Amelia sat in her room, sulking. Her sister, Claire, peeked through the door, noticing her distress. Claire walked over, trying to cheer her up, puzzled as to why Amelia seemed so down.
"Hey, what's wrong? I know you're nervous about tomorrow, but you seem really upset," Claire said softly.
Amelia sighed, not wanting to burden her sister with her feelings. "It's nothing. Just some stuff on my mind." She then smiled at her sister while pushing her out of her room. "And next time, knock!"
After she kicked her sister out, she quickly jumped on her bed, sulking again. The thing was, Amelia didn't know why she felt like this. All he said was he couldn't come. She buried her head into her pillow, trying to ignore the burdensome thoughts.
Eventually, she got up and went through her nightly routine. She brushed her teeth and changed into her pyjamas, moving with a sense of detachment. As she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, she took a deep breath. "You'll be okay," she whispered to her reflection. "You have to be."
The next morning, Amelia woke up early, the nerves already beginning to gnaw at her. She took a long shower, hoping the warm water would help soothe her anxiety. After drying off, she stood in front of her wardrobe, debating over what to wear. She wanted to look professional but also comfortable.
She finally settled on a simple but elegant dress, one that she felt confident in. As she was getting ready, she could hear her parents downstairs, discussing their plans for the day. Amelia felt a pang of hurt knowing they wouldn't be attending her exhibition. They had always been dismissive of her passion for art, considering it a mere hobby rather than a legitimate career path.
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" she asked hesitantly, poking her head into the kitchen.
Her mother glanced at her briefly before returning to her conversation. "We have other plans today, Amelia. You know how we feel about this art stuff. It's just… not practical."
Her father's dismissive grunt of agreement felt like a punch to the gut. Amelia forced a smile, not wanting to show how much their lack of support hurt her. "Right, of course," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Well, I'll see you later then."
She grabbed her bag and left the house, her heart heavy. The short walk to the gallery felt longer than usual, each step weighed down by the anxiety and disappointment she carried. As she approached the building, she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She reminded herself that this was her moment, regardless of who showed up.
Entering the art exhibition, Amelia felt a knot of anxiety tighten in her stomach. The gallery was already buzzing with activity, and she spotted Conner almost immediately. He waved her over with a bright smile, clearly eager to lift her spirits given Wisdom's inability to attend.
"Hey, Amelia! Ready to show the world your amazing talent?" Conner said, trying to infuse some enthusiasm into her.
Amelia smiled weakly, appreciating his effort. "Thanks, Conner. I'm really glad you're here." As they go and hug.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied warmly, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. "But I do have football training after this, so I hope you don't me leaving" he reluctantly said, causing Amelia to laugh.
With Conner by her side, Amelia felt a flicker of confidence return. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to face the day, determined to make the most of her exhibition despite the absence of her closest supporters.
Amelia goes on to say. "That's fine Conner, but I still need to grab some stuff from the back. I'll be right back."
"Alright, I'll look around for a bit," Conner replied, wandering off to view the other paintings.
Amelia headed backstage to retrieve some art supplies she had left there after making some refinements days beforehand. As she approached her area, she overheard a group of students criticizing her work.
"I don't understand how Amelia even made it to this stage," one student scoffed. "No way she makes it to the next round."
"Yeah, it's not even that good," another agreed.
This ruined Amelia's confident, saddening her mood. She wasn't a people person and hadn't interacted much with her classmates, causing her to naturally be outcasted. She didn't mind it usually, but hearing their harsh words stung.
Returning to the exhibition floor, Amelia tried to shake off the negative comments, but her anxiety grew as the judging process began. Each painting was unveiled, and the artists were called up. The claps of the audience for those who made it to the next round felt deafening to Amelia. As the names were called and hers wasn't among them, she became emotional and anxious, feeling like she had let everyone down.
Conner beforehand messages Wisdom, as he realized that Amelia seems "off".
Freya was sitting in the cafe, trying to focus on her assignment, but she couldn't help noticing Wisdom's change in demeanour. He had been moody earlier but now seemed even more panicked upon looking at his phone. She looked up to see the store wasn't too busy and was startled when Wisdom quickly ran up to her, asking if she could watch the store for 30 minutes.
Freya, completely confused, said, "But I don't even know how to make tea properly, never mind coffee. And are you even allowed to do that?"
Wisdom reassured her that the store didn't get too busy around this time and began begging even more, eventually making Freya give in. Before she even realized it, Wisdom was running out of the store, while Freya donned an apron and a hat that seemed to suit her blonde hair and blue eyes.
Luckily, as Wisdom had said, the store wasn't too busy, and he had told her to message him if something happened. Freya wanted an explanation for when he came back, feeling slightly annoyed but also worried.
Back at the Exhibition
As the judges continued to unveil the paintings and announce the names, Amelia's anxiety intensified. The names kept being called, and hers wasn't among them. She stood amidst the clapping crowd, feeling a wave of emotions crash over her. Her vision blurred with tears, and the noise of the applause seemed to drown out everything else.
At that moment, Wisdom arrived, surprising Amelia.
"Amelia!" Wisdom called out, making his way through the crowd. "I'm so sorry I'm late," he said, handing her something in return.
It was a chocolate bar. Back in high school, something similar had happened, causing her to have a panic attack. It was how they first met—Amelia had been crying after an argument, panicking over a presentation. Wisdom, sitting awkwardly in the same spot as her during a break, had given her a chocolate bar, saying, "You know, when I'm nervous, I like to eat. Here."
It had helped calm her down.
In the present, seeing the chocolate bar brought back those comforting memories. She teared up, letting her feelings out, hugging Wisdom who had heard the results. He wanted her to let it out.
"You dummy, I wouldn't called that a gift you know" Amelia said still wiping her tears away.
He then proceeds to walked over to her artwork, examining the massive piece. Turning to Amelia, he said, "It's amazing."
Claire, seeing her sister blushing, quickly understood what was going on. She hit her sister in the arm, showing her a cheeky smile. "So this is why you were so upset, huh?" she began laughing, teasing her sister.
Amelia blushed even more, trying to block her face. The trio then began to talk to each other, not interested in the other artworks. Conner had to go to football training anyway, and Wisdom had to return to work.
Amelia thanked both of them for coming, realizing how much their support had helped her. They both smiled and left.
As Wisdom was leaving, he received a message from Freya: "HELP."
Almost forgetting, Wisdom quickly hurried back to the cafe. When he got there, he was puzzled to find no customers. However, he instantly understood the problem upon seeing his manager there. Wisdom had no idea how to respond or what to do.
"Sir, can I explain?" Wisdom started, but his manager quickly stopped him.
Expecting to be fired, Wisdom was taken aback when his manager instead said, "Where did you find her?"
Wisdom was completely confused and puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Do you know how much money we made today? You should have seen all the customers who came in," the manager exclaimed.
"So, you're not mad?" Wisdom asked, still trying to understand what was happening.
"Oh, I'm mad," the manager replied. "I was thinking of firing you, but as punishment, you will have to teach her how to be a barista."
Wisdom thought to himself, "More shifts, more money," and he and his manager both smiled deviously, albeit for different reasons—they both liked money.
"No problem, sir!"
Freya, still not fully agreeing or acknowledging the situation, was quickly persuaded by Wisdom. He promised to help her during their shifts and make it worth her while, even offering to buy her food as a bonus.
"Great, you start first thing tomorrow. Wisdom, I expect you to be here and not run off this time."
"Yes, sir," Wisdom responded, still not knowing the manager's name. It seemed the manager didn't even notice drenched in his own world.
Later that Evening
Amelia sat in her room, reflecting on the day's events. She felt a mix of emotions—relief, gratitude, and a lingering anxiety. The support from her friends, especially the surprise visit from Wisdom, had made a significant impact.
Claire knocked on her door this time, entering with a mischievous grin. "So, you and Wisdom, huh?"
Amelia blushed, throwing a pillow at her sister. "It's not like that!"
Claire laughed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Well, whatever it is, it's nice to see you smile."
Amelia smiled, thinking about how the day had turned out. "Yeah, it is."
As she prepared for bed, she received a message from Wisdom: "Proud of you today. Your artwork was amazing. Can't wait to see more."
Amelia's heart swelled with happiness as she replied, "Thank you for coming. It meant a lot."
She turned off her phone, feeling a sense of peace. Tomorrow was a new day, and with the support of her friends and sister, she was able to have a peaceful sleep.