There's a thin line between hate and love

Chapter 1

A Canvas of Dreams
Autumn, 2018.
Emily's eyelids fluttered in the early morning light as she lingered in the depths of a dream. She stood in the center of a sunlit gallery, adorned with vibrant paintings that seemed to come alive with every brushstroke, like a Cinderella story come to life. Her heart swelled with anticipation, the dream of owning her own gallery teasing the edges of her consciousness.
The distant sound of her alarm pierced through the dream, shattering the delicate veil of imagination. Reality snapped back into focus as Emily's mother entered her room, her voice carrying a weird urgency. "Emily, wake up, sweetheart. You don't want to be late for school again, do you?"
Blinking away the remnants of her dream, Emily sat up, her mind still swirling with the vivid colors and emotions of her short-lived dream. She nodded groggily, her voice laced with a touch of disappointment. "I'm up, Mom," she replied, her mind still fixed on the fading remnants of her dream as her mother left the room.
"I'm off to work. See you after school."
As Emily hurried through her morning routine, the images from her dream lingered in her mind. Her school was finally going to open the first student art gallery, something that had become her beacon of hope for her heart's true desire.If her last work was good enough, then it would be featured on the gallery walls, with her name on the canvas. How she longed to surround herself with art, to create a space where others could be inspired and moved

by the beauty she held within her soul. A beauty she hadn't really known in the real world.
Running late as usual, her backpack slung over her shoulder, Emily stepped out into the crisp autumn air, her breath forming small puffs of vapor. Today must have been specially written by a powerful spirit, she thought, as all she could see of the world around her was ablaze with vibrant hues of red, orange, and gold, a reflection of the changing season. The cool breeze whispered secrets through the rustling leaves, and Emily couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
It was going to be a good day.
Arriving at school, her spirits lifted as she caught sight of Katarina waiting by the entrance. Katarina's warm smile greeted her, their friendship built on years of shared laughter and unspoken understanding, there was no better person to do life with.
"Hey, Em! Ready for our final submission of high school?" Katarina exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement.
Emily grinned, the weight of their shared journey easing her worries.
"Absolutely, Kat," she replied, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "We're going to make this year unforgettable." She raised her rolled canvas and grinned broadly. Katarina mirrored the gesture and they both burst out laughing.
"How'd it feel to win best painting, your work featured specially amongst all the others when the gallery opens today?" Katarina asked as they walked down the hall to class.
Emily shrugged. She would love that so much but try hard as she may, she couldn't imagine how she'd feel exactly. Life wasn't so fair to her to have invested much positivity after all. "Ecstatic." Was all she could manage.

"I'll frame the memory all the days of my life. I'll tell it to my children, and my children's children, and my children's children's children." Katarina narrated, her hands flying in the air by way of demonstration.
"Come on, we both know you're too evil to live that long." Emily taunted.
"Matter of fact, it is this evilness that will become my eternal legacy. I will become the inspiration for many artists. Geniuses will depict me in their paintings... But we can't say the same of you, can we? Your memory will fade away with the rising of the next sun."
Emily carefully dropped her rolled canvas on the floor, and while pretending to lace her shoe, she jumped Katarina and labeled her with punches and pinches.
Later they day, during lunch break, Katarina leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "Emily, we're having a small celebration at our house tonight. Alex passed the bar examination, and we thought it would be a great reason to get together. You're coming, right?"
Emily's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Alex's success and the invitation to their house. She masked her excitement with a nonchalant smile. "Of course, I'll be there," she replied, trying to suppress the swirl of emotions that threatened to betray her true feelings.
As the day unfolded, Emily's thoughts often wandered to Katarina's brother, Alex. Unbeknownst to Katarina, Emily harbored a secret crush on him, her heart fluttering whenever he was near. She had admired his intellect, his charm, and the way his eyes sparkled when he talked about law.
As the final bell rang, Emily's thoughts flitted between the upcoming celebration and the art expedition happening that day. The opportunity to

immerse herself in the world of creativity beckoned, and she couldn't resist the allure of discovering new inspiration for her own artistic endeavors.
The art expedition led her to the school studio, a haven for artists and art enthusiasts alike. The walls were adorned with masterpieces, each stroke telling a story, evoking emotions that transcended time and space. Emily found herself captivated as usual, her eyes tracing the lines and colors that seemed to dance across the canvases.
Lost in the mesmerizing world of art, she wandered from one painting to another, her fingertips almost itching to feel the texture of the brushstrokes. She paused before a breathtaking landscape, the vibrant hues of a sunset cascading over rolling hills, and she couldn't help but imagine herself standing amidst the very scene she admired.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice suddenly spoke from beside her, snapping Emily out of her reverie. She turned to find Mrs. May, her art teacher, a middle-aged woman with a gentle smile.
"Yes, it's truly stunning," Emily replied, her voice filled with awe. "It's as if the artist captured a piece of nature's soul."
The woman chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with wisdom. "Art has a way of doing that, doesn't it?" she mused. "It allows us to see the world through different lenses, to connect with emotions that we might not even be aware of."
Emily nodded, understanding igniting within her. Art had always been her sanctuary, her means of self-expression and exploration. Mrs. May's words resonated deeply within her, affirming her own passion and the path she yearned to pursue.
"Are you ready for the submissions? We begin in a few minutes." Mrs. May said.

Emily nodded and raised her rolled canvas up for her teache to see. The elderly woman nodded and walked away to find another mesmerized student. Emily found the only armchair in the studio and sunk into it. It was mid-afternoon and she was tired already. With painting and exams around the corner, and the pressure at home, she didn't know how emotionally drained she was.
It wasn't long before she dozed off only to be awakened by a smack on the forehead Katarina.
"Presentations are about to begin and here you are sleeping your prospects away. Everyone's getting set."
The girls joined the rest of the students. Shortly after, at the instruction of Mrs. May, they all unwrapped their canvas to unveil their paintings.