Fifty Shades of Black

BIRDS were chirping and I can almost hear the howling sound of the wind brushing through my window. I turned to the other side and Mint wasn't there already. Rising from my bed, I rub my eyes and prayed to God that I was still in the same dream. My eyes flew open and I can still see the familiar room I entered yesterday. I was still in that dream.

I yawned tying my hair up with the ponytail I had ever since I got here. I went downstairs and see my busy mother going back and forth around the kitchen to the dining area. Mint was there, munching as she slides on her white socks. "Good morning, sweetheart." Mother greets.

"Good morning," I greet back.

"Are you going to school?"

Mint turns to me.

"Y-Yes?"

"Well you better hurry up. I'm not going to be late because of your tardiness. I can't be late. I have a presentation for my first period."

My eyes widened. If the Mint I knew was normal, she wouldn't care about a presentation but she wasn't the normal Mint I know. She was the Mint that Black has in her family.

"Go take a bath, sweetie. I'll pack your lunch." Mother says so I went back to my room and washed myself up the way I did last night. This time, it didn't take me an hour since I figured everything out yesterday. I'm not even sure they wear uniforms but I assume Black does since she keeps a few in her closet.

Ten minutes later, I head back downstairs for breakfast but they all looked so astonished as soon as I reached the table. I looked at myself and wondered if I left some foam in my mouth from brushing my teeth or if I had leftover shampoo seeping through my hair - or if Black's uniform was dirty which I'm sure was not. I couldn't point out what their looks meant but there was something.

"Really, Black?" Mint raises a brow.

"I can't even remember the last time I saw you in that uniform."

"Do we not wear uniforms?" I asked confused.

"Oh no! You do but you hated your uniform so much you don't wear it at all." Mother says. "Now, come eat before your cereal gets warm. You wouldn't like a hot cereal now, would you?"

I was frozen. I didn't think Black was even allowed to not wear her uniform in school. I take a seat next to Mint who just finished her bowl. Mother lands the same bowl of cereal Mint had in front of me and I can't help but smile. It was the first time I had a decent meal. If not restaurant left overs, dog food. If not dog food, nothing.

The moment the cereals were in my mouth, the strong sweet sensation of the crackers makes me sigh in delight. The sweet cereal tasted great with the cold milk. It tasted heaven even if I was on Earth and it was making me want to eat more. "Hurry up, Black."

I nod at Mint's remark so I finish my meal and bring Mint's bowl and mine to the sink. I was about to wash it but then mother stops me so I turned to her in confusion. "I'll just do it, sweetie. Mint's gonna be late for her class. You can just go."

"O-Okay," I reply wiping my wet hands with my skirt.

On my way back upstairs to grab my bag, I see Mint descending the stairs with a bag.She throws it perfectly at my direction so I try my best to catch it. It was the same bag I opened last night that was owned by Black. "You're welcome." Mint says as she steps out of the house.

I turn to mother who is now finishing off what I started. I slightly give her a tap on the back and wait for her to turn to me before I bid her good bye. "Be careful, okay?" she says so I follow Mint out of the house.

Father was there standing by the car as he gives the window pane one last swipe. "Good to go?" he asks with a bright smile on his face.

Mint runs down to the street and enters the car and I awkwardly follow her behind ignorantly. We were sitting side by side at the back of the car as she turns to me with a surprised look. "You're not taking shot gun?" she suddenly asks.

"No?" I replied and father comes inside and starts the engine.

"I guess I won't be fixing my side mirrors today."

Mirrors? "You used to like looking at yourself so much in the car before. Dad always fixes them after and you didn't even care." Mint whispers close to my ear. So I guess Black was vainer than I was. I never really cared about how I looked before except when Mark's near. Every girl gets conscious when they see the ones they like so I'm not an exception to that.

"Good bye," I open the door and was about to step out of the car when my father turns to me.

"Call me when your class finishes so I can drive you home okay? I wouldn't like to see you driving home with someone else."

I shake my head. "I can go home by myself, thank you."

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"I'm sure," I smile and finally got out of the car. "Be careful, dad." I know he wasn't my real dad but he makes me feel like his child so I had to at least make him feel like he's my dad. Besides, it's always been my dream to call someone my dad and not father because father sounds formal and uncomfortable.

"You too, sweetie. You too,"

I shut the door waving at him good bye as he drove away. I look behind me and see an unfamiliar school. It wasn't the same school I go to before. It was a lot bigger and extravagant looking – the type of school that I would pass by before I get home and dream of getting an admission or an invite. Now, I was here. Standing at the very gate and I'm about to head inside.

Everyone was walking towards the entrance in their uniforms and the moment I step in, people looks at me and whispers something to their friends. They were giving me discomforting stares that I wasn't used to. Stares that would immediately make me evaporate to thin air.

Then again, maybe this is a normal thing to Black and right now, I am Black.

Despite the stares and murmurs that I've been receiving since I first stepped in here, I manage to walk around trying to figure out where my room was and what my classes were because I wasn't familiar with anything that's been happening recently and I didn't know any of these people that were giving me disturbing looks.

"Black?"

I freeze from my position as I hear the name of who I'm stealing identity from. I slowly turn back and saw a guy. He was short for a guy and his hair was jet black, falling down his forehead with a shaved side.

"You're really back huh?"

I step away when he tries to step closer to me.

"Get lost, Jacob." Ally pulls me behind her back and shoos the guy away. "So what was that about? I thought you and Jacob aren't a thing now? Why were you two talking? Again." She crosses her arms and I see George walk in front of me now too.

"Right. Are you not telling us anything? Is he dating you again? We're the best of friends. You shouldn't be hiding anything from us, Black. I thought we trust each other." But I wasn't Black and I didn't know who the guy was.

"If you still like Jacob, then maybe you can work things out with him."

Black dates guys. Black. Dates. Guys. I shake my head and smile at them. "No, no. I was a little lost. Suddenly I'm not familiar with the place so,"

Ally wasn't convinced but she nods her head and they cling onto my arms as we walk together. "That's why you didn't attend first class. I thought you weren't coming to school again after coming back. I mean, it's not like you even attend our classes but—"

"And girl, that uniform. You're so slaying it." George says out of nowhere.

The three of us enter this room and immediately, I see the same people that I first met when I first woke up here. The tall guy which was Grei, Ezreal who was wearing a male uniform, Donna, and Margoue. A few classmates were also there and I could hear them saying my name.

"She's back."

"Look, it's Black. How long was she gone?"

"She's really back."

Now I couldn't help but wonder why Black's comeback was such a big deal to everyone based from observation. Was she like a star here? Is she someone famous that people look up to and they just know everything about her? I really need some answers but I know I wouldn't get one because I literally am trying to be Black right now.

"Black!" My friends exclaim when they notice us enter the room. I smile at them and they all greet me warmly. They ask me if I was okay already and of course, I say yes even if I was still mentally confused of where I am right now.

"Ezreal here can't stop looking at her stupid phone," Donna rolls her eyes. "She can't even eat straight now. Like her gender."

Everyone nods and gives her a disgusted glare. "She claims that she's dating this girl from another city. Can you even believe that? That's so fake news – and it's not nice to keep chatting with someone when you're with your friends! Why even do you call yourself our friends?" Margoue adds and exclaims right at Ezreal's face.

"Slutty whore," Grei says making everyone laugh harder.

Ezreal stands and quiets everyone up. "Why can't you just support me on this and you call yourselves friends. Besides, I'm happy with her and she's happy with me. There's no stopping me with this chick. We'll live happily ever forever."

George moves to them and sits along. "Forever doesn't exist."

"Even with me?" We were all intrigued by the sudden response but I saw this guy making his way towards George and the moment he reaches him. They hug each other and the guy stays in between George's lap. "I feel betrayed."

"Forever exists just for the two of us," George replies and leans his face closer to his face. So George was gay. If he ever was before, I never knew and now I confirmed myself that he really was and so was Ezreal. What a world I'm living right now. Whether this is the future or not, I never expected this but it can't be the future because I'm still my age. I'm getting a head ache from all the thinking again and I need to have a more thorough research of what I'm going through right now.

I see Ally roll her eyes. "Get a room, guys. Get a room."

"She's just using you for money, Ezreal. She doesn't really like you. As if." Donna fires making Ezreal shut her up by mumbling inaudible words that were coming out from her mouth.

"You're just bitter you can't get a guy for yourself!"

Ally taps me and pats the chair next to her gesturing me to sit so I did. I stay there quiet listening to everyone's battle with Ezreal. It appears that they were against her relationship with this girl but George and the guy was looking cozy in each other's presence. They were hugging like there was no tomorrow which was both a bad and good thing. Bad because their community is not that open and respected yet, and good because they were happy with just together. The fact that he was a famous musician and was admired by a lot of girls before is pretty contradicting to what I was watching right now.

"That's Marion. They got closer when you were gone until they became official."

I stop staring at them and look up front to see a blank board. The moment I was staring deeper into the green board, someone enters the room with a neatly brushed up hair. My heart instantly beats fast as our eyes met and everyone just stopped. Seeing him here again was a different feeling. I am aware that he rejected me before but I still like him.

He looks away as if he regrets looking at me when Ally suddenly nudges my arm.

She pulls me down and whispers, "What was that? Mark? Really? Why were you two looking like that again? Are you together again? I thought you said you realized he wasn't your type? I need details!"

I turn to her. Together again? Not my type? "How is he not my type?"

She frowns at me. "You dumped him, Black. You said he's not anything special. You dumped him hard. You left him for Jacob because you said Jacob was better."

My eyes widens. I replaced Mark for the Jacob that I ran into this morning? How did that happen? How can something so tragic happen? "I did?" So Black and Mark was a thing and I was rejected by Mark before? Where am I really?

"What's wrong with you?! You've been acting so weird!"

I look at her eyes, twitching. "Honestly," I paused and sighed. "I don't remember anything." I guess acting like I have amnesia is the best option for me now as I try to live like Black.

"WHAT?!"Ally's voice echoed inside the room and everyone looks at her. She immediately brings her hands over her mouth to close them in shame. She flashes an awkward smile, slowly turning back to me.

I look down, blinking several times. I don't know if lying would affect their relationship with the real Black but I had no choice and I'm the one in here right now so I need to take control and think of possible answers to my questions because I am confused too.

"So that's why you never came back here! You got hit by a truck and got amnesia!" she says but it made me frown because she was being too dramatic. "But no. A truck's impact would have made you dead by now so I guess, a bump?"

"Well, something like that?" I answer unsurely.

"So you don't remember anything?"

I shake my head.

"Now it all makes sense." She bobs her head as if she found out something so big. "Well, for one, you've been a very bad playgirl. You don't care about other guys' feelings to the point that they'd die for your attention. Jacob was the one you've been dating before you dumped him and got lost but he wasn't too emotional when you guys broke up. Unfortunately, Mark was one of the guys you dumped that was very affected by the break up. He loved you so much that it hurt him that you were just playing with him."

"I didn't know I was capable of doing that even," I look down and turned to where he sat. He was just sitting in a corner doing nothing.

"I don't even know how many guys you really dated."

Black had the life I always wanted but she was completely different from me. As far as I know of, Black doesn't like uniforms; Black doesn't take guys seriously; Black never says good bye; Black never lets anyone get inside her room; Black never helps wash the dishes; Black never attends school; Black dumped Mark; and Black... Black is not me.