Colours Are Broken, Apart From Yours

The shop stood open wide on both sides of me as I stand in the heart of it. Rows upon rows of clothes took up the area, crap music played from the speakers, the gross smell of plastic, cleaning products and new clothes hung in the air; yep this was just you average clothing shop.

I let out a deep breath and looked to my side to see if I could find at least one of my friends that had walked off without me amongst the clothing, which I found out right away was a pointless thing to do. For many reasons;

The racks were tall and were hard to see anyone over them.
For me, everything was practically the same colour.

So I found myself stuck. To find them in a coloured, large area like this to me was looking for a needle in a haystack. I sighed closing my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose while I thought. As far as I can tell, the best thing for me to do is to go to the front of the shop and wait there, or at the cars. I told the guys I didn’t want to go shopping here because of this; this always happens.

I opened my eyes slowly and turned around going back the way I came to the door of the shop. I reached the door and it opened automatically making my vision for a brief second just a bright white. I took two carefully steps forward and my usual black and grey vision came back.

If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m coloured blind.

I made my way towards the guy’s cars as I looked down at the grey paved ground. I could tell by the grey shade that the pavement would be some kind of red or maybe orange colour. Maybe even a mixture of both, I had no real idea apart from knowing that it was grey.

Everything in black and white; the story of my life really.

I sighed as I reached Kennedy’s car which was the closest to me and sat on the hood of it. His car was a little dirty but I don’t really care at the moment. I placed my elbows on my knees and my face in my hands. I hate shopping, odd for most girls; but I do. It gave me headaches; like the one I have now.

I closed my eyes again and started rubbing the temples of my head with the edge of my fingers. The pain dulled down a little, but not much. At the moment I just want to go home, but I’ll wait for the guys to finish their shopping. It’s not fair for them if they had to stop to take me home. I think I can manage for a while; I’m kinda used to it now. It I just had some painkillers I would be fine, but I don’t.

Also in a way I am spending time with the guys, well when they finish shopping, so why would I leave right now? They leave on tour next week and I want to spend as much time as possible with them. Their some of my best friends. As much as I wish, we don’t spend as much time together anymore.

“Jade!” Pat’s voice came from nowhere suddenly. “There you are!”

I moved my face from my hands and opened my eyes to see Pat running towards me from the shop entrance. I gave him a small smile as he stopped in front of me. He smiled brightly.

“I thought we lost you.” He said tilting his head to the side. “What are you doing out here?”
“I got lost from you guys and being in there looking for yous gave me a slight headache.” I said softly.

Pat frowned and reached forward to give me a hug. I chuckled and hugged him back before he pulled away. He was one of those people that would hug a person when their down to make them smile. Pat could make anyone smile. It was like his natural talent.

“Sorry we didn’t mean to lose you.”
“It’s ok.” I smiled. “I’m kinda used to it.”

Pat showed me a sad smile. But then brighten up. I tilted my head to side curious; it was obvious that he had just through of something.

“Wanna go back inside?” He asked. “I know where the guys are.”
“Nah, I’ll probably get los-“
“No you won’t! I have a plan, it’s bulletproof.”

I raised my eyebrow.

“A bulletproof plan?” I asked amused.
“Yeah, it’s simple, I’ll hold your hand and you won’t get lost!”

I laughed and Pat grabbed my hand and pulled me from Kennedy’s car. I smiled following him back towards the shop. I know I still have a headache and being in there wouldn’t help it, but I’ll ignore it the best I can to spend time with my friends.

We reached the doors and they opened for us as we walked in to the slightly gross smelling shop. Now I know why everyone washes their new clothes after they buy them, who would want to walk around smelling like this? I think the air conditioner in here is broken.

“So where are they?” I asked Pat as he started pulling me to the left of the shop.
“By the sales area, they sent me to find you so you can help them pick what shirts to get.” Pat chuckled.
“I don’t think I could help them much, I don’t know which colours suit them.” I mumbled walked around a lady with a pram.

I smiled at the lady kindly and she smiled back as we passed.

“So? You’re a girl; yous have like an extra sense at this stuff.” Pat smiled.

I laughed and shook my head. Bad idea though, shaking my head hurts. I winced.

“You ok?” He asked sounding worried.
“Yeah just my headache.” I sighed.

Pat nods his head softly. All the guys knew I got headaches often.

We walked quickly to the back left corner of the shop and I kept my gaze on the ground so I didn’t see so many shades of grey, white and black at once as we moved. That would have made my headache worse.

“I found her!” Pat yelled.

I winced again from his voice, though it didn’t hurt as much as me shaking my head. I kept my eyes on the ground until Pat slowed down his pace and stopped. I stopped too and looked up to see Garrett and Jared in front of us and John and Kennedy on the other side of the clothing rack. I could just see John’s head. Kennedy jumped up to look over the rack and wave at me. I waved back as Pat started talking to Garrett. I missed what they both first said.

“A plan?” Garret asked sounding as amused by it as what I was.

I looked over at him to see him smiling that cute smile of his. Yes I said cute.

“Yeah seeing as she has a track record of getting lost by us in giant shops, today in any shop one of us has to hold her hand, sound good?” Pat smiled.
“Sounds good to me!” John half yelled still on the other side of the clothing rack. “Though I still have no idea how we lose you all the time.”
“Many reasons.” I said shortly not wanting to explain them; they were pretty obvious.

That answer got nods from most of the guys. I looked back down at the ground for a moment.

“Well I need to look for some shirts since half of mine have holes, who’s holding Jade’s hand?” Pat
asked smiling.

It was quiet for a moment. I tried not to laugh.

“I will.” Garrett smiled.

Pat took his hand and mine and placed them together. He smiled and turned to find some shirts. I chuckled and let Garrett link his fingers with mine. I smiled at him.

About a year ago me and Garrett used to go out together, it was only a simple relationship that only went for a short time, but I liked him before that. It only lasted about 2 months before we decided to just be friends because of his band recording and family problems that I had at the time that was putting a lot of stress on us.

Afterwards we didn’t let that affect our relationship as friends, though sometime it did get kinda weird between us, like when I went to tours with them in my holidays and we fell asleep together from talking all night, when the only seat left for me was his lap, you know small things like that.

And I still like him a lot...But I have no idea if he still likes me. From what I heard from the other guys he does, but I haven’t hear it from him, so who really knows. I would like to ask, but I guess I’m too afraid to ask him. Maybe I should...I dunno.

“JADE!” Kennedy yelled suddenly making me wince.
“What?” I groaned as a sharp pain shot threw my head.

Could he yell any louder? Ugh. I closed my eyes and felt Garrett’s hand run through my hair; I knew it was him because he was the closest one to me.

“I need help. Come here please?” Kenny asked.

I opened my eyes slowly and looked at Garrett he looked back at me worried.

“I have a killer headache.”
“Oh.” He mumbled his lips pressing into a line.

I looked down at the ground before looking the direction of Kennedy.

“Jade?” Kennedy asked jumping to look over racks.
“Coming.”

I pulled on Garrett’s hand and he followed me around the rack to see Kennedy looking at two different shirts. Have I mentioned that these guys were useless at shopping? They either can’t make up their minds or spend way too much.

“You asked for help?” I mumbled.
“Yeah! Which one do you think I should get?” Kennedy said holding them up.

Garrett laughed under his breath beside me at his friend. I stood on his foot making him gasp. I smiled but still looking at Kennedy.

“First things first, which is what colour?” I asked.
“Left is red, right is blue.”

Right away the memory of the colour blur flashed in my mind. It was the only colour that I can remember, the last colour that I lost so the doctors said. This is the reason why it was my favourite colour. Almost everything in my house is blue – Well so I have been told.

“I say blue.” I smiled at him.

Kennedy beamed and places the red shirt back.

“I would have chosen red.” Garrett teased smirking.

I turned and poked my tongue out at him; he did it back making me laugh. Laughing wasn’t exactly a good thing to do, it hurt. I winced yet again.

“You ok?” Garrett asked placing his hand on my cheek.
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Just the headache, I’ll be fine.”

He didn’t look convinced but let it go. He pulled on my hand lightly as he turned around.

“Since you helped Kennedy, you can help me now too.” He smiled.

I chuckled being careful of my head. Maybe I can handle being here with my headache; it doesn’t seem too bad so far.

*~*~*

We stood in front of one of the food shops in the food hall looking up at the menu boards.

Well the guys were, I wasn’t.

I stood beside Garrett, who was still holding my hand, with my eyes closed and my free hand pinching the bridge of my nose. My head was thumping hard and making me dizzy. The noise around us to me was deafening; it was so loud that it felt like every laugh and banging noise was a nail being driven into my skull. It was so painful. I don’t know how much longer I can handle this. This headache has turned out way worse than what I thought it would.

“So Jade what do you want?” Garrett asked me.

I looked at him slowly.

“Nothing thanks.”

He gave me a worried look. He has been doing that every since he found out about my headache.

“You sure? Do you want a drink or something-“

He was cut off my a loud crash as someone knocked another person that had their arms full of dirty dishes that was walking over to the main washing area of the shop we were in front off, you could see what happened through the door leading back there. That was the second time since we have been standing here that that has happened.

The sound echoed in my head loudly. I groaned and pulled my hand away from Garrett’s to hold my head.

“Jade! Are you ok? What’s wrong?” He asked sounding like he was freaking out.
“Jade?” I heard John ask.

I said nothing and felt tears weld up in my eyes; the sound was still in my head. I felt someone touch my shoulder.

“Jade, tell us what’s wrong.” Kennedy said softly.

I moved my hands away from my head and looked at them as some tears fell.

“I can’t stay here, I can’t handle it-the noise!” I choked out turning around.

I started running through the people that filled the area. I ran as fast as I could to the exit doors on the other side of the food hall as the guys called behind me. I didn’t slow down.

I have to get out of here. Now.

I thought I could handle being here, but I can’t. Like usual I can’t.