Brush Strokes

by Janelle Stalder

Ugh, why must they all call me that?! I forced a smile. “Hey, Jenn.”

  “I was just coming to look for you,” she said, stopping in front of me. “I ran into Mrs. Hart and she asked me to tell you to go back to the art room to speak with her quickly.”

  My heart picked up. Maybe Colt would still be there, I thought. Thanking her, I turned and rushed back to the art room. My steps froze just inside the doorway when I took in the scene before me. Colt was leaning against a desk. Reagan stood between his legs, her arms wrapped around his neck. His hands gripped her arms, holding her close, as their mouths moved against each other.

  A low moan sounded from him, like a nail in my coffin. I wanted to throw up right then and there. This is Colt Morgan, my inner voice pointed out, this is who he is. He doesn’t have girlfriends, Olivia. He hooks up and leaves. A bitter, bitter taste filled my mouth as I took a step back. Jenn meant for me to see this, I knew that for a fact. I wasn’t sure if I should thank her or pull out that awful weave she tried to pass off as her own. Either way, I was glad I had this wake-up call. Colt might have kissed me senseless the night before, but I had all my sense back now. I deserved someone better than Colt. It looked like he was right after all.

  With a bitter laugh, I turned and fled, not stopping until I was outside of the gym. I hunched over, trying to catch my breath. At least it was Friday and I didn’t have to face the two of them the next morning in Science. Monday was going to be the worst day ever, but I’d have two days to prepare.

  “Hey, Olivia,” Jake said, walking out of the gym. He wore the football uniform, a helmet in his hands. “What are you doing out here?”

  I straightened, pushing back the strands of hair that had fallen in front of my face. “I was just looking for you,” I lied, smiling.

  “Oh yea?” he said, walking over to me with a slightly smug look on his face.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I just wanted to let you know that I can come on Saturday now, if you still want to go to that art show.”

  “Really? For sure!” Man, it was like he’d just won first prize at the fair. Mental eye roll. “I’ll come by and pick you up around six, cool?”

  “Yup,” I said, just as the gym doors opened again and Ella walked out, eyeing us curiously. “Six sounds perfect.”

  Sixteen

  It has been said that art is a tryst, for in the joy of it maker and beholder meet. – Kojiro Tomita

  Colt

  My shift on Saturday didn’t start until the evening, so I was spending the afternoon working on my baby. Rannon was on his way over with a few beers his brother bought for him and we were going to BBQ the steaks I had thawing out on the counter. It was going to be a perfect Saturday afternoon, or should have been if my mind wasn’t stuck in such a funk.

  After Mrs. Hart had left the classroom on Friday, Reagan had shown up and literally threw herself at me. It was the strangest thing. Not that Reagan didn’t always try to throw herself at me, but never so openly and during school. My brain had to play catch up as her mouth latched on to mine and her arms snaked around my neck.

  I’d gripped her upper arms to push her off me, but she’d been like a leech, sucking at me in a way that had me literally moaning in disgust. It was the worst kiss of my entire life, especially after experiencing what it was like to kiss Olivia the night before.

  It had been the one thing on my mind all morning Friday from the time I’d finally woken up after sleeping in from working late the night before. I’d been pissed I’d missed first period, but when I saw her at lunch, I knew it was probably better because there would have been no way I’d be able to pay attention in class with all that skin exposed for my admiration. God she’d looked amazing. Not that she didn’t always.

  I’d hoped she would have waited around for me after school, but I hadn’t seen her anywhere once I finally got Reagan off me. I shuddered as I remembered the trail of spit that had come from her mouth when I’d finally pulled my head away. Not finding Olivia had me stressed, only because I could have sworn I had heard someone come in when Reagan was trying to suck the life out of me, but I couldn’t be sure. It didn’t make sense that Olivia would have come back to the room, but it still worried me.

  Maybe she hadn’t waited around because she’d decided I was right and I wasn’t any good for her. Maybe that kiss hadn’t affected her the way it had me. The thought only made my mood even more sour as I tightened a bolt. There was no way she couldn’t have felt something when we’d kissed. It had been everything a kiss should be.

  My eyes went unwittingly to her bedroom window. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing. What if I just went and knocked on her door, asked her to come out here and keep me company? The idea was tempting, but the sound of Rannon’s mom’s car coming up the street had me disregarding it. Leaning back over the engine, I started on my work again.

  “Waiting for Juliette, Romeo?” Rannon said as he walked up the driveway.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied.

  He scoffed. “As if you weren’t just staring up at her window like you always are. Please, bro. Don’t try to lie to your best friend.”

  “My best friend is an idiot.”

  “Yeah, well he also has eyes, and I saw you looking, so stop denying it. Here,” he said, placing a cold bottle of beer on the edge.

  I smiled at him in appreciation, cracking it open. The cold liquid was refreshing under the heat of the afternoon sun. Rannon put the rest of the bottles in the outdoor fridge before coming back to stand beside me.

  “She almost ready?” he asked.

  We both stood looking down at the engine I’d practically rebuilt myself, with his help too of course.

  “Almost,” I replied.

  Rannon nodded. He turned and leaned against the car so we were facing each other. “We still sticking to the plan?”

  I wiped at my brow, squinting my eyes against the sunshine. “Yeah, we’re still sticking to the plan. We’ve got to make money somehow, my friend, and working at your uncle’s shop just isn’t going to cut it in the long run.”

  “You ain’t scared we’re going to get caught?”

  I thought about it. “Nah. We’ve had this planned for so long, everything should go off without a hitch.”

  “Your mom –”

  “Will be fine,” I interrupted. “She’ll understand that I did it for her – for us. We need enough money to pay off some debts, and this is the quickest way to do it.”

  He nodded again. “I know,” he said with a sigh. “And you know I’m with you every step of the way. That’s what best friends are for after all.” He smiled. “We go down, we go down together.”

  We clicked our bottles together, taking a large gulp. “Let’s get back to the car,” I said, putting my drink to the side.

  Where had the day gone? It was close to six and Rannon and I were just finishing up. The BBQ was heating, and soon I’d be chewing on a juicy piece of red meat. The thought would have made me happier if I hadn’t heard Olivia’s door open and seen her walk out in a yellow and white floral dress.

  I straightened up so quickly I ended up smacking my head on the hood of the car with a loud bang. Cursing, I gripped the back of my skull, praying I hadn’t split the skin. Rannon started laughing from inside the garage as he walked toward me. I was about to tell him to shut up, when the sound of a car slowing down had us both turning serious real fast. We knew exactly who that car belonged to.

  My eyes shot to Olivia as Jake Taylor pulled up alongside the curb in front of her house. She had stopped just on the front step of her house, her head turned toward me. Our gazes met for a second before she looked away dismissively, and started walking toward the waiting car.

  Without realizing what I was doing, I started to take a step forward. Rannon’s hand gripped my arm in a firm hold. “Don’t,” he said quietly. I had to stand there and watch Olivia get into Jake Taylor’s car and drive off. It was probably one of the hardest things I’d ever had to
witness and not do anything about.

  “What the fuck?” I whispered. Then reality hit and the tool I had in my hand went flying through the air. “What the fuck!?” I yelled.

  “Easy, Colt,” Rannon said, hands out. “Calm down, man. You’re the one that always said you weren’t good enough for her. You can’t expect the poor girl to become a nun or something.”

  “I might not be good enough for her, but neither is he!” I said, pointing at the spot where Jake’s car had been. “That fucker doesn’t know the first thing about how to treat a girl like Olivia. What the hell is she doing going out with him?”

  I paced back and forth, fuming. What the hell was going on? I know I had said a bunch of stuff the other day, but that kiss….that kiss…meant nothing, I guessed. I could have sworn, or perhaps it had just been a false hope, that she had worn that dress yesterday at school hoping to get my attention. I’d felt her eyes on me while she painted as though she were physically touching every spot her eyes touched. And then she turned around and went out on a date with Jake Taylor? Had I been so wrong? Was I that clueless about girls?

  “You need to call Ella and find out what’s going on,” I said, turning to face Rannon.

  “Uh, I don’t think so, crazy. First of all, she’s not talking to me. As far as Ella Page is concerned, I’m the spawn of Satan. Secondly, that’s just weird and creepy. You can’t call the best friend of the girl who lives next door to you demanding to know why she went on a date with another guy from school. Think about it, man. You pushed her away and now she’s gone. That’s life. Move on.”

  “Like hell I’m moving on,” I said, turning to look down the street where they were long gone by now. “If Olivia Banks thinks she can run from me then I’d like to see her try.”

  I was a man on a mission. Walking into school Monday morning, my complete focus was on finding out just what was going on between Olivia and Jake, and then making sure it wasn’t going any further. What right did I have to think this way? None. I knew it, but that didn’t change a damn thing. Jake Taylor was a user of women and a complete loser. Sure, the same could be said about me, but at least I was up front about my faults. Jake, on the other hand, put on his fake, perfect smile and acted like he was something he wasn’t. Olivia deserved better than that.

  They were already sitting at their table when I walked into first period, neither of them looking my way as I headed to my seat. From the stiff way Olivia held herself, I got the feeling she was well aware that I was there. So she was purposely ignoring me, was she? Interesting.

  “Morning, Colt,” Reagan said in a voice I think she meant to be sexy and sultry, but came off like she was either drunk or possibly suffering from a mild stroke. Or both.

  Olivia straightened further, turning so her back was more fully toward us. My eyes went to Reagan as she took her seat beside me, and I started to wonder if she had said something to Olivia. Could that be it? Why else would she suddenly be ignoring me and going out with Jake Taylor. He had a brain the size of a peanut, and the personality of a fish. What woman, especially one as intelligent as Olivia, would want to date a guy like him?

  Reagan leaned in closer, smelling like she’d bathed in sour flowers. “I thought about what happened in the art room all night last night,” she said huskily.

  My eyes instantly went over her shoulder to the back that was, if possible, even more rigid than it had been before. Suddenly the puzzle pieces all fell together. There had been someone there. I knew I had heard someone, but hadn’t thought much about it. Was Olivia mad? A spark of hope ignited in my chest. Was it possible she was jealous? Why did that thought make me so damn happy?

  She spent the entire period turned awkwardly in her seat like that. Not once did those pretty green eyes slip my way, and it was driving me nuts. As soon as the bell rang, Olivia was out the door with Jake following her like some lost little puppy. By the time I made my way into the hallway she was gone.

  “Olivia and Jake, huh?”

  I turned to see Rannon walking toward me. I cocked an eyebrow. “What about them?”

  He shrugged. “I just didn’t think she would actually go for that loser.”

  “It’s not like they’re a couple,” I argued.

  “Uh, well that’s not what everyone else is saying,” he replied. His eyes locked on something, or someone, forgetting our conversation for a moment. “Hey, Ella Page,” he called out. “Looking good.”

  “Nice try,” she said dryly, walking past us without so much as a glance.

  We stood in silence until she turned a corner. “You are totally failing,” I said.

  Rannon snorted. “Yeah, like you’re doing sooo much better. At least my girl isn’t dating jock-boy wonder.”

  I growled, catching a few startled stares as we started walking down the hall. “They’re not dating,” I repeated through clenched teeth. Rannon patted me on the back.

  “Whatever makes you sleep better at night. See you at lunch.” And then he was gone.

  The only thing that got me through the rest of the day was knowing I’d see Olivia after school for art. It got me through all my boring classes and especially through lunch where I had to witness Jake with his arm around her like she was his property or something. Rannon had to literally hold me back. It was clear to me that Olivia was uncomfortable, and yet Jake had barely left any space between them as he plastered himself to her side.

  Reagan and her psycho crew looked like they were going to burst with happiness. It made me sick. None of them really liked Olivia – well, except Ella of course – and yet they behaved as though they were all the best of friends. Especially now that everyone thought she and Jake were an item, it was like Olivia had become Reagan’s best friend over the weekend. I could only image what Olivia thought about all of it.

  Rannon walked beside me as I made my way toward the art room after final bell, going on and on about some party that I wasn’t interested in, and how ‘dope’ it was going to be. Please. Jake was walking toward us, a smug look on his face when our eyes met.

  “Morgan,” he said with a grin. What I wouldn’t give to punch that grin right off his face. How good would he look then for his stupid Christmas cards?

  “Taylor,” I replied.

  The three of us slowed down until we stood in the middle of the hallway in front of one another.

  “You boys hear me and Olivia are together now?” he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. The triumphant gleam in his eyes just made me hate him more.

  “Says you,” I said, not convinced.

  Jake shrugged his shoulders. “Believe it or not, that girl is mine now.”

  “The only thing that girl is when it comes to you is annoyed,” Rannon said, crossing his arms over his chest. “She looked about ready to peel her skin off with your arm all wrapped around her at lunch.”

  Jake scoffed. “Please. You guys can say what you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s dating me now. So keep that in mind whenever you’re around her. I’d hate to have to deal with you if you cross any lines.”

  I laughed, I couldn’t help it. This little piece of fluff was threatening me? Me? Hilarious. I stepped forward, invading his personal space. “You can deal with me right here and now if you want, Taylor,” I said with a smile. “Please. I’d love to see you try.”

  “Mr. Morgan and Mr. Taylor,” came a voice down the hall that had me instantly sighing in regret. Damn. No punching Jake’s smug-ass face after all. Ms. Kelly strode down the hall, her eyes narrowed on the three of us. “I do hope there are no problems here.”

  “Of course not, Janine,” Rannon said with an easy grin. “We were just all talking about school work, and stuff. You know, academics. The important stuff.”

  She looked at him with a dry, unconvinced look, her lips pursed. “Nice try, Mr. Hale. And stop calling me by my first name,” she scolded.

  Rannon winked at her before she continued past us.

  “No loitering in the halls,�
� she called out over her shoulder. “Move it along.”

  “Yes ma’am!” Rannon said loudly.

  My eyes went back to Jake’s, who was looking at me in a way that made me want to say screw it, and pummel his ass even if it meant expulsion.

  “Olivia is mine now. Remember that,” he said.

  “We’ll see whose she is,” I replied calmly.

  “I’m going to have every part of her,” he countered. “Soon she’s going to be screaming my name, and you’re going to be nothing but that piece of scum who lives next door with his broke mama.”

  Rannon’s hands instantly grabbed on to me before I even had a chance to step forward. My best friend knew me well enough to know any mention of my mother was sure to set me off.

  “You’d better watch it, Taylor,” I gritted out. “Or you’re going to be missing some teeth for your family portrait this year.”

  “And the only screaming Olivia is going to be doing is to tell you to get off her,” Rannon added, his face void of humour now.

  “We’ll see about that,” Jake said, turning to walk away.

  We both watched him until he left through the doors at the end of the hall.

  “What a creep,” Rannon said. “Seriously, that dude makes me want to shower. I hope Olivia isn’t seriously in to him.”

  So did I.

  Seventeen

  Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. – Oscar Wilde

  Olivia

  I honestly don’t know what had happened. It was like I had walked into the twilight zone this morning and I couldn’t find my way out. One date, and everyone was acting like Jake and I were the official “it” couple. He was like a leech, stuck to my leg no matter how much I tried to pry him off.

  In first period I was okay with all his extra attention, mostly because I wanted to shove it in Colt’s face. Childish of me? Possibly…okay, okay, it was completely immature, but Colt deserved it after swapping spit with the queen of all harpies.