Bubbllegum Pink
Jezzika Landrum
When Nathan was young, his favorite color was bubblegum pink. His mom was open-minded, so she let him pick out all the pink clothes and toys that he wanted. When they went to a store young cashiers would look on with a smile as little Nathan struggled to lift a My Little Pony blanket set and various sparkly graphic tees onto the conveyor belt. With his cheeks rosy and eyes full of pride, he carried his bag of pink things out of the store.
Nathan, now seventeen, no longer claims bubblegum pink as his favorite color. For him, that obnoxious shade of pink is like a time capsule holding all the dreadful things that happen to a little boy whose favorite color is bubblegum pink. When Nathan went to his first day of kindergarten, he insisted on picking out his own outfit, and his mom allowed it. He arrived at school in his favorite bubblegum pink-striped leggings and one of his new graphic tees, which read “unicorns are real”. His mom dropped him off, and now when he thinks back, he is eternally grateful that he wasn’t made to ride the bus. She bid him farewell and good luck, and he was off. Nathan walked through those halls with a bounce in his step, still blissfully ignorant to the already stirring chattering of his potential classmates.
It began as soon as he stepped into the classroom, and Devin Beaumont made a thoughtful inquiry from across the room. “Hey! Are you a boy or a girl?” he practically yelled.
Everyone turned to look at Nathan. Quickly turning his favorite shade of pink under all of the attention, Nathan answered confidently, “I’m a boy.”
Devin looked him over and spoke again, “But boys don’t wear pink,” he said skeptically.
“Well I do, and I’m a boy,” said Nathan.
Devin looked at him quizzically, like he was questioning all of his beliefs in that little five-year-old head. After a couple of seconds, he looked back to Nathan and said, “Okay” before continuing to unpack his superhero backpack.
Devin Beaumont would later become Nathan’s best friend, but at the time it was a nightmare for Nathan. Looking back at the situation, all the unwanted attention gave him chills. All the judgement came from his choice to wear those bubblegum-pink striped leggings. Ever since that day Nathan’s favorite color has been baby pink. He vowed to never again wear or purchase anything in that tacky shade.