Phoenix: The Risen ✔️

R u m o u r

"Beautiful work guys. This was one of the best."

The art teacher gave an impressed smile as she handed the graded rubric back to Phoenix.

Penelope eagerly watched as the boy lazily skimmed over the page, paying no mind to the teacher who walked off to finish giving out the rest of the marks.

After a second, he passed the sheet to the girl who was already looking at him as if he'd promised to buy her a pack of chicken nuggets and a tub of chocolate ice cream.

"98?! Phoenix this is so good!" She squealed while her eyes soaked in the feedback.

"Mesmerizing difference between light and shade that made the drawing tridimensionnel."

Penelope recited with an impressed shake of her head.

"Baby you're so talented."

Phoenix shrugged trying to appear nonchalant despite the warning heat on his neck from the bubbly girl's praise.

"It was just a drawing of your hand. I should be thanking my little muse."

Penelope bit her lip, and peered up at him, not saying anything for a moment. Her eyes seemed to swirl with curiosity and blaze in interest.

She imagined herself dressed up all pretty, with a few flowers decorating her fawn-like strands. It would be difficult for her to stay in place but she would definitely try her hardest. And to have Phoenix's attention for the entire time? It sounded like something of a dream that satisfied her clingy desires.

"Could I? Be your muse I mean."

Her words sounded as a whisper, as if she was telling a secret that only he was meant to hear. Her teeth pressed into the soft flesh of her lip as she watched his eyes darken, completely unaware that his mind was flooding with lewd thoughts, ones of stark contrast to her own.

Penelope as his muse? All he could think about were the ways he would position her. Stretched out, vulnerable and bare, completely at his mercy and all of it to be captured by the strokes of his pencil.

His lips turned up in a smirk, his expression causing confusion to mirror in the girl's big, doe eyes. Her soft features and innocent state of oblivion only confirmed what he was thinking.

"I'm not sure we would have the same ideas in mind."

The bell rang, signalling the end of the period and Penelope poked her tongue against her check in thought.

"What do you mean?" She asked as she threw her bag over her shoulder.

"Nothing baby"

He shook his head and walked ahead of her so that she couldn't see how amused he was at her persistence.

"But I think we should talk about our 'differences'."

Her tongue enunciated the word, as if it was unfamiliar to her.

She jogged a bit so that she could catch up to him and latched onto his arm with a whine.

"It could be fun." She pouted, using her free hand to intertwine their fingers.

Phoenix only hummed but she could see his lips twitch up in a small smile.

"Penelope!"

The girl paused and turned at the sound of her name, a smile decorating her face when Olivia came into view.

"Hey" Penelope replied, removing herself from Phoenix to give her blonde friend a hug.

The boy bristled at the loss of touch and clenched his jaw in annoyance.