-a week later-

I changed into my bathing suit and quickly left the noisy locker room. Unfortunately, I had one of my migraines coming on and everything was making it hurt more: the florescent lights, the lockers slamming, the obnoxiously loud talking and laughing of the girls. Urgh. I hoped we had a 'free swim' day today so I could just close my eyes and float around.

I walked out to the pool room and immediately saw the substitute teacher. Yes! I grabbed two of those foam, floating boards and got into the pool. I rested my forearms on the top of them and laid my head down, closing my eyes and lightly kicking my feet. It was very calming and I was half asleep when I noticed the water shifting around me. I opened my eyes and saw Lilith floating on her back next to me, her eyes closed. I looked around more and saw everyone else was on the bleachers, listening to i-pods and texting on phones. Lilith and I were the only ones in the pool.

"You know you're not supposed to fall asleep in water, right?" she spoke up, opening her eyes and looking at me. "You could drown."

"Yeah. I know." I whispered, my head hurting too much to say it any louder.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked, a concerned look passing over her face.

"Just a big migraine." I answered, closing my eyes again.

"Oh, ok. Sorry." she whispered. We floated quietly for a few more seconds before, "Jinx?"

"Hmm?"

"What's your favorite color?"

I scrunched up my eyebrows, my eyes still closed against the bright lights, "Why?"

I could picture her shrugging. "Just curious."

"Hmm....White."

"Why?" she asked.

This time I shrugged. "It's....clean. It's the color of purity. It's the complete absence of color, so it itself is pure and clean." I opened my eyes and looked at her. "What about you?"

She looked at the ceiling, seeming to think. "Red."

"Why?"

"Um...'cuz it usually means strong emotions, like anger, passion, or lust."

"What about love?"

She looked at me. "Yeah," she mumbled, "love too." She looked away and we were quiet again. I almost started falling asleep again. "Hey, Jinx."

"Hmm?"

"Do you have any siblings?"

I slightly shook my head. "Only child." I mumbled. "But my parents do foster care, and the six kids we have are kinda like my siblings."

"Oh."

"What about you? Any sibs?" I opened my eyes and looked to her.

She shook her head. "It's just me and my mom. Sometimes my great-grandma too."

"No dad?"

"Nah. He skipped out when he found out my mom was pregnant." She shook her head, like she was clearing him away from her mind. "So, do your parents do any specific foster care?"

I nodded. "We have deaf and/or mute kids, and one of them is blind and her twin brother is deaf."

"Oh, cool." She actually looked a little interested. "So, then, you know sign language?" I gently nodded. "Do you think you can teach me a little?"

"Sure." I held out my hand in the form of a fist, the thumb to the side. "This is 'A'."