Finders Keepers

I walked back home and by the time I arrived, everyone was awake. Jack was eating cereal while watching TV, Rian was playing foosball with Alex, Lisa was on the phone and I saw Zack was in the backyard, playing fetch with Baz.

“Ah, you’re home!” Alex said, not looking up from foosball. “Where have you been? We woke up and you were nowhere to be found.”

I placed my bag on the empty spot next to Jack. “I got a job.”

“You did?” Alex looked up. “Why? I mean you didn’t need to look for a job.”

I huffed. “Alex, I don’t want to live here without contributing anything.”

“Living with us is already more than enough,” Lisa said after she hung up the phone.

“Yeah, Pen,” Jack looked up to me, “Just let Alex pay all the bills. He’s already rich.”

I chuckled. “No, guys. I want to do this. After all, I don’t have anything to do besides painting and that still locks me inside the house – I’ll go crazy if I don’t go out. Besides, I think I’ll love my job.”

“That’s what everyone said when they just started working,” Rian said, “In the end they’ll get sick of it and quit.”

“Guys, I’m positive about this.”

“Where do you work, anyway?” Jack asked.

“Winters Gallery.”

“Where is that?” he asked again.

“It’s across Starbucks in the downtown.”

Just as I said that, the door to the backyard slid open and Zack and Baz went in. “Oh, Penny’s home,” he smiled. “What’s up?”

“I just got a job and nobody here is supportive,” I whined.

He chuckled and walked closer to me. “Guys, just let her do the job, okay?”

“Here comes the Romeo,” Rian muttered, continuing to play foosball.

“Yeah, bulky, strong, muscular Romeo,” Jack piped in.

Zack rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to them,” he smiled again.

“Nah, I won’t,” I said as I took my bag and went upstairs. I changed into a t-shirt and shorts and tied back my hair before setting up what I needed to paint. I took a photo of the sky today with my phone because it looked amazing and I decided to paint it.

Placing my phone on the table where I placed all my painting tools, I took out a pencil and started to sketch. Three hours later, I was adding the finishing touches when I heard someone knocked on my door.

“Come in, it’s not locked!” I answered, focusing on the painting.

The door creaked open and the person stepped in. “Wow.”

I turned around and found Zack looking at my painting. “Hey, you,” I smiled before turning back to my painting.

“Alex said you don’t look at the time whenever you’re painting,” he said as he moved closer to take a closer look at my painting.

“And he’s right.”

“This is really beautiful.” By this time, I could feel his breath hitting my hair and boy did it make my heart pound so fast.

“Thanks. Do you want to try?” I asked, offering the brush I was holding to him.

“Uh, I can’t.”

“It’s okay.”

“I really can’t.”

“Why not?”

He pursed his lips before answering. “I’m colourblind.”

“Oh... I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“Nah, it’s okay,” he smiled, showing me his dimples.

“You still can try, though.” I took his right hand and put the brush between his fingers and placed my hand around his. I lifted it and stroked the paint on the clouds.

“Can you feel it?” I asked.

“Hm?”

“Can you feel the stroke?” He nodded. “That’s one thing I really love about painting: you get to know how it feels when the brush strokes the canvas.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” he muttered next to my ear. Surprised by how close he was to me, I turned my head slowly to look at him. He turned to look back at me and I was immediately sucked in to his green eyes. He leaned closer and I closed my eyes as our lips touched.

He pulled away and we looked at each other for a moment before I turned around, placing my hand behind his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he placed his hands on the stool I was sitting on.

Oh my.

- - -

That night, I lie in my bed, thinking about Zack. I actually felt something in the kiss, like... my stomach turned and I saw stars and fireworks. I never felt that before – except for the turning stomach. Everyone feels that during their first kiss, or the first time they kiss a different person. Or maybe in every small kiss.

But stars and fireworks? I didn’t even know it was real.