Hold My Hand

3. An Artist.

3.

An Artist

The school day was finally over and it was time for that thing that Paige had been patiently waiting for since she woke up. Her great day was just about to begin. She couldn't stop the excitement that was spreading at her fingertips as she strode through the car park with her phone in her hand and her earphones stuck in her ears. She silently murmured the lyrics to her favorite song, "The Hills by The Weeknd featuring Eminem".

She had another large grey bag slung across her second shoulder which she had retrieved from her favorite room in the school.

The heat was biting at her skin and it made her think it was time to pull out that bottle of sunscreen she kept at the back of her dresser.

"There you are!", Bonnie yelled as she slapped a hand on Paige's shoulder. She had appeared from nowhere. She always did this in hopes that it would scare Paige but she remained still.

"I swear you're like a statue", Bonnie commented. She shook her head in disappointment. This made Paige crack a smile. She took out her earphones. When you share a room with one person for seventeen years, you learn a thing or two about their habits and patterns.

"Are we waiting for Wes or...?", Paige asked Bonnie.

"Yeah. We're waiting for the big-headed bastard", Bonnie answered with a snarl. Paige gave her a look that said, "Seriously? Get over it".

"Apparently, there's a surprise waiting for us back home", Bonnie said nonchalantly.

"Well, I'm going to be home by four thirty because-"

"Yes, I know", Bonnie interrupted her. "You haven't let me hear the end of it since Dad signed the consent form". Paige smiled to herself.

"Just a friendly reminder", she said. Bonnie chuckled a little as she straightened out her blue and black cheerleading uniform. Just then, Wes' white pick-up truck pulled up.

"Always on time", he said. Bonnie switched to her wild bitch face as she got into the back seat with Paige and slammed the door. Wes turned round.

"Seriously?", he inquired. Silence. He looked at Paige who gave him an innocent look.

He turned back and switched on the ignition. "You can ignore me. At least you know I'm right", he said with utmost pride. Bonnie still said nothing, did nothing. Paige wanted to be anywhere but inside that car.

"My art lessons start today", she piped up happily. Just saying it made her feel like an achiever.

"How could I forget?", Wes asked as he picked the GPS and gave it to her. He collected it and started plugging in the address to Anna Sue and Finn's Fine Arts Studio.

Anna Sue was her mother's youngest sister and thus, her aunt. The first time Anna Sue had mentioned that she was opening an art studio, Paige was thirteen and overjoyed. She had begged her mum to let her join, even with Anna Sue's encouragement but her mum said no. Her argument was that Paige was too young to be left by herself everyday. The issue hadn't come up again until last spring break when their family went to Miami Beach for one of the twins' competitions. Anna Sue was telling her mum that she wouldn't be free during summer because she and Finn were holding a summer session. Paige didn't go to her mum this time. She went to her dad who only half-listened when she spoke and would probably say yes without thinking.

She was more than excited. She'd only had one art teacher all her life and that was Eric, otherwise known as Mr. Thierry. They knew each other on a personal level and had helped each other grow.