prodigy // 5sos au

chp. 1

// avalanche by walk the moon

ashton irwin was in the middle of another one of his frustrating creative blocks. he'd requested a hall pass halfway through the period, insisting that it was the noise in the cramped classroom that was preventing him from completing a painting. now that he was sitting outside with sketchbook and pencil in hand, he'd started some simple sketches, but none of them had been to his liking enough for him to complete them. crumpled up pieces of white paper surrounded him, graphite marks smudged on his fingertips and his olive green glasses resting on the tip of his nose as he he looked around for a muse - some inspiration that would clear the clouds from his metaphorical sky.

just as he was about to give up and head back into the room, he spotted someone who sparked his curiosity. she was petite, seeming to be just a few inches over five feet in height, with dark features and a determined look on her face. she seemed to be a bit lost as she wandered the halls, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she circled around again, glancing down at the binder she held in her arms every so often. ashton immediately began drawing an outline of her, starting with her almond shaped eyes framed by wispy eyelashes and her soft jawline, then moving onto her tight fitting red skirt. he decided to draw baby's breath flowers in her hair, smiling at his work before he noticed that she was staring at him, obviously having picked up on him paying close attention to her.

immediately turning his book over, the art student felt himself blush, noticing his newfound artistic influence walking toward him. surprisingly, she didn't seem horrified - if anything, amused - as she took ahold of his book and flipped back to the page ashton had drawn her on. "h-hey wait, that's.." he stuttered out, trying to grab it back from her and pushing his spectacles back up onto the bridge of his nose. "no," she paused, tilting her head as she looked at her portrait. she plopped down beside ashton, looking up at him and grinning. "no, this is really good. this is me?" the girl's eyes trailed over the pencil drawing and she biting down on her lower lip. ashton nodded, "it's you. i just, i saw you.. i needed something to draw, and you inspired me."

the brunette handed the caramel haired boy his sketchbook back, staring at the pencil in between his fingers in awe. "you have some real talent." she complimented. "i'm jodi, by the way. i just arrived here from seattle a couple days ago." jodi looked around the bustling hallway, smoothing her skirt down with her fingers. "i'm sort of lost, i've only been to my dorm once to unpack.. i didn't even get to meet my roommate." ashton nodded as he listened, packing up his supplies. "i can definitely show you back to your dorm if you'd like. just tell me the number." he offered, standing up with his pack of watercolors, pencil, and book pressed to his chest. he began walking as jodi got to her feet as well, watching him stroll along as she thought for a moment. "231, i believe." ashton looked back at her at that, hazel eyes widening slightly. "ohh. 231." he repeated, seeming a bit uneasy as jodi trailed behind him, her eyebrows furrowed.

"yeah, what's wrong with that?" she jogged to catch up with him, the sound of her sandals tapping on the floor echoing throughout the hall. "nothing, just the girl who you're sharing the room with.. she's my friend's ex girlfriend. and she's kinda uptight, y'know. but i'm sure you'll be fine." ashton glanced down at her, clearing his throat before changing the subject and pointing to a set of double doors. "those are the door to the theatre. some kids spend most their days there, pretty talented bunch." he shrugged, then pointed toward a bustling classroom across the hall. "those are the graphic design students, always on the computers. don't think i could stand staring at a screen all day, i'd miss the human interaction. don't know if you've noticed or not, but i love to talk." the art student let out a giggle as if he'd just made a hilarious joke, opening the door to exit the building for jodi and walking out after her. "by the way, what's your major?"

jodi began down the path, struggling to keep up with ashton's long strides, cursing her shorter legs and fairly uncomfortable shoes. "uh, i write. creative writing, specifically. hoping to be a successful novelist someday. guessing you paint, right?" she looked at the materials in his hands pointedly and he nodded, confirming her statement. "i used to stick to colored pencils, but i got into watercolors a few years ago and haven't put them down since. it's calming to paint, really." ashton stopped as they arrived in front of a seemingly well kept brick building, looking up. "well, this is your stop, i guess. but i think we should definitely talk more. here." he paused to find the drawing of jodi and scribbled something in the lower left corner, carefully tearing it out and folding it up. he handed it to her, giving her an awkward salute and smiling, prominent dimples appearing in his cheeks.

"i'm one building over, down the same path - share a room with my friend michael. you could drop in sometime if you wanted to, just in case you get lost again. i'll see you around, jodi." ashton turned, starting to walk back down the wooded path before jodi even had a chance to answer. he definitely is one hell of a talker, she thought to herself, but he seems nice enough. she opened up the portrait of herself as she made her way into the building, the edges of her lips curling into a gentle smile as she noticed ashton's signature in the corner, his dorm and telephone number underneath. jodi was a halfway across the world from her home, but for the first time since she'd arrived in sydney, she felt confident she would warm up to the college life and enjoy her stay.