The Kiss Bet: Oliver & Sara Oneshots

At the Last Moment

HEAVY Trigger Warning: Death (no gore or anything graphic)

In a world where balloons dictated everyone's lives, no matter how silly it sounded, everyone was in a sense forced to wear their hearts on their sleeves. No, these balloons could not be popped or thrown away, no. Every person was forcibly linked to a balloon, in which the color showed their most defining life detail or emotion at the moment. On the very, very rare occasion, there would sometimes even be a mix of two colors splotched into one another.

Red, for those who had just found good fortune.
White, for those that have had a recent child.
Orange, for those who carried a heavy secret.
Blue, for those in a deep state of sadness or depression.
Yellow, for those that shined brightly with pure and simple happiness.
Green, for those in a state of neutrality and contentedness.
Peach, for those conflicted or in a state of overwhelming confusion.
Purple, for those facing heartbreak.
And so forth.

There were many, many colors, and though guides were strewn basically anywhere you looked for those who may forget or are still learning, essentially everyone knew the meaning being the rubber spectacles. When one no longer applied, or rather, was taken over by a greater influence on their life at that moment, the balloon that would trail behind would lose the invisible tether that connected them, and float off until it faded to nothingness. And then, the new balloon would float down, greeting the target as it descended from who knows where, clear before turning the intended color. Balloons could last months before they change, or change even every few minutes. After all, they changed as fast as life and emotions did.

On this particular day, Sara Lin was closely followed by a yellow balloon clear as day, glancing around herself with a smile. She pitied those who she'd see with a blue one, or black, which represented those suffering a loss. Of course, that loss did not have to be loss of life, but a loss impactful enough to bring a state of sorrow and deep suffering. At least one good thing about the balloons exposing your life was that they taught everyone just a little more empathy. No one was mean to those with more melancholy colors, and kind souls knew who to comfort.

However, this was not what was lingering in Sara Lin's mind at the moment while she walked down the street with an unconscious grin. She couldn't explain it, no, she just felt happy on that day. After all, the girl had an amazing father, wonderful friends, and a pretty good life altogether. At that particular moment, she had no reason to be unhappy.

She hummed joyfully to herself as she made her way to her destination; the local coffee shop, just for a little splurge for herself. Sara Lin wasn't one to typically go to such overpriced locations when she could easily make a drink for herself at home, but finding herself in such a good mood, she figured that one treat couldn't hurt. Not to mention, she had very much been craving a caramel macchiato recently, and today only just happened to be the day she gave in.

After a few minutes, she had successfully gotten her drink and walked out of the shop. The girl took a deep inhale of the wonderful scent coming from her to-go cup as she took spritely steps along the sidewalk once more. As she walked in the sun she basked in the warmth of the light and savored the gentle tickle of the breeze against her cheeks. She sipped happily at her drink, sitting down at a bench just outside of the park she had reached in her walking. It really was quite convenient, a coffee shop so close to the park, it made for a very pleasant chance for the girl to sit right down nearby in such a peaceful uncrowded area.

Once she finished, she stood once more and gave a content sigh, tossing the empty cup in a nearby trash can. After observing the calm stillness of her surroundings for another moment, she walked to make her return to her home. However, as she continued, she felt a small snapping sort of feeling.