Red and Green M&Ms
Lars thinks they are like red and green M&Ms: two completely different things that have no purpose being eaten together. Ronaldo thinks otherwise. (Ronaldo/Lars if you squint)
There are a few things Ronaldo knows about Lars.
One: his favorite color is red.
Two: he loves candy.
Three: His favorite candy is M&Ms. The red ones.
He learns these facts when Lars used to come over his house every Saturday afternoon to watch cartoons and pig out on junk food. Lars, with his long, wavy red hair and ripped up jeans, would bring a giant bag of M&Ms. Like clockwork, he would pour them into a glass bowl and pick out the red ones. It was puzzling to Ronaldo; why would he go through all that trouble for one color?
When he asked Lars about it, he simply replied, "Because the red ones taste better," then he'd cram one into his mouth.
He wanted to argue that they all taste the same, but he lets Lars enjoy his snack while he turned on another indie horror flick.
The more Lars came over, the more he noticed how Lars would always gravitate to the color red. Red M&Ms, red guitars, red sneakers, red candy, red soda, red chips, red sleeping bag, even his clothes were variants of red. It's his favorite color it seems.
Figures Lars would like red: Red is a power color, a color that is meant for aggression, anger, and fire. Lars is always an angry kid, always ready to fight, always armed with a barbed retort or a threat that may or not be carried out. He's like fire: full of warmth, but destructive and unpredictable. One bad move and many would suffer.
But Ronaldo accepts his temper and rage; he's still a good person. He would always calm him down with kind words and hugs. He's the cool to his hot, the yang to his yin. They balance each other out.
But when Lars stopped coming over and tried to fit in, their balance wavered. Ronaldo is furious that Lars would stoop so low to cater to those jerks; they were morons and both of them knew it. Their argument to end all arguments crushed Ronaldo and it was that moment that they stopped being friends.
He was hurt, but he figured it was for the best. He had his movies and the weird events that happened on Beach City while Lars had, well, a donut shop and a sweet girl named Sadie that Ronaldo adores unconditionally. And Steven, though Steven is far from judgmental and ridiculously accepting of everyone.
When Lars came over, all of those horrid memories came flooding back. It also didn't help that his home despised Lars to the point of nearly killing them all to get to that red-headed creep. But when that gem revealed their history, Ronaldo was ready to forgive.
He understands what Lars was going through; it's not easy to find yourself when your best friend inadvertently humiliates you and is a total weirdo. Seeing Lars ready to break down in tears from the humiliation is enough to grab the boy by the shoulders and hug him.
"I think these two need some time alone," Sadie announces, walking with Steven outside and closing the door behind them.
The two boys stand across from each other, both unsure of what to say.
"I'm sorry," Ronaldo starts.
"I'm sorry too," Lars replies.
"I don't know if we should pick up where we left off or…"
"We were never meant to be friends in the first place."
He looks over at Lars. He sits with his head buried between his knees.
"We are like red and green M&Ms, two colors that were never meant to be eaten together,"
Ronaldo snorts.
"Take down the melodramatics a notch, will ya?"
Lars looks up with a glare.
"What'd you say?"
"You're comparing our friendship to the colors of M&Ms, Lars. It doesn't matter what color they are, they're still the same inside." He sits down beside him.
"Didn't you remember when we took that art class? When Mr. Rice taught us about complementary colors?"
"No."
"Red and green are complimentary colors. You're the red to my green, Lars. We complement each other." Ronaldo laughs, draping his arm around Lars.
"But green is such an ugly color…" Lars crinkles his nose.
"…And red is an aggressive color. Green is the color of earth, of creativity and calmness. It soothes the aggressive nature of red." Ronaldo argues.
Lars thinks back to their childhood, when Ronaldo would always keep his temper in check with hugs and soothing words. He was always so calm, cheerful, and mellow. He quieted his temper with his chill demeanor, and accepted him despite his flaws.
The irony of it all.
He laughs with Ronaldo, laughs until tears stream down his face.
"Red and green, who woulda' thought?" he looks to the curly blonde, whose eyes seem to glow in the moonlight.
"I guess we were made for each other."
"Perhaps." Ronaldo answers. He rises up and walks down the hall.
"Where ya goin'?"
"To grab the sleeping bags. I know you love the red one."
Lars smiles in the darkness.