Don't forget me

Artist's Fingers

The sun is beginning to bleed into the sky as it slopes into a lazy sunset. Colours streak across the blue canvas leaving behind a very Picasso-esque image. I snap a picture of it knowing that it'll be worth pulling out my best water colour paints for, later.

Beside me Tyler has crashed, his head resting on some folded towels and his chocolate curls fall easily over his eyes. My hands are itching to draw his peaceful slumber, so I quietly pull my sketchpad and pencil from my bag. Across from us Blake is laid face down, allowing his skin to soak up the remaining sun. We're wating for both Kia and Jake to return from their ice cream adventure before we leave the beach and head home.

I take the rest of the time to look between Tyler and my sketchpad only looking away now and then to nod at passing figures. My fingers quickly turn grey with the pencil led but I am unbothered as a sleeping Tyler begins to form on the page before me.

A groggy voice frightens me, pulling me from my drawing trance, "Wow."

I look up to find Blake standing behind me now, "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you I called you, but you were pretty wrapped up in your work." He motions towards the page, "I didn't realise you draw." He finishes.

"Well... I dabble I guess, but thanks." I respond, closing my book and feeling slightly embarrassed that I'd been caught so off guard.

"Is that what you want to do?" Blake carries on as he sits on a towel beside me, wrapping his arms around his knees, "You know in uni or whatever?"

"I uhm... I don't know yet, I doubt it though. Not like art is going to get me very far." I tell him placing my things back into my rucksack.

Blake frowns at my comment though and instead of putting him off of the conversation he digs deeper,

"You seriously don't want to do anything with a talent like that?"

I shift uncomfortably at his light accusation and Blake seems to sense my uneasiness around the topic,

"Sorry it's none of my business." He adds quietly.

Feeling bad now for making the conversation awkward I fill the silence,

"What about you? What are you doing at uni?"

"Music composition, well hopefully anyway. I'm still deciding where." He grins at the mention of his future and I'm surprised once again by the things I'm slowly learning about Blake Woods.

"That's cool, do you sing then?" I ask, but Blake simply laughs at the mention of such an idea,

"Yeh definitely not. I play instruments; piano, guitar, the usual." He lists off and we fall into easy conversation about school and things we want to do.

I don't even realise that Kia and Jake have made it back until I hear Kia's loud laugh and notice that Jake has taken to chasing her across the sand. I chuckle as she struggles to run quickly across it, resulting in Jake catching up to her and swinging her around by the waist.

"I ship it." I comment quietly so that they don't overhear.

"What?" Blake questions confused.

"Those two, their goofiness just works together."

"It wouldn't surprise me." Blake nods and we both laugh as Jake and Kia go crashing to the floor.

"What are you two laughing at?" Jake asks from the ground.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing." I say trying my hardest to smother my chuckles.

Packing up isn't too difficult but the hard part comes when I realise that waking Tyler is only going to result in a mini meltdown. I shoulder my bag and pick him up off the floor, swinging his legs around my waist so that his head rests on my shoulder. I groan with the extra weight and begin trying to tackle the trek across the sand.

"Let me take that, you look like you're struggling." Blake comments, reaching for my bag as I let it slide from my shoulder.

"Thanks." I murmur to him and the four of us start towards the car.

The journey back is quiet, and my eyes are heavy with sleep the moment the engine begins to hum. I attempt to distract myself by admiring the passing scenery but eventually I cave as my body welcomes the dark.

I'm woken by a soft voice calling my name, I sit up quickly confused at first as to where I am but relax when I notice Blake's friendly face peering round from the driver's seat.

"You're home." He announces quietly and I realise that Tyler is still fast asleep beside me.

"Oh, sorry I didn't realise I'd crashed; did you already drop Kia and Jake?" I ask, noticing their missing presence.

"Yeh just a minute ago, Kia told me to tell you to text her when you get in." Blakes says and I smile at this, Kia forever playing Mother Hen.

"Thank you for the lift Blake and for today, it was good fun and I'm pretty sure Tyler loves you and Jake now." I chuckle and gather my stuff together. As I reach for the door handle Blake calls me back,

"Jess I uhm... was wondering if maybe you wanted hang out again? You know just us?" I grin at this my cheeks heating in reaction.

"I'd love to Woods."

"Sounds like a plan." He mirrors my grin as I clamber out of the car and carefully pull Tyler out too. I wave to Blake as he pulls off and as he disappears into the distance the grin on my face feels like it's been etched there permanently.

Knowing my mum isn't due back till later tonight I tuck Tyler into bed, he doesn't fight it like usual and instead welcomes the soft sheets and happily cuddles into his soft toys.

Sighing happily, I make my way to my own room, dumping the bags on the floor before flopping onto my bed and pulling out my phone to text Kia.

To Kia-

So, Blake may or may not have asked me out... but I'm not sure what he meant???

Her response is almost immediate,

From Kia-

HE WHAT??!! What exactly did he say?

To Kia-

He asked if we could hang out, just us two.

From Kia-

My little girl is all grown up OMG!! Get in Jess!

I drop my phone onto the bed and laugh a little out loud to myself. I can't believe Blake had asked me of all people, on what seemed like a date. Sighing contentedly, I decide to shower and change into clean pyjamas so that I'm comfortable. I grab my sketchpad and pencils from my bag and settle at my small, wooden desk. The desk is covered in paint and it's one of those things that probably looks really rustic and cool but is really just the creation of my incapability of keeping things clean.

I turn to a fresh page and begin with the intention of drawing the earlier sunset, as I sketch my mind begins to wander. I'm back in the sea and Blake's hand is wrapped around my waist, his fingertips leaving a tingle on my skin. When I focus back on my work, I soon realise that I'm no longer drawing the sun in the sky but a familiar, boyish character.

"Well shit." I mutter, sitting back in my chair and wondering how thehell I had managed to get myself here in the first place.