Periwinkle

11| A GAME OF COLORS

When I was a little kid, my older brother and I used to play a game. It was when we were younger, back before Ethan went away for college and I was still in middle school. I'd shown interest in art for as long as I could remember. My mom and my brother supported me and always encouraged me to draw and paint. Mom was mostly away working, so Ethan was the one who usually kept me company. He made up this game where we would try to guess what color a person was. Sometimes we also guessed what color a situation or the mood in a room was. The colors of a person also varied according to the situation and mood.

Basically, it was a game of colors. And I'd kept up with it after all these years, even though Ethan and I didn't play it anymore since we rarely got the time to hang out. Sometimes, I would look at a person and think lilac right before my brain would start listing all the reasons why the person was lilac. Then there are times when I would walk into a room and my brain would start trying to guess what color it felt closest to.

Just like that, the first thought that came to my mind the moment I woke up and saw Leo beside me was scarlet.

I always used to think of Leo as yellow or orange. Yellow because it was happiness and optimism, cheerful and energetic. I always associated the upbeat and lively hue with bringing fun and joy to the world. Leo did that. He bought fun and joy to my world. Not only that, but the sunny tone also bolstered self-assurance, and everyone who's met Leo knew about his self-esteem.

Orange was similar to yellow for me, only when Leo was orange, he was more... warm. Where yellow was happy and energetic, orange was comfort and warmth. A harmonious blend of red and yellow hues, it was security and strength.

I preferred orange Leo more than yellow Leo. But he was neither of them right then.

Right then, while Leo scrolled through his phone with his back against the headboard, he was scarlet for me.

I vaguely noticed I was still naked from the waist down under the blanket I was tucked into as my brain started listing all the reasons why he was scarlet.

The color reminded me of confidence and ambition. It suited incredibly strong personalities. At one point in history, the term scarlet was used to describe unruly and wild people.

It was also a color I associated with passion. You'd think passion would be red, and it was. But scarlet just suited Leo more. Scarlet knew its worth. Sometimes he might come across as cocky, but he never actually boasted or gloated. It simply knew who it was and what it stood for.

It also uplifted those around it. Just like yellow. It felt safe and comforting to be in its presence. Like orange.

Leo was all that. He was wildly ambitious and unapologetically determined, which reminded me of the rich, bright hue- scarlet. But that wasn't only why I thought of scarlet.

Scarlet was a sultry shade, both flirty and seductive. Desire, lust, intimacy. It was all those.

That is what Leo felt like to me after his demo.

That is why he was scarlet.

My voice was groggy from sleep when I put a stop to my thoughts and mumbled, "Hi."

Leo put his phone down the moment he noticed I was awake. "Hey."

Scarlet.

"How long has it been?"

"A little over an hour," Leo answered.

My gaze went to the window and noticed the dark sky outside before I turned back to Leo, lying on my side with my hand under my cheek. I hadn't realized when I fell asleep while Leo cleaned me up with a cloth. I vaguely recalled him covering me with a blanket, but I thought he had left after that.