Painting the Roses Red (An Ib AU)

Chapter 17: I Remember

Ocean's Point of View

I blinked. I was in front of the painting, with a blank mind and a strange, tired feeling as my stomach rumbled. I looked around; people were there, including these two men a one year older than me with hair that was in red or black, laughing and getting attention. Another two men also caught my eye with black or green hair. There was a man standing alone, staring at a red rose sculpture.

'Where was Maya, again?' I thought as for a moment I was starting to panic, but then I remembered she was with her friends. I went towards the man by the rose. His back was to me, his olive-colored hands folded behind his back, and brown hair on his head. I tapped his shoulder, feeling Deja vu all of a sudden.

"Excuse me..." I said but have no shyness within me. He turned; his brown hair, almost green eyes held nothing but mystery and a little bit of sorrow.

"Hello." He said as he smiled at me, and I smiled as well.

"Do you know where the café is? I'm kind of hungry." I asked as the man put his hand on his stomach.

"I'm hungry too. I really don't know." The man replied to my question.

"Wait, I think I had some candy or something-" I searched my hoodie pockets for my candy but found nothing but my phone. Candy. The blue haired man from before looked for the voice; it sounded so familiar to him. He dragged his best friend over as well; I gave a smile to them, thinking why they were so familiar. The green haired gave a smile.

"Do you guys know where the café is?" I asked as the red- and black-haired guys came over as well to see the rose sculpture. I would feel a little bit crowded if it were not for the Deja veju- like thing.

"The café is... Where is the café?" The green haired man looked at his white-haired friend.

"Oh, Evan, you little- actually I'm not going to say that in front of this young lady." The white-haired boy said, then we laughed.

"Do you have a mint?" Toby asked.

'How do I know his name?! ' I thought to myself.

"I did but..." I stated and I searched my pockets again; I could have sworn I had five candies....

"Is this it?" The black-haired man asked, pulling out a candy wrapper with my name on it.

"I found it. It must have just fallen in, I swear-" The man tries to say.

'I fished in my bag and gave Jack a candy, orange. Barry took it and put the wrapper in his pocket, eating the candy gratefully.

The others seemed to stare at it, remembering it as well.

"Y-you gave me this when I was dying..." Barry said as he realized quietly. Jack pulled out his own candy wrapper, warm to the touch.

'I handed him a lemon-flavored candy, my name on the wrapper. I could thank Maya for that.'

Jack then looked up suddenly.

"You saved me, too." I remembered everything, Rick's unconsciousness, Tommy's weak grip on his flower and Toby's scream. I had saved them. There was one more piece I could not place my finger on; something about...

Tommy's eyes...

They sparkled!

I remembered Maya, when she was painting, she would paint people whose eyes sparkled at each other, and her eyes would sparkle as well. I had asked why she did that, she giggled that day.

'When you are in love, your eyes sparkle and everything looks colorful. You need some color in your life!' I remembered Maya telling me that. Yet the rose seemed ten times more real, everyone's hair was much more colorful, and the world lovelier. As the six of us reached the café, I could not help shooting looks at Tommy. 

The rest of the group ate while Tommy and I talked about little things. Soon when the six of us went outside, we saw a stage with someone about to sing 'Thinking out Loud by Ed Sheeran', since there was a place in front of the stage, I sighed.

"Hey, Ocean... May I have this dance milady?" He asked me to hold out his hand. I smiled and nodded as both of us went into the middle of the place, also I saw a little bit of Maya somewhere in the museum on the way.

"Remember when I carried you when you got blinded by that mirror?" He asked as he smiled, putting some his hair to the side, as we danced, and my heart jumped.

"Yeah! Do you remember when I accidently hit your nose?" I asked as I giggled.

"Would you remember if I do this?" Tommy said as he puts a finger under my chin, kissing me. When we broke apart for air, I saw Maya jumping around in excitement, watching me.

"Would you remember if we can be together again?" I whispered while smiling at him.

"I'd remember until the end of time." Tommy says smiling back at me. So, Maya reached us, calling Tommy and I, calling us her 'OTP.' When the three of us reached the other boys inside the café again, we had decided to keep in touch. They live nearby, anyway.

-Time skip-

Tommy became like a brother or father figure to Maya, coming over at least four times a week to help me take care of her. The other boys came as well, mostly to play video games with her and paint art as well. Me?

I was the happiest I had ever been. I had always been sad over my family every day before I went through the painting world. Tommy later moved in with us. The tv turned on, Maya with Dolly and Virginia over for a sleepover. Maya was now 12, soon turning 13...