Untouchable

Chapter 6

(Dean pov)

The days following the dinner were uneventful, and I returned to my routine daily life. The day after the party, Yaki drove me to retrieve my car from the parking lot, all the while grumbling about his headache.

I haven't spoken to Alonso since the night he drove me home. With a sigh, I press the tip of my brush against the white canvas, moistening it slightly before pulling back. Then, I dip the brush into the red paint, followed by the blue.

Blending has always been a meticulous task in painting. Avoid over-mixing the colors, or you might end up with a muddle instead of a masterpiece. Currently, I'm struggling with the hues on my empress dress. It's not so much the blending, but rather the choice of colors that's the issue.

The palette doesn't capture her fury at this moment; her dignified demeanor prevents her anger from being overtly displayed. I ponder whether a combination of gold and maroon, or perhaps gold and red, would better suit the situation.

Apologies if my previous messages were unclear. I'm discussing my painting. The colors I've chosen don't align with my theme, leaving me in contemplation and somewhat upset about starting over.

After redrawing the character, I felt confident I had nailed it. However, when I concentrated on her expression, all I could see was pain. It's something I hadn't considered earlier. When you think of revenge or mortality, the pain and anguish of the individual involved often go unnoticed, overshadowed by visible anger.

Perhaps a combination of red, gold, blue, and maroon could truly capture her state in that moment. It's quite disheartening. Nevertheless, I'm picking up my paintbrush, ready to tackle the task.

Ring!

The ringing of my phone halts me in my tracks. Frantically searching through the papers, I'm not paying attention and accidentally knock over a jar of white paint onto myself. "Gah!" I scream, scrambling to my feet as the wet paint drips from my sweats to the floor.

Amidst the chaos, my phone stops ringing, and I fail to locate it. Seizing the moment, I start tidying up the spill, grateful it hasn't damaged my project. The phone rings again, and this time, I track the sound.

"Seriously," I mutter in annoyance upon spotting it on the counter. Approaching, I set my project down and reached for the phone, making sure to wipe my hands first. I plan to wash them after I've cleaned up, but what should I do first?

A new message from an unknown number:

"De?"
I read it out loud, confused I text the number back.

"Yes, Who is this?" Hopefully, I didn't come off as rude.

"Good I finally got cho number, This is Alonso."

"Oh! Hi Alonso, who gave my number to you?"

I question knowing the answer was Yaki or Anthony, but either way, it's still good to ask.

He replies: "China doll, Why is there a problem with me having it?"

I panic as I type, "Not at all Zo. I was just surprised."

"😂 I'm just playing. Zo?"

I blush, I type Zo without realizing it.

"Yeah, I give all my friends Nicknames. Do you like it? 🤗" The message bar is read, and the typing bar goes on and off, but he never responds.

I hope I hadn't weirded him out.

"😉"

'A winky face? I guess that means he likes it or he's cool with it?'
I send one back, but not a winky nervous smiling one.