Black & White

Go Find Him

        I open my eyes while light floods my room. I look over to my alarm clock. It's 11:57 AM. "Oh shit." I jump out of bed and quickly put on my work clothes. Shit, I was supposed to be at work four hours ago. Maybe I can just work four hours later tonight.

I grab my coffee and briefcase full of paperwork and run out the door. I could take my car but the office is only a ten minute walk, and maybe a five minute run. I run straight down the sidewalk until I get a text message. I look down at my phone, its Jon.

1 New Message From: Jon Walker

Hey, how's work coming along? I feel really bad about pressuring you in-

As i'm reading it i'm knocked onto the floor by a man riding a skateboard. I close my eyes and rub my head.

"Sorry, man."

"It's fine," I open my eyes and look up at the man holding a hand out for me. I reach out when all of a sudden his gray shirt slowly turns into a baby blue shirt and his hair turns a dark brown. I recoil my hand quickly and go back to rubbing my head. "What the fuck?"

I open my eyes again and everything that was once black is full of color. I stand up quickly and almost fall over again. The man notices and helps me catch my balance. 

"I must've hit you really hard." He chuckles.

I smile even though I'm not focusing on what he said. I'm way too overwhelmed by everything. I look around with huge eyes.

"Oh, and a couple of your papers fell out of your briefcase so I gathered them up for you."

He hands me my briefcase. "Oh, thanks." I take it and continue looking around. I look down at my clothes and what I see immediately stops my starstruck. I'm wearing a blue button down with maroon slacks. Oh no.

"I'm Brendon by the way." He holds out his hand.

I forgot he was still here. I shake his hand firmly, "I'm Ryan," He nods and smiles at me. I take my hand back quickly. "And I don't usually dress like this you just caught me at the wrong time." I try to give him an assuring smile. He chuckles so I think he fell for it.

"I didn't even think you were dressed too bad. I heard wearing blue and maroon together is what's in this season." He shrugs and flashes a smile. I chuckle a bit.

"Oh really now?" I raise an eyebrow at him and smirk.

He nods and laughs. I look down at my watch. Oh shit i've wasted thirty minutes procrastinating.

"Well I, uh, need to get to work. I was supposed to get there four hours ago so I should probably go."

He eyes me up and down. "Wait, you're actually going to keep that on?"

"I thought you said this was what everyone wears now." I laugh.

"Not literally." He chuckles and rolls his eyes.

"But, really, I need to go. See ya around."

"Yeah, maybe we'll run into each other again sometime." He grins charmingly.

"Maybe so. Later." I wave and continue running down the street.

I look at all of the cars, shops, people, everything. Everything looks so strange in color. I slow down as I get to the office. I sit down on the curb in front of the building. I rest my head in my hands and try to understand why my 'colorblindness' was just all of a sudden cured. How did Jon say he got rid of it? I should probably call him. I need to vent.

RING ... RING ... RING ...

"Hello?"

"Uh, hey Jon."

"Oh, hey Ryan, what's up?"

"Just sitting outside the office." I take a deep breath and exhale.

"What's wrong?"

"What did you say you did when you lost your colorblindness?"

"I lost it the day I met Cassie." I can almost see him grinning on the other side of the line.

"Well, I, uh, might have just lost mine."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah. But I don't know how I did."

"What were you doing at the time?"

"I was reading your text message when some guy on a skateboard knocked me over. Maybe it was the impact when I hit the ground?"

"I don't think so. That's not likely."

"What do you mean?"

I hear him breathing but he's not saying anything. Wait.

"Don't you say it, Jon. You and I both know i'm not..you know.."

"I mean, It's the only reasonable explan-"

I quickly hang up and throw my phone into the middle of the street. What the fuck? I don't find guys attractive in any way. Jon's just messing with me. I probably just hit my head so hard that it knocked my vision back to normal. Yeah. That's what happened.

I look up the street and see a car speeding down the road. Shit, my phone! I run out and grab it as the truck honks at me. I wave as a 'thank you for not running me over' and run back to the curb. I look at the screen. It's cracked in the corner. Way to go Ryan.

My phone lights up. Jon's calling me again. Great. I answer.

"If you're just going to continue to tell me that i'm destined to be a 'faggot' than you can go ahead and hang up because I don't want to hear it." I make air quotation marks as I say the word faggot.

"Ryan i'm not kidding. I honestly think that this guy you met is the reason why your visions normal."

"No he's not Jon! I promise you that it was just the impact my head made with the fucking concrete when I fell!" By now I was standing up and pacing up and down the sidewalk.

"Ry, calm down."

"Calm down? My only friend is calling me a fucking faggot!" 

"I'm not calling you anything Ryan. I'm just stating facts."

"Oh so now i'm officially gay? Wow, I feel ten times better knowing that."

"Just," Its sounds like he's holding back from yelling at me. "Did you get his name?"

"I think it was Brandon or Brendon. Something like that. Why is this important?"

"What about a phone number?"

"Oh my fucking god Jon. No I didn't. I've never met this man before in my life, I wasn't going to ask him for his phone number."

"Sorry, sorry."

I pinch the temple of my nose and take in a deep breath.

"Do you seriously think that..this guy is the reason I can see normally?"

He sighs, "As much as I wish I could say something to make you feel better, I honestly think he is."

Well, looks like my life's taking a turn for the worse. I sigh, "Okay, then what now?"

"You go find him."