Forever Silenced

Encounters

"Excuse me?"

I breathed again. I knew she would ask this, or, more exactly, react like this. I cant blame her. It's all too sudden.

"Okay, let me repeat what I had just said." I calmly looked at her.

"I need you to be my model for the art competition on Saturday." I repeated, saying the words with a little more emphasis. "Which is..tomorrow, right?" she added quickly with a soft whisper. Affirming her with a nod, I set my gaze at her eyes to show her that I was (no, not desperate) serious. "I mean it." I held her shoulders for effect.

Her pure green eyes darted away and she pushed herself back to the wall. "Please, Miss…" I stopped when I realized that I don't…know her name yet. She blinked for a few moments before she sucked in a breath. "Carson. Stephanie Carson." She replied to my silent inquisition.

"Right, Miss Carson----" my hands tightened a little. Her shoulders tensed and her eyes widened a little.

"Mr. Summers," she said and gently wedged her way out from the small space that I have cornered her. Obviously, she was uncomfortable in such position. It must have looked like I was harassing her or something. "I…really appreciate the fact that you consider me as a model but…I don't think I would be a good model." She retorted.

How humble. And annoying of her at the same time. I'm almost at my wits end and…she was my only hope at the moment.

No, she is the only hope for me. She is the only muse I need. I cant afford to lose her now when things seem to be taking a better turn.

I remember how blank I was because of my gloom due to the heartwarming talk with father during breakfast when suddenly, Fredrick slipped in to give me an all too familiar cream colored envelope with the signature blue wax seal. "It arrived just now. They are quite on time, I should say." Fredrick commented as I tore the side of the envelope. The envelope held a single square paper with a single word written on it.

The theme for the art competition.

Fredrick leaned in to read the word as well. I looked up to him and saw his brow went up slightly. "It would be a very interesting contest, Sir. I hope you find an appropriate model." He said before stepping out to prepare the car.

The art competition that I was a finalist of has a good and exciting part on it. During the finals, the theme of the art piece the contestants are to do is kept a secret until a day before the finals. It was a nice little twist since it could really show how well prepared a participant's mind was in times like this.

My mind was devoid of anything except for two things: the talk with father and the art competition. I really wanted to win this competition and I practiced hard for it. I spent hours and days contemplating for the various themes sent out during the preliminaries. True, I may have lacked a little attention to my academics but…I'm still doing fine. My grades are still decent. They're still on par. I wonder why father doesn't seem to see this. I know that I still have room for improvement but why cant he just be…proud and happy for what I have now? It's not that bad, after all.

"Master Nate," Fredrick called me out of my reverie. "We've arrived." He added and I noted the familiar parking lot of the school grounds. I stepped out and breathed the crisping air. "Will father be home for dinner?" I asked Fredrick before I went on. His eyes glinted a little and a small smile came answered me.

"Today is full of encounters. Have a good find, Master Nate." And with that, he stepped back to the car. I stepped aside to let the car drive on and watched it as it drove out of the gates. A few faces greeted me where mostly were very new to my memory. Well, that's what you get when you bear the name of the person who is topping the business sections of the newspapers.

"Nate," Ryan, a classmate and a sort of a friend called as I was closing my lockers. He was my seatmate in Biology and English, our first class. He had a very cheerful persona and if I were to describe him, I should say that he had this elfish charm. "Hey, what's up?" I said after giving high fives. He hung a hand around me as we walked to our room. "I know today's the day when you get the theme." He winked. I laughed a little and set my bag on my table.

"As expected," I sighed and sat. "It's…a common but…hard theme. Venus." I said and showed him the paper. "I know some pretty, no, erase that. Sexy girls that could pose for you." He said as he took a chair to my side. "It's not a sexy pictorial or anything but thanks." I said and patted him.

"Oh come on, Nate. You need to have a good model. It's Venus. Goddess of Love and Beauty." He said while turning his hands in the air. "I want to be…different this time, Ryan. Thanks for the suggestion." I answered.

"It must be a very pretty or eye-catching model or piece of art you're going to make. Or you wont win." He implied and suddenly, a thought came to my mind. I shifted in my seat and faced him.

"Tell me, Ryan. You love beautiful things, don't you?" I asked and he looked at me like I have just asked the dumbest question on Earth or probably on the whole universe. "Of course, man. How can you not love something so beautiful?" he said and shook his head. Well, he was right. How can somebody not love something so beautiful? But…can you love something even though it's not beautiful?

I wanted to ask him this but the bell had already rung and the teacher walked in. I was happy that I wasn't getting much attention from Mrs. Howards since my mind was fleeting to the competition. The thought of Venus, Love and Beauty was spinning all around my head. What if…Venus, as the goddess of love and beauty not only meant that you have to have beauty to be loved but the other way around? That beauty only comes after love is at hand? It was a good view to take for the finals and I was very certain that this would work. Only…

If I could find myself a worthy model.

Three more classes came, lunch break was done, two afternoon subjects and one more to go before my schooling ends. Still, I have no model. I did a little glancing from left to right as I passed the hallways and some checking out on the cafeteria tables. I even rounded the grounds for a chance discovery but I failed. Now, sitting at my last class for the day, I was getting frantic and edgy. I was almost losing hope when Fredrick's words came back.

Today is full of encounters.

I wonder what he could have meant by that. With barely sixteen hours left before the competition, with that remaining time being spent inside the house, how am I supposed to do this?

The bell came, signaling the end of the day at school. Students rushed out hurriedly, excited for Friday night. How envious.

"Ah, sorry." I heard someone said when I collided with something. I blinked and saw my books and papers on the floor. A pair of hands emerged and started to collect them. "I'm really sorry. I wasn't looking at my way." Her voice was soft as silk and as comforting as a warm fire on a cold winter day.

My senses finally kicked in and I helped her. "No, I was the one who was not----" I raised my eyes to her and my world seemed to stop.

My muse.

Finally.

I found her.

"…looking." I literally stared when I saw her. The small face, the rounded eyes…that little nose and the flushing cheeks. She was like a fairy from my mother's tales. There were sparkles all around her in my vision. Without much thought, I quickly grabbed her hand and took her away from the crowd and into a more quiet area. Of course, she was trying to get away from me but no.

"Wait up. I know I bumped into you but I already told you that I-" she started to frantically say something but I pressed a finger on her warm red lips to stop her. Her voice rang like little bells in the air and it almost pained me to stop hearing it but I must endure.

"Please." I gasped as I continued to marvel at her. How could I have not seen such…charm and presence? How could she escape my probing eyes earlier? How could she be kept hidden from me all this time?

How could a fairy live in this world?

A/N: Golly, I couldnt keep up with the challenge for myself this time. I had EXCEEDED a thousand words. But still, I liked the way it turned out. It's a first for me to write in a guy's point of view so I'm still trying to grasp the complexities of such.