I hate the color red.

“Hate is such a strong word, don’t you mean strongly dislike?”

No, because ‘I strongly dislike the color red’ does not do my hate justice. It’s a strong word, and I’m using it for a reason—I hate the color red.

The color red is associated with your heart, where love lies. Many things make up the feeling of love, and one of those is trust in your partner. Trust is great, until it tears you apart. Until your partner stabs you in the back and you start to question everything you believe. Then you see the color red again—your broken heart. The feeling that makes you cry until your eyes are red and want to bleed out. Just when you thought it was over, you see the color red again— the fire in your eyes. The look of rage in your eyes when you see your partner and your face turns red with steam coming out your ears. That is the color red.

The color red is associated with anger. Anger built up over 11 years of rivalry. The rivalry between the color of striking rich and the color of failure. It’s intense, unlike any other. It drives you up the wall, but it’s one you love. You might not always win, but that’s a rivalry. You will hate your rival, or your enemy, and everything they stand for. They get on your last nerve. That’s the color red.

The color red is the X on your ex and the F on top of your AP Physics test. Your ex you wasted hours getting over, and the test that has stains from your tears left on it. The person that you spent too much time thinking about and the test you stayed up way too late studying for. At the end of the day no matter how much you care or understand it’s over. Your relationship is over and your GPA has plummeted. That is the color red.

I hate the color red and what it stands for.

I am an LSU fan, and I watch LSU football religiously. I love the LSU-Alabama rivalry, but I hate Alabama. I love the LSU players who play in the NFL now, but I hate the teams with red as their main color.

“You only hate red because Alabama beats y’all.”

No. If they beat us, then they beat us. It’s a great game every time the two teams meet. I would rather us win, but a loss is not going to make me hate something.

I have experienced misery after misery. I understand what it means to be hurt and to have hit rock bottom. And the thing I understand the most is that some people are meant to help you get to the finish line, but not cross it with you. Once you learn that and accept it, you understand the truth behind the manipulative, bipolar color red.