two doors down

painting

they eventually did go home and monica and i both shared my single bed. wouldn't be the first time. she rested her arm over my waist as she was on the edge and i was on the wall side.

"atleast if a serial killer comes in they will grab you first" i said as i clutched my knee in pain after banging it on the wall. She laughed and I fell asleep quickly after.

The next morning when I woke up I was actually refreshed. It was the first time in ages I had a peaceful sleep. I look over to my phone and see it was 11am, both monica and mattie were not in the room and I could hear rain pattering on the roof.

I stretched fully before rolling out of bed. Landing on my feet I make my way down to the kitchen for some water. Monica was at the table freshly showered, eating a plate of pancakes and talking to lizzie about art and everything.

Mattie was watching henry danger on the tv, still in his spiderman pyjamas. "good morning sweetheart" lizzie smiled at me from the table, taking a sip of what I assume to be coffee. "theres pancakes for breakfast, or I can make you something else?"

I thanked her but shook my head. She asked if I still felt a little sick and I nodded as it was the easiest explanation. I took a seat beside monica as they joined me into their conversation. "yeah, I was going to take you guys to the museum again since more of your art is up" lizzie said and I nodded. "did you end up taking the commissions?"

"yeah, the deadline is on Monday, so ill do them today probably, the client hasn't been very helpful" I sighed thinking about the amount of work I had to do. Its okay the paintings will only take a couple hours...each.

I sip on my water ignoring the pull of my stomach, begging me to eat something. The way my throat closes up I knew I couldn't. monica went home before 12 as her mum wanted to take her grocery shopping and mattie had soccer practice at 2 so I talked to lizzie all morning before asking where she wants me to paint.

"I can just go outside or in the garage, I don't want to get paint on anything" I offered and she smiled telling me to follow her.

I walked down the hall and we reached a room down the end. She opened the door and it looked like a sun room, large windows filled up two of the walls as a desk wrapped around the walls with a place to sit by the window. To the left was a bunch of boxes and stuff.

"its just an office, Ive dumped storage in here since I moved in but you can use it, ill take the stuff to the garage, its hardwood floors instead of carpet so it can be cleaned easier, ive been meaning to turn it into an art room for you but got a bit busy" she explained with a smile,

I thanked her a million times asking if she was sure and she nodded beginning to take the boxes. I helped her of course before grabbing my things and taking them to the room. Then I got changed into my jeans that had unintentionally became my painting jeans after I got one to many drops of paint on them. Throwing on an old shirt too I headed back to the room.

I set up and It was perfect. Slipping my headphones on I zoned out, my thoughts encapsulated by brush strokes and colours.

The rain on the window being my focus point every time I needed to think. The client had sent me a photo of his wife, she must be a model or something. And he told me to paint it, that's it no other requirements and when I asked him what type and these other things he just said work it out and its up to me so I was scared to get it wrong.

It was an image of an older lady wearing a white flowy dress as her hair and the dress flowed in the wind, it was on a cliff by the ocean, and I could tell the photos were professionally done.

I must have been painting for hours.

The sky was reddening with the sunset and my hand had started to cramp but I was almost done most of it, I would take a break before doing the final details in the water, and of her hair. The final touches of shadow and highlights.

My headphones were taken off my head causing me to jump. "I didn't mean to scare you honey, but dinners ready. And I haven't seen you eat all day so come on" lizzie said taking my headphones so I had no choice but to follow.

Dinner smelt amazing. My stomach groaned in response and I saw lizzie give me a look. I sat down and she plated my food for me. Ill do my best to eat it all. "your painting is coming along amazingly" lizzie complemented. And I smiled telling her about it.

"once your done can you make me another spider mattie comic, ill pay you in hugs" mattie asked politely. He was still in his soccer kit, since it was still raining his little kicks group did drills in our school hall.

"of course, its going to cost you... 15 hugs" I decided. His jaw dropped.

"a whole 15, better be good" lizzie laughed at our conversation and before I knew it I had eaten everything. Lizzie said I can go back to my painting now and that the kitchen was already clean enough. She passed me my headphones back and I headed down the hall. Passing the bathroom and going straight back to the room.

Santa monica dream started playing and I sat down on the chair staring again at my art. I grabbed a brush beginning the fine details. Another hour or so must have passed but I was finally done. It was 7:30 pm and I still wanted to paint more. I was so motivated for the first time in ages.

Excitedly I went back to the loungeroom. I was nervous to ask but I was proud of my painting and I wanted to show lizzie. "um my painting is finished if you want to come see it. its still drying so I didn't bring it its okay if not I just thought it was pretty okay" I stopped myself when she stood up following me instantly.

"woah, y/n this is amazing" she was looking at every detail, the glimmer in the water, the high lights in the hair. "was this your reference?" she pointed to the photo I had printed out of the woman, I nodded and she looked stunned between the two. "it looks even better than the photo"

She said it was really good and asked if she could take a photo.i nodded and she told me how amazing it was again. "I have one more left to do, I don't know how long its going to take" I said stretching before sitting on the chair again and looking through my phone for the photo.

"okay, ill get out of your hair. Don't stay up to late" she instructed before leaving me alone. I unpaused my music and started on a fresh canvas.