Unconditional

Several of my classmates started snickering at the sight of both of us covered in black paint. This no doubt drew the attention of Ms. Bianchi.“Ms. Fielding, what have you done now?” Mrs. Bianchi asked in her whispery voice, surveying the damage, “Young man, you should never interrupt an artist when he, or in this case she, is working. Now run along you two, clean yourselves up and get to work, oh and Ms. Fielding , go to the supply closet and grab a canvas for the young man, and,” she surveyed my now ruined work, “ I believe one for yourself as well.” I nodded, still too mortified to speak, “Everybody else, get back to work.”
“I’m really sorry I didn’t mean to scare you,” Joey began. “It was my fault I shouldn’t have been so…” I began but his closeness shut me up, I saw that he only had a few splashes of paint on his cheek. “So what, engrossed in your work?,” he asked softly, “I shouldn’t have” “I believe we should go clean ourselves up,” I interrupted heading for sink. I looked down and groaned, the uniform shirt and tie now boasted big splotches of black. Shit it was going to be impossible to get these out. Upon seeing my reaction Joey again apologized. “It’s alright, I mean yours is ruined too, so that makes us even.” I replied smiling. He frowned, “What about your painting,” “I didn’t like it anyway.” He smiled, “Liar, I t was perfect, and you know it.” He leaned forward as he said this and brought his hand to my face, wiping some of the black paint off. I froze at his touch, my heart threatening to burst, I felt my face flush up. “You two hurry it up,” Mrs. Bianchi breathed, “You’re distracting the class.” We both stepped away and flushed deeply, hurriedly I wet a paper towel and wiped my face and arms clean. I almost ran to the supply room and brought out two empty canvases. Silently I handed him his canvas, I grabbed my brush and attempted to focus on our assignment. Sadly I didn’t even get one good brush stroke before he distracted me. He was setting up, he was holding the paint bottles and squirting them onto his palette, he had beautiful hands, long, lean, and surprisingly agile, a musician’s hands. He looked toward me and caught me staring, embarrassed I quickly turned my head toward the phonograph we were painting pretending to be engrossed in my work. I successfully got another two strokes in when I felt compelled to look at him, he was studying the phonograph, a serious, calculating look on his beautiful face. I looked back toward my painting, I didn’t want him to catch me staring at him. I tried to expel him from my thoughts, tried to forget about him, try to forget him wiping the paint off of my cheek… finally I could stand the temptation no longer, I sneaked a peek towards him. To my surprise he was staring at my face.
As soon as our gazes met, we both looked away ,mortified to have been caught. Every time I would try to paint my thought would stray to him. I would try to resist temptation, but I was weak. I would periodically sneak glances at him.
“Alright children, we’ll finish tomorrow. Start cleaning up and come bring me your artworks.” Shit, I had drawn so little, you couldn’t even tell what it was. Quickly I cleaned up, and headed towards the racks were we left our canvases to dry. Mrs. B quietly assessed my “artwork” a smile frown on her lips. I quickly turned around and almost ran in to Joey. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled. Keeping my gaze down, I was surprised to see that his canvas was almost as empty as mine. Quickly I walked back to my seat and started gathering my stuff. I looked up and saw Joey heading towards me, I started panicking, but to my great relief the bell rang. I grabbed my bag and headed toward the door. To my great surprise none other than Megan was waiting there. I walked past pointedly ignoring her she swept me with her gaze, “Nice shirt freak” I ignored her and walked on, used to her snide comments .
I headed toward my Vespa. I put on my helmet and started the engine. I slowly made my way out of the parking lot. Behind me I heard some yelling and then the rev of an engine and the squeal of tires. I rolled my eyes, surely one of the jocks had gotten a new car and was now showing it off. To my surprise a gorgeous red car came up next to my Vespa, before I could form coherent thoughts, the dark tinted window rolled down. It was Joey.

For one second I almost lost control of the Vespa. Several cars behind Joey started honking as he was still driving next to me. “Um…hi I guess we err never got to introduce ourselves, I’m Joey”
“Um hi,” I stammered “ I’m Alaizabel.”
We both stopped for the red light. Joey looked at me “I guess what I wanted to say was umm, would you like to hang out.”
I laughed. “What’s so funny,” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
“You went through all this trouble just to ask me if I wanted to hang out?”
“Well yeah, I had no other way. Whenever I even mentioned you Megan would practically rape me.”
My laugh was cut short by a symphony of car horns, apparently the light had turned green. I looked back and saw a bunch of our classmates behind us, all wearing different definitions of pissed.
As soon as I accelerated Joey did the same. “You might not what to be seen with me,” I yelled, “it might ruin your reputation,”
“I thought I had left it in New York,” I laughed and sped up Joey easily keeping up. “Why did you leave?”
“Huh?” “New York, why did you leave,”
He grimaced, “It’s simple really, my parents wanted me out of their lives, so they sent me to my dear aunt Millicent’s.”
I smiled, “she’s not so bad. It could be worse.”
“Well it hasn’t been all bad, this place is really growing on me.”
“You say that know, but wait until tomorrow,” I threatened.
“And why is that?” curiosity plain on his face.
“You’ll see.” With that I sped up.
He smiled easily catching up. We remained quiet for the rest of the way, mainly because I was having a lot trouble keeping the damn Vespa for going out of control.
I pulled up in front of my house, “Well, umm see you later, I guess.”
“You said you’d hang out with me,” he pouted.
I laughed at his adorable face, “fine where do you want to go?”
“How about you give me a grand tour ?”
“Alrighty, what time?”
“Is 6 okay?”
“Yup, just come on over and knock ,ok? Oh and were using your car,”
He smirked and nodded goodbye, driving forward and into his Aunt’s driveway.
I parked my Vespa, and somehow managed to walk normally into my house. My good mood vanished when I saw that woman sitting on our couch. I glared at her, “What are you doing here?”.
“Your dad said to make myself and home, I do believe he’s in the bathroom. Do you want me to call him.” I just glared at her and stomped up my stairs. I walked toward my room and closed the door. Taking deep breaths I concentrated on Joey. I had no idea how I had managed to drive all the way here without crashing. “I couldn’t believe he had gone through such lengths just to talk to me!” butterflies erupted in my stomach at these thoughts. My thoughts were interrupted by my phone ringing. I looked at it cautiously, no one had my private line. Slowly I reached for it and answered, “Hello?”
“Stay away from Joey, bitch or you’re going to regret it.”