John immediately regretted attending to this party as soon as he stepped over the door's threshold. He had already been greeted with elbows pushing into him as he walked around in the ocean full of drunk minors and John could spot maybe 2 or 3 adults chilling in some corners of the living room walls. John jostled past Angelica Schuyler, a long wavy haired woman with even longer legs and a cute leopard patterned top, and she smiled at him, stopping a moment on her way to the back of the house. She was struggling with holding what was looking like 5 glasses of what John presumed to be all liquor.

"Sup John, killer party huh?" She said over the dull drone of people talking and the music flooding from the dining room. John felt like he was going deaf. He nodded, smiling a little as he kept scanning the area. He used his hand to straighten out a curly lock over his head so it wouldn't be in his way. Angelica smiled and looked over her shoulders.
"Glad to see you here, did you bring a friend with you?"
John shrugged and took a sip from his drink. Earlier when some guys asked what he was drinking he just responded with "Whiskey." but in fact it was just Coca Cola mixed with water. John was his own drive tonight.
"No, no friend tonight. In fact, I wasn't planning on coming at all. I had a whole night with Lafayette planned."
Angelica rolled her eyes and nudged John on his shoulder with her own.
"Well it's good to see you outside your practices at least. I know that sport is important to you but honestly, you need to loosen up a little." She winked and tried to rebuild her stack of alcohol in her arms.
John just nodded, not really interested at continuing the conversation.

"Anyways, you're here to have fun. You know, there's a lot of girls in here." She said in a tone that John wasn't exactly found of. He looked around once more. She was right, there were a lot of girls here.
"Go and talk to some of them! Who knows, you could get lucky tonight." She said and laughed.

John scoffed and took a sip of his pathetic cola-water mix. Finishing his swallow, he was just opening his mouth to say something but got interrupted by someone touching his right shoulder. He got startled and almost spilled his fake whiskey. He tried to look to his left but no one was there
The anonymous person stepped forward from the right and when John was about to see where Angelica stood, she was gone.

"Laurens! I knew I recognized those curly locks and broad shoulders!" A friendly smile and dark, warm eyes embraced John's glare and John couldn't help but to creep up a faint smile.
"Hey, Alexander." He said, grinning now, for once.
"I thought you weren't going to come? What made you change your mind?" Alexander, who also had a drink, took a sip and placed the empty glass on the kitchen counter.

"Oh you know, a party is better than an 8 hours long Star Wars marathon, right." He said with a fake laugh. He knew for darn sure that he would rather pick the marathon over this junk.
Alexander just laughed with him as he casually folded his arms.
"Right, right. Hey, did you talk to Angelica? I had no idea that the sisters were such party animals! Peggy even did a keg stand. It's like she isn't even wasted!"
John just rose his eyebrow in confusion.
"Peggy did a keg stand?"
This fact made John a bit uneasy. Peggy was a close friend of his and he didn't like the fact that his friend was probably already alcohol poisoned by the small age of 18.
"Yeah, man. I told her not to do it but she said that she had a bet with some guy so." He finished the sentence with a shrug and glanced over John's right shoulder. John noticed this and turned around to see what was distracting his friend.

Just in the back of the tv room stood Eliza Schuyler, babbling with another girl who seemed to be her friend. But Eliza didn't seem to be concentrating on the conversation she was having with her friend. Her gaze was glued with Alex's. John noticed this pushed a sigh out of his lips.
"Who's that?" John asked even though he already knew. He just wanted Alex to stop drooling.
"That's Eliza. Eliza Schuyler." Alex answered, completely hypnotized by the whole eye sex thing.
"Well stop undressing her with your eyes and go and talk to her. You're gonna leave a puddle right where you stand with your spit of you don't stop drooling like a horny dog." John laughed, pushing Alex by his back a bit closer towards the second oldest Schuyler sister.
"Nah man I don't know-" Alexander protested, his heels digging into the wooden floor as John pushed him closer and closer.
John snorted at the response and stopped.
"You ain't getting lucky then." He said and turned away.

"YoU aInT gEtTiNg lUcKy tHeN." Alex mocked as he straighten out his shirt and fixed his tie and collar. "I'll show you." Alex hissed and he walked towards Eliza with confident steps, kissing her hand as he bowed to her honor.

"Fucking dork." John grunted as he walked away to explore the rest of the /almost/ completely ruined and toilet papered house. He took a left and passed the staircase and ended up in the front parlor. It hand been transformed into a makeshift dance floor, the sofas pushed to another room to make space for the people already jamming inside, dancing with the music. John was itching to dance as well, but he wasn't drunk enough to make his famous party moves. Heck, he wasn't drunk at all. He bounced a little on his toes and hummed with the lyrics of the songs that were playing from someone's iPod. All the songs were basic "radio" songs that you heard at least ten times a day.

In the sea of people he could see Peggy laughing and bobbing her head as a boy whispered into her ear. She was looking directly in John's direction though, and he waved and she smiled, lifting her hand to beckon him over. John shook his head and gestured that he was fine where he was and that he wasn't in the mood of dancing. In other words, he flipped her off and she just laughed at him. Peggy pushed the anonymous boy out of her way and danced towards John. Her hips were gliding in rhythm with the music as she made her way to John. She was a good dancer, but that doesn't change the fact that she was wasted and that you could almost see half of her bra peeking out of her top.
"Hey girl! You came after all?" Peggy cooed and rested her arm on John's shoulder. She was almost 2 feet shorter than him so she had to stand on her tippy toes to be able to reach.
John just nodded as response and gently took a hold of Peggy's top and corrected it so you wouldn't get a free ticket to see her chest. Peggy smiled at him and looked down at her bosom.
"Thanks man, no wonder all the guys were finally giving me attention!"
"No problem Peg." John chuckled and took his final sip of his drink. He placed the empty glass on a shelf that was decorated with family photographs and portraits. The Schuyler family was very old fashioned and preferred painted artworks over photographs. The fanciest of them all was covered with a pure golden frame and inside the frame was a happy family surrounding each other. Philip Schuyler, his wife Cathrine, the three main sisters, two brothers and some younger children and were possibly the "forgotten" sisters that no one ever talked about. Not even Eliza mentioned them.
"So who have you been talking too?" Peggy asked, disturbing John's analysis.

"Oh, just Angelica and Alexander. I just came here and I don't know anyone else"

Peggy wasn't listening and was just moving her body, dancing to the music. She took a hold of John's wrist to pulled him closer to her. As she did, she started on her hand that was combined with John's wrist. To her disappointment, their skin was still the same. Black and white with gray shadows. John sighed and pulled away his hand.
Peggy frowned and slowly sunk her hand and folded her arms together. She turned to face another direction and didn't bother to explain the situation. But that wasn't needed because John knew what this was about.
"I'm not your soulmate, Peggy."
"I know.."
"We've been through this. If you didn't see color the first time we touch, you most likely will not see color the 22nd time we touch. You know how this works."
Peggy nodded as response and wiped away a tear with the hand.
"It's just that, you're such a nice guy. And all guys have either already found their soulmate or that they're just not as lucky. And I figured-"
"I'm sorry Peggy, but I am not your soulmate. Even if I were, I wouldn't share the same feelings towards you." He said and brushed his hand on one of her shoulders.
"I think I should go. I'll see you around."

John walked through the group of people that were blocking the exit and entered the hall way. Two people that were shining in color were making out in a corner of the room and John just stared at them. Ever since he came to this party, he wasn't bothered by the fact that he was still black and white. It was completely normal in this world and only 40% of the human population had the luck to find their significant other. John was just a part of the 60% that had to live with it.
But now, thanks to Peggy's little 22nd attempt of seeing if she and John were a match, he couldn't help but to have his mind caught up in this soulmate bullshit.
He had dated before, but all of them were also black and white. Some had color, but John was never the second half.

"So your parents are okay with you having a big party with over 100 people wrecking every single room?" Alexander asked with a smile, leaning toward a wall with his right arm and holding his fourth drink in his left hand.
"No, not at all! I'm not really a fond of these parties either, but my sisters insisted so I thought, why not? But hey, if this party was never arranged then maybe we never would've met." Eliza giggled and winked at Alexander. Alex could feel a blush creep onto his cheeks as he smirked as a response.
"Well if it takes disappointing your parents, it would've been worth it."
Alexander laughed and took a sip of his drink. Eliza chucked and looked down to her hands that were embracing her drink. Her fingers were fidgeting and her cheeks were flushed pink. She took a lock of her own hair and moved it behind her ear, exposing her very shining diamond earring. The Schuyler family was very rich so it wasn't odd that she could afford expensive jewelry and famous clothing brands. Alex could've sworn that she was even wearing a Valentino top. The color was hard to assume since Eliza was, just like himself, black and white. But Alexander couldn't stop staring at all her stunning features. Her beautiful dark eyes that looked like they could hold the whole universe. Her natural soft puckered lips. Her thin nose. Her beautiful dark straight hair that shaped her pale face. She looked like a porcelain doll that you had to be carful with if she was to be held.
"You know.." Alex mumbled, moving his glass so the liquor inside it waved around.
"You're a very beautiful woman, Eliza."
Eliza rose her head and looked at Alexander with cheeks flushed and warm. Her eyes were widened and her pupils were dilated. She smiled widely and chucked before she could actually answer.
"That's very sweet of you to say, Alexander.."
Before Alexander could say something as a respond, Angelica came towards the two love birds, holding a stack of bottles and cans. She was struggling and her eyes were darted at Eliza. "Hey, love! Could you be a dear and help me a little? Someone set up another table for drinks by the dance floor and I need you help! I'm sorry for disturbing y'all!" She said and smiled at the two. She was barely paying attention to Alexander but when she turned to greet him, she couldn't help but to get lost into his eyes. Alexander grinned and reached out his hand to hold hers, but Angelica couldn't give him her hand thanks to all the junk and alcohol she was carrying. Instead she nodded at Alex's direction as a friendly "hello" and smiled.
"Hey Alexander! Nice to see you here!"
He grinned and took a sip of his drink again.
"Hey Angie, nice party you got going. Did you invite the whole neighborhood?"
Angelica laughed.
"No no, just some friends from school! I saw John earlier, have you talked to him?"
"Yes, I did! But he forced me to introduce myself to your sister here." Alexander smiled over at Eliza, who was just listening to the little side conversation.
"I haven't seen him for quite a while now."
Angelica scoffed with a laugh and looked around the area.
"I think I saw him talking to Peggy by the dance floor. He seemed to be having a good time, I guess."
Alexander shrugged.
"I don't think so to be honest, he seemed pretty down. Maybe I should go and find him."
"Well, you do you boo. Now, I have to steal your girl for a minute. Eliza, you coming?"
Eliza looked up at Angelica and nodded. Angelica left and Eliza knew she had to get going too, but she need to do something first. She picked up a pen she had in her little purse that she was always carrying around and took a hold of one of Alexander's hands. As soon as they both touched, skin to skin, both of them felt a tingling feeling. It was warm, and soft. It came as a surprise, and without one of them saying a single word as a reaction, color started to develop on both of their hands. Alex's dark tones were replaced with a warm beige looking hue that filled his whole body. His black shaded hair turned into dark brown.
Eliza's skin wasn't no longer light grey, it was more of a porcelain and ivory mix. Her hair was still as dark but her lips were pink and her eyes were hazel brown. They stared at each other for maybe more than 10 seconds but it felt like an eternity. Eliza finished writing the numbers on his hands without even looking, and left the scene, without a word. Both of them were just, filled with shock. Alexander's heart was pumping twice as fast now. Is this what a heart attack felt like?

As John stepped over a puddle of vomit outside on the house lawn, he saw Alex come running towards him with a grin smeared onto his stupid face.
"Laurens!"
"Alex, I've told you. Please, call me John. I'm your best friend for fuck sake. "
"Yes! John, sure. Old habit, sorry." Alex panted and took his hand to move his hair away from his face. He was, sweating?
His eyes were filled with excitement and he jumped up and down, like a little kid on a Christmas morning.
"Guess what."
"... Chicken butt?" John answered hesitantly but Alex just laughed.
"No no, look at this." He held up his right hand and on his hand was a few numbers scribbled onto with a blue ballpoint pen. It looked like a phone number, but Alex's hand was so sweaty so it was hard to tell what the numbers were.
"Dude, no way! Is it Eliza's?"
"No it's Martha- Of course it's Eliza you idiot! And have you noticed something else?!" Alex spun around with his body and right at that moment John realized that Alex wasn't in the boring shades anymore. He had hue and color, shining like a disco ball. It hurt John's eyes a little.
"What the fu-"
"Eliza is my soulmate, John! When she touched my hand to write her number, our colors appeared and we started both shining! Can you believe?!" Alex's words was cheery and filled with happiness. He seemed to really like Eliza Schuyler. Who would've thought.
When John heard this, his heart sank. One of his friends had already found his soulmate at a wrecked party and John was left without one.
But, he had to act happy for his friend. These moments are one in a life time and it should be celebrated.
"Dude holy shit! Congratulations!" John cheered, scratching the back of his neck in awkwardness. This was a bit weird for John.
Alexander grinned widely and reached up his hand one more time, and in a reflex, John hit it with his own, creating a loud high five. Alexander let out a loud roar and rose his arms up the air.
"I'll be right back, I'm gonna go and get us some drinks!" And with that, Alex rushed back into the house again, his pony tail bouncing in the air in rhythm with his body.

John was left there alone outside the house. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck once more. It was starting to get late and he thought it was soon time to get home, but he felt some tingling feeling that he couldn't exactly explain. Was it a bug bite? No, those only itch on certain places.
John took a quick glance on his hand when he was about to check the time and when he saw that color had started spreading all over his arms he panicked.
"What the fuck?" John exclaimed and quickly started unbuttoning his shirt, and just like he assumed, it had started spreading to his chest and torso. The color was fair tan and his arms and shoulders were covered with freckles.
"No, no, what the hell?!" John said and put on his shirt again. He looked at the hand again. It's was shining. More than the rest of the body. Was it Peggy? No. Nothing happened when she grabbed him. And it definitely wasn't Angelica because they never touched either. The only person he touched that night, skin to skin, was Alexander.