In A 100 Days

'Caffeine-Addicted Blonde'

I add one last dab of grey paint onto my painting and hum in satisfaction. The one thing I can be proud of myself of is my art. My ability to paint and sketch my emotions and thoughts underneath a Innocent and happy exterior.

I put my paintbrush into the water cup, and admire my painting. It's one of a green butterfly flying underneath grey skies. There is a small ray of sunshine in the corner, and the butterfly seems to be flying towards it. But when you look closer, you'd see that one of its wings seem to be injured. But it keeps trying to reach the small sunny opening, trying to get out of the dark skies. The reason I had painted the butterfly green was to signify it's refusal to give up.

Green. The colour of hope.

My headphones are on once again, to block out my parent's yelling at each other. It's night now, and it's always around this time I hear the arguing. The lyrics I'm listening are a little too relatable to how I'm feeling right now. I sing softly along to the song, "I'm covering my ears like a kid. When your words mean nothing, I go la la la".

I stand up from the stool in front of my artist's easel in the corner of my bedroom and walk over to my bed and sink down. I glance to the picture frame standing on my bedside table and pick it up . It's a photo of my Parents and me, taken when I was around 7 years old. It's so strange to me now, seeing Dad's arm around Mom's waist. To see him gazing at her, grinning and clearly in love. To see her smiling up at him, her eyes dancing with light too.

It's so strange, seeing my 7 year old self without a care in the world, eating a donut with glaze and crumbs all around my lips, not having to fake the big smile on my face. She looks so happy. Oblivious to how her life would be 10 years from her age.

I'm so focused on the picture in my hands, and unaware of all sounds because of my headphones, that I'm startled when I feel the bed dip, and someone sits beside me. I glance to my left, and see my father. I set my photo frame on my lap and pull my headphones to around my neck.

He's also staring at the happy photo on my lap. I move nearer to him and put my head on his shoulder and he wraps his arm around me, and pulls me closer. We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes, before he breaks it.

"Tell me the story behind the painting?" He asks me quietly. "Sure" I say, and tell him the story that one would see if they didn't take the time to really look at the painting. A butterfly flying up to the sun, in the light, where everything is perfect. He murmurs in appreciation of the art, but doesn't really seem to be listening. 

"Dad? are you ok?" I question.

he's silent for a few seconds and then speaks, "Lily. I want you to know that whatever happens between your mom and I, nothing will ever change the fact that we love you, and you'll always be our number one priority" A voice from my doorway chips in,

"At least that's one thing we can agree on" My mother says walking in. Dad nods and chuckles a bit. "At least".

"Dinner's ready sweetheart. Come down when you're ready" Mom tells me before kissing my cheek, and walking out again. Dad gets up, and pats my shoulder before he leaves too.

I lie back on my bed, staring up at my ceiling. I would give anything just to see my parents say they love each other one more time. Suddenly my phone starts vibrating, and my mood brightens instantly at the sight of the caller ID: Caffeine- Addicted Blonde☕❤.

I grin, and accept the face time call. Caleb is the only person I could ever show my face on camera to without any discomfort. The first thing I see is a cat's face close up to the camera, and I flinch back at the sudden jump scare.

But then I laugh as I realize it's only Olive, Caleb's Bombay, who he'd got back when we were kids. I remember saying how her green eyes resembled olives, and the name stuck.

"Olive! Get away from my laptop!" Caleb's voice commands. He lifts his cat away from his screen, and I hear Olive meow in protest in the background. Caleb finally sits in front of his screen, facing me. He runs his hand through his hair, and gives me my favourite lazy grin, making my heart skip a beat.

"I was happier to see Olive y'know.  You didn't have to rudely shoo her away like that" I say teasingly. He scoffs and crosses his arms, and I force my eyes to stay on his face and not trail down to his muscular arms.

"Sometimes, I really think you love my cat more than me."

I shrug my shoulders. "You think right". He rolls his pretty brown eyes at me.

"I'm gonna have to buy a separate pillow with all the crying I do at night because of your bullying carrots" He has the nerve to say.

"buy me one too while you're at it. What about the amount of bullying I go through from you about me 'overspending' on books?" I demand. Caleb waves his hand dismissively.

"That's not bullying, It's just facts. Not my fault you can't handle the truth"

I narrow my eyes at him. "And I'm hearing this from someone who spends a fortune on a cup of overpriced coffee with more artificial flavours and sugar than coffee anyway."

Caleb scoffs. "It's not like I happily like to pay so much for it." I nod in mock understanding.

"Uh huh. And that's why you get Starbucks everyday."

He smirks at me. "You get it for me most days anyway. It's why you complain about the cost of a coffee in Starbucks more than me."

" But still. 10 dollars for a medium latte" I grumble.

"Hey hey! It's grande, not medium. At least have the decency of using the correct terminology."

I roll my eyes. "Oh please. Grande, Medium. Literally the same thing"

"Fine then. All the M&M flavours taste the exact same" He shrugs.

"They don't! I've told you this a billion times!" I insist.

"And I've told you that I don't understand how a billion times!"

"That's it. I'm done talking to you. I'm not going to waste my breath explaining again" I declare.

"See you on Saturday Miss. Delusional" He says in honeyed voice.

"See you then Mr. Spends too much on coffee that you could easily make at home" I say sweetly, disconnecting the call quickly before it can turn into another debate. I catch sight of him laughing before the screen goes blank.

I set my phone down, walk out of my room, and trudge downstairs to the dining room, To have another awkward as hell family dinner, with my parents not talking or even looking at each other, and me doing my best to talk to both.

                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                                               Author's note:
                   We're getting closer to the whole plot of the book!

                                                -Kelly<3