An Eye for Art

Chapter Eighteen

Adilene bolted from the car without saying thank you.

"You're welcome!" Mason shouted. He slumped into his seat and furrowed his eyebrows. After all these years. . . she still hates me? Looking at the time on his phone, he sighed. He too had classes to get to, but the urge to be there was nonexistent. Another physics class. Great. Since Brown didn't require anyone to take specific courses, his father made it his mission to drown Mason in scientific studies. He was late to almost every single one of them though.

Mason's entire life was consumed by physics. The kid never had a chance to find his own interests. Every known fact about the scientific world was drilled into his brain, and, while he didn't like to brag, Mason knew all the material taught in his classes anyways, hence, why his grades were outstanding despite the tower of tardies.

Walking into his class, he took a seat in the back where he plopped his seat on the chair in front of him. Mason wasn't a troublesome kid, he was quite established for a young man, but his nonchalant attitude brought faces from all walks of life. The professor shot a side-eye at Mason  but carried on with their lecture as if he wasn't there. The majority never said anything due to his father's reputation.

With nothing new to learn at the moment, Mason's mind teetered over to Adilene. I don't understand what I ever did to her. Two years ago she freaked out on me and never spoke to me afterwards. How am I supposed to patch things up if she never tells me what I did wrong?! Mason rubbed his head in annoyance. Now I have a headache. This woman drives me crazy.

Popping his phone out, Mason traveled to Adilene's Facebook. Her mother tagged her in numerous family photos, baby pictures, and cute posts that somehow would interest Adilene. Sometimes Mason wondered if Adilene went on Facebook anymore because she didn't delete him yet. He loved scrolling through her timeline and seeing mini Adilenes and Ashlans. Adorable as always.

Stars shone bright as mesmerizing reds hibernated under the horizons. Honks and the sound of engines swarmed the air, but Mason's mind processed everything that happened the past few days. The party. Running into Adilene. Her being mad. He was leaving his father's office, but didn't exactly want to head home, so he walked through the campus green. How did this happen? I don't understand. . . With a tap on the shoulder, Mason's thoughts side tracked as he turned to see who wanted his attention.

"Hi, Mason," greeted a well-known professor on campus: Zach Newman.

"Hi, Newman. Uh, can I help you?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's walk and talk." Mason and Newman picked up a leisure pace, feeling the gentle breeze captivating the city of Providence. "How are your studies going?"

"They're going, I guess."

"I'm guessing you're not a fan of the sciences," Newman chuckled.

"I'm a fan of the sciences as much as my father is a fan of art."

"So, very little," Newman laughed, "Your father can be quite difficult to deal with."

"He's always been like that, but I have to ask. Is there something you need from me? This visit is a little unusual," Mason inquired.

"Well, you're a bright young man, and, being close with your father, I've been thinking about what you could do if you took a different approach to life."

"A different approach?"

"Yes. As in building a career surrounding the things you're actually interested in." Mason stared at Newman as they walked, taken aback by the gesture.