In your Arms

Chapter Two

Amity took a shower and rummaged her closet for clothes. She took a pair of her fitted black denim pants and a white shirt with Audrey Hepburn's face printed on it. She pulled off her red chucks in the shoe rack and put it on. After tying her long wavy hair into a bun she grabbed her sling bag and went towards the door.

She glanced at her watch. 9am. Amity have her art class that day, after that she'll go to the mall two blocks away from Franco's place to buy groceries.

She puts on her Skull Candy headset and played songs from her mp3 by one of her favorite bands, The Naked and Famous. The song A Stillness is playing as she walked towards Franco Salazar's studio, three blocks away from Simon's condominium unit. Franco is a painter who also mentors future painters like himself. She'd been attending his class for six months now and somehow found herself improving in this craft.

Ever since she was young she loved to sketch and paint portraits as a hobby. She told her parents that she wanted to be an artist but her father firmly disapproved. He wanted her to be an entrepreneur like himself, so that both Andrei and her could take over the family's businesses. Amity couldn't let go of her desire and so she kept it hidden especially from her father. She secretly kept sketch books and draw in them during her free time. Only Andrei knew her secret and had been supportive to her.

After several minutes she arrived at the studio. As usual, she was the first of the fifteen students in the class to arrive early. Punctuality is as important to her as to learn. Amity went straight to her workplace and took out her canvas. She's painting Simon, sitting on a bench at the park and reading a book. That was the time when both of them went to the park and she secretly took a picture of him and now she's making it into a painting. She smiled as she touched her unfinished work.

One by one the other student's arrived. They greeted her and she acknowledged them as well. Therese, her seatmate, beamed at her as she arrived and sat next to her. Apart from Simon, she also consider Therese as a friend.

"Hi there, Jordin! Goodness you're always early!"

"Hello, Therese." she grinned at her friend.

Therese looked at her work. "I see you're almost finished with your work huh? That guy really sure is handsome. I could ask him to marry me." she joked.

Amity slapped her on the shoulders. "Back off girl, he's mine."

"Ow! Jeez am just kiddin'!" Therese grimaced and rubbed her arm.

"That'd better be a joke or it's not just a slap in the arm that you would get from me. Understood?" she warned her jokingly and pointed her brush on Therese's face.

"Sadist." Therese mumbled.

Both of them worked on their own canvases. Amity was a bit startled when she heard a male's voice behind her back.

"You're doing well, Jordin." she turned to see that it was Franco. She was very focused with her work that she didn't realized her mentor had already arrived in the studio.

"Thanks, Franco." she smiled. It makes her happy every time she hears positive feedbacks from him.

"That guy should probably ask you out if he'll see that. It took you weeks of hard work to make such a perfection." he added as he looked on her painting then back at her.

How I wish, Amity thought hopefully. She gave Franco the tiniest of smiles.

"I bet Franco likes you." Therese whispered as Franco left and approached his other students.

"Oh shut up, Therese. He's old enough to be my uncle." she hissed. "And besides, I think he's gay. Look at how his hips swayed while he walks." Both of them snickered.

Just then, a woman in her mid 30's wearing a black fitted dress and high-heeled red stilettos entered the room. Her matte red lipstick complimented her footwear. The woman looked very much sophisticated with her scarf and her Louis Vuitton handbag. She scanned the room and removed her dark Chanel eyeglasses as she spotted whom she was looking for.

"Franco my dear!" she called in an ever sophisticatedly manner.

"Elise! What a surprise!" Franco quickly approached the woman and gave her a hug. The woman, Elise, planted a kiss on both his cheeks. "I didn't know you were here! How was the exhibit in France?" Franco asked enthusiastically.

"Oh it was a success! Sold out most of my paintings to generously rich people." she laughed theatrically.

"Well it wouldn't shock me since you're one of the country's most promising and popular female painter there is!" Franco's voice was full of praise and admiration.

"Oh Franco you always make my heart swell!" she laughed again.

"Let me introduce you to my students," Franco led her in front. "My dear students, I would like to introduce to you Elise Veracruz, a well renowned painter in our country and is also known internationally. For those who doesn't know, she had several of her masterpiece exhibited in Paris, London, Germany, Russia and Switzerland. And, this outstandingly astonishing lady is also a very good friend of mine." Franco kissed her hand.

All of the students greeted her. Fascination and awe could be seen on their faces. Amity was dazed that Elise Veracruz is the woman standing in front of them. Of course she knew her, she was one her favorite painters that gave her inspiration. Only in magazines she had seen this woman and she realized that Elise looked more beautiful in person.

Elise nodded in each and everyone of them as she smiled brilliantly. "My future painters, always remember that art is our way of expressing our own thoughts and feelings freely. Use your canvass and your brush to interpret messages you wanted the people in this world to be understood. Do your best in this craft and I hope to see some of your works in the same exhibit with mine." she said in such enlightenment.

The students in the room including Amity clapped their hands. Elise mouthed a silent "Thank you" to the whole class. She whispered something to Franco, the latter nodded and led her outside.

"Carry on with your work, I'll be back in a few." he said before he set a foot outside the room.

Murmurs filled the air as both painters left.

"Wow. I couldn't believe Elise Veracruz was right in front of us just a few seconds ago!" Therese's expression was a mix of amusement and bewilderment.

Amity nodded, "Yeah.. It was surreal.."

"Franco surely has a lot of surprises. I wonder why he didn't pursue that much unlike Elise. I mean like, he's also great. He could've also made it internationally." Therese said in wonder.

"Maybe he didn't feel like being a sell-out. Maybe he was born being a mentor rather than become popular." Amity shrugged.

"What a waste." Therese shook her head.

"Shut up, Therese. If Franco weren't here then who would've taught us about painting huh? For all we know he's the best mentor in this city." she snapped.

"Well you got a point." Therese answered then continued in her work. Amity did as well.

After a few minutes Franco came back in the room and looked like he was about to announce something in front of the class. He clapped his hands to draw his students' attention.

"Elise had to leave in a rush but had told me to announce to you a very important matter," he nodded while looking at all of them. "She will be having a three day exhibit at the Bellevue for a certain charity event. She had the generosity of picking three students in this class whose work is remarkably eye catching and deserving to be a part of that exhibit." he smiled as he stated his last line.

Most of the students gasped and became wide eyed with the announcement. All are hopeful to be chosen.

"It seemed to be a good motivation eh? Well here's the catch. The exhibit will be culminated a week from now. So it means if you want your work to be a part of it, you have to finish it in a short period of time. Do not rush, but do your best to make it a lot more better." he winked. The students went back to work eagerly, determination filled the studio's aura.

Franco's last words echoed in Amity's mind as she focused and puts on her game face. She would be chosen. And the unfinished painting in front of her would be her masterpiece.