Overthinking It || j. m. (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

12.

Chapter 12

~

"James would you please get off the counter! You're going to fall and land on a kitchen knife or something!"

"Oh shut it Ms. Bossy it's my house I can do whatever I want," he laughed as he walked on his sparkling granite counters with his muddy Doc Martins on his feet, chomping on an apple as he went. James hadn't bothered to take his shoes off upon entering his house, even with walking through the accumulating mud that appeared on the ground outside because of the pouring rain.

Looking at him from my spot at the island in the middle of his kitchen, I had my arms crossed over my chest with my right eyebrow raised high on my forehead. "James come on!" I pleaded to him. "I came here after school for a reason so either we start the painting or I leave."

"Jesus you're so needy," he mumbled. James squatted down on the counter he was standing on and then leaped to the island at which I sat, causing me to flinch back in sudden terror. I've never seen someone treat such a nice house with the disrespect James did. He sat on the edge of the counter with his long legs hanging over the side like it didn't phase him at all. "But I guess we should get going on it before my parents get home."

"Why, is that an issue?" I asked inquisitively. Was there some reason I wasn't supposed to be here?

"Uhhh no it's not a problem," James said quickly, almost too quickly. There was definitely something up, but I didn't want him to get into detail or explain because honestly I didn't care at this point. I was supposed to hang out with Connor and Brittany tonight, but James asked if I wanted to work on the art project after school. Obviously I chose to go with James, because really, who wouldn't?

"Good. So can we get started?" I asked annoyed. The pitter-patter of the rain constantly resonating off the roof started to grow louder, cutting through the near silence that had been filling the home before.

"But you're forgetting an important detail ZoBow," he said. I rolled my eyes at the use of the stupid nickname he used for me and brought my hand up to rest under my chin, elbow resting on the cold granite, as I waited for him to tell me this oh so special detail. "We need to figure out those connections you were talking about yesterday. Those deep, deep meanings to our silhouettes in our magnificent painting." he said in an extremely mocking feminine voice while using his hands to show the mocking feelings he had towards the subject.

All I did was look at him sternly as he did his little dance on the counter. Seeing my look, he quickly stopped what he was doing and put on a straight face. "In all seriousness though we need to figure out the meaning behind them."

"I know. We need to find something in common we have. It can be something happy, or painful, or sad, or exciting. Just something that we can convey into the work."

He sat thinking for a minute as his legs swung back and forth over the edge of the granite, and leaned back with his hands supporting him. It caused his shoulders to distend forward, making his thin shirt cling to his toned stomach and his collarbones looking defined. Biting down on his lip in thought, his angular jawline appeared even more significantly. "How about we play 20 questions then?"

"You're kidding me right? That's so cliché and immature. And it might not even get us to find something." I said, rolling my eyes for the bazillionth time since I waltzed through the door of his huge house.

"But how else are we going to find something relatable without doing something like that? It doesn't have to be the way most people play it, it can sort of be a Q&A session." He said with a light smirk on his pink lips. James lifted himself back up on top of the counter with his finished apple in his hand. "If I get this apple into the trash can over there, we'll play. If I don't, I guess we'll have to find another way."