Neon, Pastel and Gray

Chapter I. Violet

Violet is the color of the morning dawn. The mist slowly dissolves around the house of the Lazulites. The first ray of sunshine hits the window of a young man's room. He immediately puts the curtain back on as he slowly prepares for school. His family owns one of the biggest houses by the beach on the east side of town. His parents have been too busy with their business and finally decided that their 18-year-old son is old enough to attend a normal school.

"I wish to disappear", Gray told himself as he put on his uniform. He wore his thick jacket, his fake glasses, and messed up his hair. He went in front of the mirror and just as he always did, glared at his accursed attractive face. He hated his smooth skin, fine jaws, thick brows and most of all, his deep blue eyes. He despises whenever relatives come to visit and the way they pinched his face telling him how cute he is. He once shaved his brows to put his relatives off but he only made his Mother cry. He also received some harsh scolding from his Dad.

Like he always did, he grabbed his makeup brush and drew some fake pimples and scars on his cheeks. He put his black contact lenses on.

"Who knew these painting skills paid off?", he joked.

Gray arrived at school with his head always bowing down to avoid eye contact with anyone. He sat at the back of the class, farthest from the group of friends that he never wanted to belong to. He glimpsed at other students who are laughing and joking around the room while he arranges his books for the next class. There are the boys who are always jamming in a corner of the room. The girls who are always loud and love to gossip about other people's lives. The weebs who are too busy playing with their mobile games. And the elites holding their expensive mobile phones and drinks.

Bam! A basketball came flying to the back door all the way from the school's quadrangle towards Gray's head. His classmates only stared at him as he picked up his things that fell from his desk. When he was about to grab his favorite paint brush near the door, his girl classmates suddenly screamed at the sight of a guy in varsity uniform running towards the door.

"I'm sorry. I threw it too far. Are you okay?", asked Luke in his very deep voice. A well-built lad who is a certified eye-candy, not just in school but all over the Town of Izulan. Luke shines with his wonderful facial features. His hair that blends with the sunshine behind him. The girls were staring at his biceps and cuts that were beaming in ecstacy. He frowned at the guy in front of him making him cuter which caused the girls to squirm. He looked at the ladies with his bright smile only to make them more thrilled. Nothing less from the famous son of the Mayor. He offered his hand to Gray who was kneeling on the floor.

"It's okay", Gray lied as he tried to squeeze the brush in his hand. His head still hurts from the ball that hit him. He slowly raised his head to the bastard who played basketball for dodgeball. But he could barely see his face as the sun shines way too bright from outside.

"Your head! It's bleeding!", said Luke grabbing him by the shoulders.

"No it's not!", Gray exclaimed as he was wiping the fluid from his head. Little did they know that he can't tell the difference between hues because he was born color blind. He wiped the gray fluid in his hand and stared back at the guy who was already carrying him by the arms.

"What are you do...'' Gray was not able to finish his sentence as he slowly lost consciousness.

Luke took him to the infirmary where a physician examined him. He was phasing outside the clinic hoping that he's okay. He doesn't want to tarnish his Father's reputation by killing someone. At about half an hour, the Doctor came out.

"So how is he Doc?", Luke nervously asked.

"It's just a small bruise. Nothing to worry about. But I would still send him to a hospital to get some diagnostics done just to be sure", said Dr. Galo.

The doctor noticed Luke to still be fidgeting in front of him.

"I told you not to worry. Go get back to your class", the Doctor added.

"Alright, but I'll go check on him after class. Can you please give this to him when he wakes up?", Luke handed over the paintbrush that fell from Gray's hand as he was taking him to the clinic.

"I don't want him to hate me more by losing it.", Luke added. Luke ran fast back to the quadrangle where his other friends were patiently waiting.

Moments later, Gray woke up with Dr. Galo sitting on a chair beside him. He immediately saw a jar with solution where his contact lenses are soaked into. He flinched at a bandaged wound on his head.

"Don't move so suddenly. It might reopen.", the Doctor warned.

"Dr. Galo, while I was asleep, did I?".

"Had an attack? No worries. You were sound asleep. It's my first time seeing those pretty irises of yours. Why would you hide them?", asked the Doctor while handing him the jar of solution.

"I don't like people staring at me", said Gray. He opened the jar and immediately put back his contact lenses.

He fixed himself and went back to class to fetch his things. As the doctor ordered, he went to a nearby clinic to have his skull checked and immediately went home. Luke on the other hand was running back to the infirmary to check on the guy he brought there.

"Oh, he's no longer here. He woke up just after you left. He might be home by now", the Doctor explained.

"Was he mad?"

"Nah, he seems fine with it."

"Can I get his name or address so I could at least apologize properly? Send him get-well-soon flowers from Mary's shop perhaps?".

Dr. Galo knows Gray's secret. He promised Gray to never disclose any of his information for his own safety and security. That includes his diagnosis.

"He would not be happy sharing his personal information to anyone. It's best that you just leave Gray alone.", the Doctor said as he bid Luke goodbye with a smile on his face.

Luke was left standing outside the clinic staring at the paint stain in his hands. He sat on a shed in the quadrangle. As the rain fell down on that gloomy Friday afternoon, he stared at the dark clouds thinking about the guy he was with earlier. With a deep breath, he let the damp air fill his lungs.

"So you're Gray huh?", Luke exhaled.