"THE COLOURS OF US"

A SPARK OF CURIOSITY: A name to remember

The school bell rang, slicing through Elijah's conversation with his friends. They quickly said their goodbyes, scattering to their respective classes. Elijah mentioned to Alex that he'd catch up with him later, and Alex nodded in agreement before disappearing into the throng of students.

Elijah rushed to his first-period class, weaving through the crowded hallway. He exchanged brief hellos with familiar faces and nodded to acquaintances, all the while mentally preparing for the day ahead. He finally reached the art classroom, where he scanned the room for an empty seat. Spotting Ava sitting alone at a table, he joined her with a warm smile.

"Hey, Elijah," Ava greeted him as they began setting up their art supplies.

As they worked on their projects, Ava turned to Elijah with a curious look. "Hey, I heard you mention your sister was joining us this year. What's she like?"

Elijah’s face lit up with a smile. "Von’s amazing. She’s my twin, and we’ve always been close. She’s super into music—she’s a singer and plays guitar. Music’s, like, her whole world."

"Wow, that’s awesome! Is she nervous about starting at a new school?" Ava asked, carefully blending a streak of blue into her painting.

"A little," Elijah admitted. "But knowing Von, she’ll dive in as soon as she feels comfortable. She’s one of those people who can make friends in two seconds."

Ava laughed softly, looking over at Elijah. "Sounds like the opposite of me. It takes me, like, two weeks to even say hi to someone new."

Elijah smiled, shaking his head. "Nah, you’re great once people get to know you. Von’s just... let’s say, high-energy. She’s always got something going on. She’s excited about the music program here, though. I told her it’s really good."

"It is," Ava said, nodding. "We had a student perform at the school party recently who was incredible. Maybe your sister will join her onstage someday." without knowing it was Von on the stage on the party night.

Elijah tilted his head thoughtfully. "Maybe. Von loves performing. She’d probably love it if people remembered her for that. She’s kind of obsessed with making her mark wherever she goes."

Ava smiled at the fondness in his tone. "Sounds like she’ll fit right in. What about you? Are you two alike at all?"

Elijah chuckled. "Not really. Von’s the loud one; I’m the calm one. She’s the extrovert; I’m... well, not. But I think that’s why we get along so well. She balances me out."

"That’s nice," Ava said softly. "I’d love to meet her sometime. Maybe she can teach me guitar. I’ve always wanted to learn, but I can’t get past the part where your fingers feel like they’re on fire."

Elijah laughed. "Yeah, she’d definitely help you out. She’s surprisingly patient when it comes to music."

"Then I’m definitely going to bug her about it," Ava said with a grin.

The art teacher began walking around the classroom, offering tips to students as they worked. Elijah leaned toward Ava and lowered his voice slightly. "You know, I bet she’d love you."

Ava glanced at him, her brush pausing mid-stroke. "Why’s that?"

"I don’t know," Elijah said with a shrug. "She’s drawn to people who are... different. Creative, passionate. You’re one of the best artists here, and you don’t try to act like everyone else. I think she’d think that’s cool."

Ava’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked back at her painting, trying to focus. "Well, I guess we’ll see. Tell her she’s welcome to come sit with us anytime."

"I will," Elijah said with a smile. "She’s going to love it here—I just know it."

The art teacher announced that class was over, and students began cleaning up their workspaces. Elijah carefully placed his unfinished project on the drying rack and helped Ava tidy up the table.

"See you tomorrow!" Elijah smiled at Ava as they packed their supplies.

"Yeah, see you!" Ava nodded with a warm smile, and they waved goodbye as Elijah headed to his next class.

The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Elijah grabbed his things from his locker and walked to the student parking lot. He unlocked his car and slid into the driver's seat, turning on the radio as he drove home. The upbeat music filled the car, and he thought about the day's events.

Pulling into the driveway, Elijah parked his car and stepped into the house, greeted by the smell of something savory cooking. "Hey, Mom!" he called out, dropping his bag by the door and heading into the kitchen.

"Hi, honey! How was school?" his mom asked, stirring a pot on the stove.

"It was good," Elijah replied, leaning against the counter. "Is Von still upstairs?"

His mom nodded with a small laugh. "Yep. She’s been in her room all day. I think she’s still adjusting."

Elijah chuckled. "That sounds like her. I’ll go check on her."

Grabbing a glass of water, Elijah headed upstairs to Von’s room. He knocked lightly on the door. "Von? It’s me."

"Come in!" Von's voice called out.

Elijah opened the door to find Von sprawled on her bed, her guitar resting beside her and a notebook filled with lyrics in her lap. She looked up with a grin. "Hey, Elijah. How was your day?"

Elijah sat on the edge of her bed and shrugged. "It was good. Pretty normal. Are you okay? Mom said you’ve been in here all day."

Von sighed and closed her notebook. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just... I guess I’m a little nervous about starting at a new school. I wanted to spend some time with my music to calm down."

"That’s fair. Everyone’s going to love you, though. I promise," Elijah nodded.

"Thanks. I hope you’re right," Von smiled faintly.

They talked for a while, Elijah sharing stories about school and Von slowly opening up about her excitement and fears for her first day. As they chatted, Von's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Hey, Elijah, I've been meaning to ask you..." Von began.

Elijah raised an eyebrow, curious. "What's up?"

"Remember that picture you showed me of your friends?" Von continued.

"Yeah, I do," Elijah nodded, recalling the moment.

"Who's the girl with the bright smile and piercing eyes...she's really pretty," Von asked, her eyes lighting up with interest.

Elijah grinned mischievously. "Oh, which one? You're being very mysterious, Von!"

Von playfully rolled her eyes. "The girl with the bright smile and piercing eyes...she's really pretty."

"Ah, I think I know who you might mean...Ava!" Elijah chuckled.

"Is that her name? Who is she, Elijah?" Von's curiosity grew.

"Ava's a good friend of mine. We met in art class last year. She's really talented, and an amazing person. You'll love her," Elijah smiled warmly.

"What's she like?" Von asked, intrigued.

Elijah thought for a moment before replying. "Ava's super chill and a great artist. You’ll have classes with her, too."

Von’s eyes widened as a grin spread across her face. "That sounds amazing! I can't wait to meet her."

Elijah raised an eyebrow, laughing softly. "What’s with the excitement? You don’t even know her."

Von shrugged, though her cheeks flushed faintly. "I don’t know… Something about the way you described her. She sounds like someone I’d get along with. And she’s an artist? That’s so cool."

Elijah studied her for a moment, a teasing smirk playing on his lips. "Is that so? Should I tell Ava you’re already a fan?"

"Very funny," Von shot back, rolling her eyes but smiling nonetheless. "But seriously, she seems... I don’t know, interesting. It’s like I can already tell we’ll click."

Elijah chuckled as he stood up. "Well, you’ll see for yourself soon enough. Don’t freak her out, though. She’s more chill than bubbly, and you're kind of a whirlwind."

Von threw a pillow at him, laughing as he dodged it. "Get out of here before I tell Mom you stole her cookies again!"

As the door closed behind him, Von leaned back into her pillows, clutching her notebook to her chest. Her mind kept circling back to the way Elijah had described Ava—so talented, so cool. She couldn’t quite explain it, but something about Ava’s name, the way it sounded, felt familiar, almost as if she’d heard it before.

Von stared at her ceiling, a flicker of excitement mixed with something she couldn’t quite put into words. Why does this feel so… different? she wondered, tracing her fingers absentmindedly over her notebook.

The thought lingered, making her chest feel lighter, her mind alive with possibilities. For the first time since she’d moved here, Von felt something beyond the nerves and the uncertainty. She felt a spark—like maybe this new beginning wasn’t going to be so bad after all. And maybe, just maybe, Ava was going to be a big part of it.