Naomi POV:
"Are you okay?" I jump and whip around, startled to see Jordan walking over to me. I turn back around, looking at the view from the fire escape.
"Yeah. Just thinking," I responded. It was about six o'clock and the sun was just starting to set. "I didn't know you got back," I commented. He had gone on a date with his new girlfriend, Britney. He still wore his white, button down dress shirt and khakis with the top two buttons left open. I had to admit that he looked stunning, not that he ever didn't, but the image was ruined by the knowledge that he had done it all for his Britney.
"I just got back," he replied, taking a seat beside me. We said nothing for a while, silently watching as the sun set over the horizon, painting it a fiery orange color. "What do you see?" he asked.
"A sunset," I said unsurely. He shook his head at my answer.
"No, I mean what does it look like. The sky." I'm temporarily at a loss for words.
"It... it's orange, and... Jordan, I don't know how to explain it without using colors..."
"Just try," he said with pleading eyes. "I don't care if you get it right. I just want you to try." I looked back at the sky.
"It... it's bright," I said hesitantly, struggling to find a way to describe it. "Like it doesn't want to be ignored." I examined the different colors that stayed glued to the roof of the world. "And right on the horizon, it's aggressive and energetic. Like someone twirling a flaming baton, or a jazz dancer. And then, above that it's pink- I mean, it's more mellow and calm." Jordan nodded his head, listening attentively like a small child. "It's almost fluffy, like cotton candy. It's like watching cookies bake through the oven window. And then it's just black," I told him. I looked closely at the darker, quieter part of the sky, just out of reach from the sun's light. "It's sprinkled with white dots all over the place, like the universe had spilt glitter on the sky." Most of the stars were blocked out by the light pollution from the city, but a few still shone brightly through. I looked back to Jordan to see him looking up at the sky.
"I love the night," I said. "It makes me feel freer." He cocked his head to the side and looked at me.
"Freer?" he asked. I nodded, my gaze still on the stars.
"In the daytime, all I can see is the clouds. It feels like that's where the sky ends. It's like a big painted dome that keeps us a prisoner in our world," I explained. "But at night, I can see to the stars. It makes the universe seem big and free with so many possibilities. It feels like I'm not trapped on earth, but rather just inhabiting it, and maybe someday I can go out into the galaxy and get for away from here," I said. He's silent for a moment.
"Me too," he whispered.
"I have too many bad memories here," I said, wrapping my arms around my knees. "I want to start over in a place where none of them can reach me."
"I'll never be able to do that. Every time I open my eyes, I'm reminded of everything," he said with a frown. "I could run as far away as I want to, but it won't fix anything." I ignored the slight pang in my chest at the utter hopelessness in his words. I wonder what somebody would think if they heard our conversation right now. Would they think we were crazy? Or, just maybe, would they feel the same way as us? Or are we alone in the world, just two weirdos who feel differently than normal people, living a life that isn't theirs to control in a world that they don't want to be in.
"But it would be better than here," I stated. "We're living in a world we don't belong in. It doesn't understand us, and it's never going to try to," I mused. He's silent for a moment.
"I tried to accept my past for a long time," Jordan said. "I didn't want to believe I was colorblind at first. Every night I went to bed hoping that I would wake up and once again be able to see the world like other people. But instead, one day, I woke up with the crushing realization that a part of me was gone and I would never get it back. And it took a really long time to make peace with that fact, but I had no other choice."
"Jordan, I..."
"It's fine, Naomi. Don't feel bad for me. I didn't say that for you to feel bad for me, I just needed to let it all out," he said. I nodded in understanding, looking back up at the sky, which was completely dark by now.
"How did your date with Britney go?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. He broke out into a warm smile at the mention of her name.
"It went amazing," he responded. "She's amazing." I only continued to stare at the endless universe surrounding our home as he spoke. "Do you like anyone?" The question didn't take me by surprise. Jordan had asked me several times if I liked anybody out of general curiosity.
"Yeah, but I don't think he likes me back," I said. "Besides, he has a girlfriend."
"That's rough," he commented.
"It's fine. I never expected him to like me back anyways," I said.
"You're not upset?" he inquired.
"I'm extremely upset. But kind of like how you had to accept your past, I accepted the fact that he doesn't like me back." Jordan nodded in understanding. "I love him so stupidly much," I muttered. Jordan said nothing back, and we were once again surrounded by sweet, comfortable silence.
"I should probably go change out of this," Jordan said, starting to stand up. "You gonna be okay out here on your own?"
"No, as soon as you leave somebody is going to jump out and brutally murder me," I joked. He let out a short chuckle and started walking back in before stopping for a brief moment.
"Hey, Naomi?" I look back at him to see a sad smile gracing his features. "I really hope you find some sort of happiness during your life. You deserve it." With that, he disappeared inside.
"I already have," I mumbled to myself. "But it's not happy with me, and I just have to accept that."
Sorry there isn't a happy ending here. Just a short, sweet conversation between two broken people, written by a wattpad-obsessed dork who likes to pretend she's good at writing.
If you guys have any requests, feel free to tell me in the comments :)
