Hear Me Out

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

       I looked around the diner, finding it hard to believe that it looked like a dump before. It had only been a week, but there was quite the improvement.

       "How's the painting going?" Dad asked as he walked up to me, carrying three large boxes.

       "Good," I replied. "It still don't knew why you went with a jungle theme."

       "Those make the coolest paintings," Dad said.

       I had to admit, he was right. I wasn't finished the mural on the wall where the stage was, but I thought it gave the diner a unique look.

       "Keep up the good work," Dad told me. We're having the building inspectors coming soon, just a reminder." He then went into the kitchen.

       I took a long time for me to think of what I wanted the mural to look like, but I finally had something. It was just a simple jungle theme with different kind of animals; monkeys, birds, you name it.

       Massey walked up to me and looked at the mural before scoffing. "What?" I asked. "You don't like it?"

       "How come you got all the talent?" she asked, crossing her arms.

      "Says the jock," I said. "Massey, you tackled Dad once in a game of football."

      "Doesn't count," she said. "You got all the art and music talent."

       I raised an eyebrow. "Don't you sing?"

       "Yeah, I do," Massey said. "But that's all I could do. You can play every single instrument known to man, you're a freaking artist, as a genius. I can tackle, so what?"

       "Are you done?" I asked. "Because I'm trying to paint." I dipped my paint brush in the orange paint to work on one of the birds. Unfortunately, Massey was standing a bit too close and I accidentally flicked some paint on her shoes. "Massey, I'm so sorry!"

       Massey clenched her fist as she glared at me. "You got paint on my shoes!"

       "It was an accident," I told her. "I am so sorry!"

       Before I could react, she reached for a paint brush, dipped it in red paint, and flicked it at me. "I'm so sorry," she said sarcastically. "It was an accident."

       Feeling a bit angry, I stood up since I was taller than her and looked down. "It was an accident! I would never do it on purpose unless you did it first. Which reminds me...." I flicked some paint at he face, getting some in her hair as well

       "You'll pay for it!" she yelled before tackling me to the ground. I was right when I said she could tackle. She brushed the remainder of the red paint on my face.

       I pushed her away, reaching for the orange bucket an dumping it on her. Before she could do anything, I quickly ran away and into Dad who was waking out of the kitchen.

       "Another paint war?" he asked, arms crossed over his chest. "One of you better start talking."

       Massey and I started taking at the same time, trying to explain what happened. Someone then interrupted by clearing their throat. We looked to see an elderly couple, one holding a clipboard. "We're the building inspectors," one said.

       Dad looked at me and Massey. "Go clean up the mess before it dries," he told us.

       Massey and I went to the stage, looking at the paint on the ground. I grabbed a bucket of water and cloths nearby and placed it on the stage before scrubbing the mess. I couldn't help listening to the conversation between Dad and the building inspectors while I did so.