True Blue

The delicate dew settled on Emmaline’s garden. Tiny droplets formed on the roses’ smooth petals, a safe distance from the dangerous landscape of the stems below.

“It’s almost time for school, Emmie!” her mother announced, readying her lunch box and book bag. “Don’t forget to tend to your roses.”

The hallways and classrooms of the school were buzzing with the fiery redness of Valentine’s Day. Sweethearts and friends were sharing cards, candy, and, of course, red roses.

“Hey, Emmaline,” Ray, the class bully, called out, loud enough for everyone to hear. “What color is this rose to you? Blue, right?”

Emmaline’s cheeks flushed, but she pushed past him. The familiar scent of roses lingering in the hallway calmed her. Her eyes brightened when she saw Maddy waiting by her locker. Maddy had been there when Emmaline first explained her rare condition, the way she saw blue where others saw red.

Emmaline reached into her bookbag and pulled out one of the cherished roses from her garden. With tears in her eyes, she handed the rose to Maddy. “Thank you for being my friend. I know this rose is red, even though it looks blue through my eyes. I only wish I could see it that way.”

Maddy took the rose, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. She hugged Emmaline tightly. “My mother explained to me last night what it means to receive a blue rose. Only a ‘true blue’ friend—one that is deeply loyal, genuine, and honest—receives a blue rose. To me, this rose will always be blue—just like you see it.”

Maddy knew that Emmaline was like the rarest of blue roses—uniquely beautiful in a world of red.

Author’s Notes:

CONTEST PROMPT: Write a flash fiction story of up to 300 words in which a blue rose plays an important part.

Protanopia is a type of red-green color blindness where the red photoreceptors (cones) in the eye are missing or non-functional. People with protanopia cannot distinguish between red and green hues. They may see reds as darker and may confuse reds with blues or greens.