P is for The Colour Pink

The colour pink was Frenella's trademark. She had unofficially
copyrighted all hues of pink. She had her name on the colour pink. She
was instantly identifiable with pink and by pink. No one could get any
pinker than her.

Pink washed out denim: Indian pink floating flares: long pink dreads in
cerise, plum and candy pink; pink glitter sparkling on her eye-lids;
frosted shocking pink on her lips; pink bangles; her pink breasts
undulating under anything from the darkest damson-pink to the palest
iced pink; her feet snuggled in huge pink furry buffalos; the nails on
her toes tipped with whichever rosy shade suited her mood...

After a long day juggling on stilts in Covent Garden for enthralled
tourists and bad-tempered office workers, Frenella met up with her
boyfriend Felix, whose face, a blackened trademark of the motor-cycle
courier profession, blended with his helmet, heavy boots and
water-proofs, into the dimness of the pub smoke and chatter as he
assured her that the new black was... black.

"And may be, purple or something is the new pink, Frenella. I don't
know. I mean, it just seems to me that all the girls are wearing pink
these days. They even wear pink to offices now! I mean, pink's all over
the place, like Barbie was running the country or sommink." He paused
to slurp from his pint. "I haven't seen many people wearing orange
recently. Have you?"

Frenella was unconvinced, slightly insulted. "Felix?" She uttered
gently, "Are you trying to change me?"

"No, no!" Felix immediately countered. "I'm just saying, that's what
happens Frenella! Someone truly original, like you, starts wearing pink
and all these unoriginal copycats copy you. Personally, I just think
it's cool that you can have such an effect on the rest of the female
population." He was downing his pint even more quickly than usual, and
as he stood up to renegotiate the queue at the bar, paused and took her
hand. "I'm proud of you Frenella. You've always been the pinkest girl
I've ever known, or wish to know, but sometimes I think your work with
pink is done."

Frenella watched Felix pushing his way through to the front of the bar
and disappear into a group of equally filthy couriers. Something was
up. Her boyfriend was trying to change her, was showing signs of being
ready for something new. She sighed as she struggled to relight the
stumpy rolly between her fingers and braced herself for the emotional
disappointment that now seemed inevitable. Felix was tiring of her, but
she still loved him. He was the best boyfriend she'd ever had.

Frenella and Felix had been together for just over a year, but
Frenella's attachment to the colour pink went further back. Until the
age of thirteen, Frenella had always been dressed in blue, a colour
that reflected the politics of her parents and their one-time leader,
who they had often cooed, always looked so smart and was an inspiration
at party conference. Frenella's humiliation in the neighbourhood could
not have been more acute. Her parents' political opinions were boldly
advertised by their zealous activism and the blue posters covering each
window of their house (except Frenella's bedroom) at every
election.

Pink had come to Frenella like an antidote, with its varying shades of
warmth, a cheeky sweetness, depicting moods that smiled and blushed.
Pink had been Frenella's long-term friend, comforting and reassuring
her all the way to adulthood, reflecting her humour, her attitude and
the liberal political opinions she was forming for herself.

She would have tried to explain all this to Felix as he came stumbling
back to the table with a pint for each of them, if he had not brought
his mate Jack with him, and flashed a pearly white smile, saying, "Look
who I found!"

Jack rustled much the same way Felix did, as he pulled up a tiny stool
and greeted Frenella. "Felix told you about our party yet?" He grinned
at her.

"No!" She replied. (Had Felix been planning to invite her? Was he
really that sick of her?) "When is it?" she asked, trying to hide the
doleful expression she could feel creeping up her face.

"Next weekend! You coming?" Jack grinned again.

"Yeah! 'Course!" She replied, "'Least, if I'm around I will!
Definitely!" she added, stealing a glance at her lover who seemed
momentarily distracted.

They stayed at hers that night, stopped for a kebab on the way. When
she asked him why he hadn't told her about the party, Felix muttered
something about not getting round to it then something else about Jack
trying to get off with some girl.

"Listen Felix, if you don't want me at your friend's party, I don't
have to come!"

"What gives you that idea!" Felix gasped reproachfully.

"I'm just saying... that's all! We don't have to live in each other's
pockets! I understand if you need your space!"

"Frenella!" He pleaded through a mouthful of chips.

By the time the big night arrived Felix had managed to convince
Frenella that he not only wanted her at the party, but that he could
not possible enjoy it without her.

Frenella noticed unconcealed disappointment in Jack's face when she and
Felix arrived at the party. Felix, on the other hand, was oblivious,
thrusting a plaggy-bag of beers at his mate, slapping him on the back,
mumbling something she didn't manage to catch. Jack shook his head
morosely so Felix slapped his back again, presumably to improve his
morale.

Most of the furniture in Jack's flat was stashed in his flat-mate's
room, where Frenella was told she could put her coat. Jack's flat-mate,
Rixie, was at the decks rocking with concentration, holding his
headphones to his left ear. He wore them crookedly, for no apparent
reason.

Jack seemed uncharacteristically flustered, couldn't sit still, didn't
seem to be listening to anything anyone said, and broke into a visible
sweat every time the doorbell rang, and a chorus cried, "DOOR!"

Yet Jack always returned from the front door with the same air of
disappointment. "Don't worry mate, it's still early!" Felix reassured
him.

The room gradually began to fill with people. Music played, almost
continuously. Felix skinned up on the sofa, while Frenella tried to
show interest in a story a skinny goth girl was telling. Eventually,
the girl said something about going to find the bloke she'd come with,
and Frenella began to breath once more.

"See Felix, purple is not the new pink! That girl was a nightmare! And
she's dressed head to toe in purple, and black I might add. There's no
colour like pink. There just isn't. And there's no-one pinker in the
world than me!" She kissed him, confident that her point was
made.

"DOOR!" Yelled the chorus of guests, except for Felix and Frenella
whose mouths were otherwise occupied.

As they kissed, Frenella secretly chided herself for worrying about
Felix tiring of her. He wasn't. He'd just been expressing himself, and
she had been wrong to make an issue out of it.

Felix, engrossed himself in the stoned haze of the moment, and the soft
pinkness of Frenella's mouth.

"I love you!" Frenella whispered nibbling his earlobe.
"Oh Frenella! I love you!" He told her, squeezing her close.

They sat on the sofa, slumped against one another. Felix lit the spliff
he'd rolled, took a few tokes then passed it to his girlfriend who's
expression had suddenly changed.

"Frenella?" He nudged her, trying to bring her attention to the
spliff.

"God! Look at the state of HER!" She gasped in dismay. "What does she
think she looks like!"

Frenella was sitting only six feet away from a girl with candy-pink
dreadlocks, a fluffy baby-pink waistcoat over a frosted ice-pink dress
that clung to a voluptuous long-legged body. Jack's face had changed
from one of disappointment to unfettered glee. Rixie's records were
finally blending into one another with relative harmony and the room
was dancing lilting feline rhythms.

Felix couldn't bear to see his lover hurt. "Can't carry it off can
she!" He quickly commented. "It's not just wearing the colour is it,
it's how you wear it. She can't put it together like you can Frenella.
That's obvious!"

"Yeah! Too much of the paler shades and not enough contrast!" Frenella
confirmed with expertise.

"Feel a bit sorry for her to be honest, Frenella!" Felix sighed. "It's
must be pretty humiliating for her with you around?"

Frenella could see the sense in what Felix had said. "Yeah, 'spose I
should be more charitable really. I mean, may be I could give her a few
hints, but only if she asks for..."

She was interrupted by Jack's voice, "Come and meet two of my oldest
friends! Felix and Frenella!" A pink gloved hand was extended in their
direction. "Frenella! Felix! This is Pinky!"