r e f r a c t i o n ; one-shot entry for 'Grey' and 'Polychrome'

I'm in love with the simplicity of the stories on wattpad. While the emotions speak more often than words, this series doesn't focus on prose at all. Dedicated to the author, of course.

-씹새끼.

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It's been a while.

Time has been gracious towards Olive. Her features have matured. Her nose is more prominent, her cheek bones are more visible, and she now has wrinkles near her eyes when she smiles.

She entered a painting of us into a competition a few months ago. She got second place. Of course I told her the judges were biased. All she did was flash me that beautiful smile of hers.

Rose won first place. I didn't expect anything less; I was happy for her. While Olive seemed preoccupied with me, she had to juggle painting on the other hand. Rose only had painting and an internship from what I knew about her life, and we still keep in touch. She's been interning at a hospital when she's not painting.

My mom has accepted my decision to not get the surgery (after a waterfall of tears) and she's happier now than she was before. Rumor has it she's seeing someone.

As for myself, I've continued to paint. I don't do it for myself, though. I do it for both Olive and me, and I can't bear to get rid of the smile she has when she sees me with a paintbrush.

I sat down on the passenger seat of Olive's truck and fastened my seat belt.

"Where are we going again?"

"On a date, to pick up cheap Chinese food," cheekily replied my girlfriend.

"The ideal plan to celebrate our two year anniversary." I knew she could hear the slight playfulness in my words.

Rolling her beautiful eyes of hers, she started the ignition and turned on the radio. Somewhere Only We Know by Keane was playing. Ironic, I know.

My eyes looked out the window, and the solace kept us quiet on the way there.

Newton said that refraction allows people, who aren't like me, to see things in a different way. Olive thought she was funny when she handed the prism to me, ("You could see a rainbow whenever you want now!") with the words I love you engraved in it, and I laughed anyways because she tried. She tried for me, and that's all that matters.

And I don't need color to see that.