The Lonely King | Ongoing [New Edition]

10 | The Art Dome

"And you're not what I asked for.
If I'm honest,
I know I would give it all back
For a chance to start over and rewrite an ending or two
For the girl that I knew."

AS SOON AS lunch was over, I bid good bye to Jake and Wes and the rest of Jake's friends. Before I left though, Wes made me promise to come and eat with them more often. With a wave, I turned and headed to the Art Dome for my unsupervised art class since my art teacher was still on a sick leave, although I heard from other classmates that Mrs. Lodge was enjoying a vacation in the Bahamas.

I couldn't complain, however, since having one less person breathing down my neck while I painted was a big relief. It seemed like everyone was more interested in everyone else's art rather than their own, and I often found it distracting every time one of my classmates happened to 'pass by'.

I walked into the building, where true to its name, was shaped like a giant glass dome. The Art Dome itself was a work of art, and according to the gold plaque on the outside of the building, it was designed by a Meilleurean alumni who was now one of the most renowned architects in the world. Heading to the storage room where all the unfinished art pieces were kept in their separate lockers, I quickly got mine out of my locker. I tried to find an empty, quiet space to continue painting, but not before heading to the supplies closet, which was really just a huge art studio transformed into a storage area for paint, clay, canvas and spare brushes and pencils. I grabbed the paint I needed and found a relatively quiet corner away from the noise and sat down.

Just as I began to paint a few strokes of dark royal blue, I heard someone knock something over behind me. Jumping from the sudden sound, I whipped my head around to look at who had disturbed me.

"What are you doing here?" Logan Marshall asked, frowning slightly. He looked as if he hadn't expected to see me here, which I suppose was because I was in a place that was hardly visited by anyone.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned with furrowed eyebrows, in which Logan responded with a raised eyebrow.

"Why, I go to school here, sunshine," Logan replied sarcastically, and I was slightly taken aback by how snappy he sounded. Realising this, Logan flinched and then sighed.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't mean to sound so rude."

Pursing my lips, I looked at the boy in front of me and tilted my head to one side.

"Bad day?"

"You have no idea," he sighed, shaking his head. Then, his usual cheeky smile appeared on his face, making me feel a little giddy. As much as I didn't want to admit it, boys like Logan only needed to smile to get what he wanted.

"I know you don't take art, so why are you here?" I probed, setting my paintbrush down and turning my body to face him. Logan hesitated, licking his rosy lips.

"I'm...here to check the condition of the place. My mother funded this place, so I have to make sure the facilities are in good condition from time to time," he explained half-heartedly, before glancing at his watch almost impatiently.

"You look like there's something else you're here for," I quipped, and Logan's eyes widened as if he was a deer caught in headlights.

"Man, you're just like Yuko. Nothing gets past you, huh?" Logan muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I was supposed to meet someone here."

"Oh," I said, pursing my lips. "Secret lover?"

Logan raised his eyebrows, then laughed softly.

"Far from it," he said, smiling gently. "She's not like that."