By the Skin (completed)

Chapter 12 (end)

"What the fuck?"

"It's not Venus."

"It's inspiring."

The confused looks of Traditional Art II turned to concerned ones as they hear the douchebag-turned-Mr. Hammond's-favorite-since-Elliot-left Todd compliment my pastel work of a (fully clothed) Mayo in The Birth of Venus.

Everyone's art projects are finished, and we're presenting to one another.

It's been a hot second since I friendship-broke-up with Elliot. And about a month since his parents heard that Mayo punched him, and transferred him to a school at the panhandle, near the art museum. Him and Mr. Hammond still keep in touch, and he's doing well, so I'm happy for him.

"Tell me, Evangeline; why did you decide to pastel a different woman in Venus?" Mr. Hammond puts his hand near his chin and grazes it with his fingers, something I learned almost all art connoisseurs do.

The thing is, I painted Mayo so that no one would recognize her. Just a completely different woman with blue hair and ruined skin where you can see it. Only I know that she's Mayo.

"Well, I think it was a fever dream," Light laughing is scattered about the classroom. "But I guess The Birth has been a big inspiration for me in painting. Venus is the goddess of love and beauty, and since the definition of beauty is relative, she could look like any woman ever. The woman I drew is just one of those possible outcomes."

I shimmy my shoulders in the slightly cold room. Today, I'm wearing a tank top. The eczema is prominent and so am I.

"This is amazing, Evangeline. I'm very, very proud of you." Mr. Hammond gives me a big smile as I take my canvas off of the display easel, followed by still confused but polite clapping. I sit in my regular seat, next to Todd. I attempt to put it on the side of my chair, but he scoops it up to look at it, and I let him.

It's crazy, but Todd has become as close to me as Mayo is.

It was a month ago when Elliot left, and Todd finally broke out of his douche-flavored shell. He asked where Elliot was that day, and my spontaneous Mayo decided it was a good idea to tell him everything. After that, he told us that he really wanted to be in Elliot's place in the BHAA, and that he was being mean to him as well. Then, he came out as bisexual to us, inspired by how we weren't afraid to hide our relationship, and now he's a big hit in the classroom as well as in Mayo and I's hearts. Calling him a replacement for Elliot would be wrong. He's a whole different person, and we love him for it.

The day goes by oh so slowly, even though it's a Friday. I feel myself checking the clock more often than I blink.

I can't wait to see her.

-----------------------------------------------

The last bell finally rings, and my body doesn't want to relax. I rush to the parking lot of the campus to Todd's car, and throw myself in after recklessly pounding on the window for him to open the door.

"You seem eager. You were about to break my window." Todd snickers at me as my click the seat-belt.

"Let's stop by the convenience store, T."

"You got it."

-----------------------------------------------

Mayo opens the door to me and Todd, carrying plastic bags from the convenience store. One is full of a bag of chips and a bowl of soup with crackers; in the other, 7 cans of mango juice. She kisses me on the lips and Todd on the cheek.

"How are you feeling?" I ask as Mayo closes the door behind us. "Is your cough gone?"

"Yep. I feel way better." She takes our shoes in the doorway and straightens them on the floor beside the door. "I kind of regret kissing you two now."

"No worries." Todd gives a small smile. He really has become way more soft-spoken. "We won't catch your germs, probably."

We settle in the living room. Todd lays across the couch while me and Mayo cuddle on the floor.

"How was your presentations?" Mayo looks up to Todd, and then to me.

"Really good," I say. "You should've seen the look on everyone's faces when they saw Todd's sculpture. They didn't think he had the artistic knowledge to create something so beautiful."

"Oh no, no, no, you should've seen everyone's faces during Evangeline's presentation. It was honestly so amazing."

"I'm glad. I wish I could've been there." She smiles at me and buries her face in my shoulder. "I hate being sick."

"You had to rest, my love." I kiss the top of her head. "You were sick, but I'm glad you're better now."

We have a moment.

"Ew, ew. Get a room, you too. Let's watch Santa Claus is Goin' to High School." Todd presses the remote to turn the TV on a few times, but he has to turn the remote 90 degrees in order for it to work. It's not long before Mayo takes it from his hands.

"We are not watching Santa Claus is Goin' to High School. It's way past Christmas and there's one month until the end of the school year. Let's watch Animal Planet."

Animal Planet.

Todd and I stare at each other for a few seconds, like I am Jim Halpert from The Office and he is the camera.

"Uhm, maybe you're still sick, Mayo. Let's just go biking." I then snatch the remote from Mayo and stand up to turn the TV off.

We prepare to leave with the Ostelli family bikes, and we exit the house as soon as Alfredo arrives home in his car. Todd throws him a can of mango juice and we wave before going out to the sidewalk.

"We should've planned to bike before Ev and I get here. I could've brought my own." Todd walks Alfredo's bike out of the driveway. "Text me next time."

Todd doesn't have Mayo's number, so she laughs. "Sorry, Todd, I only give my number to girls."

We all smile, get on the seats, and start to pedal.

And we're suddenly out of breath.

Not because we've been biking too hard, it's because Alfredo started yelling at us in Italian to stay on the side of the road from the driveway of Mayo's house. We're laughing.

I feel the wind blow by the skin on the arms of the body I hated so much. The life I hated so much.

Now I love my body. I love my itchy, disgusting fucking arms and legs. They brought her to me.

I look over to Todd and we smile at each other, and he pedals faster to get in front of us and make room on the side of the sidewalk.

And then I turn to the other side of me and I see Mayo.

Mayo. Mayo Mayo Mayo Mayo Mayo.

My savior. The girl with eczema. The girl who shared her Protopic with me when I needed it. The girl who shared her advice when I needed it. The girl with cute clothes I met at the library. The girl with crazy hair that inspired me to cut mine. The girl that helped me when I was in need of medical attention. The girl I had a big fight with, followed by her punching my ex-best-friend in the face. The girl that taught me to love myself. The girl that taught me to love my skin. The girl who's named after a condiment.

The girl I fall in love with every time she smiles, scratches her eczema, laughs, snorts, cries, yells.

And the eczema-prone girl I'll fall in love with over and over again.

-fine-

-----------------------------------------------

this is it. the end.

thank you for reading and following the story of evangeline and mayo. thank you so much.

i hope you liked it ! please vote on this story and give me a quick follow for more updates on what i'm writing !!

-yours, cloudypeachie