the art within

chapter twenty five: in your own colors

embracing the art only you can create

skye's fingers hovered over the email, her gaze fixed on the subject line: congratulations, you've been selected for the student art exhibition.

she blinked, half-expecting the words to vanish as if they'd been a mistake.

her heart beat faster as she scrolled down, skimming through the details. each word felt heavy, pressing down on her in ways she hadn't expected.

she could still picture the piece they wanted—one of her more experimental works, a tangled landscape of lines and shadows she'd created during a late-night session when sleep seemed out of reach. it was raw, a little chaotic, and painfully honest.

the honor of being chosen should have filled her with pride, and yet, all she felt was a swirl of doubt. what if they didn't understand it? what if her art looked amateurish next to everyone else's? she had never seen her work as something worthy of display—just a private place to work through her thoughts, her struggles.

a soft knock at her door pulled her from her spiral. 'skye? you in there?' nari's voice, cheerful but concerned, seeped through the door.

'yeah, come in.' skye's voice sounded thinner than usual, even to herself.

nari entered, raising an eyebrow when she noticed skye's expression. 'you look like you've seen a ghost. what happened?'

skye swallowed, her fingers nervously folding the edge of her shirt. 'i got... accepted into the student art exhibition.'

nari's face lit up, eyes wide. 'skye, that's amazing! why don't you look happy?'

'because... what if it's not good enough?' she admitted, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. 'i mean, i didn't even try to make it perfect. it was just a sketch i did to clear my head, not something that's supposed to mean anything to anyone else.'

nari shook her head, moving closer. 'you don't have to polish everything to make it valuable. sometimes, the pieces that are raw and honest are the ones that resonate the most. trust me, people will see the beauty in it.'

'also that you have been accepted as one of the few students at this college kind of speaks for itself, doesn't it?' she added with a sigh.

skye stared down at her hands, the faint smudges of graphite still marking her fingertips from last night's drawing session. 'i don't know...'

'skye,' nari's voice softened. 'you've got something real to share, something people will connect with. this exhibition is a chance for you to let others see the side of you you're always hiding. let them in. you might be surprised by how much they understand.'

slowly shifting her gaze back up from her hands, skye nodded, 'i guess you've got a point there.' she spoke softly, 'sorry if i'm acting a little stupid. i guess i'm just... overwhelmed.'

'hey, don't even worry about it,' nari replied instantly, her tone warm and reassuring. 'i'd be the same way if i were in your shoes.'

a quiet moment hung between them, nari's gaze drifting around the room, taking in each piece of skye's artwork. then, her eyes caught on the clock hanging on the wall, and they widened in sudden realization.

'oh shit!' she gasped, jumping up. 'i have an assignment due in an hour! i need to get going!'

skye couldn't help but laugh a little at nari's flustered expression. 'no problem. see you tomorrow then.'

nari made her way to the door, but stopped just before leaving, turning back to give skye one last look. 'skye, seriously—call me if you make up your mind. or if you just... want to talk.'

skye smiled, her heart feeling a little lighter. 'thanks, nari. that means a lot.'

as the door closed behind her friend, the room settled into silence once again. skye exhaled, glancing back at her workspace. with a small sigh, she turned to her laptop and pulled up her own assignment, feeling the familiar tug of curiosity as she searched through the latest art techniques.

one, in particular, caught her eye—*abstract coloring*.

the concept intrigued her: creating a piece that looked realistic but didn't rely on natural colors. it was like telling the viewer, *there's more here than what you see.*

a slow grin spread across her face. her mind raced with possibilities, and suddenly, what she'd once seen as a "weakness" began to feel like something she could lean into, an edge that could make her art stand out.

her fingers tapped idly on the desk as the idea took root. maybe, just maybe, she could take the very thing she'd once tried to hide and turn it into her strength..

—————————————————

hi guys!

ig today is update day but a bit earlier

I've been working really hard the past few weeks and days.

I hope i can update next week, since i have 0293839192938 presentations then.

rn i got a cold, but I hope ur doing better :D

feel free to tell me how your day was in the comments!

(Edit: I- I don't have think. is someone reading this¿?
I went to check bcs I have over 150 reads now and the most is just a glitch. And then I see that EVERY CHAPTER that had 0 reads now has 1.
If u are reading this then this message is for you:

Hi.

You are my first reader.
You reading this means more than the world to me.
Thank you.
I really appreciate you.

If nobody is reading this, then, well, forget about this ok?)

Stay happy and healthy and see you next chapter ⋆. 𐙚 ˚