Spectrum Rebellion

vii.

[ simply stunning fanart to the side by @Shadey (Quotev)! i love it so much, i cannot thank you enough! i mean, look at Thomas and his blue socks! and look at Topaz spraying the mint green paint...and don't get me started on the quote. i am in love; it's perfect. thank you again ♥ ]

vii.

The road in which the Spectrum Rebels lived was different to how I imagined it would be. It was a dark street, reminding me of a large alleyway, with minimal graffiti. The houses were packed together tightly down the sides of a sloping road, which split off here and there, leading to smaller roads and alleyways. It was darker than the streets of the Arid town, and I wasn't sure what to say - or even think - when I saw it. Thomas seemed to read my expression of disappointment as he lead me out of the hospital and around the different streets, each of which were named after a different colour, despite how colourless they were. His blue eyes held the same secretive, mysterious expression they held when I first met him.

As I followed Topaz and Thomas down Chartreuse Road, Thomas stopped, almost causing me to slam into his back. Topaz steadied me on my feet, which adorned the same black plimsolls as I had worn yesterday. I was still getting used to wearing the colour on my t-shirt, and the tightness of the black jeans. But all in all, the clothes felt good and comfortable. Natural, almost. I had put my hair up into its usual ponytail, as I wasn't sure that I wanted to wear it down just quite yet.

"Josephine, I know you may think this is a dunce, that this isn't Spectrum Rebellion at its finest. And, truth is, it isn't. Because this is where all the Rebels live. If you want to see where there's colour, where Rebels Live, with a capital 'L', you have to go to the main street or actually break inside one of their houses." Thomas said, with a small smile. Topaz nodded in agreement. "I mean, my house is really nasty on the outside. Literally, people think it's disgusting and ratty. Then you open up the front door and ka-pow!" He jumped and punched the air to emphasise this 'ka-pow', "Colour! Colour everywhere! Colour!" I creased my eyebrows in concern at his sudden outburst of childishness.

"Act your age, Thomas." Topaz scolded, but she was smiling as Thomas proceeded to perform a perfectly executed cartwheel, his t-shirt falling down so that his pale midriff was on full display, even though it was outside and the road had loose bits of gravel here and there. He didn't seem to care, mind, as is his hands were made of iron or something. As he straightened out, he performed a small leap and then picked the gravel out of his palms, flicking the small stones away. "Act your age, Thomas." Topaz repeated, but she was smiling. Thomas flashed her a mischievous grin, his unbelievably white teeth shining against the early evening darkness.

"Never!" Thomas cried, before running off down the street, waving his arms about madly. (My concern turned into amusement). He then disappeared around the corner, his green hair whipping off from his forehead head as it - and the rest of his body - disappeared completely.

"Is he always like this? When I first saw him...I was actually intimidated. He was all shadowy and looked quite scary." I asked Topaz, fiddling with the hem of my shirt. She gently put her hand on mine and removed it from my shirt, giving me a firm look. I gave her an apologetic and sheepish grin. She gave me a large smile, then looked over the spot from which Thomas had run away, very much like a headless chicken.

"Well, that's the thing about Thomas Cameron Ashworth. He really is a strange character. Sometimes, he's too perfect, like some cliché book character written by an obsessive teenager, and sometimes he's got so many flaws that he's utterly useless. Like I totally get why you were intimidated, he can be very mysterious sometimes. Most of the time, he is extremely serious and does things without joking or messing around. He is chill and hard-working, doing his best to do what's right for Spectrum Rebels without hurting Arids. He hates abuse and fighting, see. Tommy is also very observant and he likes to look at and analyse things, and is incredibly intelligent. His IQ is through the roof and he can do many things amazingly. He can play the acoustic guitar both left and right handed and has been known to write his own symphonies for many different instruments. On the other hand, he is a fun-loving, childish ball of green fluff that just wants to live life to the max and not give two tosses about anything. But he does give two tosses. He gives about five, in my opinion. You are so lucky for him taking an interest in you, because he is the best person to take you through the first, tender steps of Rebellion." Topaz said, smiling almost wistfully. "And to warn you, one moment Thomas could be all fun and games and childish tendencies, but the next he could be serious and acting much older than any other eighteen year old Rebel-" 

"He's eighteen?" I exclaimed, much louder than I had intended.

"Why are you so surprised? How old did you think he was exactly? Thirty? Though, I must admit, he does give off that thirty-something year old cat-man vibe sometimes."

"I-I don't know. I expected him to be...I actually have no idea." I replied, smiling sheepishly yet again. Topaz was going to respond, but she was cut off by Thomas suddenly sticking his green head around the corner and beckoning for us to move faster, a look of exasperation on his face.

"Come on! Josephine, my dear Arid, it's what you've been waiting all of about an hour or so for!" He called, before disappearing around the corner once more. I smiled subconsciously. He was an odd character, I had to give Topaz that. I looked over at Topaz, probably to tell her this, but she had covered my eyes with her hands, shocking me. I didn't like being blinded, but I didn't argue. I knew that they just wanted to surprise me; I desperately hoped for it to be worth it and that I would not be disappointed. That would have been quite terrible. And I had had enough of terrible.

* * *

Topaz removed her fingers and my eyes fluttered open. There was Thomas, standing in the middle of the road, his arms raised, beaming proudly. I smiled and looked up and around, my jaw dropping slowly as my eyes widened. Slowly, ever so slowly, my dropped jaw raised up into the biggest smile I had ever made in my entire life.

It was just how I imagined it; perhaps even better than my imagination. I most certainly was not disappointed, quite the opposite to be honest.

There were lights everywhere, each different colours and all bright and flashing. There was graffiti art all up the walls and over almost everything. People jumped from roof to roof, performing tricky and intricate movements as they flipped, tumbled and flew from here to there. Rebels walked down the streets, all talking loudly, messing around or singing. Some of them all three. Everybody was doing something. They all wore colour. They all had smiles. They all had contributed to the Spectrum in one way or another...

And it was fantastic. Utterly fantastic. I felt as if I couldn't breathe because my chest had tightened up, squeezing my heart and lungs together. I closed my eyes and listened to the chatter, to the laughing, to the distant dance music; I absorbed the atmosphere in, wanting to let it soak through my skin and flow through my blood. The buzz about the place felt good. When my eyes opened, I could see and feel the sense of security, the sense that this place was a Safe Haven. For it was my Safe Haven, and I could tell that some memories were going to be made in this place. Good or bad, I didn't mind; because I was now going to become a Spectrum Rebel and indulge in all of the beautiful colours of the world that sat waiting to be released.

There was one thing I knew for certain, that one day - perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in many years - I was going to release them. After all, everybody deserved to indulge, and everybody deserved to feel like the spectrum was good and something that could make them feel loose and beautiful. That was, ultimately, what the Rebels were for. And that was what I was for. But first, before I started all this indulging and releasing, I was going to explore the Spectrum Rebel central with my two new-found friends. I looked between Topaz, who was giving me a kind smile, and Thomas, who was swaying in time to the distant music.

Breathe. Close eyes. Breathe.

In.

Out.

In.

Out. Open eyes.

"Bring on the colour, Greenie." I whispered to myself, but I think that Topaz heard, because she was smiling happily and in amusement. And for once in my life, I didn't care. And it felt good. It felt right. It was now time for things to go my way. Forever.