MY LITTLE ARTIST

THIRTY SEVEN

Camila

My stomach ached, my chest too as I tried to breathe deeply through my mouth. Everything looked dull lately, the trees didn't seem as beautiful as they did before and the sky felt a little overwhelming

As much as last night felt amazing, sex and cuddles. I couldn't help but still feel annoyingly deflated, nothing I did made me feel good right now and it hurt that not even Lauren could help. She helped a lot, but not enough to forget about the turmoil withering within me

I left before she woke up this morning, I needed an extra long walk to clear some of the fog in my busy mind. It didn't help having a million texts from Sonja as per usual, opening them not even present on my to do list

Still, when I arrived to campus my mind quickly filled once again. Olivia and her friends were talking in the hall which only led me to walk in the opposite direction "Camila!" I heard from in front of me, my eyes peeling from my phone momentarily "You ready for today?" Sam asked, shocking me slightly as I glanced around the hall

"Today?" I mumbled "What's today?"

He unfolded his arms with a smile "Our meeting with your social worker?" My heart instantly sank into my stomach "She said she would contact you about it?" The texts, of course

I rolled my eyes and shoved my phone back into my bag "I don't open any of her messages, for this reason exactly!" I spat "Count me out, you guys can talk over a coffee on your own!"

I started to walk away, however stopped by the man's insistent need to ruin my day "Wait, Camila please!" He almost begged "It's really important that you're there" I closed my eyes with a deep breath "I know you're not exactly thrilled by the idea of me but I really need you to at least attend"

"No!" I hissed, turning a few heads from around our bodies "I'm done attending meetings about me and my behaviour or my case workers! I don't care anymore ok?"

"Camila, I understand-

"No you don't?" I pressed with furrowed brows and an offended stare "You don't understand at all? This is my life Sam? Every day, every week, every time I find a way to make my life somewhat enjoyable, you and your army of losers come along and hijack it!"

His expression was one I had instantly recognised as clueless. So many people just like him trying to make amends with my experiences not expecting the emotional awareness "I'm not trying to hijack anything, Camila"

"Then leave me alone!" I laughed sarcastically, hoping he'd quickly back off "Go back to your office and cancel your meeting! I won't be there!"

Sam sighed, glancing at the watching faces around him "Look, I can't force you to do anything Camila" he began "But please spend your time in class at least considering it ok? Me and Sonja will be ready for you at 11:30 in my office"

I laughed him off with a shaking head before making my way back to Lauren's class in which I wouldn't for a second be considering anything of the kind! I didn't care to see Sonja, telling me how to act or how to behave when she didn't understand me even a little bit

I sat down in my seat with a huff, ignoring Nova's beaming smile and focusing only on the raven haired woman conversing with another student out front. She brought me a strange calm amongst everything, a sensation of warmth I really needed right now

"Let's just continue with our projects from yesterday guys" she projected loudly "Really start to program your work with your notes and come up with a plan for your final submission"

I knew already what I was going to draw for my final piece. With a perfect reference from every angle I decided on sketching Lauren in a way nobody had ever seen her before. The trick was, she wouldn't have a face, that way, people would view my work and not realise that they were staring at their teacher

Smart.

"I think I'm gonna draw my grandma" Nova spoke from beside me "She's just so cute and awkward, she'll be perfect!" I rolled my eyes and grabbed for my pencil "Good for you!" Before her eyes met my cheek with a confused expression "Everything ok?"

I nodded back "Yep"

Honestly I was miserable right now. Sam's little meeting talk had me rattled, just knowing Sonja was going to be here had me feeling like a squashed balloon on the sidewalk

"I'll take that as a no" she giggled "I won't ask why, just know I'm here" her reply was needed, I didn't really feel like talking about anything right now let alone the reason I was a mess "Hey, there's a party tonight at the club! I would have texted but I fell asleep super early last night!"

"A party?" I queried with a side eye "Who's going?"

Nova laughed "Everyone!" She replied "It's a free for all, I think even the third years are going!" I didn't like the idea of 'everyone' in any situation, let alone a party. Still, I curved my brows and nodded back as she continued to detail the mounds of people apparently attending

"So you're going too?" I asked curiously, knowing how innocent the girl had proven to be as of lately "You know, with all of that alcohol and all of those boys?"

She laughed back awkwardly "Im not going for the boys or the alcohol! Im just going to hang out, you should too?"

"I hate the people in this class Nova!" I admit with a bite "What makes you think I wanna hang around with them after hours?"

She shrugged, dropping her pencil to lean against her palm "I'll be there?" Brilliant, the spoil sport party girl "We could people watch and dance!"

"I'll let you know" I replied, bending into my work with a concentrated stare "I'm not sure I have the energy"

"Well, if you change your mind I'll be waiting! It's not something you wanna miss!"

The class went on for another 45 minutes, thankfully I'd managed to get a lot of work done. When Lauren came around the room to observe our efforts however she stopped dead beside me and stared down with a gasp "This is, interesting?" She spoke, already recognising the form "Care to tell me the inspiration?"

I laughed back "Just some hot girl I know! You probably don't know her" I mocked, knowing that she was aware of who was really sitting half naked on my page "I just liked the way she looked without clothes on"

Immediately the woman walked away, hiding her blushing cheeks to tend to Tyler just beside. Even now, I loved getting under her skin, it was like an instant reward. Soon after the loud bell rang and I found myself packing up my stuff with in a rush

"You wanna go grab some food?" Nova asked with a smile. I shook my head in return, wanting nothing less than to sit in a busy food court "No, I have something I need to do"

Nova wasn't bothered by my absence, she instead joined with a new group of girls and swanned away without me. I looked out into the hall at Sam's office and sighed, I really didn't want to go to the meeting, but something within me wanted to hear what was being said

I paced towards the door with an adamant intent to eavesdrop, nobody else was around now as classes had settled and stragglers had been cooed to move. I stood directly beside the door and sank down to sit, thankfully I could hear everything..