MY LITTLE ARTIST

TWENTY FIVE

Camila left Lauren's class with a new sense of joy. The urgency of her anxiety quickly soothed by the elder's sweet words. Just as she rounded the corner however, she noticed Sam to be heading straight for her "Hey Camila, could I just have a quick chat with you?"

Her stomach tangled into a knot at the question and she quickly found herself guarding her posture with folded arms "What about?" She asked hesitantly "I have shit to do!"

"I'm sure you do baby" the man calmed "It's private though, I'd prefer if you'd come into my office for a moment" Camila swallowed hard and reluctantly decided to follow, the sensation in her stomach only growing more intense the closer they got to the door

Camila chose the chair farthest from the man's desk and sat down with an avoiding stare "If this is about me and Lauren I-

"It's not" Sam smiled, clearly trying his best not to divert his intentions into the strange arrangement his best friend had made "This is all about you Camila"

Somehow that made her feel worse, anything to do with her own life only a burden to give her attention to "Ok" she hissed "So it's about me causing trouble huh"

Sam laid down his paperwork with an empathetic sigh, focusing his gaze onto Camila who very evidently hated the attention "Look, I'm not here to yell at you, that's not my job or my style" the man spoke "I actually have something you may enjoy hearing"

Camila lifted her shoulders with an ounce of reassurance "I doubt that, but go on"

Sam settled back into the paper work and relaxed into his chair "So, I had a phone call from your social worker today" Camila instantly rolled her eyes "Before you get pissed! It's good news"

The younger girl stood from her chair to begin pacing the room "Nothing good ever comes from that woman!" She barked, clearly unable to associate the woman with anything enjoyable

Sam readjusted his tone with the clearing of his throat "You may be surprised, Camila"

"Fuck you" she laughed sarcastically, her body language now guarded and sharp edged "You don't know anything about my situation"

The man clamped his jaw with a swallow, although his job was to deal with students just like Camila, he'd never quite come across a case so intense "You're absolutely right, which is why I'm here not to get involved but to help move certain things along"

The younger was evidently beginning to feel agitated by the new flow of information. Simply hearing of her social worker's existence sent spikes into the lining of her stomach "I don't need you to do anything for me, Sam"

"You are more than welcome to leave my office Camila, I'm not holding you hostage" the man began in a serious tone "I understand that yet another person digging around in your life is uncomfortable trust me! But I really would advise you hearing what I have to say"

Sam knew exactly the words to use to calm the girl's heightened mood. It was almost as if he knew how to handle such a personality and had Camila leaning against the wall with a sigh before things could have escalated further

"Talk then" she mumbled bitterly

Sam nodded, pausing for a moment before deciding on the order of his words "Your social worker has managed to make contact with your little sister's case workers in Chicago"

Immediately Camila stood away from the wall with wide almost glazed eyes and a gasping jaw that expressed her total surprise "What- they spoke to them?" She rambled quickly "Wh- what did they say? Can I see her?"

Sam noted the instant emotional backing in the girl's voice, it sounded almost like terror but he knew it logical to be shock "I know this is a lot baby but just let me talk ok? I really need you to listen to me"

Camila couldn't stand still, her fingers dragging up and down against her thighs while her breath began to quicken "Just tell me! Please Sam!" She begged, her eyes filling with water "I need to know!"

"Her case worker has agreed to a visit in two weeks!" The girl's hands lifted to her mouth with another gasp "But!" The man pronounced loudly to make sure the girl was listening "There is a chance that it may not happen! There is a lot of red tape to cross so I'd advise keeping in mind that it's only a maybe!"

Camila sank to the floor with a broken sob, the notion of being able to see her sister again almost too overwhelming to handle. Sam lifted to walk around the desk, his hand gently soothing her back as she hid her eyes beneath her palms

"I told you it was good news didn't I?" He asked with a smile, using his spare hand to cup against her knee "I really need you to understand that this isn't set in stone though Camila!"

The girl nodded into her tears "I'll t-take a maybe!" She gasped between her sobbing breaths "I haven't seen her for almost two y-years"

"Let's just keep our fingers crossed then huh! Try and stay positive!" Camila nodded back, unable to get off of the floor for a good thirty minutes before finally regaining herself enough to head back to her dorm

Lauren

I slid the underside my palm against the white canvas in front of me. The wet, pastel brown soaked paintbrush gliding across the surface with a delicate stroke that created the centre of a girl's torso. I'd been asked to create a naked but tasteful woman that would hang over the fireplace of one of my repeat clients

I loved painting after dark, sitting in the classroom with nothing but my own thoughts as I crafted my next pay cheque. After only half an hour set up however, the clicking of the door behind me left my head averting from the canvas to investigate

"Camila" I smiled, placing down the brush to wipe my hands on a near by rag "I thought you were meeting me at mine?" I asked gently, her short skirt and glowing hair highlighted by the setting sun peeking through the window

She smiled at me, her eyes lighting up as she slid between the various tables "I just wanted to see what you were painting tonight" her gaze settled on the canvas, noticing a few more strokes to be outlining a pair of hips and shoulders "Another nude?"

I turned back to face the piece with a tilted head and gentle sigh "It's supposed to be" my laugh was quiet "I can't really find any inspiration though"

"Can I?" She asked, pointing down at the paintbrush to which I nodded back "Maybe something like this" she began taking dabs of paint, marking in contours and curves with the shape of a neck arched back and a hand resting over a thigh "Classy but sexy?"

"Keep going" I smiled, rolling back in my chair to watch as she knelt on her knees to continue building a picture so beautiful I couldn't bare to stop her "I love it" I blurted out "the angles are perfect? It's almost as if you actually listen to me in class"

She laughed back, building in streaks of colour to the body I instantly recognised as my own "I don't spend all of my time staring at you" she giggled "Sometimes I choose to pay attention"

"It shows" my hand bent to grab another paintbrush, dipping it in the white to add highlights against her work "This helps with the light balance" I explained "Using lighter colours to signify darkness gives a better depth in my opinion"

I hadn't noticed her to have stopped painting before her smile burned into the side of my cheek. I pulled back with an awkward laugh to acknowledge her presence "What?"

She shook her head "Nothing" the paintbrush fell back into the pot of water "I just love hearing you talk about art, it's nice"

"I love watching you create art so, I guess this is a win win?" We made eye contact for a good few seconds before she shuffled towards me and used my thighs to bend in for a small but meant kiss

As she pulled back I could see the energy in her eyes to be calm, something I rarely had seen so far in Camila but couldn't deny finding it enchanting "You're in a good mood" I smiled back, dropping my hands to trace her fingers

She dipped her head and beamed "Just had a good day I guess" she mumbled "It would
be an even better day if we went back to yours in a bit though?"

I smiled widely, offering a small laugh before bending to grab my bag "Come on, let's go"