Color Blind Ch. 01

Chapter One: Mystery

Alexandria Thomas pressed against the railing surrounding the upper floor of the dance club and stared down at the dancers below. She loved to watch them, and would have loved to dance herself, if she thought she could. Perching her chin in the palm of her hand, she watched the dark-haired couple that dominated the dance floor. I wouldn't mind being that girl, she thought. He is so cute, and he can really dance, too.

"Xandri. Earth to Xandri. Come in Xandri."

Startled, Xandri turned to look across the table at her friend Cindy. The blonde was watching her impatiently. Her two other friends, another blonde named Janice and a brunette, Trina, were also watching her. Feeling her cheeks heat, she shifted her chair to face her friends and smiled sheepishly. Xandri tucked a lock of chestnut hair behind her ear and shrugged.

"You're turning into a voyeur," Cindy said, rolling her eyes. "You'd think you've never seen a guy before."

"It isn't that," Xandri said, staring down at the tabletop. "I like to watch the dancers."

"Our little Xandri is so innocent," Janice teased. "Never even been kissed, have you?"

"I…I have too," Xandri stammered, her cheeks turning even redder.

There was no use in explaining herself, because they couldn't understand. When you were raised by nuns and kept out of school, it tended to make one a late bloomer. The first time Xandri had even been in a school was college, and she hadn't gotten to start until she was twenty. The sisters got the money for me to go, though, she thought, smiling to herself. So maybe it was odd, especially in this day and age. I can't help it, Xandri thought. People don't interest me all that much.

True, she was friends with Cindy, Janice, and Trina, and she liked them, she truly did. And she enjoyed watching the dancers, this was true also. She had just been so disappointed by people. Either they were too reserved, keeping all of themselves in and hiding behind masks, or they were too unreserved, holding absolutely nothing back. There's no shades of gray, Xandri thought, sighing. It isn't like a picture…with people, everything is black and white.

"Earth to Xandri," Cindy said again, starting to sound frustrated. "Did you hear me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Xandri grinned sheepishly. "What was that?"

Cindy rolled her eyes. "I was asking you who you kissed. You never said you had a boyfriend."

Oops. When it came to her friends, Xandri had a horrible knack for getting herself in deep. If it weren't for the fact that she'd seen how much they cared for her, she might have been annoyed by their questions. It was just that she was quiet, always absorbed in the single love of her life: pictures. Xandri hugged her camera case to her chest and shrugged.

"It…it…is it really important?" she stammered. "It's not a big deal."

"Kissing someone isn't a big deal?" Janice's eyebrows shot up. "Then you could just kiss anyone?"

"I…I guess so," Xandri replied, not liking where this was going.

"So you could kiss the next guy to walk through the door, then?" Trina teased.

"You know," Xandri said, scowling. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with you guys…"

They all laughed. Cindy reached over and ruffled her hair playfully. She knew they were teasing her, but she was beginning to feel irritated. Xandri pulled the strap of her camera case up onto her shoulder and stood up. She pushed her chair in roughly; they always stuck a bit to the floor for some reason.

"Fine," Xandri said, lifting her chin stubbornly. "I'll do it."

"Xandri, wait," Janice called after her. "We were just teasing, Xandri, come back here!"

I'm not gonna do it, Xandri thought, rolling her eyes at herself. Of course I'm not, why would I? Her friends already thought she was a wimp. Besides, knowing her luck, the next guy to walk through the door would be some bald fat guy who wouldn't even having the redeeming factor of being a nice guy. Xandri had tried, at first, to like everyone, but she'd discovered quickly that bullies lurked everywhere. They weren't just the people who thought they were better than others because they were rich or good-looking.

She looked up as she approached the door and her heart stuttered in her chest. He is the most gorgeous man I've ever seen, she thought, feeling her cheeks burn. Long, dark hair was pulled back into a neat, tidy ponytail. He had a thin, elegant face with high cheekbones and a full mouth, but a slightly long nose that kept him from looking feminine. As Xandri got closer she could see pale blue eyes, but they were distracted and he didn't notice her approaching.

She glanced back at her friends, who were still watching her, then at the man. What the hell? Xandri thought, shrugging to herself. You only live once. Her stomach churned. She wound her way through the crowd and came to a halt in front of the mystery man. He stopped, startled, and turned his pale blue eyes to regard her with mild curiosity. He was much taller than she was. Xandri hesitated for a moment, then stood up on her toes and pressed her mouth awkwardly to his.

The man definitely wasn't expecting that. His hands caught hold of her wrists and she thought he was going to push her away. Instead he dragged her closer, taking control of the kiss. Xandri found it suddenly very hard to breathe. His mouth was warm and passionate. He coaxed her lips open and dipped his tongue into her mouth. The sensation of his tongue sliding up along hers jolted her out of the spell and she jerked back, heat creeping up her cheeks.

Mortified, Xandri ducked her head and pushed through the crowd and out the door. She raced out into the parking lot, into cool autumn night air, but didn't stop running until she'd reached her car. Skidding to a halt, she unlocked the door with trembling fingers and yanked it open. Xandri flopped down into the driver's seat, pulled the door shut, and sat there, panting. What has gotten into me? she wondered, lifting her hands and pressing them to her burning cheeks.

Her friends had only been joking with her, after all. Xandri fumbled with the straps on her camera case. She pulled the camera out and ran her fingers over it, taking comfort in the contours of it. Since she'd started college, it had been her only real passion. She loved taking pictures, especially black and white ones. I don't understand myself, Xandri thought, sighing heavily. I know it's not really the way I was raised…I'm just cold, for some reason.

She wasn't nearly as innocent as some people seemed to think. Her friends thought she was shy and naïve, and that was why she didn't have a boyfriend. Xandri supposed it was a reasonable assumption; after all, it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that she was a virgin. But it's my own choice, she thought, leaning back in her seat. I just want to focus on taking pictures…there isn't anything else that matters.

Then again, maybe she ought to see a psychiatrist or something. It couldn't be normal, not at her age. I'll talk to Bea, she thought. She keeps saying I remind her of a friend of hers, so that means there's at least one other person like me. But she wouldn't see Bea until class on Monday, so Xandri was going to have to wait.

*****

Quinn had decided, after long deliberation, to go to the club Sada and Alastair had gone to, at least for a short while. He'd gone later than they had, though. To be honest, he wasn't sure he really wanted to be there. Although he'd been trying to get over Sada, it hadn't been easy. Instead he was just sinking further into depression. She was a good friend, and the part of Quinn that wasn't jealous of his brother was happy for him. Unfortunately the part of him that was jealous was bigger than the part that was happy.

The club was noisy and crowded. He didn't see Sada and Alastair when he got inside, but they were probably down on the dance floor. Tonight they were celebrating their engagement, just another thing for Quinn to be jealous of. He searched the crowd as he made his way slowly forward, wondering if he could find some entertainment. He hadn't done anything of the sort since he'd started developing feelings for Sada, but maybe he could get his mind off her.

Someone came to an abrupt halt in front of him and he pulled up, startled. Quinn looked down at the girl. Chestnut hair fell down to just below her shoulder blades. She had a pixie-ish face, with a pointed chin and a full, stubbornly set mouth. Too large eyes were dark blue in color, surrounded by long, dreamy lashes. Strawberry freckles sprinkled over her nose and cheekbones, changing her from awkwardly plain to almost painfully cute. She's tiny, Quinn thought; not just because she was short, but she was also thin, just shy of too thin.

To his complete surprise she stood up on her toes and kissed him! It was an awkward kiss, as though she didn't know how. Quinn grabbed hold of her wrists, amazed at how small they were; he could easily wrap his fingers around them. He meant to push her away. He'd fully intended to stop her. Instead he found himself pulling her closer. He took over the kiss, guiding her lips open with his, and dipped his tongue into her mouth. She tasted so sweet that he pressed forward, determined for more.

The girl pulled away from him before he got the chance. Without looking up, without even saying anything, she pushed past him and raced away. Quinn stared after her, confused, and not just for the obvious reasons. While he'd never been celibate, it wasn't like him to let his passion get the jump on him like that. In fact, that was one thing he tried to avoid above all other things. Quinn pushed his fingers back through his hair, shrugged, and headed deeper into the club.

A peek over the railing showed that that was indeed where Sada and Alastair were. Well, at least they're having fun, he thought, dropping down into a seat at an empty table. Normally Quinn loved to watch Sada dance, but it was difficult to enjoy tonight. Even if he hadn't given up on her, his chances got slimmer by the day. I'm so pathetic, he thought, dropping his head onto his arms. I have to be the most disgusting creature on the face of the earth.

"Quinn, you look like someone kicked your puppy."

He jumped just a bit. Lifting his head, he looked up to see Sada and Alastair standing in front of his table. Sweat glimmered on skin and they were both breathing heavily. Alastair had no problem pulling out a chair and sitting down, but Sada waited until he beckoned for her to sit. Quinn propped his head up in his hands and glared morosely at Alastair.

"We've never had a dog," Quinn reminded him. He glanced at Sada. "Dad's allergic. He absolutely hates for anyone to see him with his eyes watering and his nose running."

Sada laughed. "I'll just bet. Your dad is such a tough guy."

"That's what you think," Alastair muttered, rolling his eyes. "You haven't seen him around mom too much. It's disgusting."

"And that makes you two what, precisely?" Quinn asked.

Sada giggled, reaching across the table to take Alastair's hand in hers. Quinn sighed, turning his gaze to stare out at the dance floor. There were plenty of pretty girls here, but suddenly he wasn't interested in that. A hand rested on his and he glanced sideways at Sada. Despite his resolution to behave, and to stop trying to make his brother jealous, Quinn wrapped his fingers around hers.

"Let's dance," Sada said quietly.

"Ah…but what about…" Quinn hedged, glancing at Alastair.

"Just don't touch anywhere you're not supposed to if you want to be able to paint tomorrow," Alastair warned.

Sada laughed and tugged him along, down the stairs and onto the dance floor. It was a slow song and he was thrilled that he got to hold her. Quinn rested his head against hers and was sure to keeping his hands politely on her lower back. Not because Alastair had threatened him, but because he respected her.

"I can't get over you," Quinn murmured.

"You'll find someone, Quinn," Sada assured him. "Someone who's much better suited to you than I am.

"I…" Quinn began, but paused. He considered for a moment, then found himself telling her what had happened moments before. Although she did seem surprised that some strange girl had kissed him, she didn't express much else as he explained his reaction to her. Phermones, Quinn thought, as he reviewed the incident in his head. That's probably what made me react like that.

"Well, you've been pining over me for so long," Sada teased gently. "Maybe your body is just telling you it's time to get over it."

"Something like that," Quinn agreed. "So, did you see that I'm looking for a new model?"

"Sorry, Quinn," Sada said. "You know I can't. Alastair and I are getting ready the contest…got to defend our title, you know."

Quinn sighed. "I know…"

The music changed from slow to fast, then, signaling the end of their dance. Even if he would have danced to faster music, Alastair came down onto the dance floor. Sada's eyes lit up when she saw him. Quinn let her go and headed back up to the table he'd been sitting at. He dropped back into his chair with a heavy sigh. I wanted someone who would look at me like that, he thought, but maybe it's time to change what I want.

If, perhaps, he found someone in which to seek some solace… After all, he'd never been very good at emotional relationships. Well, not since that time, Quinn thought morosely. It's just better if I try not to get tangled in those things. He began searching the crowd for someone who could distract him. A blonde, sitting alone at a table across the room, caught his eye. She looked lonely and vulnerable.

I'd hate myself in the morning, he thought, shaking his head. Quinn fished out his wallet and flipped it open, finding a much battered slip of paper with a phone number on it. He could call her. She was always willing to have some fun with him, even when he hadn't called her in awhile. It's been over a year, he thought, but she'd probably still want to. Quinn stared at the paper for a long moment, then looked up, toward the exit.

An image flashed into his mind, of dark blue eyes and strawberry freckles. He bet she had a birthmark somewhere in that same color. He bet it would be fun to find it. Such an innocent face, Quinn thought, his eyes drifting shut. He gave himself a shake, then put the slip of paper back into his wallet and put his wallet away. I've got to find someone before I drive myself crazy, he thought.

His eyes flicked open. Laughter drifted up from the dance floor. Quinn looked over the railing and saw Sada and Alastair dancing together. He watched as his brother bent to kiss her. Pushing himself to his feet, he began making his ways towards the exit. Suddenly, Quinn thought, I'm no longer in the mood to have fun with anyone.