𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑⁰¹ʰᵉᵐᵐⁱⁿᵍˢ✓

⁶⁸july 30 and other important events

clementine

I fold over the paper on one corner, satisfyingly getting the folds and creases to flatten as I run my hand over it. The brown parcel paper wraps my finished work neatly with clear tape stuck onto the sides and nothing but pride boils within me, knowing I'll be going home with the piece wrapped within it.

The lights in the studio are lit up, making the place seem more mellow and soft amidst the evening. The waiting paintings on other easels sit quietly, their colours seeming to have changed compared to having viewed it in daylight.

"Clem, Victoria got some coffee and cheesecake. You want some?" Ellie's soft voice echoes from the stairs and I turn abruptly to see her head poked out from the railing. "It's just her and me downstairs,"

"I'm heading out for dinner, but Taylor and Rebecca are still here. I'll ask them if they want some," Nodding, I sling my bag over my shoulder and stuff my phone inside, hearing Ellie return downstairs.

I sigh at having uttered her name. Rebecca. I don't want to have to waste time trying to get to talk to her when she barely acknowledges me. But I knock on the cleaning room door anyway, hearing Taylor's voice from inside. "It's open!" She calls.

I push the door and give her a small wave, deciding not to waste any of my precious glances on Rebecca. "Hey, Victoria brought coffee and cheesecake. We should get some before we leave," I offer a smile, steering away my gaze from Taylor back to the hallway.

It would give me great satisfaction to see if Rebecca's puzzled by my blatant disregard of her, but I would also like for it to prolong.

"Yeah, sure! We'll just put away the brushes and head down," Taylor replies before I close the door and start down the stairs.

"The Clam is here!" Ellie exclaims the second I get down to the lobby, raising a cup to the air and cheersing her cheesecake with Victoria's. "Here, take one," She rests her cup on the coffee table with three other waiting cups and gives me a share of the cake on a paper plate accompanied by a plastic fork.

"Oh, no, I'll be just out for dinner," I say, though accepting the plate. Victoria stops me with a finger pointed right between my eyes.

"Did you know..." She says enthusiastically. "That national cheesecake day is actually July thirty?"

I put on an amused smile at the random fact. "No, I didn't. Why's there a cheesecake day?"

Victoria scoffs, gulping down coffee. "Why shouldn't there be?"

"I heard there's cheesecake!" Taylor's voice calls down as I hear her steps hop down the stairs. "I'm taking some for Riley,"

Ellie gets busy with handing Taylor and Rebecca their cakes and coffees while Victoria shares random facts, and I'm unsure if her source of all this energy is from the cake or the caffeine, or perhaps both.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, my hands both too occupied to pick it up. But just in time, I hear car tyres slowing down from outside, a low rumble of an engine confirming my assumption about my phone's buzzing.

I set down the plate and run back upstairs, a childish grin designing my lips as I start to imagine scenarios of Luke's reaction to the painting I'd made.

I grip on its frame and lift it off the easel, careful to swerve around other desks as I make my way back down the stairs. Step by step, I return to the ground floor. "Guys, I'll see you tomorrow!" I head towards the door as Victoria shouts back a well-wishing,

I carefully rest the painting on one raised knee as I open the front door, squinting out into the dark to spot two headlights and the well-lit interior of Luke's car.