So Far Away ~

46

As I sat and watched Taehyung paint, I realized I never understood his paintings. I can keep saying they're beautiful but did it mean anything if I didn't understand them? It wasn't that deep as I was making it but I was starting to make myself feel guilty for not understanding Taehyung's world. "Does it bother you whenever I ask the meaning behind your paintings or drawings?"

He looked over his canvas and at me. "Dumb question. When you ask, it means you want to know and you listen. Meaning you care about what I have to say. Why would I be mad about that?" He rolled his eyes as if my question was the ridiculous, he put his attention back on his canvas. "Stop always overthinking things."

I stayed quiet as I studied him as he painted. I don't understand how God made him this handsome and the fact that we're only in the 11th grade, which meant he was still growing and changing, was not fair.

"Um, Can you not stare at me so intensely like that?" Tae's voice brought me back to earth. "It's creepy."

"Thank you for calling me ugly in the nicest way possible." I replied. "This will be the last time I admire your features."

He leaned his paintbrush back, his eyes filled with mischief. A second later, paint was dripping from my face and in my hair. My mouth dropped open as I stood up. "Taehyung, I'm going to kill you."

"If you come any closer, I will pour the entire tube on you." He threatened, standing up as well. His hand was already on the paint tube. "That's what you get for calling yourself ugly because I never said that."

"Don't forget that I'm your ride home." I declared, glaring at him. I stomped over to the sink, I saw him relax back in his chair through my peripheral vision. I cut the water on and grabbed the paint that was sitting on the side of the sink. "Where's the napkins?" I asked, trying to keep him fooled.

I smiled successfully as I snuck up quickly behind him, paint dripped from my palm as I slapped it on his cheek. He froze up when the paint touched his skin. I started laughing at his reaction, "That's what you get!"

"This is war." He whipped his paintbrush towards me but I took off running, almost tripping over the paint that had dripped from my hand. Tae grabbed the back of my shirt off, instead of me falling forward, I lost my balance even more and fell backwards on him. He somehow managed to lose his balance, and we both fell backwards. Fortunately, I landed on him. "Ouch, dammit. This is what I get for trying to save your life." He grumbled. "Get off of me you big goof."

I rubbed the back of my head, glancing up at him. "I don't think I will." I rolled my eyes at his dramatics. "You're quite comfortable." I tried to put all my weight against him to irritate him.

"You're so annoying sometimes." He chuckled, shaking his head.

Footsteps entering the class caused us to look up. We made eye contact with Jungkook, Jungkook looked at us then looked around the art room. "I don't want to know what's going on and I'm not helping you two clean up any of this shit." His eyes focused back on us.

I got off of Taehyung, reaching my hand out to help him up. "We didn't ask for your help anyway, Jungkook. You ass." Tae said, he grabbed my hand, pulling himself up. The ass used a lot of his strength and I almost fell right back down. The satisfied smirk on his face was clear that he did it on purpose.

I squinted my eyes at him. "You're lucky you're cute."

"Can you help me bring these supplies from the office?" Jungkook called out to me. "I would carry them all by myself but since you're still here, help would be appreciated."

I was about to sit back down as I answered, "I don't know this isn't my class or club. I don't benefit from helping you." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Really Rena?" Tae and Jungkook said at the same time. I sighed, ignoring Tae's judging stare. I walked past him and towards Jungkook. "Fine." I grumbled, under my breath.

"You are so lazy." Jungkook shook his head at me when we started walking down the empty hall.

I nodded my head, agreeing with him. "You got that right. I'm only helping because I know Taehyung was judging the hell out of me in his head."

He made a humming noise seeming a bit in deep thought. We made it to the art teacher's office, Jungkook moved ahead of me to open the door. "Sometimes I wonder if you're sure you don't feel anything for Taehyung or not. Do you tell yourself that you don't love him and say you guys are the way you are because of the way you two grew up because you're scared to be that attached to someone or you know that in love with someone? Cause you're scared to lose them more than anything. Or you really don't love him like that?"

I froze at the bluntness and suddenness of his question. "Where did that come from, Jungkook?" My voice was stable, revealing nothing.

Jungkook shrugged. He was concentrating on placing the box of supplies in my hands as if we were having a casual discussion about the weather. This guy was something else. "I've been friends with Tae for awhile. I observe a lot, I see things. I could be wrong though." He gave me a small smile. "But I don't think I am."

"I don't want to talk about feelings. They do nothing but exhaust you." I found my voice again. "I like where I am now. I have Yoongi and Taehyung as friends. I don't want anything more."

"There's nothing wrong with that." He closed the door to the office, and we headed back to the art room. "By the way, thank you for watching my video last night and sending me feedback. I know it was late but I couldn't sleep and had nothing else to do."

"I like watching your dancing and singing videos. You can stop thanking me every single time, Jungkook. How many times do I have to say this?" I was going to strangle him if he thanked me again. We go through this almost three times a week since he showed me his first video.

When we stepped back in the art room, Taehyung had cleaned the floor up and put his art supplies back in the supply closet. He was sitting on top of a desk, tapping on his phone. His peeked at us but didn't make a move to grab any of the supplies. Yet, he was the one judging me earlier??

I placed the supplies on the nearest desk and went to grab my things. "Let's get out of this dump."

"Heyy!" They both reprimanded at the same time.

I circled my fingers around the place. "I meant the school as a whole." The art students dropped the unnecessary fight in them and agreed with me.

The drive home was quiet between us. Taehyung had a Korean artist playing on the speakers and was casually singing a long time to him. I had no idea what was being sung except a few words here and there.

"You have a nice voice." I complimented. "God gave everyone multiple talents and I was given nothing. It makes you wonder if there is a God out there."

He didn't skip a beat as he switched from Korean to English telling me to shut up. I rolled my eyes as we pulled into his parking lot. "Get out loser."

He unbuckled his seatbelt, then grabbed his bag. Before he stepped out the car, he reached over the seat making me lean backwards from his hand that was coming too close to my face. "Ouch!" I squeaked, surprised at that hard thump he landed on my forehead. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Because you were being annoying today and if you keep rolling your eyes like that, they'll eventually get stuck." He replied, shutting my door. "Goodnight, Rena."

Who did he think he was? I stopped myself from rolling my eyes again as I drove away from his house. My thoughts went to Jungkook and what he said earlier. Who did Jungkook think he was? A therapist? He was absolutely wrong about what he said. My love for Taehyung was platonic. That's what I've always said and that's what I will be sticking to.