Unraveled Words

It couldn’t have been more than a second later when Ryan opened his eyes, finding he was not lying on the ground as he expected but in a very soft bed. Considering that everything around him was purple, he decided it had to be Brendon’s. As he sat up, he saw Brendon perched on the edge of the bed, spinning a bottle, not between his fingers, but on top of them.

“What are you—”

“Really, Ryan, I said no questions,” Brendon interrupted quietly. He was surrounded by a faint glow of simple white light. “It’s better this way.”

What way? Ryan was dying to ask, but he knew it would be shot down. Instead, he slid over the dark violet sheets to sit next to Brendon. Letting the bottle fall away from his hand to float around above the floor, Brendon glanced at Ryan, revealing white eyes that made Ryan jump. He looked so sad, a deep sort of sad that radiated from his whole form. It was startling to see on someone who had just been so chipper.

With what seemed like a decent amount of effort, the white heated into silver, with a flicker of dark blue, but it was extinguished within a second. To avoid being interrupted again, Ryan carefully phrased his words.

“I would like to know the reason you look so troubled.”

Turning a very pale, almost sickly, yellow, Brendon allowed himself a miniscule smile. “You’re getting clever.” His smile dropped and he went back to white. “I’m fine.”

“It really doesn’t look like it.”

“Not everything is what it seems,” Brendon mumbled, meeting Ryan’s eyes fleetingly. They were still white, but flecks of brown decorated them. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

As soon as he was on his feet, Ryan was in a strange, white space. A marble floor and cathedral ceiling gave the impression of a ballroom, along with a sparkling white chandelier. It, too, made Ryan think of sadness. The chandelier lit up, filling the area with gold, and although there were no walls, it stopped in a definite rectangular shape. Brendon, bathed in the golden light, was smiling again. He looked to something just past Ryan, and music started playing, the notes drifting lazily through the air right before Ryan’s eyes. They swirled with the rhythm, something slow and harmonious.

“Care to dance?” Brendon asked, holding out his hand. Ryan looked at him for a moment. He was hesitant to touch the glowing boy, not knowing what exactly would happen. For all he knew, it could electrocute him. When Brendon cocked his head to the side, Ryan finally gave in, sliding his hand into Brendon’s grasp. His outlandish guess of electrocution was surprisingly accurate.

As soon as he touched Brendon, his heart seemed to jolt in his chest, desperate to get out, and he could feel Brendon’s glow, not only in the slight warmth it gave off, but the emotions now coursing through him. Sadness, jealousy, guilt, curiosity, all of them invaded Ryan’s mind. It was almost enough to make him faint again. Brendon was watching him with lilac eyes. He had to have known what was going to happen.

“I hope you know how to waltz,” was all he said, lips pulling up in a smirk as he placed his other hand on Ryan’s waist. Ryan was still at a loss for words as they started moving, feeling like he wasn’t even touching the ground. Just to be sure, he looked down and was happy to see that he was just light-headed.

For someone who had never danced either professionally or recreationally in his life, Ryan was doing well to keep up with the proficiently skilled Brendon who was quickly becoming more and more intriguing. Ryan had to very consciously remind himself to breathe; between dancing and the strange effect Brendon’s glow had on him, he was dangerously close to forgetting how to function. Brendon appeared to be enjoying himself, or at least enjoying watching Ryan falter, but there was still a splotch of white dancing in his colorful eyes, still the sadness Ryan could feel aching in his chest.

“I think I need to sit down,” Ryan said. Immediately Brendon halted, causing Ryan to crash into his chest and bounce off as Brendon let him go. A chair made of what looked like harp strings caught him, gently dipping to allow him to settle. All of the emotions that had been racing through Ryan’s veins disappeared. He was exhausted. “That should never happen again.”

“What shouldn’t?” Brendon questioned, continuing to dance by himself, arms poised as though still holding Ryan.

“Touching.”

Spinning his imaginary partner, Brendon raised his eyebrows but remained silent. Right in his arms, the music gathered, forming a shape similar to a silhouette of a Disney princess. He glanced at Ryan, eyes deep blue.

“You’re turning green.”

Alarmed, Ryan looked down at himself. His hands, the only part of his pale skin that was showing, were glowing an angry green. He moved them around, trying to convince himself it was a trick of the light, but it couldn’t be done. Somehow, he was glowing, just like Brendon.

“This isn’t possible.”

The music stopped suddenly, Brendon’s princess shattering like glass and disintegrating before she could hit the floor.

“Anything is possible,” Brendon replied. His eyes were brown again. Something about that shade made Ryan nervous, more nervous than the fact that he seemed to be becoming whatever Brendon was. The colorful boy turned away, holding out his hand for another invisible partner. “I think you should go to bed. You look exhausted.”

Black took over Ryan’s vision, and he was asleep against his will.