A Dash of Color

By: Calandra Cooks

Mary and Bill Potter moved their daughter Sunshine to Blandville to start their new jobs. The town was ruled by Queen Grumpy Greta. Blandville was different than what Sunshine was used to as it was full of rules. The one that stood out to her was the No Color Rule meaning no colors were allowed except black, white, and gray. Without colors to bring joy, everyone was always in a somber mood.

When Sunshine started at her new school, it was hard for her because no one ever smiled, and everyone always wore black. To brighten things up, Sunshine would mix up her outfit, sporting a black shirt with a gray skirt and a white bow. However, this made her a target for bullying, particularly by Madison and her clique, with the girls calling her a weirdo. One day at school, Madison and her clique pushed Sunshine to the ground smudging her outfit with grass stains. To try to cover the stains, Sunshine decided to paint over her clothes with a paintbrush and paint she hid in her locker. She walked to the classroom in her now-colorful outfit, and when she stepped inside, the class stared in shock. Immediately after entering the classroom, her teacher, Ms. Walters, sent her to the principal’s office.

After she spoke with the principal, Sunshine ran home to tell her parents what she had done. On her way there, she passed the castle of Queen Grumpy Greta and decided to paint hearts on it. When Queen Grumpy Greta walked outside her castle, she saw the painting and was instantly angry, and she wanted whoever did this to be punished. Queen Grumpy Greta’s guards went to find the culprit, and as they searched, they found other buildings with similar drawings. Interested in the search, the whole town went looking for the culprit bold enough to defy the No Color Rule.

When she finally made it home, Sunshine found her parents seated in the kitchen puzzled by her colorful outfit. Her mother asked what happened to her clothes and Sunshine told her parents she wanted to bring color to the town because she was tired of being bullied. Her parents understood but they were still upset that she broke the rule.

Suddenly, the Potter family heard beating at the front door. Bill Potter went to check and found Grumpy Greta and the entire town on their lawn. Queen Grumpy Greta demanded the house be searched. Upon seeing Sunshine’s outfit, Queen Grumpy Greta knew she was the culprit. She ordered the guards to apprehend Sunshine. Before they could catch her, Sunshine ran outside and began a speech that Blandville should rid itself of the No Color Rule. Moved by her words,  the townsfolk agreed, and they exiled Queen Grumpy Greta. Free of her rule, Blandville finally embraced color.