between the lines//MGG

16

this is not important but I was listening to some Lennon Stella as I wrote this, so if you wanna feel some similar vibes, this is it. especially "Goodnight-- Dyrtybyrd Remix," which is actually so good. or her newer album "Three. Two. One." which is just amazing reading music. also lil alcohol consumption in this but it's barely mentioned? idk nobody gets drunk or anything. lastly, look! at! this! gif! honestly cannot handle him.

"I feel like a walking library." Matthew jokes as soon as I slide into the driver's seat of the car. I chuckle and glance in the backseat, where our two bags and the special first-edition sit patiently. he has no idea that I just confessed my love for him a few feet away.

"I want to bring you somewhere." I blurt. his smile fades and he looks at me in the darkness of the car. his beautiful eyes shine, the moonlight falling across his features and emphasizing the natural shadows of his face. he's ethereal.

"okay." he says. I pull out my phone and text my mom to tell her we'll be stopping by briefly, then I speed off into the night.

it's about nine-thirty when we pull up in the front of the house.

"uh, wait here one second." I dash into the house, tell my mom what I'm doing, and snatch up some mini match boxes. before I duck out, I grab two glasses and the first bottle of red that I find. she doesn't say much but lets me do what I need to do.

when I get back outside, I gesture for him to join. he runs out into the cold air and sidles up next to me curiously.

"what are we doing? I thought we already visited." he glances at the house.

"we're not visiting. just let me show you." I smile. the backyard is wide and open, except for the shed that sits in the back. my heart pounds when I reach the fucked-up lock.

"before we go in..." I turn to him. "I never let anyone in here. not even Eryn. by showing you this, I am basically exposing myself. so I need to know that you understand that." I tell him quietly. it's too cold for crickets; instead, a thick silence consumes us.

"I understand." there's an excitement in his voice. I jiggle the broken lock and open the door. because my mom is wonderful, she kept the low heat on. it's still cold in here, but not so cold that it ruins my supplies. I go to turn the knob for the heat.

in some ways, it's kind of sad to feel the air brush over my skin. nothing has changed, but it seems inadequate now that I'm showing someone else. last time I was in here, I covered my easels before I left. they stand in the darkness like rectangular shadows. only a dim moonlight that has persisted through the clouds falls through the window. I turn my phone flashlight on.

"what is this place?" Matthew asks curiously. I can barely see him as he squints around. it smells like acrylic paints, but the scent meets a crisp accent of cloves as my match catches the wick of a candle. I continue lighting the assorted candles around the shed, watching golden light begin to dance over the walls. I'm too scared to look at him.

"welcome to my studio." I wave my arms ceremoniously after blowing out the final match. smoke curls off of its edge. his skin looks amazing in this lighting as he gives me an excited smile before darting his wild eyes everywhere they can go. they move from the walls to the covered easels to jars of paintbrushes and messy containers of paint. given the ridiculous price of art supplies, I really should invest in a working lock. I smile when he starts to wander around. he hasn't even looked up at the ceiling yet.

"Chloé." he says with a slight laugh in his voice. it's playful and awed at the same time.

"this was where I spent all my time when I was in high school." I tell him, my own gaze traveling over hidden phrases that I painted in corners of the wall. nobody ever came in here, so it was like a diary. a diary that consisted of four walls, dusty floors, and a ceiling with a half-finished mural.