If Not For Her

Chapter 4. The Portrait Of Her

Emmalyn didn't like it, but she would never admit it to her. "I have my reasons," she said instead. Annabeth scoffed and turned around. Of course, she had her reasons, she had to outshine her sister. "The best art piece would be selected by the end of the year and the winner would be declared at before the annual ball at the end of the term" The teacher said as Emmalyn's eyes found her sister's green ones those were the only difference they had, they were not completely identical but had similarities. Emmalyn winked at her just like she did in the hallway. Evelyn turned around as Emmalyn smiled. 

She looked at the blank canvas in front of her. She drew a lot as a child, but then one day she stopped. She didn't know the exact reason maybe it stemmed from her parents' disapproval of her art or her sister outshining her. Or maybe it was that her art reminded her mother too much about her father. Whatever the reason was Emmalyn stopped picking up the paintbrush and now after years, she had to. 

Then Madame Andrea asked to draw a fancy word, Emmalyn didn't quite know the meaning. She looked around, everyone seemed to understand it except her. It won't be as easy as she hoped for, she would need assistance. She pulled out one of the brushes and poked Annabeth in the arm. "What?" she asked, annoyance written all over her face. "What did the word mean?" she asked. 

Annabeth frowned "why are you even here?" she asked, "what does it mean?" she asked, poking her again. "If I tell you will you stop poking me?" Annabeth asked. "Yes," she said. "A portrait. It means you have to draw a portrait. You know what a potrait means right?" she asked, "Yes, Annabeth I do know what a portrait means" Emmalyn said. "Good," Annabeth said, turning back to her canvas.

She started mixing paints, whose portrait should she draw? Others seemed extremely focused and they seemed to know exactly what to draw. She had to step up. Evelyn was coloring the background it seemed like a blob of ugly green paint. Madame was walking around, giving advice or praises to the students. She mixed her paint and started painting. She knew what she was going to draw, the portrait of her, the girl that appeared in her dreams a few summer nights. She started drawing someone she didn't know in the hope to figure out who the girl was. She drew a girl with brown hair, brown eyes, and a vibrant smile, a flower crown rested on her head as she sat on the field of daisies in her white dress.

"Good," a voice said from behind her. She turned to see Madam staring at her drawing, she gave Emmalyn an appreciative smile and walked on. The girl in the portrait seemed... perfect. "where did you learn that?" she came face to face with a starkly similar pair of brown eyes. She looked at her painting and then back at Annabeth. The girl in the painting looked just like her. Shit! was Annabeth the one on her mind when she was painting. Was Annabeth the one in her dreams? Hell no. Fortunately, Annabeth didn't seem to catch on the similarities despite staring at her painting. She was dense for someone as academically smart as her.

"I am just naturally talented," Emmalyn said. Annabeth rolled her eyes as she took in her features. Annabeth did resembled the girl in the painting. "Cool painting" a voice came from behind her, and she turned to see Adam, one of Annabeth's friends. He seemed to catch on to what everyone seemed to miss. "Thank you" she turned around swiftly. He noticed the resemblance. 

The class soon ended and as expected Sofia was outside. "You took up art?" she asked her dark eyebrows creating a perfect arch. "Yes," Emmalyn said, her mind still stuck on her canvas. "Why may I ask?" she asked, as they walked to their class. "Because I wanted to win and if there is my dearest sister cares for  more than anything is this school, She has been wanting it since she was a kid," she said. "But isn't Alexander's sister good?" Sofia asked. She was. "Yes, but Evelyn won't accept it," she said. She checked the timetable she had chemistry.

"Great, but you also need a partner, someone better than Dexter," Sofia said. "Someone much better" Emmalyn added. "How about Reed?" Sofia said and Emmalyn stopped. "Why in the world would I ever want to date h-" she was cut off "He already has a girl," Sofia said. Her brother, Alexander, of course. Emmalyn nodded when she spotted Annabeth talking to Adam and Christina. Then it clicked, she could just ask Annabeth to help her with the concepts, she was the best tutor she could get. But would she even help her? let alone listen to what she had to say. She knew Annabeth would refuse but it didn't hurt to try and maybe she would agree. "I'll come back in a minute," she told Sofia and walked towards the girl on the other side of the hall. Maybe she could also get some clarity about the portrait.