The overlapping scents of sugar and coffee beans fill my nose as I enter.
The scene is familiar- my favorite 24/7 coffee shop, at three in the morning. As I walked up to the counter, my hair faded from a gloomy mix of grey and aqua into more cheery shades of pastel rose and dandelion. The barista at the counter greeted me with a friendly smile and a cappuccino.
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“I saw you walking this way so I prepared your favorite!”
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Her hair was a collage- filled with all the shades of yellow imaginable. But you didn’t need to look at her hair to see how the barista was feeling. Lola was always joyful, and thoughtful. I’d come here plenty of times, always ordering a chocolate cappuccino.
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“Lola! What are you doing here so late, er, early?”
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“I could ask the same of you. But my shift changed.”
Lola’s smile stayed bright, but a cobalt blue streak now ran through her bright yellows. Her shift change clearly wasn’t something she was wanting to talk about. Lola handed me my drink as the cobalt faded to pastel teal. I took the cappuccino and headed to my seat. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out my computer. Glancing at the screen, I noticed that my hair had shifted to an uncommon mix of fire red, ocean blue, and grey. Despite already knowing how I felt, it was surprising to see how many streaks of red were in my hair. I snuck a glance at Lola. Her ombre teal to gray hair didn’t match her face as she served a customer. Lola smiled, and a streak of faint yellow came into view. As the customer walked away, the gold faded.
Looking back to my computer, I reopened the email. Since receiving it yesterday morning, I’d read the letter enough to know it by heart, but I read it again.
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To: irislovespuppies@mymail.com
From: buisnessnoreply@mymail.com
Subject: Coming to visit
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Dear Iris,
It’s me, your sister.
I’m writing to you because you may be visited by the authorities. I may have committed a crime. But don’t worry. This email is untraceable, at least it should be. You will find that I am being looked for. But it's not my fault. Mostly. The important thing is that I need help. I am coming to visit you. Don’t be angry when I come. And don't stress out. You need sleep, after all. If you have questions, ask me in three days. I’ll be with you soon. Tell mom and dad. But not about the crime.
Love,
Thalia King
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I powered off my pc. Thalia left for college 4 years ago. The day she left, I was only 14, and mad. We haven’t talked since.
She doesn’t even know mom passed away.
I drifted off, remembering the day Thalia left.
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Thalia walked in with a giant luggage, one I hadn’t seen before. She waltzed up to me with a huge grin and neon yellow hair. It was so bright I almost didn’t see the streaks of white.
“Iris! I’m going to college! I’m going to visit Japan! It’s like I always dreamed!”
She beamed at me. Thalia had talked about Japan a lot, but it always seemed like a fantasy. She could never keep a job long enough to make any real money, and her grades were terrible. But this morning, she didn’t have a drop of care.
“Japan?? How will you pay for that?”
She laughed at my question.
“I won't! I’m working for a travel agency there. The president of the company agreed to pay for my schooling if I worked for them. I won’t receive a salary until I finish school, but that’s ok. I get to live my dream!”
My face fell. She really was leaving me behind.
“Thalia, what about me?”
She looked up from her phone.
“You’re really upset about this, aren’t you? Look at your hair. Fire and ice.”
I glanced at my braid.
Like Thalia had described, streaks of red and blue filled my hair. It would be a pretty color combination if it didn’t mean Thalia was leaving.
“YES! I am. You don’t care that you’re leaving me. What will mom and dad say when they learn you’re quitting it all and MOVING TO JAPAN?!”
I shouted the last part, trying to gain our parent’s attention.
It worked. Mom and dad ran into the kitchen, arriving on-scene to see Thalia, with a vibrant mix of sunflower and fire engine red, and me, with ocean blues and blinding reds.
“What is going on here? Who’s moving to Japan?”
My mother’s hair went from a light yellow to a candy cane combination.
“THALIA DUMPED US!”
I shout aggressively. Ignoring the hurt look on my sister’s face, I continue.
“She got a job with a travel agency and so now she’s too good for us! For me…”
I trail off, suddenly silent.
“Thalia?”
Dad looks at her, confused.
“First of all, Iris is being over dramatic. Second, it’s not like I’m going to another planet. I’m just going to college.”
Thalia sat down, as if that would be the end. But it wouldn’t be.
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I woke up suddenly.
Checking my phone, I saw it was only 3:48.
I’d been asleep for about 20 minutes. What I still didn’t know was what I was going to do about my sister. What crime? Why was she coming here if she knew that the authorities would too? Did Thalia’s job go south?
The door opened. I looked up to see someone in a very long trench coat and tall boots enter the coffeeshop. Lola looked up and greeted the mysterious customer with a smile.
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“Hello! Can I help you?”
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“I’m looking for Iris King. Or Thalia King. Either one.”
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Lola’s head whipped around to look at me. Her hair bleached, losing all color.
The man looked up and we locked eyes.
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“Hello. Are you Iris or Thalia?”
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I blanched. Averting my eyes, I managed to mumble out my name.
He nodded and headed to my table. Sitting across from me, he pulled out a briefcase. From that, he removed two papers. The man skimmed them, and then looked at me.
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“Ms. King. Your file is quite bland. Two pages. Double spaced, mind you. 90% of it is about your schooling and family. The rest just tells me about your introvertedness.”
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My hair lit up with every shade of red. I stood up and snatched the pages.
He was telling the truth. Written on the page was my birthday, where I went to school, who my family was, a photo of me with yellow hair- my school picture- and a short paragraph about how I spent my free time.
The red locks faded to a more civil mix of brown, white, and orange. I looked up from the papers, getting my first look at the man who entered the coffee shop.
He was less intimidating under the glow of the warm lights hanging above us. His hair was a bored mix of brown and black, and his eyes were a color to match. Despite the intimidating entrance, he looked to be maybe 25.
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“So. You have any questions for me?”
I finally asked him, and in an attempt to seem less nervous, I smiled and took a big sip of my cappuccino. Unfortunately, I drank too much and nearly choked on my drink.
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A look of amusement crossed his face, but it didn’t last long.
“Yes, I have a few. When was the last time your sister contacted you?”
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I tried to keep my face straight. Lying wouldn’t help me, so I returned his question with one of my own.
“What difference does it make to you? Do you really expect me to answer some random stranger’s random questions?”
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Again, the corners of his mouth lifted into a small smile.
It wasn’t a grin, he didn’t even show his teeth. But it was still a smile. I watched as the tips of his hair turned a faint yellow. In order to keep up the good mood, I called for Lola.
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“Lola, could I have three cakepops and two cappuccinos? Thank you.”
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She smiled and brought them over. Setting everything on the table, she started to turn back to the counter.
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“No, no, please stay. You look like you need a break.”
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“But what if someone else walks in-”
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I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the booth. I handed her and the briefcase guy each a cake pop and a cappuccino. Taking a cake pop myself, I settled in.
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“So, sir,” I said playfully. “”Before we do anything else, can I know your name?”
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I caught him by surprise, I could tell.
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“My name?” He cleared his throat. “I’m Ezra.”
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