“Do you plan or just create?” he asks, switching to teacher mode. He steps up to the canvas, looking closer at the background. I concentrate on Elise's features before moving to Dan's eyes, not liking the hollow gaps,
“A bit of both”, I reply, then side-eye him when I hear the click of a photo being taken. He gives me a cheeky smile.
“This I planned in my head since you taught the technique, something like that.” I point to a canvas I did while singing with Trent, it’s of a vase of flowers, but look closer and there are hidden images within theblooms.
“I just closed my eyes and went for it with whatever was inspiring me at the time, sometimes it’s whatever my music playlist is at the time, sometimes the emotions that are becoming too much. I missed them today, so I wanted to make a memory. Well, kind of.” I wipe the tears from the admission to their loss, clearing my throat as I continue.
We are quiet for a while, he’s looking through my other stuff, and noises are coming from him. I try not to guess if it's like or not; he was my teacher, so it is sometimes hard not to expect him to grade my work. I inwardly snort, thinking of coming in here one day and finding sticky notes with grades and comments on how to improve.
Half an hour later, Liam has retaken his seated spot, so I decide now is the time to bring something up. I haven’t been able to work out how to approach him about it.
“Dan and Elise left me their ‘human’ effects when they passed away, I have a property I want to use when I turn eighteen, but when I looked, I have a problem, I own the building, or will own it, on my birthday, BUT, the land is owned by someone else, so I need permission to even step onto the drive, let alone do any work on the house.”I grab the file and hand it over,
“Want to sign off so I can start bringing my future house up to date?”
He looks over the details with a frown and then chuckles,
“I will agree if you do an art show with some of these, even if you donate the money to charity.” I look at him, then look at my feet
“I can’t until I turn eighteen and have access to my money to buy an ironclad pseudonym.” As if waiting for an opening to enter, Nate walks in,
“I will pay for a vampire one for you. I owe you eighteen years of birthdays and Christmas as your godfather, so I will be happy to.” I blink at him and then sigh. I know I’m not going to win this argument.
GROUP CHAT MADE – ART
NATE, MATEO, DEVIN, LIAM, MILES ADDED
ME: I need to sort my artwork
out for an art show, you lot are
Now in charge of it. I will mark
the ones I don’t want to sell,
And Miles needs to pick what
He wants for the new house.
I put my phone away and let them sort stuff out, and they all soon walk into my studio. I continue with my painting, adding yes, no, and maybe when they hold up my art, a couple of them I just want to burn, but Liam smacks the back of my head with a rag, so I just shrug those off from then on.
CHAPTER FIVE
JACE
“I want to take the next step with Ember, but I don’t know how.”
I say as I close my brother's door, he glances up from his laptop, giving me an odd look that I don’t really understand, which is odd between us; we are normally in sync.
“When you’re making out or whatever, or even tell her you want more but don’t know what she likes – she’ll help you, or I can tap in and join”, he wiggles his eyebrows at me, but I’m already shaking my head.
“No, I want our first time to be just us. I just don’t want her to think less of me, as I have no idea what I’m doing.” I hang my head. Creed goes to say something, but the door slams open,
“Jace, your clothes are on your bed, the Elders have been spotted two towns over, and not that I was eavesdropping, but Ember won’t make fun of you. Remember, one of her mates is Jenson.” Miles states while walking to Creed's closet,
“He’s right. Just talk to her, I’m jumping in the shower.” Creed pats my shoulder on his way past, and I wince when I realise he was lying in bed naked on his laptop when I walked in. I head to my room to get changed. I contemplate showering; if we all smell fresh as daisies, they will know something is off.
“Miles, I am not wearing that either. Come pick something else, or paint-splattered dungarees are what I’m wearing,” Ember yells from her room. Miles flies out of Creed's closet, dumping clothes on the end of his bed and charges with a fierce look that would even have Nikoli quaking in his boots. I eye the clothes he has given Creed to wear, thankfully, Miles hasn’t given us matching, but mine do seem on the smarter side than Creed's.
