Willa & Charlie & Hydrangeas

Chapter 4

"You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth." -William W. Purkey

Henry stared at me suspiciously, his black eyes narrowed under bushy eyebrows. "What?" I asked, annoyed. He shrugged and pointed at a row of my paintings, they were covered in girls with green eyes and strawberry blonde hair. A few were different, but the vast majority were of a ballerina."Who's that?" He questioned, eyes still narrowed. I sat the golden pastel paint down and glared at my roommate.

"Just a girl. Why?"

"Why? Really? You've been painting and drawing-and whatever else you artists do- only of her for two weeks now. Sure, you've done a couple of assignments but other than that. Just her." He started grinning. His long nimble fingers tapping a few keys on his keyboard. I ignored him and continued what I was doing.

"Let me see the canvas." Henry left his swivel chair and started toward me. Why?  I held the canvas out to him hesitantly. His grin grew wider as he looked at it, his eyes trailing to the others against the wall. "Really man, you are obsessed." I frowned, I was painting a sunset for class.
Henry turned the painting back to me and pointed to one of the tree roots. I had painted it with a face and with green eyes of moss. I really did not mean to do that.  I took the painting back and added the last bit of paint, ignoring Henry, who was still staring at me.
"Are you seriously not going to tell me who she is?" I sighed and stood to put the painting onto my desk.

"Her name is Willa, she's a dance major here. Are you happy now?"
Henry grinned and flopped onto his bed, "Extremely. I know exactly who that is." My interest peeked, I turned to him and knew he expected my reaction. He knew exactly what to say to make someone listen, "You know her?"

"Know her? Of course I do, she always asks me to make her CDs when she needs them for dance. I've told you before, you never listen to me." I ignore his last comment and fall back on my bed. My phone dinged on the bedside table, a picture of Willa on the screen. I scramble for the phone, feeling Henry's eyes on me. I open the phone and click on the message button. Willa:Hi.  I text back a hello and wait impatiently for the next text.

Willa:Can you come pick me up in about 20 mins? I'm at the studio on campus. I stare at my phone for a moment before typing in a reply. Me: Only if you go with me to a restaurant.  
I wait anxiously for her answer. Please say yes. Willa: Yes.
I throw the phone to the bed and jump to my feet, hands in the air. Henry jumps slightly then rolls his eyes. "Yes!!!! She said yes!" Henry chortles then flips unto his stomach, smothering his laughs in the comforter.

I ran into the bathroom and smoothed down the black curls of my hair, and splashed my tanned skin with water. Then looked into the mirror at my own pale gold eyes, I got this. Henry calle something through the door but it was hard to hear. I swung the door open and glanced out at him, he threw a black bottle at me. I grimaced at it, cologne made me queazy.

Henry sent me a pointed look, "Come on Charlie. You smell like clay and paint, trust me when I say you need that." I sprayed a little into the lid and held it to my nose. It smelt like chemicals and air freshener. I threw the bottle back to him and picked up one of the less lethal bottles, it smelled like toothpaste, I sneeze.

The clock strikes seven and I'm out the door, practically skipping to my beat up beetle. The cheesy plush dominoes that hung from my rear view mirror bounced as the car choked to life. I was about to leave when Henry came running out the door and skidded to a stop in front of the car door.

I looked at him expectantly, my eyes crinkled at him. "You forgot your phone, idiot. Oh and by the way, I got those tickets for you." He laughed between pants, holding out the beat up, broken, duct taped dinosaur. I would buy a regular 'cool' one, if they payed you for going to school. Which they don't, sadly.
"Go get em' tiger!" Henry grinned, patting the car then jetting back inside.