-“It’s eight o’clock and you’re still sleeping?”
As I opened my eyes I was greeted by a pouting face staring at me.
-”School starts at 8:30. Unless we rush out at 8:15, we’re going to be super-duper late!”
-”I’m up, I’m up!”
As I was getting out of bed, the girl next to me was urging me to hurry up.
She was my twin sister. She always was the cheerful, energetic one like our dad while I inherited my calmer side from our mom.
– ”Good morning.” my dad greeted me.
Unlike me, he has blond hair, but we both have the same green eyes… or at least had.
About 3 years ago people inexplicably started awakening powers. Only one out of 30 got powers. However, even for those who got them, it honestly didn’t change much in their lives.
Our neighbour, for example, has awakened. We sometimes chat when I return from school. His power is slightly increasing the vitality of plants. Gardening got a bit easier, but it doesn’t have much other use.
In my family I’m the only one awakened but I wish I just stayed normal. I still remember that time when I was five, my parents brought me to an art museum. Ever since then I’ve seen the world in a different light. I could only guess how the artists have felt when drawing these paintings. The people inside looked as if the next moment they would jump right out, and the scenery was full of vitality and… color.
Since then I’ve wanted to become an artist, somebody who expresses her feelings in such vivid ways.
I was never good at expressing myself or showing joy. Instead I drew, painted, even sculpted. When I created a painting, I didn’t need to force a smile to show I was happy, the vivid scenes I drew showed what I truly felt.
Those who awaken get a mark that starts glowing when their powers are used. The mark’s location is completely random. My mark appeared inside my eyes. The world didn’t become blurry but rather colorless. I still remember that day. I got up and just as I got to the bathroom mirror and opened my drowsy eyes, I thought that something was off. Considering that I was still half asleep, and my long hair was black, I didn’t notice the lack of color right away. Then I saw that the rainbow-colored stickers glued on the mirror weren’t rainbow-like at all! I first thought that their color was fading. However, I soon realized that it was not only the stickers but the entire house.
Most doctors thought that it was an unknown genetic disease. After a while one finally realized that these white flame tattoos were actually my own pair of marks. I didn’t even know what my power was, and if my ability to see colors was the price, then I didn’t want it.
Without seeing colors, I lost all of my self confidence in making art.
As we were walking to school, my sister suddenly asked:
-“It’s soon the end of the school year so all of us eight graders will have to choose the direction to go to. This is basically the first step.”
-“Yup”, I casually responded.
-“Soooo…” I somehow knew what was next.
-“Where will you be going?” she asked excitedly.
She looked like a puppy waiting for something while wagging its tail. I knew my sister better than anybody. If I were to ignore her, she would never just brush it off but rather keep asking me until I go nuts.
-“I got no idea.”
-“No idea?”
-“No idea”, I confirmed “What about you?”
-“I’m going to a dance high school!”
As she said that she started moving all around. She was spinning, stretching her leg upwards, doing poses with her hands and legs, doing pirouettes. I thought that she was dancing hip hop but then I realized that my guess was not even close. Even if for her these moves were instinctive, I could tell that they were actually very profound. While she was dancing, she was the very definition of beauty and elegance. Ballet, I realized, she was dancing ballet. With that confident look in her eyes, she looked as if she could achieve anything.
I was watching my sister with awe. I smiled as I forgot my troubles.
That’s right, this was the sister I admire so much.
-“I seem to have found out what you usually do while waiting for my extra classes to finish.” I teased.
Unlike her I take extra classes after school and she always comes to pick me up. When I asked why she wasn’t attending, she just told me “because it’s too boring”. I often wondered what exactly she was doing to pass the time. It seems I got my long-awaited answer.
On the way to school we continued chatting. My sister told me everything about learning ballet and I told her about a nice coffee shop nearby. Their waitress can change her hair at will. Short or long, curly or straight, as she wants. She often likes to amuse the kids while serving desserts. When she serves chocolate cake, she has short brown hair and while she serves strawberry-vanilla ice cream, she has long half-pink half-white hair with a double ponytail.
At the sight of a certain poster I stop. It is about the very school I had wanted to enroll into before I became colorblind. There is basic information on the school itself and a painting right above it. Every year the painting changes. Last year it was an ocean but this year it’s a landscape, full of flowers. Now I want back my ability to see colors more than ever before. If it weren’t for the mark in my eyes, I would be able to appreciate this painting a lot more. Were these flowers blue, pink or purple? No, maybe red or yellow. As I was daydreaming about how this truly looks, my sister calling out snapped me back to reality.
-“What are you looking at?”
Before I knew it, she was right behind me, peeking over my shoulder at the poster.
I muttered:
-“I wanted to be the one to create the painting for the next year.”
The reason that these paintings change every year is because students are the ones creating them for the entrance exams. The paintings determine who gets accepted, and the best one ends up on the posters advertising the school. For years I wanted to be the artist of the painting ending up on the posters but I gave up on that dream after I stopped seeing colors.
-“Seems like you found your dream high school!”
-“I already gave up on it so it’s fine. I’ll just go to a general one if I run out of ideas.”
-“I’ll tell you a little embarrassing secret.”
-“Hmm?” I raised an eyebrow.
-“In reality, I wasn’t flexible at all”, she whispered in my ear as she leaned on my shoulder.
-“How is that embarrassing?”
-“For ballet dancers being inflexible is a sin. However”, she continued, “I overcame it with effort.”
As she said that, she got on the floor and performed a split and stretched forwards to touch her foot. Once again I saw that confident expression and it reminded me that she truly was a strong person. But soon I frowned.
-“That may be true but that’s something you COULD change. I can’t start seeing colors just by making a big effort.”
It was her turn to sigh.
-“Sign up for that exam.”
-“Bu-” Before I got to finish, she cut me off as if she already knew what I was about to say.
-“No buts, you never know until you try.” She looked at me and smiled.
-“I already gave up on all of that.”
I had a discouraged look as I said it but I still forced a smile, a small and sad smile. That was when I noticed that my ever childish sister now had a very serious expression aimed right at me. I was caught off guard as she said:
-“Look me in the eyes”
Instinctively I did the opposite, lowering my head and avoiding her gaze. Did I make her angry? Was it because I rebutted her? No, we often disagree but she would mostly just pout it out. Then why? I was always a very sensitive person who got discouraged easily; even the smallest word of disapproval could shatter all of my motivation instantly.
-“Look me in the eyes.”
I felt my sister’s hand slowly lifting my chin. Her piercing gaze staring into my eyes felt terrifying. She asked me:
-“Do you truly like art?”
-“Yes.” I whispered
-“I can’t hear you.”
-“YES!” I panicked right after saying that. But my sister now had a gentle look.
-“Then go for it, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Her tone changed while saying that. If somebody saw us now, they could not be able to tell we were twins. They would only see a big sister comforting her little sibling.
-“Even if you fail, there’s nothing to lose, right?”
I helplessly smiled. That’s right, how could I misunderstand my sister like that? She was always there for me. Even if she often feigned anger over the smallest things, she never truly got upset with me. Only now did I also realize that in reality what I was afraid of was not the consequence but rather the very thought of her being mad at me.
Because of this, for some reason, my mood lifted. I started laughing. There was no reason, I just felt like laughing. The only difference is that this time it wasn’t my usual forced smile but a truly heartfelt laugh.
-“You actually have a point for once.”
-“Hey!”
After all, she really had a point. The entrance exam is free and anybody can participate. Even if I lose, there will be no harm done!
-“Alright! I’m going for it!”
A few weeks later
I’ve been practicing my drawing skills since, only taking a break for school and for food. I completely stopped drawing when I became colorblind. Now, not only do I need to overcome how rusty I’ve gotten, I also need to surpass my past skills. I need to be ready for anything. Even if I know that there is no way that I’ll be using everything I practiced, this isn’t just about the competition. This is about myself. I don’t have much hope of winning this competition. However, right now winning seemed insignificant. I only cared to do my best. I don’t need to prove to others that I’m a good artist. I need to express myself.
Today is the day that I am taking the entrance exam. I enter the building accompanied by my parents and sister. I can’t say I am afraid. I doubt that I will pass since the fact remains that most of the students here started drawing at an early age but didn’t stop like I did. Also unlike me they can see colors perfectly. Oddly, that doesn’t discourage me at all.
The interior is crowded. Students show many mixed emotions, some nervous, others confident. Soon the school advisor announces the rules. This year we need to draw a landscape, any landscape we want. He also says something that catches me by surprise: this year the judges will not be focusing on the line-art as much as they will on the colors! I feel as if a bucket of cold water was poured over my head. If it were me from a few weeks ago, I would be discouraged to the point of crying but now I’m on the verge of giggling. It feels like the entire world is pranking me. This year is the first time since they started admissions that they will be concentrating on the colors more than anything else.
Students are divided into groups and led into separate rooms. The people accompanying us can choose to stay here or go wait somewhere else. The building almost empties out, most people preferring to sit in a coffee shop. A few families decide to stay, including mine.
After my group enters the room, we choose where to sit and we start. I grab my pencil and do the rough outline. It only takes about 15 minutes since the paint will cover everything either way. After I am done, I grab my palette and my brush. Now I have to choose the colors. As I am thinking about which ones to choose, I remember my sister’s advice. “You can try eliminating your weakness if you want but using it to your advantage can sometimes be even better.”
A few hours later, everybody takes out their paintings. The paintings are covered with a cloth in order to hide the final result. The seating was organized so that nobody except students themselves would know what their painting looks like, not their fellow students nor the teachers.
There is no need to worry about the cloth cover sticking on the wet paint and ruining their efforts. This is because the school hired somebody with a quite helpful power, the power to dry things. He got hired almost as soon as he stepped into the school. Reason? Simple. Not only is he a good art teacher but his power can be used to dry paint, saving everybody a lot of trouble. He uses his power daily, not only for work but also at home. He dries his clothes and dishes instantly, making a lot of busy people envious.
We all remove the cloth from our paintings simultaneously. Every single piece of art here is wonderful. I am surrounded by vivid scenes. Even without distinguishing the colors, I can sense that they all put a lot of effort into blending them.
Just like the others, I am looking around and checking out other works. Soon after, a judge stops at my painting and looks at it. It is a tall woman, I’m guessing in her thirties. She has long brown hair and green eyes, she is very pretty. She asks:
-“Are you aware that this year we are observing colors over anything else?” she asks me with a serious but doubtful expression.
-“Yes.” I answer honestly.
At this point a lot of students around are looking at us with curiosity. If they were in this situation, most would try to make up excuses, but my gaze is unwavering. This causes the judge to raise an eyebrow.
-“The colors are completely messed up, you drew a scenery full of flowers and yet nothing is in place. Your sky is orange, your grass is yellow, your lake is purple and your petunias are forest green. Are you really that confident about winning?”
-“I draw for myself, not for others nor for winning.”
The woman is taken aback. I sigh knowing that I will probably get rejected for my attitude, but I don’t feel disappointed at all.
-“Hahaha! Good! I like you, kid!”
As soon as she says that, she hands me an envelope. I am confused, what is this?
-“Not only do you have ambition, you also have a unique style. None of the paintings in this room are lacking in any way, but that also causes nothing to stand out too much. You broke out of that shell, creating a new style of your own. As we said that we will be looking at colors, we didn’t mean who has a better palette or who mixes them better, but whose colors stand out the most. We’ve already considered a few options but now the winner is clear.”
I take the envelope and open it. As I read it, I raise my head and look at the woman.
-“Me?” I mutter.
She nods with a smile.
I stand frozen. At that she shakes her head, pats me on the back and says:
-“Go on, give the news to your family, I know that you’re eager to.”
I nod and run off.
On the other side, my family is still waiting. I run and crash into them with a big bear hug. I didn’t even notice I was crying.
-“I got first place!” I exclaimed.
-“Knew you could do it!”
-“Congratulations”
My dad and sister say simultaneously. Yup, they really are a father-daughter pair and I giggle. My mother kisses my forehead and tells me:
-“I’m proud of you. Make sure to show us this winning painting of yours later.”
-“Sure!”
I still haven’t found out what my power is, but I understood that it’s thanks to the handicap it brought me that I was able to win the contest.
