Mixing Paints

O N E

L U N A

The phrase "summer vacation" brings the thought of bikini bodies at the beach with attractive surfer boys. The summer typically involves teenagers getting black out drunk to prepare themselves for the year ahead. It only lasts a few weeks but every day brings memories to last you a lifetime.

Of course I only know this from watching High School Musical 2 repeatedly and listening to Dani tell me about her scandalous nights all summer long.

"College boys are so much better, Luna," Danielle rambled while she zoned out to think about her night with some college guy. "They know exactly what they want and there aren't any childish games with them."

"And you got all this information from one night with some random guy?" I asked my best friend as I continued to wipe the table clean of grease and ketchup.

She cheerfully nodded her head and didn't even try spare me the details of her night. Cheerfully. Everything she did, she did so cheerfully. Her bubbly personality is one of her many characteristics that made everyone loved her. The day she moved to our town in the third grade, from the Philippines, her English wasn't so strong due to it only being her second language. You'd think that would stop the girl but nope. She said more words on her first day than I had the entire year.

"What did you do last night?" she asked as she scooped up more cream from her chocolate milkshake.

"I had my usual date with Bobby Brown and Michael Jackson here at the diner," I replied.

My dad had an old school themed diner. Throughout the day the diner would be surrounded by the sounds of relaxing jazz music. The second the second the clock strikes 6PM then all his old school vinyl from his day pop out. No disco night is complete without Jump on It by The Sugarhill Gang playing and everyone doing the iconic dance that goes with it.

The disco nights were my mom's idea. My parents both shared a passion for music and boy did my mother love to party. The tradition continued even when she passed away, it makes us feel connected to her.

Some days I offer to work at the diner. We have so much staff that my dad doesn't particularly need me to but I enjoy helping. It's the last day of summer and instead of doing something exciting, I was working in the diner. It's the least I could do since Dad lets me hang up my art for sale in the diner.

Brenda approached me and handed me $20. "Your secret admirer bought another one. He's so obsessed with your work, you should raise the price a little to see how far he goes."

"These are amateur paintings, he probably feels bad because he can see that I'm a struggling teen."

"Don't brush off your talent like that. You have a gifted hand darling," she pinched my cheek and carried a tray full of food to another table.

My mother was an artist, she was specifically obsessed with painting anything to do with space. She spoke about the stars as if they were the #1 wonder of the universe.

"Aren't you curious who the guy is?" Dani asked as she wiped the cream off her cheeks.

The thought had crossed my mind a few times but I didn't care enough to know. I was embarrassed to see the person myself. I'm afraid that once they see me, they'll view my art like they view me. I was simple in how I dressed and presented myself. Short curls, caramel skin, round cheeks and average height. Nothing special.

My freckles dotted my face like little constellations my mom would say. They definitely were my favourite feature.

"Not really, just because he buys a painting twice a week doesn't make him different to the other buyers."

Dani lets out a long sigh. "What if he's cute and just wants your attention, that'd be so romantic." Of course those were her thoughts, Dani was a hopeless romantic. She doesn't want to admit it but every boy she hooks up with, she's mostly just looking for the feeling of being loved. She likes the strings attached but wouldn't say it out loud.

"I'm either babysitting Cressida, painting or working at the diner. Above all that I've got to keep up my grades," I listed excuses as I untied my apron. "As you can see I have no time for boys."

Danielle was ready to retort but we were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. I turned around to see the infamous Mick Alvarez. The strangest boy in school.

That might be an exaggeration because there's no way that he's worse than Dennis, the boy who steals girl's shoes from their lockers to feed his foot fetish.

I didn't know much about Mick except that he's set off the fire alarm twice to get out of school and doesn't hang out with anyone other than his best friend, Max who's obsessed with conspiracy theories.

"I've noticed that your dad really likes vinyl records and well we don't have a record player so my parents are making me throw mine away. So I was wondering if he'd be interested in them?" he asked with a lop-sided smile. His smile was a little crooked. A lot of things about Mick were crooked. In preschool he set free all of the frogs we had to dissect and there were frogs around the school for a whole week.

The boy doesn't even give me a chance to reply before he continues. "I'll bring them tomorrow." With that he spun around on his heels and walked out. That's Mick Alvarez for you. Probably the most peculiar boy I know.

"Mick is actually such a hottie, it's a shame that he's so strange," Dani says as she checks him out one last time.

My thick brows furrowed at her comment. I'd never really seen Mick as a hottie. He was definitely attractive with his thick eyelashes and blue eyes but the thought never really crossed my mind. 

My dad, my sister, Dani and my art. My simple life.

That's the way I like it.

***

Welcome to my new story. I hope you guys like it, I have many ideas for it and lots of interesting characters and twists but we'll get there eventually. I wanna add a little question thing after every chapter so I can get to know you guys, and you can get to know me.

Chapter question: How do you spend your summer holidays?

My answer: I occasionally visit my friends and we hang out for a few nights but most of the time I catch up on anime/series and my reading while wearing no pants. :)

If anyone is good at making covers, because I clearly suck, please hit me up. I'll give you full credit.

Thank you for reading :)

-Monique xx