Monochrome Hopes

Tabrin was always seen as a cool and attractive guy. He wore his hair combed back, with only one lock of hair still hanging down. His eyes were narrow and a bright green, his hair dyed a contrasting bright blue. The fact he was smart really helped his reputation and his popularity with girls. His personality, most would say, was his problem.

He could never seem to straight up complement anyone, it'd always be passive-aggressive or an insult. Most people got sick of it and left his side, but somehow there were a few people who still stuck by him.

Malark, on the other hand, was fairly average. He wasn't even a particularly smart guy or attractive guy. His hair was blond, and it'd always be long and parted in the middle. His eyes a fitting gold. Despite how everyone around him viewed him as a good guy, not many were close to him.

He was always someone who people would come to and talk to about their problems, and he'd give them his thoughts. He would typically smile, but even so, he still had no one he considered a best friend, and he was always honest - perhaps brutally so - about this fact.

Tabrin, though always a quiet guy, was dead silent that day and covered in bruises. His classmates, Malark included, noticed this, and started to whisper, even near him. He didn't respond to them, so they almost acted as if he couldn't hear them.

The rumor was that his friends finally got sick and tired of his attitude, and they got into a fight. Despite how Tabrin always was, Malark almost expected him to come to him so they could talk it out and sort the problem out. But it never came.

Instead, Malark watched Tabrin sit there, his face swollen, his glasses somehow intact. It was like this for a few days, until Tabrin suddenly stood up and left. Even the teacher was confused, but nobody tried to stop him. He simply left the room without a single word.

Except one person did do something.

Malark, shortly after, stood up himself. He turned the teacher and asked if he may be excused. Everyone knew Malark enough to know what he was doing, so the teacher allowed him leave.
Tabrin was sitting on the stairs going up to the next floor, crying. Malark walked over, and put a hand on his shoulder. Tabrin threw it off his shoulder, growling.

"Leave me alone!"

Malark didn't say anything, but moved his hand to Tabrin's shoulder again. But before it could land, Tabrin slapped it away.

"Piss off! You're annoying." Tabrin looked up. Though his injured and puffed up face almost gave him a funny look, it was still frightening. And frightened.

Malark was grim. his eyes glaring back into Tabrin's, but instead of fear and anger, it was determination that burned in his eyes.

"I know you're not this weak. You're stronger than this."

Tabrin felt a tinge of guilt shoot through his heart. Malark was right. But what did it matter? What did it matter to him?

"What do you care?" Tabrin snapped back at him.

"I don't know," Malark gave an honest shrug. "But, monochrome hopes are blank and there's no need to pretend you have them. So reach out and grab onto your dreams."

Tabrin looked confused, cocking his head to the side. "What the hell does that mean?"
Malark laughed softly, "Whatever you want it to!"

An awkward exchange it may have been, but in Tabrin's heart, it meant a lot. From that day, they became friends. Sometimes Tabrin felt that one day Malark may turn around and stab his back like all of is other friends had. But it never happened. Malark was always honest and stuck to him.

And yet, all of the time, Tabrin would insult his friend. But it seemed like Malark understood what he meant, or perhaps that Tabrin wasn't mad - he was just being himself. It was on one night that Malark was gone, that one of his friends turned to Tabrin.

"You're always so mean and angry around Malark, but you still stick around him. Why is that?"

Tabrin laughed under his breath. "Yeah, I'm kind of an asshole to him, and he's pretty stupid. But," he sighed, "he's like nobody else that's ever been in my life. He's genuinely a great guy that means well."

Perhaps Malark would never learn what Tabrin said, but it wouldn't matter. Years after being best friends, it ended the only way true friendship ever could. In death.

Tabrin was shaking as he held onto Malark. Tears started to pool up in his eyes, and he wanted to say something, but seeing his friend in his arms, covered in wounds and blood made something get caught up in his throat. Tabrin's heart was screaming to say something, anything, but nothing came.

Malark chuckled painfully, "Please, don't cry. Just.. remember, that there's no need to have monochrome hopes. They're useless - they'll just get in your way."

Tabrin smiled softly.

And softly, Malark continued, "or.. at least remember to chase your dreams. Okay?" and his breath stopped.

For Tabrin, everything went silent.

The following days stayed like this. Tabrin barely spoke a word, unless he absolutely had to, and even then only with a hollow voice. Malark's funeral was coming soon. His friend's parents came to him and asked if he had anything to say to commemorate his friend. He said he did, and they let him go on his day.

He never figured out what he was going to say, even as he was sitting there at the funeral. He tried to remember what to say, and he racked his memories like he had never before. He remembered so many good and bad times with his friend, but no matter what happened, nothing came to him.

When he heard his name called, he responded to standing up silently and going to the podium. He stood up there for a few moments, the room falling dead silent. He sighed, and then spoke.

"I didn't know him until my senior year of high school, and it's been years since then. My mind is not certain what I or he wants to say, but i think my heart does;

Monochrome hopes are blank, there's no need to pretend you have any. so you must reach out and grab a hold of your dreams.

I've wondered what he meant this entire time, and I'm still not certain this is what it meant, but I think he'd be satisfied. There's not much point in to hold a copy and pasted dream that everyone else holds just because you don't want to stick out." Tabrin bit his bottom lip, his eyes pooling up with tears for the first time in days. "You should be who you are," the tears fell hard, and he pushed even harder to let his words out. "you should embrace your own ambitions and brace yourself for impact as you fight for what you feel is right!"

Everyone clapped, and through his tears, he could've almost sworn he saw Malark in the crowd, clapping with them as if to tell Tabrin one more thing - thank you.