Colorful Monochrome

Life was always a repeated pattern. Life wasn't bad for Cassie or anything, but it was unchanging; boring, dull. She had a good life, never at the bottom of the school chain, good grades, which is quite an accomplishment at her university, star of the track team, fair amount of friends, and a hot boyfriend. Life was in monochrome, but Cassie never noticed. Why would she? She never questioned it, it was just a fact.

Cassie is having an average time at the annual party hosted at her university for Christmas. Her ever hungry boyfriend sends her to get food, but as she's heading back, two plates stacked with food in her hands, a strain of melancholy yet sweet music floats pass her ears. Locating the source of the sound, Cassie climbs the staircase to the school roof. The cold wind whips her hair around, the full moon illuminating her figure. Cassie stares at another figure standing on the rooftop. A boy. 

The mysterious boy is standing dangerously close to the edge of the rooftop. “Don't jump!” Cassie shouts. The boy turns around, startled, his bright, intelligent eyes locking Cassie's into a stare. 

“Who said I was?” he asks. Cassie flushes pink before walking closer so she's face to face with the boy. “If standing at the edge of a three-story roof singing sadly doesn't scream suicide, then what does?” “Assumptive,” the boy mutters. “I was just viewing the city. It's beautiful. Here, check it out yourself.” Cassie finds herself being dragged to the edge, nearly losing her balance. Peering down, she feels the initial fear of falling to her death, but gradually, the fear fades.

An artistic clash of blues, pinks, yellows, greens, oranges, reds, and purples catches Cassie's attention. Along with the beautiful neon lights, the dazzling pure white of the street lights blanket the city, turning the usual monochrome into an array of bright colors. 

“It's amazing, huh?” the boy asks. Cassie can only nod, awestruck by the colors. The sound of a cellphone ringing cuts across the peaceful silence, and Cassie checks her phone to see her boyfriend's caller ID. 

“Hello?”

“Cassie, where did you go? You've been gone for fifteen minutes, and I'm starving.”

“Alright, I'm coming down.” Looking at the boy apologetically, she turns to leave.

“Castiel,” the boy says confidently. Cassie turns around, puzzled. 

“That's my name. Just thought you'd want to know it.”

Castiel, Cassie finds out, is a senior, two years older than her. For some unknown reason, Cassie mulls over Castiel and his calm, confident voice. She knows its not love; there's no feeling of desire. She comes to the conclusion it's curiosity about the boy. Life is still dull, but it's no longer painted shades of gray. Cassie finds that after she meets Castiel, she can truly see the rich green of the trees and grass, the bright yellow of the sun. And she wants to know more of this new world.

She gets her chance two weeks later. Her dance teacher is pairing students for a dance project, and it's just luck that the teacher chooses to group seniors and sophomores together, just luck that Cassie and Castiel both end up drawing a green straw. In the week that follows, Cassie finds herself wishing desperately to be part of Castiel's world. To be part of a world filled with excitement and brightness. And Castiel grants her that. 

“Here, come with me.” Castiel drags Cassie to a beat-up ladder that could possibly break any second. Castiel ushers her up first, and Cassie shakily climbs, pondering what would happen if she fell backwards. Cassie makes it though without injury, and soon Castiel is scrambling into view, a bottle of alcohol in his hand while he uses his other to climb the ladder. 

Together, they sit on the roof of Castiel's house downing alcohol, and strangely, Cassie feels like she's known Castiel her whole life, that Castiel truly understands her, but that might be the alcohol messing her judgment up. And when Castiel jumps from the roof, landing gracefully then stumbling a bit, and daring Cassie to do the same, Cassie really does it. For a brief moment, she only feels the air surrounding her in its chilly embrace, and there's a strange but pleasant rush knowing that this is a risk, and Cassie has never felt more alive, but then the harsh impact of her feet and the concrete floor makes her fall. Castiel's laughing so hard his legs give way, but Cassie doesn't mind; in fact, she's laughing hysterically at her fail.