The Sun and The Moon (SatoGou)

Chapter 20

Quill holds the door open for me as we step into the art classroom. It's been a week since he arrived, and today he decided to join me in staying behind after school, to carry on with my art project. I'm not the best at art, but it seemed like an interesting subject. I didn't realise just how much work it would take, and now it's the first time I've ever been slightly behind in something at school.

He has his art project from his old school with him. He pulls out his sketchbook and flips it open. Immediately, my breath is stolen away, because what's sitting on the pages is amazing. Most of them are sketches of animals, so realistic they look like photographs. Parrots in flight, elephants drinking from a watering hole, dogs chasing a squirrel-

"Those are incredible," I say, not wanting to get my own sketchbook out now.

"What, these?" He blushes slightly. "They're not that great. I just really like animals. I want to work with them someday, in a wildlife park or something like that. Or maybe become a vet. Anything to help them, really."

I can respect that. My own art project doesn't focus on animals, but rather people, and their emotions. It's an attempt to showcase the rollercoaster of emotions I've gone through in the past six months or so, getting to know Ash. I don't tell him that, though. He sticks one earphone in and starts working on a new sketch. I open my own book and start jotting down ideas for my final piece.

After a while, I feel something brush against my knee under the table, and I realise it's Quill's knee, and at some point he's moved a little closer. I look up at him, but he seems completely focused on his work, and doesn't look back. I pull my knee away a little and try to go back to my own.

"Can you pass me that charcoal pencil?" he asks suddenly, snapping me out of the trance I was in. My hand trembles slightly when I grab the pencil he's asking for and pass it to him. When he takes it, his skin touches mine and he lingers for a second too long- just long enough for me to notice, and I clear my throat awkwardly, moving my hand away. "Thanks," he says. "Your choice of colours is fantastic, by the way."

Still a little uncomfortable, I'm surprised when I manage to speak without my voice cracking. "Oh, thanks. I like experimenting, I guess."

"Do you now?" he says, and immediately I notice his tone is flirty. When I turn to him, he's watching me, a smirk tugging on his lips. Am I imagining this, or not? Before I can decide, he turns back to his work and carries on like nothing happened. I blow out a breath and relax. I'm overthinking again.

— — — —

"I can't believe we have to run a mile later," May complains, groaning and dropping her head into her arms. It's Wednesday, and we're sitting in the lunch hall. On Wednesdays, gym class comes after lunch, which just makes it extra painful.

"Running isn't that bad," Serena says, stroking her hair. May just makes a noise of disagreement without raising her head. Ash is sitting to my right, occasionally feeding me a grape from the bunch Delia packed for him. He doesn't mind running, obviously. He doesn't even need to try, he's so naturally athletic. Me, on the other hand? Well, I'm in the same boat as May.

"Are you staying back for art again today?" Quill asks me from opposite us. Since our strange encounter on Monday evening, he's acted completely normal, proving to myself that I was overthinking things.

"Sure," I say. Ash turns to me, frowning.

"I was gonna ask you to come to my house," he says.

"I can come after," I say, smiling. "I'll only be here 'til like, five at the latest. Promise."