How To Paint Love [✔]

🖌 09. How Ordinary

I rush to the corridor, and take a sharp turn, only to crash straight into the wall.

'Uh, not wall...' I realize when a few fingers tightened on my arms to catch me.

"Sor— Uriel?"

"Yeah? Are you okay?" he asks with his hands still on me.

I instantly step back, my mind becoming a little flustered from the sudden encounter. I put the stray hair strands behind my ear while trying to put on a smile. "Sorry about that."

He slides his thumb into the pocket of his jeans and his lips curve. "No worries. Are you heading down?"

"Yeah."

"Alone?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna go together—"

"Sure!" I answered right away but I'm already face-palming inside. 'Do I really have to sound so eager?'

"Great."

I let out an inward sigh after he speaks. Good thing he is not weirded out by me.

"By the way, don't you have Foundation Class?" he says as we walk to the elevator lobby.

"Ah, that?" Suddenly, the memory springs back.

Terrence's face is so close to mine that if I slightly twist my neck, I can only imagine the shameful thing that'll happen next.

I shake my head to erase that mortifying thought.

"Remy?"

"Yes? Oh, sorry. About the foundation, I left early. You know, my brother is a senior here and says you don't have to take it seriously. It's our own choice if we want to practice with our buddies or not that's why I just don't get the picture set up this year," I ramble.

I want to stop but my mouth begins its defense mechanism with such senseless talk.

"I heard about it too. I guess they got stricter this year," he replies.

If I'm not afraid that he'll find me strange, I would have run straight to his arm and hugged him. How can someone be talented, handsome, and so nice?

Most guys cringe when things like this happen. Too bad, my eyes are trained to be so keen that a slight change of expression is noticeable. I just want to avoid awkwardness but it only worsens the situation that I want to smack my head.

Worse, it only happens when I'm talking to guys — specifically, guys I like. It doesn't even make me wonder anymore why I haven't been in a relationship since birth.

"But it's still crazy how they got this idea. What if you're not comfortable with each other?" I remark.

"Are you?"

I pause. 'Am I?' Perhaps. I won't be like this if I am, won't I?

'Urgh. Why do I feel like I'm convincing myself?'

"Anyway, you don't have to answer. My bad for asking," Uriel says, bringing me back from my pondering.

"Huh? You don't have to apologize, honestly—"

Luckily, the ping of the elevator saves me from another nonsense chatter. We step inside and aside from the mirror in the center, both walls are plastered with advertisements and posters.

College of Fine Arts students won't pride our faculty if we don't make outstanding graphics. The splash of colors certainly gains more attention than the other papers overlapping.

"Oh, you remembered the contest you showed me yesterday? After thinking about it, I decided to join. Sir Mike says it'll be a good addition to my portfolio. Not to mention, the prize is quite a hefty sum."