07 | The Project

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AS I STEPPED into my Intro to Art class, my elective for the semester, I spotted Milo sitting near the window as he waited for class to start, watching the clouds lazily go by. Instead of taking my usual seat on the opposite side of the room, I made my way to Milo and occupied the seat beside him.

"Hey," I announced with an amiable smile, tearing his gaze away from the window. He greeted me with the same phrase and grinned. Not knowing what to say next, I asked, "How was your weekend?"

"It was alright, didn't get much sleep though. I had to finish writing a script for Cinematography," he shrugged. The bell rang just as the professor entered, immediately getting down to business.

After listening about the different concepts of color and techniques for oil paintings, the professor handed out a sketchbook to everyone in the class.

"For our first project, you're going to paint someone or something that had a meaningful impact on you during your life," Professor Hyatt, made elegant gestures with her hands as she spoke. "First, you'll sketch out some things, but I expect to see some rough drafts by Friday." She scanned the room before clapping her hands together, "Okay, get started."

Immediately, people began sketching whereas I, on the other hand, was stuck and had absolutely nothing in mind. I turned over to Milo and saw that he also seemed to be having the same problem as he stared at the piece of paper in front of him, eyebrows furrowed, tapping the end of his pencil against the table. His jaw was clenched as he was deep in thought, accentuating his sharp jawline.

"Have any ideas?" I whispered. His facial muscles eased a bit as he looked in my direction.

"Not really," he stated, shaking his head. He studied my face for a moment and gazed at me with such intensity that made me feel transparent, like he could see right into my soul.

"What is it?" I asked, barely keeping it together under his intense gaze.

"Nothing," he stated nonchalantly, clearing his throat. He turned back to face the front of the class and resumed tapping the desk with the tip of his eraser. I attempted to peek over his shoulder when Milo began sketching in his sketchbook, but his wrist concealed most of the sketch.

For the remainder of class, I sat there hopelessly, racking through my brain for ideas. But much to my dismay, the bell rang and my paper was still a blank canvas.

Everyone quickly filed out of class like the air was infected by a plague, and I was the last one to leave, defeatedly packing up my things.

"Still don't have anything?" I heard from above. Milo sported a soft grin as he looked down at me, clutching his bag strap. I shook my head, my lips pressed tightly together in a line.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll figure something out." God, I sure hope so.

When we walked out of the building, I inhaled a deep breath of fresh air, getting a tiny whiff of Milo's lavender scent in the process. Although I began to feel more relaxed as we silently walked across the quad, a tight pressure welled within my chest as I smiled internally.

Still curious to figure out what happened over the past three years, I nervously glanced at Milo, gaining his attention.

"So, have you talked to James recently?" I asked curiously. He silently shook his head and stared ahead, lips pressed together into a line. "Why not?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. I guess there's just not much to talk about anymore."

Seriously? I thought. 'Not much to talk about anymore' my ass.

"Did something happen?" I pressed on a bit more, attempting to gather some answers.

"It's a long story." He ran his hand through his hair, ruffling the back. "But it's nothing to worry about anymore," he sighed, muttering the last word under his breath.

"Hadley!" My head whipped forward and found Ava jogging in our direction. "James is looking for..." she trailed off mid-sentence. "Oh. Hey, Milo."

Ava's eyes shifted swiftly back and forth between me and Milo, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes paired with a smile that was growing too wide for my liking. Giving her a don't you dare look, she thankfully took notice and toned down her excitement, a frown ensuing her lips.

"What about James?" I asked, earning her full attention.

"He just came by a few minutes ago and said that he needed to talk to you about Friday night," she sheepishly admitted.

"Friday night?" Milo chimed in, eyebrows quirked.

"Yeah, James taking me to meet his new roommate. He's bringing his girlfriend with him, so James didn't want to become the third wheel," I chuckled. Milo, however, didn't think it was funny at all as I stood there laughing awkwardly by myself, feeling my cheeks beginning to warm up.

"Just...be careful, okay?" Milo said hesitantly. Now I was completely and utterly confused at his statement, but I simply nodded. He gave me one last look before walking away, saying goodbye to Ava and me.

"So, where's James now?" I swiveled back to Ava.

THE BELL hung above the door chimed as I entered the cafe. Eyes skimming the small crowd inside Bella's, I recognized James concentrating as he sat in the back, typing away on his laptop with a mug of coffee beside him.

Sliding into the seat in front of him, I displayed a smile and peeked over his laptop screen. With a chuckle, his eyes met mine, a jubilant glimmer shining brightly within them.

"What is it that you wanted to tell me?" I asked.

"Wear something nice for Friday."

"That's it?" I replied, puzzled, to which he nodded. "Couldn't you've just shot me a text?"

"Yeah, I could've," he shrugged. "But why would I do that when I can use it as an excuse to see your gorgeous face?"

Trying as hard as I could to suppress a smile, I rolled my eyes, but a grin slowly broke out on my lips, a tight squeeze becoming apparent in my chest.

I wasn't supposed to feel this way. It was all mindless flirting, just another one of our "things."

When my eyes locked with James, I found him already gazing at me. There was a daze that clouded his eyes as he stared intensely, making things between us shift ever so slightly once again.

Recently, those moments had been popping up frequently. One moment, we'd be hanging out, exchanging banter that consisted of stories about how clumsy and easily spooked I was. But then with one simple look, the mood would immediately change, and something unspoken would surge between us.

"Did you want anything, Hadley?"

I was brought back to reality and tore my gaze away from James to find Bella smiling down at me, waiting intently for my response.

"Uh, sure. I'll take a Caramel Macchiato to go." She nodded and strolled back to the counter, beginning to mix the ingredients.

I gulped as my throat suddenly became dry and felt like it was closing up. I kept my gaze down at the table, feeling James's eyes still on me.

"Do I make you nervous, Hadley?" He said smoothly. I cast my gaze towards James, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"No," I said, my reply coming out a bit more harsh than I wanted. His eyebrow quirked up and my cheeks began burning up again. Geez, get a grip, I told myself.

Thankfully, saving myself from even more embarrassment, Bella came back with my coffee, which I briefly thanked her for.

"I should go." I picked up my drink and swiftly swung my bag strap onto my shoulder.

"Wait, what's the rush?" James placed his hand on my forearm, causing electrifying tingles on my skin. It took all of my energy to keep my arm steady and not tremble from the simple touch.

"A-Ava texted me saying that she needed help with something back at our dorm." I stuttered and mentally face-palmed. Well when you stutter like that Hadley, he'll for sure catch on to the real reason.

I could see the gears in his brain shifting, the slow and dreaded smirk that I knew would come was slowly making its way onto his face. He smirked, "I didn't hear your phone ring."

"She texted me before I came here, so she's probably expecting me to be back in a few." I prayed to the heavens above that James would accept my lie. But unfortunately, how could he not? I was a fidgeting mess at the moment.

He gave me the benefit of the doubt though and nodded slowly. But really, I knew that he knew.

"Well, I'll see you back on campus," I chirped. I looked down at his hand still clutching my arm and he gently let go, the sparks against my skin dissipating.

With that, I walked out of the cafe and crossed the street, safely making it back to Berkeley. Geez, Hadley, get it together.

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A/N: Hi! I know not a lot happened in this chapter, but the beginning was important for a future scene. Hope you had a great day or week! See you in the next chapter!

-Karlee 💛

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