Keeping Secrets- Tracob AU

[chapter one]

~Troye's POV~
I have to be very precise. My whole future depends on this painting. I brush lightly, with pastel and dark colors. I think it looks so good so far. With the light coming through my small art studio's window, I think it brings out the pastel colors even more. Ive never been so focused in my entire life.

My life almost flashes before my eyes when an alarm on my phone goes off.
"Presentation in 30 minutes"
It's almost 4:00. Shit. I haven't finished my painting.
I just gather some paintings i did a couple months ago. It'll be fine. I put it all in a big folder and grab a sharpie. I take the cap off with my teeth and scribble "TROYE S. ART" on the cover.
I live in a small town home (actually, its probably not even big enough to be called a town home) a block away my art college. I quite like it. It's... snug, i guess.
I check my phone. It's only 15 minutes away, walking that is. I don't have to call an uber.
As I run across the street with my art portfolio, I see a boy across the busy street. He has black curls and looks like he was just working out or something for a very long time. I look at him for a while, since attractive people are just nice to look at, but then I remember i'm late for a presentation. Oh, right. Goodbye hot guy.
I arrive in the fancy office building and ask the lady at the desk where I have to go. She just points to the left. Wow, thanks for that desk lady. Really helped me out there. I just assume it's the first door on the left and somehow i'm right.

2 minutes later, i'm showing my art to the 6 men in matching suits. They look at it for about 5 minutes. I'm incredibly bored.

This presentation was just to see if I  could ever get a good job as an artist, if i forgot to mention. Or something like that. I'm still not quite sure, my art teacher told me to come to this.

I've always wanted to be an artist. It's been my dream since I was a kid. I drift off again. My thoughts are interrupted when one of the men says something. I break into a huge grin while I wait for him to announce my destiny as an artist.

I slam the door to my town home. I take everything out of my portfolio and throw it into the garbage. I drop everything onto the floor and sit down on my small couch in my small living room.

The room is very colourful, with light reflecting off of my red vase and green glass frog on the coffee table in front of my old TV that seldom works. My dark green walls seem brighter.
Unlike me.

I bury my face in my hands. I have no talent. I'm never going to be an artist. I sigh and look through my dirty window. It's a nice sunny day today. Everything seems so happy today. Thanks for rubbing it in my face, nature. I turn on the radio in my kitchen and open the fridge. Maybe a snack will help. I remember that I barely have enough money to buy food. The only thing in my fridge is some milk. And a fuck ton of water bottles. There's no food. I literally have no food. I sigh again as i realize i'm forced to call one of my friends.
"Hey, Tyler."
I say without trying to sound upset that my whole career just got flushed down the toilet before it even started.
"Hey Troye. You okay? You sound a little upset,"
Tyler asks me. I'm in no mood to explain, I just want some fucking fun-yuns or something.
"Yeah i'm fine. I don't have any food, can you bring me some chips or something?"
I ask him. He tells me he will and I hear a knock on my door a few minutes later. He brought me some food, which i'm happy about.
The next few days I don't have classes, i'm not sure why but there's something wrong with the water pipes in the  school, i don't really know. But i spend the next days just crying and eating, so nothing really different. I hear a knock on my door a few minutes late. I hide the giant bag of Cheetos and brush off the dust on my black sweatpants as i open the door.
"Yo,"
I say before looking up. It's the guy I saw at the coffee shop the other day. I wipe my mouth and try to smile politely. He smiles awkwardly back.
"Hello Mr. Sivan. You ordered something, I need you to sign this,"
He says to me. I sign it and put the box on my floor. Before the guy leaves i force myself to ask him;
"Uh, hey, I saw you across the street the other day. We made eye contact for like 6 seconds. What's your name?"
I ask him. He smiles and coughs.
"Oh, i'm Jacob. I'm only doing this because my friend is to lazy to do his job. I get his paycheck if he's not doing the work," He says with a chuckle. I smile back. I close my door and sigh. Talking with him made me feel a little bit better. I open my door and sprint after him.
One hour later, I have his phone number written neatly on the top of my left hand. I smile looking at it.
After adding his phone number into my phone, I force myself to text him after about half an hour of debating.

"Hi"

I just texted him a simple "hi"
Are you kidding? Am I actually kidding? Hi? that's the best i could do? I scream quietly and quickly text him again.

"Lol"

I place my head in my hands as I sigh how stupid I am. I throw my phone across the room and scream into a pillow. It's not even that big of a deal.

After a few minutes I hear a buzz coming from my phone.