Gamer Baby ➼ m a r k

(13) Borders [Part 1]

There were no real borders, yet everyone knew they were there.

Okay, that wasn't technically true. There was a spot in town where all of the colors would fade slowly into the gray, dull city that you called home. Now, it wasn't bad here- not at all. Every kid had birthday parties and you all still had a favorite color, but you were more reserved on the gray half. The Colors were boisterous, loud, and very, very bright. The Grays placed right on the border often complained about the lights keeping them awake at night. Nobody did anything about it.

You were glad, though, that the lights never changed. At night, when the rest of the city was asleep, you'd climb up on your roof and admire the fairy lights and the illuminated colors. Around October, when it was getting colder, there was a small festival in town, and you had a perfect view of a beautiful ride from your roof. It was a large, round circle with seats all around it that people could sit in. The ride would take them up, up, way up in the air before lowering them down. At night, it would light up and flash brightly, displaying all kinds of designs on it before finally switching off at around 3 AM. You weren't sure if the seats managed to stay facing downwards or if the passengers would be upside down when at the top, but it looked fun.

During the summer, in the sticky heat, there were many carnivals and festivals thought the months. One even marked the beginning of summer. Others celebrated different cultures from places like New York, Japan, and Africa. Your favorite, though, was when they celebrated Paris. In the same spot as the giant circle ride, they put a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower. It reached for the sky and lit up every night.

You were mesmerized.

Part of you always thought you were made for the color side. It wasn't unheard of for a gray to find their color and move to the other side, but nobody knew how to do it. Besides, that daydream was cut short by a glance down at your body. All of your clothes came in shades of black and gray. There was no creme, there was no eggshell, though, just white. Even your skin was tinted gray, and your eyes so dark they looked black. Every Gray had either light gray hair or dark hair, and you often found yourself wondering what color yours would be.

The Rainbows were completely different. They had all kinds of colors on their clothes, and their hair ranged from black to yellow to pink. Their skin, though, confused you. All of the Grays had white skin with a tint of gray to make them look like the undead, but the Rainbows had all kinds of colors. There were people with yellow-ish skin, people with pink-ish skin, and people with tan-ish skin, too. What astounded you most was the people with the dark skin, darker than tan. The first time you saw one of them, you contemplated jumping over and asking them about it. You were five then. Now, twenty years later, you still felt the urge.

You always had dreams about colors, except they were in black and white. One color would pop out, though- red. You never saw red up close, and you yearned to. It had so much energy, so much passion...it was probably your favorite color.

In your red dreams, you always found your color. You hoped you would in real life, too, because something was definitely missing in your life.

***

It was almost summer. Yeah, you could smell it in the air: the sun warming the dirt; the summer blossom's sweet perfume; the savored breeze's cool breath. However, on your daily walk around the block, you saw the Rainbows setting up for the summer carnival. You stood on the very edge, watching in fascination as they set up yellow and orange tents and hung up pastel colored teddy bears as game prizes. The smell of fried foods from early bird vendors drifted through the air, making your mouth water. You were allowed to go over- in fact, most of the Rainbows encouraged the mingling and offered Grays to join in their festivities. But you stood there, staring, afraid of stepping through the invisible wall.

Something flashed out of the corner of your eye. You turned your head, eyes widening at the sight. You weren't completely sure, but you swore you saw red.

Carefully, you stepped to the colorful side, craning your neck for a glimpse of the color. There! A man in a black shirt and some jeans with bright red hair. You weren't crazy.

Except you were, because you practically ran after him.

There were more people than you thought, and you quietly muttered an "Excuse me," to every person you bumped in to. You weren't losing the man in red. A few people glared at you, but you didn't care. The world around you was getting louder and louder, thundering in your ears, but you didn't care. The colors blurred together, starting to overwhelm you, but you didn't care.

As you tugged your way out of the fried, you stumbled back and fell right into someone. They turned around with a startled noise, and you closed your eyes, pressing a hand to your forehead and trying to focus again.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" A deep voice asked as the person kneeled down in front of you. His cologne smelled heavenly and his voice was nearly irresistible. "Here, let me help you up."

You stole a glance at him through the hair in front of your face. He had a little bit of facial hair, tan skin, and beautiful brown eyes. Higher up, you saw the beautiful red you were chasing. Without looking down at his actual face, you stammered, "Thank you."

"Are...you okay?" He asked, putting his hands on his head. "Is there something in my hair?"

"What? Oh, no! No," You explained quickly, shaking your hands and looking him in the eye. "I just...I've never seen red up close."

The man widened his eyes, finally realizing you were a Gray. "Well, you should see the Rose Festival next week!" He suggested excitedly. So that was what it was called. "There's a kinds of different red there!"

"Oh, uh...I don't think so," You answered. You weren't too keen on exploring the loud, colorful carnival on your own. Ducking your head, you kicked the ground awkwardly. "But thanks for the suggestion."

"Hey," One of his friends piped up, stepping forward. He had a very noticeable Irish accent and bright green hair. "Why don't you come with us? We'd love to show you around!"

"Yeah, and Mark won't be dateless that way," Another friend teased.

"Shut up, Wade!" The man- Mark?- barked jokingly. If at all possible, you got paler.

"D-date?"

"Not like a real date," A bigger man with glasses explained. "Just as friends."

"That's better," You agreed, nodding. "Though I don't know your name."

"Oh, Mark. It's a pleasure," He introduced, offering his hand. You grabbed it and shook it lightly, still a bit shy.

"I'm (Y/n)," you responded meekly. "Where should we meet?"

"How about on the border?" The Irishman suggested loudly.

"The carnival starts at three," Wade added.

"Dress comfortably. We go hard at carnivals," Mark warned. You grinned, nodding enthusiastically.

"Awesome. Yeah, okay, I'll see you then. But, I kinda have to..." You trailed off, pointing behind you. Mark realized he still had your hand and let go with a laugh.

"Of course! See you then," He grinned and waved. You returned the gesture, then carefully picked your way through the crowd. Behind you, you heard, "Man, way to hold her hand too long like a creep."

"Shut up!"

When you got home, you shut the door quickly and leaned against, slowly sliding to the ground. What were you thinking? Spending the entire day with a group of randos? Not to mention, they were all Rainbows. Loud. Excited. Completely different from quite, reserved (Y/n). Plus, you almost lost it in that big crowd of people. How did you expect to make it an entire day of a carnival you've never been to before?

There were so many things that could go wrong...but you were excited. You weren't entirely sure why, but you loved being around that Mark guy and his friends, even if you only talked for five minutes. They were welcoming, something you haven't felt in a while. With a smile, you started for your kitchen to find something to eat. For the next week, you wouldn't be able to sleep well due to excitement. But that was okay, because now, red wasn't only in your dreams.

*****

I WASN'T INTENDING TO MAKE THIS MULTIPLE PARTS BUT I NEVER GOT TIME TO FINISH SO HERE'S WHERE I LEFT OFF