polaroids

➶ EPILOGUE

Seven years later

It was an awfully cold Christmas morning. It had snowed the previous night; turning the entire landscape into a winter wonderland. The powdery white flakes sat like clouds on the streets and pavements, bringing about a sort of crisp freshness to the air.

Inside an apartment, not too big and neither too small, a heater provided warmth, a substitute for a fireplace. Even inside the house, the air was cold enough to raise goosebumps. Next to the artificial fireplace, stood a well-decorated Christmas tree. The only old thing about it? Everything on it, including the tree itself, was blue; complete with a shining blue star at the top. And on a closer inspection, the ornaments weren't ornaments at all. In fact, they were little polaroids, framed inside small glass cases, with a golden ribbon to hang them.

What an odd way to decorate a tree, isn't it?

Above the mantelpiece, there were an assortment of several framed photographs. The biggest one however, was placed right in the middle: a picture of six friends, standing with their graduating certificates in front of a university gate. All of them had smiles brighter than the Christmas lights that were hung up everywhere in the apartment.

In one corner of the house, there was a bedroom. And in there, sleeping under the warm blankets, was a girl. Her brown hair was messy as ever. Her lips framed into a serene smile. A few years back, she had been lost, unsure about life. Unsure about herself.

Today, she knew who she was.

She was Rue Hawthorne and no one could change that.

She was the girl who never gave up.

Slowly, Rue blinked open her eyes. Faint sunlight streamed in through the windows. She crawled to the edge of the bed, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Suddenly, she whipped around, looking frantically for something or someone.

'Ave?' She called out.

She walked out of the room, still half asleep. She stopped only when she was right in front of that odd looking tree. One look at the present under the tree, and Rue was on the floor, laughing her lungs out.

Under the blue leaves, was not just any normal present.

There, with his hair in all it's blue glory, sat Avery Black, lying under the tree with his head propped up on one hand and a red ribbon tied around his head. He looked like Rose from the Titanic and just the image was making Rue loose her mind.

'Merry Christmas, sunshine!'

He grinned, giving her a wink.

Once Rue had someone controlled her laugher, she strode up to him, sitting down on the floor and enveloping him in a hug that was warmer than the heat from the fireplace.

'Oh I love you, you complete idiot.' Rue whispered, still laughing softly. Avery gripped the back of her shirt, smiling.

'I love you too, Rue.'

They pulled back, Rue grinning like the sunshine that she was. He leaned forward, giving her a kiss on her nose. And in that moment, Avery knew that he was happy. He didn't need anything else.

She was red. She was passionate, protective and fiery.

He was blue. He was cooling, determined and refreshing.

And together, they blended in a perfect violet hue.

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