North ItalyXReader Colour Blind

  What would you do if there were no colors in the whole world?

~~

  It was just another day in this cold, bland universe. By bland, I mean everything looks exactly the same; no color, no light, no dark, no shadow. I sigh and put on my plain, grey shirt and plain, grey shorts, over my plain, grey body. That's right. I am grey, all grey, except for my hair. My hair was neat, long, and (black/white depending on your hair color now); town regulations. I grabbed my grey book bag, walked down the smooth, grey hallway, and headed out the door, shouting a quick "Good-bye, Mother." over my shoulder. But instead of turning right towards the school bus stop, I turn left. The whole trip, I kept my head down, and a straight face. We weren't allowed to show emotion in public. I kept my paces neat and even on the right side of the sidewalk. Finally, I reached my destination, Feli's house. I opened the door without knocking, breaking yet another rule, and silently climbing the smooth, cold steps to Feli's room.

  "Good morning, Feliciano," I whisper to the door, "I have arrived." Knowing he heard me, I pull the door open instead of pushing and a multicolored light shines through. I look in and all I see is colors. Smiling at the familiarity, I step inside.

~~

  "Ciao, bella," Feli said when I appeared in a burst of light, "You made it!"

  "Course I made it, silly," I say, "I can't stand all the bland out there. They even make us talk weirdly." I scoff and roll my eyes at Them, Them being the authority in our big city.

  "You're right, (Nickname). I mean really, 'Good morning, Feliciano. I have arrived'?" he laughs and I laugh with him.

  "So, you been working on anything new?" I ask him, setting my stuff down and grabbing my electric guitar. I look over at him, sitting in his usual stool, paint all over his clothing, and see that his canvas is still blank.

  "Um...actually... I've been trying to find a way to get my paintings and your music out into the world," he says. I laugh.

  "We'd need colors to do that," I say, looking away from his face.

  "Well..." Feli starts. I jolt and look at him.

  "You... know how to bring it back, don't you?" I say slowly, "How?"

  "Ve~ Well this one time, I accidentally took a paintbrush out of-a The Room because it was in my pocket, and it was dripping orange paint. I walked down the hall to my room, and when I turned into my room, I saw splotches of orange. Of course, I went and cleaned it up, but I brought color out! I was so happy!" Feli said. He looked excited, "But..."

  "But what?" I pressed on.

  "When I tried to bring another paintbrush out, it didn't work. I don't know what happened. All I did was carry it outside," he sat, thinking. I thought, too. Then, it came to me.

  "Maybe..." I started, thinking aloud, "Maybe we have to keep it on our person. You said you carried a paintbrush out, right?"

  "Sí," Feli said, staring at me, "I don't follow."

  "Was it in your hand?" I asked.

  "Yes."

  "Maybe we have to wear it or something! Like the paintbrush. It was in your pocket! Maybe..."

  We spent the rest of the day planning on how to get art back into the world. For once, we spent the night in our Colour Room, not caring if we got in trouble this time. By the end of the night, we had a plan going and we were almost sure it would work.

~~~~

  "Mmm...... Morning, Feli," I said, getting up off the couch in the Colour Room.

  "Buongiorno, (Name)," Feli said, yawning.

  "It feels good not having to wake up at a certain time, isn't it?" I asked almost fully awake. I was excited for us to carry out our plan.

  "Sí," Feli said, "Are you ready?" I grin at him.

  "I was born ready," I said, grabbing my guitar and the amp for it.

~~~~

  "Okay. All set. Ready Feli?" I asked, my heart beating frantically in my chest. I had put a megaphone in a messenger bag and slung that around my shoulders. I didn't need my guitar for this one because I had already recorded the instrumentals, so took my IPod docking station and put that in my bag, too. I also grabbed two pairs of drum sticks for whatever reason. I just felt as if I would need them later.

  "Ready, (Name)," Feli had two bags crossed over his chest stuffed to the brink with cans of paint and brushes big and small. We didn't bother bringing canvases since we would be painting the neighborhood, so we had our hands free.

  "Then let's go," he said pushing the door open. Luckily, we didn't encounter his family and the people on the street were too dazed to care about the pair of teenagers with bulging messenger bags slung around their back dripping pain onto the sidewalk. At least until we reached Town Square.

  "Hey everybody!" I shouted, climbing on a bench sitting against a large brick wall. The crowd around us snapped out of their normal daze and stared at us, shocked that someone would step out of line like this.

  "We got something to show you!" I plop back onto the ground and set up my docking station. When the intro finishes, I start the song, belting out the words into the megaphone.

  Can you feel it crush you? Does it seem to bring the worst in you out?
  There's no running away from these things that hold you down.
  Do they complicate you because they make you feel like this?
  Of all the colors that you've shined this is surely not your best!

  At the sound of the song playing, Feli starts grabbing the biggest brush he has in his bag and starts painting the brick wall different colours.

  But you should know these colors that you're shining are...

  At the chorus, I could slowly feel the colour returning to the people in the crowd with each measure of the music.

  Surely not the best colors that you shine,
  Surely not the best colors that you shine,

  Suddenly, Romano, Feli's older brother, steps out from the crowd and joins Feli at the wall. I smile. And then Antonio, Romano's friend, joins them, too. It was the beginning of a revolution.

  I know you feel alone, yeah, and no one else can figure you out
  But don't you ever turn away from the ones that help you down?
  Well they'd love to save you. Don't you know they love to see you smile?
  But these colors that you've shined are surely not your style

  But you should know these colors that you're shining are...
  Surely not the best colors that you shine,
  Surely not the best colors that you shine,

  I hear a thumping coming from behind me, so I turn and see Alfred F. Jones, a boy from school and Arthur Kirkland. They had picked up the two pairs of drum sticks and were thumping on anything they could find, trees, chairs, walls, the ground, it was wonderful.

  I know you're feeling like you're lost.
  But you should know these colors that you're shinin' are...
  I know you're feeling like you're lost.
  You feel you've drifted way too far.
  Did you know these colors that you're shinin' are...

  One by one or in pairs, all the kids from school joined me on our makeshift stage and started painting with Feli or singing along with me.

  But you should know these colors that you're shining are...
  Surely not the best colors that you shine,
  Surely not the best colors that you shine,

  Surely not the best..
  (I know you're feeling like you're lost)
  Colors that you shine..
  (but you should know these colors that you're shining are)
  Surely not the best..
  (I know you're feeling like you're lost you feel you've drifted way too far)
  Did you know these colors that you're shinin' are.

  Towards the end of the song, everybody was their normal tan colour with vibrant coloured clothes on. They were jumping up and down, causing a riot too big for the police to handle and our world returned to normal.

~~~~

  "We did it, (Name!" Feli yelled, joining in on the crowd's hysterics.

  "Yeah we- Mmmph!" I said, but I was cut off my Feli's lips. When he pulled away for air, he smiled at me and went back to laughing and cheering. I stood there for a second, shocked that he would do that, then I smiled.

  "I love you, Feli," I whispered, "You bring out my true colours."