Color

Black.

That's all I can see right now.

I can still remember yesterday,
you and me playing tag.

Blue all around us.

It was a clear day.

"Gotcha!" You said, with laughter in your eyes. "You're it now! Catch me if you can!"

"Cheater! You know I can't beat you. You're a gold medalist in swimming!" I said coming at you.

"That's why we do this, to train you. Come on, it's your competition tomorrow. You need this," you said while swimming away from me.

"Yeah, I know." I swam as fast as I can to catch you.

And I finally did.

"Yey!!!!" I said catching my breath.

"Your distraction was really good, sweety. But you know you can't do that to your competitors." You said to me, while your eyes turning to slits, with one side of your mouth twitching up. Thats when I know that your just joking around.

I looked at you, wide eyes and pouting.

"I know."

"Lets go grab something to eat." You said swimming beside me.

After we ate, we went home, saying that I need to rest because the competition is tomorrow. You brought me home, like always. I bid goodbye to you, and entered my home.

"I'm home!" shouting to whoever is at home.

"Ok, honey! Rest well! I'll just prepare for tomorrow and afterwards, I'll follow you, ok?" That's my mom.

"Sure!" I shouted back at her.

I tried to sleep but I can't. I keep thinking, not about the competition, but about you.

You are the reason why I love swimming. You taught me everything I know about it. Not about how to swim, but how to swim fast. Its always like a bliss for me. Whenever I swim and whenever I'm with you. They both have the same feel.
I love you from the moment that I saw you, but you don't know about it, because I hid it very well. I will confess to you, but I'm waiting for the right moment. And that right moment would be tomorrow, after I won the competition. Oh, I'm so excited and at the same time nervous! I'm nervous about your reaction, what will you say? What will your reaction be? I really wish that we felt the same way.

I fell asleep thinking of the things that we can be. And of course, like always, my dreams were all about you, your sweet smile, your wide eyes that always twinkles and swimming.

The next day, I woke up feeling refreshed. I dreamt of you, what else could I feel? Ah, of course, I'm feeling nervous. After the competition I'm gonna... No! I need to focus first on the competition before thinking about it. I need to win this.

I get ready, eat and afterwards went to the venue. I'm with my mother when I went to the venue. I conditioned myself and looked around. I was looking for you. When I saw you, I smiled and felt elated. I thought, yeah, I can definitely nail this.

I heard the signal and the competition started. I swam as fast as I could, doing laps. I swam as hard as I could, doing everything that you taught me.

I heard cheers and thats when I knew someone already won. I won.

I got up the stage and received my award. I looked around, seeing your's and my mother's happy face. I was really happy.

After all the congratulations, I went up to you. You were talking with someone beautiful. I got jealous, my heart ached.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" I said, taking a quick look from your companion and looking back at you.

"Hey! Congratulations! You were really great! Sure, but before that, let me introduce you to her. This wonderful lady here is my girlfriend. Babe, this is my bestfriend."

After hearing that, I felt numb. I don't know how to respond. This is suppose to be the day that I confess, the day that I should be on cloud 9. I guess there really ain't no cloud 9, eh?

"Uhm, Hi. I didn't know you have a girlfriend." I responded looking anywhere but you. Its so painful just looking at both of you.

"Yeah. Well, I figured this is the best day to introduce you to her since she's coming to meet my family as well. By the way, what are you gonna tell me?" You looked at me inquiring.

You got a great timing there, boy. Note the sarcasm, please.

"Oh its nothing, I was just gonna say, I'll go ahead. My mom is waiting at the entrance so... And also, I want to thank you for training me and teaching me all the techniques that I need to know to reach this far. So I'm really thankful. I'll go ahead now." I looked at the two of you. "Enjoy the rest the day. I'll treat you next time. See yah!" I quickly turn my back and walk as fast as I can to my mother.

That night, instead of laughter, i saw tears. Instead of happiness, i felt pain. I went straight to my room and cried and cried until I fell asleep. When I woke up, I started crying again. I didn't go out of my room for several days. My mother was really worried and would just put some foods near my bed and encourage me to go out.

One day, I got up, and thought of visiting the nearby parks to get some light and to clear my mind. I told myself, you're a fighter, a champion. You can do this! This is just one of the challenges life gave you.

"Mom! I'm gonna go out, see you at lunch!"

No one answered.

"Mom?"

Still no answer. Thinking that maybe she just bought groceries, I went out.
I didn't notice at first, because I was thinking of you, but a minute after, I realized, its really dark. Just like my world now without you. All I can see is black.

I looked back to check our house, but I can't see anything. I started to panic!
There should be somewhere with a light!

I looked around. I really can't see anything! It's so dark! I can't hear anyone either!

I looked up. I saw a spec of blue, just like the ocean. Finally!

I quickly swam upwards and got into the blue spec of light. Just when I felt relieved, I felt suffocated. I can't breath!

I tried to get out, but I was trapped. That's when I realized, that this is not what I thought it was.

I gave up struggling, thinking that, this is my fate. I have no one who loves me. I do not have you.

And besides, its already too late. This is what my mother kept telling me about that I should not play with. This is what those nasty people throw out in our home. It is always everywhere, and now, it completely covered the whole ocean.

This is what they called plastic.