VEX

v.

"Georgina, you have to drop your obsession with Vex. No one will ever figure out who they are."

"Fuck off, Ruby. And you know I don't like being called by my given name."

"I'm in charge of you, George. You're going to get in trouble if you continue to play detective."

"Well then, be prepared to bail me out of jail."

"George!"

"Fuck off, Mitchell."

"Watch your language, McAfee!"

"No!"

Georgina, ever the danger seeking and daring girl, tosses a jumper over her school uniform and slams the door of her cousin's apartment. She'd been enamoured by a mural near her school friends that was tagged by the mysterious graffiti artist Vex. After finding the Instagram, George has dedicated her minimal free time to finding out who Vex is. It's a coping mechanism for her: distract herself so she doesn't have to face the death of her mother. After all, her father is in prison after molesting George's former nanny. It's a long story.

George has always been a bit of a wild card, even before the ordeal with her parents. She'd been expelled from one school after selling her prescription Adderall out of her locker. The school counsellor hadn't classified her as a troubled student, but claimed she did act out to get attention (the counsellor didn't have to know that he's right). George is a bright student when she tries, but she harbours and intense dislike of school and all forms of education, so there's no real reason for her to try. It's not like she really sees a future for herself.

"McAfee, we agreed on meeting ten minutes ago."

"Do you want your order or not?" George asks, swinging the plastic bag of crushed OxyContin she stole from her mother after her first procedure.

"Give it to me," David growled.

"Payment first, Harris. Then you'll get your drugs, you ogre."

"Watch your mouth before I beat you, McAfee."

"Are you trying to get busted? Are you going to sell me out to the pigs, huh, Harris?" George taunts the burly year 12 student. David is a loyal customer and has issued empty threats to George before. All's fair in love and war, isn't it?

David hands her the cash and she gives him the bag. He'll never notice that George filled the bag with only a bit of the he actual pill and replaced the rest of the requested weight with crushed allergy pills. It's all too easy, really.

<>

Vex doesn't want van de Donk messaging them. They didn't do the walls for recognition, they did it for the money. It's not like their pay is spectacular.

There are quite a few people trying to figure out who Vex is, but they don't mind it. Their schedule was non existant and they sometimes venture out of London for some pieces. They decided what, when, and where they painted. Vex only ever has a vague idea of what they wanted to paint. Their unpredictable nature is part of the charm.

The BLM mural wasn't planned, but with the protests not stopping, they thought it was best to make a statement. Politics are their jam, after all.

Arsenal manage to win the Derby game, so Vex goes down to the London Studios building and paints over the two commissioned pieces.

Van de Donk messages Vex in the morning with questions about the London Studios wall. Vex doesn't respond.

Vex is supposed to start working on the tunnel of Meadow Park Monday night but they don't start yet.

The Manchester United game is the next weekend, and Vex got an email from Arsenal Box Office with the two tickets. Vex forwards the email to a generic email, and then emails them to their personal email. It's a bit elaborate and wholly unnecessary, but privacy is awarded by caution. Of course, they lied about the use of the tickets. The Chelsea tickets would be used. Vex, unlike what they had sort of put up in public, is a Chelsea fan. They had never been to a women's game, so tickets for two murals isn't a bad trade.