Another Lifetime

Chapter 8

DeAnna Kastell

The rest of the weekend went by normally and we were back in school on Monday. Jessie was totally normal around me, did have occasional questions about my habit but the kind that were to be expected.

More posters were going up for the school dance but I was too focused on completing my competition piece for them to matter. I had one last panel then I'd be done and I could get it sent off then focus on my scholarship pieces. They were the most important part of my life right now, that along with sobriety.

"You're staring at nothing," Brian said as he walked into the art room with my lunch.

"I'm looking for inspiration," I said and continued to stare at the blank wall. All inspiration for Unnatural Nature had just vanished. I had this great idea then I spent time with Brian before working on it and it just felt flat afterwards.

"It's being a dick and won't strike," I grumbled and threw a rubber at the wall. It bounced off harmlessly and flew off somewhere in the room, not helping clear my artistic blockage.

"Try eating lunch, maybe you'll get somewhere if you have a sugar high," he said and handed me the tray of food. It wasn't going to get me anywhere, artistic block was debilitating and I'd only had really bad artistic block once before, only one thing had helped me through it.

"I need to go find a New Yorker, I call you later," I said and put the tray down, walking off without another word or an explanation. I was going to go find Griffin and ask him for some help.

I found him sitting in his car, texting someone, "parole officer," he said without even looking up when I got into the car. "What's up?" He asked me, putting his phone away.

"Artistic block," I told him and he immediately kissed me, knowing exactly what sorted my block last time was sex, and it had been in the back of this car.

He lifted me onto his lap so I was straddling him as we made out. We probably wouldn't get to actually having sex in a highly public car park but it was always a possibility when I was alone with him.

I pulled Griffin's t-shirt off and he was pulling my dress up around my waist, and I was slipping the straps off my shoulders. I couldn't wait for that dance to happen so I could end things with Brian and be back with Griffin without totally ruining my new life here.

"You are so fucking perfect," he muttered against my lips before kissing down my neck, hopefully not planning on leaving a hickey or biting.

"And you're always going to be the one I love," I said and his belt got unbuckled as I said it.

He started to unbutton my blouse as we went back to making out and I threw it off into the back seat of the car.

Then it hit me. I stopped, "what is it?" He asked me, pulling back from me.

"I've got block because I'm using the wrong inspiration," I realised and Griffin got my blouse from the back of the car but I didn't put it on.

"So what are you going to do instead?" He asked me and I kissed him, just wanting a little more contact and affection from him before going back to Brian, at least until next week when I broke things off with him and slowly got back together with Griffin, or rather Xavier because we were getting back together so he could be my Xavier again not some stranger.

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other," he said, "Audrey Hepburn," he added and I rolled my eyes.

"You are definitely part of my new idea, Xavier Griffin Kingsley," I told him, "and I don't intend on letting you go again as long as you promise me the same," I said and I meant it. I didn't want him leaving me alone again because I definitely couldn't handle it a second time.