Chapter Text
“DAWN!” Scott yelled, his voice cracking as he noticed me. “W-What are you doing here?”
I was the first one to wake up. It was just my nature. Scott seemed to be the same. It only made sense, he was raised on a farm. We were always out of bed before everyone else. Though he never noticed until that morning when he spotted me meditating by Lake Wawanawkwa.
“I always start my day this way.” I explained. “I love to awaken with Mother Earth and all her blessed creatures and take in the warmth of the morning sun.”
He didn’t know what to say. I could tell. I knew he was out looking for the invincibility statue. That’s what he did every morning. And I would lie if I said I hadn’t spent some time looking for it too. Though I usually did my hunting late at night. I consider myself both a morning and a night person. Both are so different in such beautiful ways that I can feel very active at either time. I don’t sleep much, but I don’t need to sleep very much anyways.
A fake confident laugh escaped his mouth. “I was just out doing a morning run!”
I smiled, and raised an eyebrow. “Then why do you have a shovel?”
“It uh...provides a bigger challenge if I carry something!”
Logically, he didn’t have any reason to hide what he was doing. Anyone was allowed to search for the statue, and it provided the ultimate advantage. But I had already read his aura, so I knew that he was just the kind of person that didn’t speak his feelings or explain his actions.
“You know, people would understand you if you opened up to them.” I said, matter-of-factly.
“Excuse me?” He asked, scratching his head. “Where did that come from?”
“You had a very lonely childhood.” I explained to him. “Which made you grow up being used to keeping your thoughts and emotions to yourself.”
He dropped his shovel and nervously put his hands behind his back. “What makes you think you know anything about me?”
“I read your aura!” I replied, excitedly. “You actually have one of the clearest auras I’ve ever seen. I could tell right away that yours is a very strong clouded red.”
His face made it clear he was becoming impatient with me, something I was used to. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, you do radiate a lot of negative energy. Clouded red auras are representative of negative energy.” I tried not to sound it, but I was a little eager over someone actually asking me to explain their aura to them. “Yours specifically is bitterness. Your true aura can’t shine through because you feel a deep anger that needs to be settled. In essence, it’s holding you back from your full potential.”
For a second, Scott looked legitimately concerned, before shaking his head and turning away from me. “Ugh, I don’t need some chick I barely know telling me who I am.”
And then, I finally said what crossed my mind every time I heard something along those lines.
“Then, why don’t you get to know me?”
He had been crouching down to pick his shovel back up, but he froze in place after hearing what I said. “What?” He turned back around and took a few steps closer to me.
“If it bothers you that I know so much about you, and you don’t know enough about me, then why don’t you get to know me?” I said again.
“Is that what you want?” He asked, putting his hands on his hips. “For people to want to know why you talk to beetles and assign people colors and all that other weird stuff?”
“No.” I replied, truthfully. “I don’t really need anyone to know why I am the way I am. I’m happy with the way that I’m living. I just figured it’s only fair.”
Then, even to my surprise, he sighed, walked forward, and sat down across from me. “Okay, so what’s your aura color? Or whatever it is.”
“Well, I gave you yours. You should tell me what you think mine is.” I said.
“But I don’t know anything about that stuff.” He protested.
“You don’t have to!” I said, reassuringly. “Just think about what things you associate with different colors and which one you would say fits me best.”
“Um...okay.” He looked at me closely and thought for a moment. “Well, you really like nature and plants and animals and all that kinda stuff...you’re really calm too. You always seem happiest when you’re talking to an animal or meditating outside, things like that. I guess I’d say...green? Plus, you wear green. It’s the first color I’d say I think of.”
I got a little excited for my own good. I broke out of lotus position and scooted closer to him, grabbing onto his hands. “That’s right! My aura is green! Forest green, to be exact.”
He looked down at our hands, blushing but not pulling his away. “Uh-huh…”
“Are you sure you don’t know anything about auras?” I asked, moving my hands to my hips. “Maybe you know more about this stuff than you let on. After all, you are a beetle whisperer!”
He looked at me quizzically, then shook his head and sneered. “No, your stuff just isn’t as smart as you think it is!” He stood up and started to walk away.
I knew he didn’t mean it. I knew that he lashed out at people because he was afraid of his own feelings. Maybe I could help him see that.
But for the moment, all I said was “You forgot your shovel.”