Now I See You | ✓

Thirty-Seven

Final exams finally arrive, bringing a boatload of stress with them, but thankfully a whole lot of relief once they're all over. It's a little hard to tell, because I won't get the marks for a while and everything is very subjective, but I think they all go okay, and the pieces of art that I hand in are ones that I'm happy with.

I can only hope that the examiners are also happy with my pieces. It was interesting, when I was creating them, and analysing the different influences for the pieces.

Some of them are really dark, with angry lines and splodges all over them, or really sad. It doesn't take a genius to work out where those ideas came from.

But some of them are lighter, brighter, happier. I'd shown them to Aubin, because he always wants to see my work, and he'd teasingly asked if he'd inspired any of them. I hadn't been able to deny that one, really, but I pointed out that my friends were part of the inspiration too.

He'd scowled at the thought that he didn't get all the credit, but we both know how much I owe to my roommates and my other friends, like Ezri, and my brother, too.

When writing the explanations for each of the pieces of artwork, I realised a bit more about who inspired what and it makes me understand just how much progress I've been making.

The ones that Mason inspired were really difficult to write about in a way that seemed authentic but didn't give away too much. It tore at my heart slightly, to be acknowledging the process and the fact that he was clearly such a big part of it.

The problem is, I can't just forget my friendship with Mason. It's arguably been one of the most defining ones of my whole life, largely because he's been in my life in some shape or form for my entire life.

Ajara and I have been speaking for a while about the fact that I can't forget him, or any of what happened between us or between him and those other girls. It's part of my journey, now part of what makes me who I am today.

Thankfully, my other friends and my boyfriend are also such a large part of me and they are people that I can definitely be grateful for, forever.

So, Josie and I have a final end of exam celebration dinner with Manal, before she goes over to a course mate's house for a movie night, which relieves any guilt Josie, Saori, Jaden, Aubin and I feel about ending up at a party at the football house, under Saidi's persuasion, of course, because he loves a party.

The party's bouncing and Saidi's plying us all with strong drinks, but none of us are exactly complaining either.

I swipe a vodka coke he's just mixed for me and take a big swig, eyes widening slightly when I realise that there's actually very little coke in there at all.

Saidi notices my expression and cackles loudly, looking proud of himself for managing to get me to drink such a strong concoction.

Aubin narrows his eyes at his childhood friend, before raising an eyebrow in my direction, hand clamping around my waist, drawing me close to check I'm okay.

I kiss him quickly, giggling. "I'm all good. Stop stressing, you mother hen."

He rolls his eyes at my cheek, but kisses me back all the same. "I'm not a mother hen," he grumbles in my ear, eyebrows pinched together.

He's definitely a mother hen.

I kiss him again, just to mollify him, and it works, as always.

He's always a little bit of a worrier, my Aubin, stressed out that I'm drinking too much or just not taking care of myself. It's not overbearing though, he just likes to make sure that I'm okay and to ensure that I know he's going to look out for me.