Indigo Valley

Indigo valley is painted purple with pictures.

I say that don’t right. Mr. Kale says indigo not purple. Purple’s violet and red mixed. Blue and violet mixed—that’s Indigo. He don’t like purple in his Indigo valley. I told Bill about what Mr. Kale told me in art class. Bill didn’t care what I had to say, but Bill’s my friend.

“Shut up Joey and color the stupid page.”

Bill always be nice to me. Tells me to shut up cause he don’t want others to hear what I say. Tells me the others kids will make fun - and I don’t like make fun cause it’s never been fun. They should stop calling it that.

“Remember Bill? Mr. Kale says indigo is not purple.”

“We’re not in art class. We’re coloring in English class and you better be thankful for that.”

Everybody keeps their heads down and coloring. Mrs. Strawberry grades papers by her desk - she has a red pen with nibbles on it. The nibbled pencil is for notes and the nibbled pen is for grading. She gives me a D on the quiz yesterday and I ask her why she nibbles. She told me maybe I should focus on quizzes and less on looking. I said, “nibbling’s a bad habit. I used to nibble then Mr. Kale told me it was a bad habit. Maybe you should talk to Mr. Kale.” She don’t like that. I just trying to help. Like, how you should use indigo in Indigo valley.

“I’m gonna ask for indigo.”

Bill keeps on yelling. It was a whispery yell so no one could see he was doing it because it was quiet time.

“Look, she gave us all purple crayons. We paint it purple because that’s what is says on the bottom of the page.”

“I want indigo.”

“Please keep your voice down. You’ll draw attention.”

From what I see, I look at the top corner. All the kids there they look, then they look away, then they laugh and hold their mouths, then they look again. Mrs. Strawberry likes nibbling on her pen so she didn’t see. Each new time, those kids say something to the others and then they keep looking at me. Bill tells me to ignore them so I does. I didn’t pay no mind because I wanted indigo. I wave my hand at Mrs. Strawberry like when I need to go to the bathroom. She stops nibbling.

“Yes, Joey?”

“Mrs. Strawberry, can I have indigo?”

All the top corners hold their mouths when they laugh. I once thought they were being nice, cause when they first threw laughs at me it hurt, but no cuts. That’s when I knew it goes through skin. So when they all cover their mouths I thought “They don’t want me hurt no more.” But Bill said shut up and don’t believe that. Bill says Mr. Kale told them if they ever laughed at me they would be in trouble. I want to be in art class.

“Joey, I left out purple crayons because we’re practicing using the letter P.”

“But there is lots of colors that have Ps. Like Peach, Pear, Pearl, Periwinkle. Mr. Kale told me...”

“Joey, it’s not about the colors. In a minute we’ll be using different Ps in the book.”

“But indigo is no purple.”

One of the top corners holds his hand to his mouth so hard he turns red. Bill hits me in the arm. That’s his arm saying shut up.

“I understand what you’re feeling, but how about Indigo Valley is painted purple? You can be a painter Joey. Like in art class.”

Everyone puts their heads down. They starting painting purple. But they don’t think like I do. She says I was painting, but Mr. Kale says painters bring life. Mrs. Strawberry didn’t know we were making war on Indigo Valley. I see all those purple people at the tops of the valley. They start coming down with sticks and stuff. Little people in Indigo Valley, they’re all screaming, they hold each other cause they see purple people everywhere. I’m no painter. I wave people down the hills - saying “okay” to kill. They’d be no more Indigo left. All gonna die soon cause I’m gonna murder all of them.

But I won’t let that happen. I hug my friends from the Indigo Valley. I’m down with them and watch the purple get closer, we all shaking. Purple don’t cover their mouths, shooting laughter. We’re shot at and die. I start screaming.

“Indigo!”

Not just top corner, but all corners look at me.

“Indigo! Indigo! Indigo!”

I start breaking purple in places till I can’t. Then I break purple next to Bill. Then I break all the purples I see. No one stops cause they scared. Mrs. Strawberry don’t move. She’ll rather nibble purple and not indigo. They won’t take the valley. I’ll save Indigo Valley from the purple, but I still hear some from the top.

“Look at the spaz freak out!”

“I told you he’s crazy.”

“Keep throwing purple at him.”

The top throw purple. It hurts but I fight. I’m on the ground smashing purple with my hands. I’ll save the valley - every valley from the purple. But they laugh. Their mouths firing, no hand covering. I hurt more, I start shivering while I destroy the purple. They still laugh and shout.

“Purple, Purple, Purple!”

Don’t remember much more. Bill says Joey grabbed the chair, but it was me: Indigo. Indigo threw a chair at Purple. They don’t get up. Indigo saved the valley. Then Bill threw down Indigo and sat on him. Shook him hard till he cried.

“Joey, calm down. Mrs. Strawberry’s taking all the purple away. You can have your Indigo. Please take it easy.”

He kept on calling me Joey. But I won’t be purple, I’m Indigo.