Strawberry Ice cream

Chapter 20

I stroll through into the art block, gazing at the paintings and photographs propped up against the walls. One catches my eye of three watercolour black and white paintings of the sea and ships. Each one has a different view so it looks like a large pano. I look closer, seeing the name Ashe in Class B on the plaque beneath it.

I see Zayn as I round the corner. He's at the end, the side door to outside open whilst he spray paints a huge canvas on the floor. He sits cross legged, leaning over. I skip over the corner of his canvas, causing him to look up.

"Hello mate, you alright?" He asks, shaking the can of paint in his hand, the metal ball inside making a satisfying rattle.

I chew at a bit of flappy skin on my lip and nod before saying, "Yeah, Harry in?" I point with a thumb to the classroom door.

"Yep, watch Emma moan." He gives me a smirk and a shake of a head, going back to doing his spray painting.

I walk through the door, seeing the students busy with brushes and pencils. Harry looks up and his warm eyes melt into my gaze. He pats the chair beside him and I plop into the chair beside him.

I give him a side hug and quick kiss. "No Emma?"

"She's gone to help Christine with the printer, she'll be back soon. What homework you got now then?" He replies, dunking his soft bristled paint brush into a jar of water.

I fish out my planner and refill pad. "Media, gotta write an article on a celebrity of my choice."

He swirls his brush in a dark pigment blue. "Who you going to choose?"

"Susan Boyle I'm thinking. You got a pen?" I brush my palm against the paper.

He laughs loudly, slapping his hand over his mouth. "You're joking, right?" He ruffles in his pencil case on the desk and hands me a pen with a taco on a spring.

I giggle, testing the pen in the margin. "I dunno, haven't thought of who... surely she's done something scandalous. She seems suspicious. It's the curls. Cool pen," I remark, looking through the task in my planner.

"Thanks... oi, what do you mean it's the curls? What's wrong with curls?" He splats his brush onto some paper.

I hold my hands up in defence. "Nothing's wrong with curls, I love curls, especially yours. They just seem to hold a lot of secrets." I run a hand through his brown hair.

As I finish talking, Emma comes in, settling into her desk. She looks around and eyes settle on mine, sighing. "What did I say? Don't make this into a habit."

I pout, giving her puppy eyes. "B-but... I'm lonely."

She rolls her eyes. "As long as you're both quiet and Harry gets on with his work."

"Don't worry, I'll look after him for sure." I give her a cheeky grin and begin my homework.

...

We all sit in the beginning of lunch in the practice room, doing one of our final practices for tomorrow's contest. We now know the songs off by heart and almost got it down to a T.

"We've got this boys, we'll do great," Liam reassures whilst we leave the practice room, making our way to the canteen.

"Thanks for the reassurance, Li but right now, I want to just think about lunch or else I might panic," Niall replies, getting into the queue.

We line up, some what behind him, chatting whilst we wait for our turn. I notice it's fish and chip day and I debate between fish or sausage.

I promised Harry this morning I'd eat lunch as I barely ate dinner last night.