Colors

The first day of school loomed large as a thundercloud for six-year-old Kayla. She tugged at her backpack straps, peeking into her lunchbox.

"Mom, do you think the other kids will make fun of Hayley?"

"You'll be fine, don't worry. Just introduce yourself nicely."

"Should I introduce Hayley too?"

"It's up to you. Some kids won't understand. Others will. Some might have imaginary friends of their own."

***

School was such a bustling whirlwind of activities, Kayla almost forgot about Hayley. Then at lunchtime, she found herself alone at a table.

"Great, now I can talk to you…"

Kayla opened her lunchbox and laid out her meal: PB&J sandwiches, an apple and an oatmeal cookie. She split the cookie in half, placing it on a separate napkin.

"Hey, can I join you?" A girl with carrot colored braids and glasses approached.

"Sure. What's your name?"

"I'm Annie." She plopped down with her lunchbox. "Why's your cookie broken?"

"It's for my best friend Hayley."

"Is she coming?"

"She's already here…" Kayla glanced around and hesitated. "You can't see her, she's invisible."

"Ooh, you mean she's like my best friend Jenny?" Annie let out a squeal. "She's invisible, too! None of my friends can see her!"

For the next twenty minutes the girls chattered together, comparing Hayley and Jenny and having a delightful four-way conversation.

"Isn't this wonderful, Hayley?" Kayla asked as she plopped onto her bed after her chores that evening. "You've got a friend as nice as mine!"

When they visited each other's homes over the weekend, they brought their "friends" along to play. It was a reassuring secret kept between them that forged their bond.

***

One day shortly after Annie's seventh birthday, Kayla asked how Jenny was doing.

"I got too old for silly things like pretend friends," Annie replied.

"What? But… I still have Hayley."

"You won't have her anymore when you get older. It's called growing up."

Kayla felt tears sting her eyes.

"Don't worry, you've got me!" Annie grinned broadly, oblivious to her friend's distress.

***

"Now boys and girls, this week's composition assignment is extra special!" Mrs. Harris was all smiles as she looked over her class. "I want you to write five hundred words about someone you know who is not part of our class, comparing them to your favorite color. Explain what it is about them that makes them that color, and introduce us in a way that makes us want to get to know them better! I'm sure you'll do a splendid job!"

"I'll write a paragraph about my Aunt Gina," Annie declared as she and Kayla walked home together. "She's purple, because she loves to grow lavender and gives us scented bags to keep in our drawers. Who will you write about, Kayla?"

"I… I'm not sure. I don't really have a big family. Maybe Mom? But I don't know what color she would be."

"Don't worry, you'll think of someone." Annie waved and skipped towards her house.

***

As Monday afternoon turned into Tuesday and then Wednesday, Kayla still couldn't think of anyone to write about. When she remembered the assignment, she got a queasy feeling in her stomach. The more she put it off, the harder it seemed, until by Thursday afternoon the task felt utterly insurmountable.

"Will I have to write about someone imaginary?" Kayla moaned into her desk. "I can't think of anyone in my life I would assign a color, who isn't in my class!"

"Hold on, what about me? I am imaginary…"

"Whoa, that's it!" Kayla sat bolt upright. "I'll write about you!" She tapped her pencil against her chin. "To me, Hayley, you're every wonderful color imaginable. Now, how can I explain that?"

***

Kayla had her assignment fully prepared on Friday morning. The students were required to read them aloud in class. She trembled with nervousness, wondering if all the kids would laugh at her for still having a pretend friend.

Kayla swung her legs in her seat as she waited for her turn in class. Everyone else's paragraph seemed so much better than hers. A boy wrote about his pastor, who was green like the grass in Psalm 23. A girl wrote about her Italian cousin, who was red like homemade tomato sauce.

When it was Kayla's turn, she walked stiffly to the front of the classroom, took a deep breath and began,

"Allow me to introduce you to my best friend, Hayley. She's every color of the rainbow to me. When I'm unhappy, she's bright and comforting like the big yellow sun. When I'm excited, she's calm and soothing like a fluffy white cloud. She's red, like a firetruck flying down the highway when we're playing pretend. But she's also a lovely shade of blue, like the sky when we're lying in the grass imagining cloud shapes.

"She's always ready to help me brainstorm or dream, with a million ideas waiting to share. Sometimes I read her stories, and sometimes she tells me stories. When I remember her I think of many different colors: neons, pastels, earth tones. I'm never lonely, because she's always by my side. But you can't see her, because she's invisible. She only exists for me. She's my best friend, and her name is Hayley."

There was a long silence when Kayla finished reading. Then Mrs. Harris and all the kids began clapping.

"Why, Kayla, I didn't know you had such a nice friend," Mrs. Harris said with a smile. "That was a lovely composition."

A little girl raised her hand.

"Can we have Hayleys too? I want one!"

The kids laughed and chattered. At the end of the day, Kayla lingered, clutching her A+ graded composition.

"Mrs. Harris, do I have to say goodbye to Hayley when I get older?"

"No, honey. You can have your invisible friend for as long as you want. They make loyal and inspiring companions." She leaned closer with a gentle wink. "In fact, I have one, too. Her name is Lena…"

Word Count: 998.

lyrics to Colors ▼

I think it's time that I told you
I'm a fan of your universe
And every shade that you offer
It's different but I know it works
I'm addicted to the magic
And the glow of the city lights
I felt it in my veins just didn't know how to say it right

She said do you see me in black and white
Do you need me every day and night
I said I don't wanna dance with another
We could feel this darkness with each other

'Cause when I look at you I see colors
When I look at you I see colors

Everyone's got their own light
Some shine and they fade away
Everyone's got a story
Those change every single day
She said do you see me in shades of grey
Do you need me like I need you that way
I say I don't wanna lay with another
We could feel this quiet with each other

'Cause when I look at you I see colors
When I look at you I see colors
I see woo colors
I see woo colors

Every time I look at you lately
I see colors they're changing
Every time I look at you lately
I see colors
I see you in black and white
I see you in the brightest light
Yeah, when I look at you colors

When I look at you I see colors
When I look at you I see woo colors
I see woo colors