I Chose Nothing

13

Marc groaned in frustration, "What do you mean that's too circley?" He whined, they'd been looking for ideas for seemingly hours. "I'm not painting the same circle over and over again Marc it makes no sense on a square canvas!" John explained, scrolling through his phone for more ideas on the web. Marc sighed, "You're picky, I don't think it should matter that much, if you mess up then you can just—you know, buy another one." Marc replied. He was sprawled out on John's bed while John sat on his rolling chair. "How about this one?" John ignored Marc's attempt to give up and go home. A picture of a Sunflower with a blue background, Marc got up, "I think it looks great, can I go home now?" He asked quickly, with a hopeful smile on his face. Expecting that to be Marc's honest answer, he nodded tiredly and Marc packed up his things and bade his now best friend, a goodnight.

     The next morning, John took the piece of paper that he had created the size of the canvas on, and began to sketch out ideas on how to make it uniquely his. He scribbled out the boxes that held the tree designs, which left him with two boxes left on the front side. Figuring he could just trace the canvas lines on the back of the paper, he was in no rush. His analytical mind took a ruler,then grabbed a compass, then researched for the next thirty minutes on how to prepare a canvas, then began to practice painting the flower on a separate piece of paper, which probably wasn't the best method, but worked out nonetheless. He worked on his sunflower painting for the rest of the day, the only thing making him get up was the urge to drink water, eat, and use the restroom. Instead of episodes playing in the background, he hummed along to the same album he had bought, memorizing the songs words and simple melody.

For the next couple of weeks he's entirely focused on the perfect painting, he began mixing paints and making the perfect colors, taking up studying color theory while he's at it. 'I guess I am a painter' he thought over and over again, believing his initial lie. The songs on the album he had known forwards and backwards, right side up and upside down. Singing the words to himself silently as he walked around a local craft store, looking for another small canvas to practice painting even more. He wanted this gift to be as perfect as it could get. Making sure to hide any kind of work away from Sage, even when he talked to her over their makeshift telephone. He had believed that she had no idea about the surprise, and begged Marc to keep it a secret making up a reason to do as such for Marc was already skeptical.

     John had nervously began painting on the canvas, having the reference painting next to his own, and the sketch. With a shaky hand, he drew the first circle 'not that bad.' He thought to himself as he drew another, then another, soon the base of the painting was done. He prepped it for painting and began with the light blue background and began painting the actual flower once he had used his fan to dry it. It was ready.

Everybody finds somebody someplace
     There's no telling where love may appear.