Chereads / The Writer and the Artist / Chapter 7 - I guess I'll just bury him in a casket full of popcorn

Chapter 7 - I guess I'll just bury him in a casket full of popcorn

Sometimes, I go to the white room. Everything was blank, white, nothing except the color. Was. Until I took my pencils and paint there and started an artwork that would take up the whole room. I'd painted and drawn on three of the walls, the drawings connected. It's just a series of whatever comes to my mind to paint.

Right now, I've painted my family on one of the walls, a whole table on another wall where Macy and Adam are gulping down food. Temi and Lola were a little off to the side, talking and there was a smile on Lola's face.

The next wall was just a scene, no people around, just decorations and some other stuff. Now what I was going to paint next, I don't know. I've been going over it for three weeks and I still don't know what to add to the next wall!

For the sake of all vegetable foods around the world, give me ideas you stupid brain!

I'll just take a break, maybe go somewhere I haven't been in a while. Yeah, I guess that'll help. I'll just grab a tortilla and walk around for some time. Now, who should I go see? Or where should I go?

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

I got nothing.

Let the seas and the wind pull me, I will follow the currents of nature, the way my heart tugs at me, I will close my eyes and let my unseen vision guide me, I will lose myself in the world and let it show me, I will.

Well, that was... strange...

Eh, I wouldn't put it past me, I'm weird that way. Now, where to have that tortilla? I'll probably stop by a small restaurant and order something leafy. I'm craving it. I'm craving it so bad I want to cry. Is it just me that that happens to?

I guess...

I'm so hungry I could eat a whole farm! And I'm feeling sad! Evenings are the worst! With the sun setting, it just feels like it may never rise again and that makes me sad! The color of the sky when the sun sets makes me cry! The warm breeze makes my heart do a flip and it's like it's going to explode. These are the times that I want to watch a cheesy romance movie, that will make my condition even worse. My life sucks.

My phone beeps in my pocket and I pull it out.

Unknown: Where are you? Would you like to hang out?

A frown takes over my face as I text the person back.

Me: Who are you?

Unknown: It's Luke you shorty, or Austin... now where are you? I'm so bored I wanna cry! I've run out of popcorn and cereal and I'm too lazy to walk to the store, I'm craving some real food, food that I can't cook, so please please PLEASE, tell me where you are!

Me: I'm at Cooke's Cooks. It's about a ten-minute drive from your place.

Unknown: Sure be there in five!

Oh boy!

He's gonna kill himself. Oh well, I guess I'll just bury him in a casket full of popcorn. And maybe some cereal.

I push open the door of the restaurant and a waiter walks up to me. He eyes me for a while, probably recognizing me.

"Hello and welcome, would you like a table?" He asks with a lovely smile.

"Oh, yes, table for two." I chirp and he nods, directing me to a free table. I thank him and take a seat.

"Would you like to order now?" He asks and I shake my head.

"No, I'll call when I'm ready, thank you." He smiles and walks off, I bite my lip and check my phone, waiting for Austin to text me.

The waiter gave me a table that faces the door, very clever! The door opens and Austin walks in, looking around for me. I raise my hand and wave at him a little, sending him a smile. He walks over to me and flops down not so carefully in the chair making me laugh.

"I'm so lucky that this isn't a fancy restaurant, I'd have been getting judgemental looks by the prim and proper!" He laughs and I shake my head at him.

He calls for our waiter, then turns back to me.

"So, what's up my favorite April?" He asks, making a small shake with his head. "Oh, I'll make sure to tell the other April's that I'm your favorite, Austin." I laugh and he rolls his eyes.

"You know, no one else calls me Austin, just you." He smiles and I feel my face heating up.

Wait, what?! Am I- am I blushing?

Oh My God!

"You look so cute when you blush!" He says with a tiny voice and reaches over to pinch my cheeks. I swat his hands away and glare at him as our waiter reaches our table.

"Hello, I'm Andrew and I'll be your waiter this evening, here are your menus and I'll be back in a sec to get your order." He says and hands me my menu.

"Oh no, can I get the kid's menu?" Luke asks with a cute smile and I find myself smiling with him.

"Uh, sure." Andrew blinks and I try to stop myself from laughing.

"Thanks." He says and the waiter walks away.

"Can you be any more of a child?" I ask with a laugh and he shrugs. I put down my menu, I already know what I'm going to order so it's not like I have to look through it again.

"So, what are you getting?" He asks and I shrug.

"You'll find out." The waiter comes back and hands Austin the menu.

"Would you like to order now?" Andrew turns to me and I nod.

"Yes, I'll have a big bowl of salad and um, a strawberry smoothie," I say and he nods, writing it down. He turns to Austin who was looking at me with a weird look.

"I'll just have Mac and cheese with mini chicken nuggets." He says and Andrew nods, also writing it down.

He walks off after telling us our food will be right out and I lean back in my chair, clutching my stomach.

"I never took you like a salad girl." Austin comments and I look at him. I clear my throat awkwardly and class my hands together.

"Well, I have this thing, some months I go vegetarian and anything that has meat will get me all disgusted and make me throw up, and then others, I'll just be a cannibal all through." I laugh and he smiles.

"You're a weird girl."

"Way to blow my cover, Austin Henderson." I laugh and he reaches to shove my face.

*******

"-so I just didn't know what to do, I ran in there screaming like a crazed banshee and jumped on her, she never returned to the school." I finish off my story and stare at Austin who is clutching his stomach and laughing, his eyes squinted making him look so cute.

Okay, where is this coming from?

"All because she- she, took your c-candy?" He laughs, watching me and I just shrug. He throws his head back, and his mouth opens in a silent laugh. I shove his shoulder and he slowly calms down, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Jerk," I mutter under my breath and he winks at me, displaying his dazzling smile.

Why does he look like that? It is illegal! It should be a crime! Why!!

"So, you have five siblings huh?" He asks, drinking from his smoothie. I look ahead, staring at the people walking, and nod.

"Uh-huh, you can say it's a madhouse at my home!" I say and laugh. He shrugs.

"Well, I have a sister that is five, my best friend and her daughter and husband, I guess you know him, River Morales." He says and my eyes widen.

Are you shitting me?

"What? Like The River Morales, hottest male model of this year?" I ask and he laughs.

"He's not the hottest, River ain't got nothing on me." He praises, flexing his muscles.

Damn, he is ripped!

"Yeah, sure." I try to answer sarcastically. He gasps and glares at me, muttering something under his breath about how underappreciated he is.

My phone beeps and I pull it out to check who wants to message me.

And... It's in June.

Of course! She's the only one that will text me while I'm having a little fun!

"Hey, um Austin, it's getting late and my sister is going to kill me if I don't poof into the house right now, do you think you can drop me off?" I ask and he smiles.

"Of course, but I'm crashing on your couch tonight." He says and I raise a brow.

"What? Really?"

"Of course not! I love my bed!" I roll my eyes and watch as he throws the cup into the bin.

"Can you wait here? The car is a little far off." He says and I nod. He smiles at me and walks off, swinging the key in his hand.

Sigh.

This wonderful evening is coming to an end. And honestly, I don't want it to. And that's not normal for me, on normal days, I want every evening to go by quickly but something's changed. And I don't think I want to ever go back to how I was.

I close my eyes and let the cold breeze of September hit my face.

"of April? April Freeman?" I hear a voice and open my eyes to find green ones staring intently at me.

"It is you!" The guy says and grabs me, his hands wrapping around my wrist to pull me up. I slam into his chest and make an 'oomph' sound.

I retreat, trying hard not to rub off the skin where he touched. He smiles widely at me and I start to remember him.

"It's me, Damian from high school, remember?" He asks and I nod.

"Yeah, you must have forgotten about my um... thing," I say and he smirks, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, I guess I forgot."

"Forgot what?" I hear Austin's voice ask from behind me.

"Nothing, um Austin this is Damian from my high school, Damian, Austin, I'm sorry but we have to go now," I say but Damian wraps his hand around my wrist and tugs me towards him. My skin crawls and I gasp, trying to free myself.

"Damian let go of me," I say, shoving him but it's no use.

"Dude she said to let go of her," Austin says and rips me out of his grasp, hugging me close to his chest, I clutch his shirt, my hands shaking slightly.

"April, I'm sorry, I forgot that you hate a male's touch." Austin stiffens and my eyes go wide. He laughs and I glare at him. He does a fake salute and turns around, walking off.

"Let's go," Austin says and walks me to the car.

It was an awkward silence and I couldn't take it anymore, Austin's grip on the wheel was so tight his knuckles were white.

"Austin-"

"Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"I- I don't know, I guess I didn't feel it was necessary," I say and he sighs through his mouth.

"April, it's very necessary, you let me touch you even though you hate my touch, why? I don't want you feeling that way April." He says and I swear I could see a flicker of hurt before it was covered by worry.

But how am I supposed to explain to you that I forget about that whenever you're around me?

"Promise me that if you're uncomfortable, you'll tell me April?" He says, looking into my eyes, and my heart flutters.

I nod silently and he smiles, looking ahead.

How do I tell you that I was uncomfortable in my chest just a second ago?