2022 Version |
Nina Torres has everything she could ever dream of. Friends who stick by her side, a family that supports her, and a cute boyfriend. High school is going to be the best years of her life.
Lucas McKlane is a boy who tries to blend with...
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I grabbed my jacket from the bleachers, and I shivered as the cold wind blew harshly.
"Okay! Everyone inside, I'll see you all next week!" The coach yelled.
I ran towards the back-side entrance doors of the school. I pulled the heavy-metal set doors and ran inside. Everyone followed and ran upstairs as I stayed behind. I went to the restroom and after I was done, I washed my hands and left the empty restroom.
I was about to go upstairs when I noticed light coming from one of the art classrooms. I took a step back and walked toward the lit classroom. The door was closed and I peeked inside, but I didn't see anyone. Suddenly, I heard running water coming from the classroom.
I twisted the door handle and pushed against the door slowly. Music was playing, and the room was filled with paintings; to ceiling to floor. At one of the sinks stood Lucas, washing away what seemed to be paintbrushes.
The door closed behind me, loudly, and Lucas looked up, his now eyes cleared away from his hair. His eyes were alarmed, beautiful, and blue.
I was a bit star-struck. His eyes were not the type of blue that reminded you of the sky— no, they were the type of blue that reminded you of the dark sea.
"Hey," I spoke first.
Lucas looked away, and since his hair was cut short I could see his ears tinting red. "Um, hi," he responded back.
I walked closer, noticing a canvas on an easel. From what I can see, it was a bowl of fruit. It looked almost realistic, almost like I could reach out and an apple would fall on my hand.
"Fruit bowl?" I said with a smile as I pointed toward the canvas.
Lucas shrugged, "I know. It's not creative, but Mrs. Carson wanted to show light and dark, and um— proportions, and other art stuff you probably don't care about."
"No, no, it's okay," I said, "you can geek out on me. I won't judge."
His tinted ears spread to his cheeks. A laptop sat beside the easel and Bon Jovi's You Give Love A Bad Name was playing quietly.
"Bon Jovi fan?" I said as I rose an eyebrow.
"Kinda," he smiled softly. He put everything away, and soon we were outside the classroom.
"Hey, wait," I called out as he started to walk up the stairs. "Do you want to do something?"
Lucas seemed... puzzled at my proposition. He shrugged, his eyes avoiding me. "Yeah, sure."
***
We walked, all the way to Lola's Kitchen, a pizzeria and Mexican restaurant. I offered to pay, but Lucas insisted to pay. We agreed to split the bill in half. After we ate the pizza, we stayed and talked for a while. A while turned into two hours. Slowly, but surely, Lucas started to open up.
