Underwater. ||h.s.||

chapter seven.

A week floated past and I found myself catatonically watching more documentaries about various things and eating more frozen yogurt than humanly possible.

I wasn't depressed, but I didn't want to go to work...I mean, Calum was at work and I didn't want anymore uncomfortable confrontations with my ex.
My boss called and told me that if I wanted to keep my job, I'd better get down there. Oh, if she only knew.

I avoided Rory for several reasons. One, she knew. She just knew about everything, and in some way, she was half to blame.
Two, Quinn proposed to stay in town for a couple more days. Harry agreed.
How I knew? Because before I avoided Rory completely, she told me.
Hanging out with her meant being with those two and I couldn't.

So here I was, stuck in my apartment and dreading not only work and my admirer, BUT a holiday that was coming up in eight more days. Thanksgiving Day.

The moment I realized it, I went out to the store and bought several cartons of pineapple frozen yogurt and graham crackers.

Okay, okay; I knew that I couldn't hide in my apartment forever, but until I could think of a solid plan to get me out, I wasn't leaving.

The Next Day.

"There's an art show in six weeks from Sunday. I want you to bring in your best work. Some art moguls from all over the country are bidding on some of your drawings and we've missed your hands around here," my employer, Rachel, informed me.

I'd almost forgotten about the respectable galleries that she hosted, selling some of our work for charity. I hadn't drawn anything recently, but I had a couple of portraits that I thought would be plausible for the show. "I've just been so busy," I murmured softly while taking my blank canvases out of my briefcase.

"Too busy to keep your job?" I shook my head and she pushed her rough hair back from her shoulders, leaning into my proximity so that I may clearly hear whatever she had to say. "...I know what it's like being your age. I felt the same way when I was twenty-two, but I wasn't as brilliant as you are. Take it from me and don't waste your time, Erin."

She walked away, leaving me with my blank slate and pastels.

Later that day, I decided to start on my new project. Every flick of my pencil was one of passion, but I couldn't find it within myself to feel my work that day. All my thoughts were on everyone I kept avoiding, but mainly on Harry. He left without a goodbye.

I didn't know how long 'a couple more days' meant for Quinn and Harry, but I was destined to make things right. I'd ended things with Calum, but he did deserve more as he demanded.

Sketching my next big thing and gnawing on some graham crackers I packed for lunch, I'd hatched a plan to make everything bearable.

Calum came into the studio around three, sunglasses covering his eyes and a muscle shirt adjourning his torso. It was a different look for him since he was always conformed to his sweaters. I never knew how ripped he was until he came in that day.

My plan involved him, heavily, in a way were I could give him what he wanted. Maybe not in the way that he'd expected, but I could still give it to him.

Right when I stood up to make my way toward him, I was bombarded with two guys. Guys that I see just as much as Calum but can honestly say, are way more annoying.

"Ernie! What's going on, girl? Haven't seen you in here for a while!" Aidan said, interrupting me from my plan. If he wasn't Rory's brother, I probably would have pushed him to the ground to get to Calum. Oh, and if he wasn't Calum's best friend. Alongside him stood Niall, a potential artist. In the course of a year, he became the blonde-haired, blue-eyed pet of Aidan, but a brilliant left-handed painter at best.

"Yeah, how was your birthday?" Niall asked.

I couldn't keep my focus on the boys for very long, for Calum was walking into the supply room. If I didn't do it now, I'd never be able to do it later.

"It was great, no cake though. I'm sorry, can we finish this conversation later?"

I didn't even wait for an answer as I limped over to where Calum escaped to.