Straighter than Parallel Parking

≈ t h i r t y - f o u r ≈

*NOTE: in the previous chapter, Kori's name was spelled Kory (due to autocorrect being a drag). It is spelled officially Kori!

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{ Chapter Thirty-Four: Inspire a Woman, Inspire Her Nation }

JAMES WRINKLES HIS NOSE at the large splotch of mustard yellow paint on the front of his graphic tee, pinching the fabric and pulling it forward to inspect it. "I knew I should have brought my mom's cooking apron," he whines, "I'd look better in pink frills than with this ugly colour on my black shirt."

The middle of April's weather proves to be playing nice today, which happens to be crucial to the fifty or so kids setting up for the outdoor aspect of the Art Day. James came later than Janice, who'd been lost the minute she'd gone off to organize something with Donna, and he'd been put on props duty ("I am a masterpiece, Janice," scoffed James when Janice assigned him the job via phone call, "anything I do can't be less than such."), which he now regrets as many of the kids seemed to be putting the paint on him instead of the actual objects.

Karlo, who had come to help with the production of the day in order to be the best brother ever (or, reasonably to get all the last minute volunteer hours he could get to graduate), replies to the tall blond by rolling his red-dipped paintbrush on James' sleeve. "Hah! Now you look like a condiment wheel!"

James threw Karlo a dirty look. "Stop. You don't have to tell me that I'm one hot piece of meat."

"Hot dog, sure," Karlo snorts, going back to doodling some random swirl on the canvas in front of him. "I don't know why I'm doing this with you, by the way. I have as much artistic ability in my body as I am unattractive."

James tuts, adding little yellow squiggles around the swirl. "Thankfully, I'm artistic and attractive. Just keep doing these weird little hurricanes and I can make them into a Texas war cry."

"Hurricanes? These are roses."

"... What can I say, Karlo? You must be a hell of an attractive man."

Karlo shrugs nonchalantly. "No argument there."

On the other side of the hard-working teenage boys, Janice is struggling to open a bottle of spray paint for the more "innovative" sets of work to be sprayed on the walls. When the "graffiti section" for the art showcase was proposed as an idea, there was a collective enthusiastic response to the concept. Unfortunately, Donna disappeared half an hour ago to find Ms. Tula for arrangements, so Janice could only try to salvage her dignity by using brute force to get the blasted thing open.

Now, while breaking a finger nail trying to pry off the goddamn cap off the can in her hand, Janice decides that decisions just aren't her forté.

"Janice!"

Looking up from the task at her hands, Janice sends a quick smile to Kori. "Yo. When did you drop by? Is your brother with you?" Her eyes flit around to try and find her manager among the crowd.

Kori rolls her eyes. Just call him home and get your wedding wreathe already, Janice, Kori thinks.

Aloud, she says, "No, he came earlier. I carpooled with Brielle and Renée after their shifts ended with a friend. Speaking of which, some more are coming later, I think."

Janice perks at the mention of her coworkers. "Did you ditch them already?"

"I ran ahead once that tiny dude at the front told me I'd find you here."

"Travis? As long as he's not biting down on the styrofoam cups," Janice says, her focus back on the bottle cap.

Kori laughs at the redhead's difficulty. "Why don't you wait a couple minutes and let the expert handle this?"