia had not the time to think what was happening, to be excited for her first kiss, Brian deepened his tongue into her mouth catching her by surprise. It was slimy, with a lot of spit and the taste of beer that almost made her gag. His tongue moved twitching in her mouth like a fish out of the water, she didn’t know what to do with hers, maybe she could try to stay out of his way. Her arms were stretched on her sides and, when she realized that kiss was eternal, she opened her eyes and tried to take a breath. Brian stood a few seconds looking at her, he gave her a half pleased smile, then turned around and went back to his spot, leaving her there, paralyzed and disgusted from her first kiss.

Amelia turned around slowly and sat on her spot with a terrified gaze plastered on her face. She noticed the sorrowful look on Linda’s face but, above all, the fury on Jamie’s face. She never saw him so furious and he never looked at her until she sat on the sand. Was she so ridiculous her friends were embarrassed by her? She didn’t have the courage to look at the other’s faces because she was scared to see the laughs.

The bottle passed from Brian to the guy next to him but Jamie, that was next to him, grabbed it leaving all stunned.

“It’s my turn!” He exclaimed almost angry.

“I have it, shut up” Jamie hissed so furiously that the other guy simply shut his mouth.

Amelia and Linda looked at each other puzzled, they clearly weren’t aware of what he was about to do. Their friend spun the bottle and stopped it with one hand pointing on Amelia. A light laugh rose around the circle.

“Uh, someone is jealous” Melany purred with a malicious smile.

“Someone has to choose” voiced another one.

Amelia was simply shocked to realize what he did. She rose her gaze and saw Linda staring, mouth open wide, to the bottle in front of her, while Jamie stood up with a start and walked in front of her. She looked at him and couldn’t understand what he was thinking. For the first time since she knew him, Amelia couldn’t read those huge and familiar blue eyes.

He reached out his hand but she was too stunned to grab it. Did she really have to kiss Jamie, her best friend? Wasn’t there a rule putting a limit to that game? Like the one that didn’t allow you to kiss your best friend to save the friendship? Amelia couldn’t think a way to get out of that situation because Jamie kneeled in front of her. If with Brian her heart wanted to jump out of her chest, with Jamie it skipped some beat for sure. He was looking at her so intensely he almost took her breath away. He rose his hand and with a disarming delicacy moved a lock from her face, then he brushed her cheek. Amelia found herself unconsciously slightly bending her head on his fingers to feel his hand on her skin. Jamie rose the other hand and placed it on the other side of her face; his eyes indulged on her lips and Amelia knew he would have kissed her. With a disarming slowness he moved towards her, he first leaned his forehead on her, closing his eyes, then he closed the distances and put his lips on hers. That kiss was sweet, delicate, almost pure. Amelia closed her eyes and let the feelings came in, it was a mix in between euphoria, fear, excitement, anxiety. A mix of feelings that were bouncing between head and heart. Jamie took a breath for a second but it was a second too long for the lack of his lips on hers. Then he leaned again his mouth on hers and when he asked her to deepen the kiss, brushing his tongue on her lower lip, she allowed him. The kiss was slow, sweet, almost as if her friend wanted to give her the time to adapt to his presence and she understood, in that moment, tha that had to be her first kiss. She grabbed with all the strength in her hands his t-shirt and dragged him closer to respond to that kiss, brushing his tongue, tasting that light taste of mint.

“Wow, this is a kiss!” Melanie’s voice broke the almost absolute silence that fell over them.

Amelia and Jamie broke apart from that kiss and, for a moment, they lost themselves in each other eyes, then Jamie closed the distance again, pecked her lips and stood up leaving the group. Amelia stood completely paralyzed until Brian stood up and walked away on the opposite side of Jamie. Amelia lowered her gaze towards Linda, searching for a suggestion of what to do, but when she met her eyes she realized she was stunned like her. She couldn’t help her. What should she do? Stand up and reach Jamie for an explanation? Chase Brian to see if he was ok? Stay there and pretend nothing happened? She looked around, everyone was staring at her, nobody talked, silent in their expectation, waiting for her to choose.

What should Amelia do? Chase Jamie? Brian? Stay put and wait? You are the one to decide by  voting on this link: http://bit.do/thecolorofthesky