Just Another Brushstroke

Chapter 20

Angelo's POV

The thin piece of paper was in my hand.  

I was pacing nervously in my room biting off my nails.  Ever since we got mail, I was nervous.  If I got this then my dreams would come true, but if I didn't then there would be this overwhelming since of disappointment.

I did get it though.

I was so excited but I knew I would need to leave Chicago in three months.  Then fly all the way to a different country.  A country I've never been in before.  Not to mention the press will go wild once they find this out.

They'll call me a cheater.

Even though I'm not.

The acceptance letter felt like it was burning a whole in my hand.  Like I had a huge secret that was killing me.  I never planned to be accepted, this was just something I applied for, for fun.

How as I going to tell Jeremy?

How was I supposed to tell him that I'm leaving?

I texted him to come over here and he would be here in less then three minutes.  I had over two weeks to come up with what I was going to tell him, but still had nothing.  I couldn't break his heart.  He was going to Emerson anyway in August, this is no different.

I heard him knock on the door and I shoved the paper in my back pocket.  I collected a few breaths as I opened the door.  He was happy, like usual.  He kissed me quickly as he skipped into my apartment. 

Luckily my parents had flown back to Italy at the moment.  He was planning on moving back in with me.  

"Is your nail bleeding?" He asked me, pulling me out of my dazed state of mind.

He picked up my hand and he was right.  I had chewed off so much of my fingernail that it was bleeding, badly.  He went to my bathroom to get me a band aid.  I sat on the couch rehearsing what I was going to say.

I looked at my hand and realized I had bitten all of my nails off as far as they could go.  He ran back with a band aid.

"What's wrong?" He asked me.  "You're acting different today.  You act nervous and sad," he said as he cuddled up next to me.

I bathed in his body heat before I decided to talk.  I inhaled deeply.

"I have news."

"Me too." He chimed in.

Now I was curious.

"What news?" I asked him.

He pulled out a flyer that was crumpled up in his pocket.

ANNUAL ART FESTIVAL!

It read in big letters.  

I totally forgot that was happening this week.  In Edgewater every year they have an annual art festival.  Painters, singers, writers, pottery makers, and anyone in any kind of art form was there.  I hadn't thought about it.  I was a tad preoccupied.

"You wanna go?" I asked him and he nodded excitedly. 

"Yeah sure we can go." I said and he bounced happily.

"What's your news?" He asked. 

I couldn't tell him now.

"I'll tell you later after we go." I said and he nodded.

Was I really going to afterwards?

Jeremy said that Adam and Emerald were going to.  Yes, the boy with the plate in his head said he was going.  I was kind of shocked that his parents were letting him.