Hope by day, Red by night.
Hope is in his senior year of high school. He's handsome, an honors student, captain of the basketball team, and president of the school board. A perfect guy in every way. By day, he accumulates Light to survive the Darkne...
5:00 am. The alarm clock was shouting that it was time to wake up. Hope opened his eyes and looked sadly out the window; it was raining as hard as if a hole had been torn in the sky.
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"I don't want to get up... Sunshine, I need you vitally! Please make me happy with your presence soon!" - the boy lifted himself up, leaning on his straightened arms and resting his head on his right shoulder, and stared pleadingly at the gray, lightless sky outside the window.
"I know how you're lacking serotonin, but you gotta get moving in the weather like this too, kid! What's wrong with your face? It's probably not as bad as you think. It's been a while since you let those nasty birds go. Can we talk?! But! Only after the training! I've cleared a place for us in the living room. I'll see you in ten minutes!" - Troy came in without knocking, as per tradition, and spoke quickly and briskly, yet in a fatherly affectionate way.
Hope looked at him with such a sad look that the man couldn't help but add, "You got it, kitten! In fifteen."
When Grandpa left the room, Hope fell back on the bed with his hands behind his head.
Staring at the ceiling, he thought about nothing, but felt very tired, mostly mentally... the kind of tiredness that makes you want to run away into the jungle and wander for a week, away from people, problems, thoughts, and worries.
The barely visible shadows of plumeria leaves swayed chaotically on the ceiling and it did nothing to improve Hope's mood: "Even here it's a mess..."
The boy took a deep breath, slowly got out of bed and wandered with his head down to the bathroom.
"I'll just pull my shorts on more comfortably... What's wrong with me! Gods, hear me - let time stop! Every new day brings only new worries and fears. I don't even want to know what awaits me today..." - Turning on the water, the guy looked at his reflection in the mirror, and then turned it off without washing his face and went to his room.
Standing by the bed, Hope slowly changed his clothes and, realizing that this unfit state needed to be corrected urgently, went back to the mirror again.
"What was it Mom used to say?!! - "Smile at your reflection for a minute and your mood will improve." Oooh... I should try it," - the boy pulled a wide smile on his face and started counting to himself. When he reached thirty, he realized the absurdity of what was happening and his smile became more sincere. And by sixty, Hope was laughing, patting himself on the cheeks and heading downstairs with a brisk step: "I think I got it! I didn't think it would work. Mommy, thank you, I can still feel your support."
Troy was already waiting for him in the living room, "Drink some water, son, and run to me! We're going to practice hand-to-hand combat techniques today."
"Yes sir!" - Hope reported with a smile.
"What's the matter with you? Your mood is drastically variable today. You're not pregnant by any chance?! Hahaha," Grandpa, already doing a warm-up, couldn't resist teasing the little guy.
