𝐈𝐥𝐥-𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 ✔️

50

L U E L L A

20 years later.

God, I was so nervous. What if nobody liked my piece? 

I awkwardly walk around the art museum. As honored as I felt to have my work displayed here, even if it was just for a day for school, I was also terrified to hear people's opinions on it. 

So, instead, I walk around by myself. My eyes land on a piece I found more beautiful than the rest. I read the name of it, "An endless sky."

I played with my brown braid as I looked at it. I wished to make such a beautiful piece someday.

"Did you make that?" a man asks behind me.

I turn around to look at him. I don't recognize him. I shake my head and tell him, "No, I didn't."

"Oh," he says. "The most beautiful piece here is this painting titled Another Lifetime. Have you seen it?"

My lips slowly turned up in a smile. That was my piece. All the anxiety I felt seemed to disappear hearing that somebody liked it. 

"No, I haven't," I lie with a smile. "What's your name, stranger?"

"Adonis," he introduces himself. "And yours?"

"Luella," I tell him. "Do you paint?"

"No," he shakes his head. "I just come here sometimes. I'm not sure why. It just feels right."

"Students!" my professor shouts from across the room. "Everybody back on the bus now!"

I point at my teacher and tell him, "I have to go now. But it was nice to meet you, Adonis."

I turn to leave, but he quickly says, "Wait."

I turned around to look at the stranger I found myself captivated by for no reason. 

"Would you want to go on a date sometime, Luella?" he asks me. "I find you to be quite beautiful."

I once again smile at the tall stranger with black hair.

"And what do I get out of it?" I ask teasingly, but I see him start to get nervous.

"Um, a really great date - amazing even, where we do something crazy..." he rambles, but then pauses, and he smiles while I laugh. "Actually, it would probably be a completely normal date. But would that be so bad?"

I smiled as I thought about it. It wouldn't. I enjoyed simple things. 

"Luella, let's go!" my professor shouts again.

"Okay, Adonis, I agree to go on a date with you," I tell him. His smile instantly grows so wide but once he realizes it he tries to stop it and rub his jawline to hide it. 

I reach into my purse and write my phone number down on a ripped piece of paper. I give it to him, and as he takes it, he says sarcastically, "I will protect this with my life, Luella."

I laugh once again. I did not laugh much. But he made me laugh.

I say goodbye to him. I turn around and begin walking to my bus, I do stumble over my feet a bit as I walk since I'm so nervous. He calls out to me, speaking sarcastically once again, "Oh, Luella, please do not do that on our date."

"Shut up!" I yell back while laughing. I look at his smile once more before walking outside.

I walk under the stars toward the bus, continuing to smile as I think about the stranger I met today. 

I wonder if this would become something serious. 

T H E   E N D.