Watercolors and Black Ink

Returning the Favor

It had been a week since their first kiss. Callan and Anna were together and all was perfect for her.

“Stay still.” Callan said.

“I’m trying!” Anna replied trying so hard not to laugh.

Callan was making a portrait of Anna on a grassy plain where they had been when they had their own little paint fight.

“Are you done yet?” She asked.

“Trust me when I’m done, you’ll know.” Callan loved Anna’s impatience. When he’d taken her to the beach for a surprise on Friday, she couldn’t stand it and had to bribe him with kisses. He had taken her to one of her favorite dinner places, from what her mom had said.

Okay, he thought. She’s wearing a blue sundress with her hair in a braid. While he thought this out he started to create the live figure into the canvas. Little curls were peeking out on the sides of her neck. Her slender body was upright in a sitting position and her legs were in a way that she could balance herself, to the side. She had put on butterfly earrings and a silver bracelet. Her eyes were Callan’s favorite part to draw. He first drew the shape of her eyes; her beautiful smizing eyes. He then mixed the gray and light blue and stroked on the outside of the blackened pupil. Here was his favorite part; adding the emerald green. He dabbed the green paint with the brush, and stroked the part of the eye that had been slightly touched by the grayish-blue color he had made. The painting was finished.

“Finished,” he then leaned in for a kiss, from which Anna had promised to give him if he had done it.

“Thank you!” His kisses were so soft, and each time they kissed it felt like the first time.

Callan promised that for their winter break he would make enough money to take her to the mountains. When Anna was young she had always dreamed of going to the mountains, but her mom was already struggling enough.

 Her Dad had left her and her mom when she was only six. Her mom was going to hire a lawyer to track him down, but then realized that she was already struggling with the bills and her bank had sent her a foreclosure note. For a miraculous reason, her mom paid the bank in time and was able to keep the house. Her mom has four jobs, trying to keep her daughter in a good school. Anna always offers to get a job, but her mom has too much pride in herself, and doesn’t allow it.

“It’s getting late; I think I should drop you home now.” Callan said.

“Okay Father.” She said sarcastically.

He chuckled. When they got into his car he put his seatbelt on.

He started the car and was halfway home when he suddenly stopped the car. “Why don’t you have your seatbelt on? Put it on Anna! You know how dangerous it would be if we were in an accident? ” he tried to put it on her himself but she stopped him.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you yelling at me?”

Without thinking ahead, Anna opened the car door and walked out onto the front of the street. She walked toward the sidewalk and started walking towards home. He tried stopping her, but it was no use. He didn’t leave though. He just kept on driving at the same pace with her. When she got home she ran inside and closed the door. She knew she overreacted, but she was still mad at him. Her stubborn attitude did not help the situation at all.  He kept on knocking on the door calling for her, until her mom opened it for him.

“She’s in her room. Go ahead.” Her mom serenely said.

“Thank you Ms. Rhodes.” He quickly smiled at her and entered the house.