Meet Me in the Middle

Chapter 10: Luke

A week before the trial...

Last night felt like a puzzle with scattered pieces, but the board was nowhere to be seen.

I had been considering my previous interaction with Cassie the other day, of how she was unsatisfied by my art pieces. Staring up at my plain canvas, ideas rushed through my head as I noticed my pallette full of muted tones.

It had felt as if I was betraying the sole inspiration of my work to go beyond the minimalist approach.

It had felt I was betraying him.

My father.

Like a light bulb, my hands immediately started going to work.

Where's the fun in being constricted by boring ideals, right?

I carefully sketched out the very first image that came to mind. A window. A house. A girl. Cassie. I hesitated at the thought, not knowing if she would appreaciate being drawn by me without any prior notice. But remembering her repulsive response to my previous works, I had to prove to her I could do better. That I could offer more than what she expected of me.

I tried to recall the memory of her whenever she would hang out by her window. Her soft, brown hair being hit by the sunlight every so slightly as the morning glow casted an ethereal glow on her skin. Her hands furrowing with whatever task she was busying herself that day, a concentrated expression on her face. A pleased one when she would finally finish her task. Her eyes, milky in nature but behind them were expressive orbs that would show whatever emotion she was feeling. Her pink curtains peeking just beside the wooden frames of her windows, the glass picturing a perfect esque scenario of a girl enjoying the mundani

ty of life. She was just like art that was waiting to be painted.

The canvas came to life after a few hours of me dabbling with the unfamilliar colors that I had just pulled out from the depths of my dusty closet.

A few bright colors of yellows dominated the painting, with the trees framing the whole scene. Just like looking through a perfect movie, green made the environment pop. The blue sky dawned on the scene, adding a playful yet peaceful look of familliarity.The pinks and purples hidden from plain view yet adding that special something as the flowers lined just below her view, flowerbeds filled with tulips, roses, lilies lined the houses exterior. The white wooden planks exentuating Cassie. To add the final touch, I added Cassie's face as best as I could from memory. Her smile finalizing the completion of my work.

I busied myself with painting until the sun came up. The gradual chirping of the birds coming into my attention as my back ached. Wanting to be stretched and my feet numbed from the focused sitting I had been doing for hours on end. My hands weres stained with bright colors, a thing that would make me undoudtedly hate myself for later on. With tired eyes, I lifted my canvas from the wooden stand; careful not to smudge any still-wet paint that was splotched onto it.