Status: Active
She's All That
VII
The ride back to Isabella's house was, to say the least, a tad bit awkward. Abagail had forced the two to ride in the back together while she chauffeured them to Isabella's home.
Every time Bella tried to get comfortable in the seat, she would lay her hand down flat on the fabric and it would end up brushing against Gerard's fingers. Muttering a soft "sorry", she'd push herself against the door to give space.
Abby glanced in the rear-view mirror, giggling childishly. "Seriously, you guys? She's not going to bite and he doesn't have cooties."
Gerard ducked his head, embarrassed. "Shut up, Abby." He glanced over at Isabella, offering an apology smile to which Bella just laughed it off. To be honest, neither of the two could come up with a feasible reason as to why they were suddenly so nervous as they were thrown into the backseat together. They were perfectly fine being alone in the park; Although, their friends were present there.
And, when the car stops, they know they'll be completely alone with each other. No Abby, no Mikey, no Frank. Just Isabella and Gerard.
"Alright, people," Abby brought the car to a stop, turning around in her seat. "This is where you get out."
Isabella flung the car door open a little too eagerly and jumped out, bending down by Abby's window to say goodbye. "Thanks for the ride. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"
"Of course," Abby grinned, putting the car back into drive. Pulling away from the curb, she waved out the window, reminding Bella that she'd call her later tonight.
Bella smiled at Gerard, gesturing for him to follow her inside. As they stepped over the threshold, Gerard whistled lowly, gaining an odd look from Bella. "What?"
"This is the inside of your house?" Gerard let his eyes roam over the vast space and offered a lopsided grin. "It's really nice, Bells."
"Bells?" Bella asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Sorry," Gerard ducked his head again, hoping to conceal the blush that was spreading over his cheeks. "It was just a nickname I was working on for you. If you don't like it, I can change it or whatever. No big deal."
Bella shook her head, "I like it,"
"Really?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Now, come on. I believe I promised some drawings to show you." Bella led him upstairs to her room, pushing a few boxes out of the way. "Sorry about the mess. I haven't completely unpacked, yet."
Gerard laughed, "It's okay. You should see my room, it's a total wreck. My bedroom is the basement so there's always boxes down there."
Bella dug through some smaller boxes, taking the items out carefully until she came to a wooden box filled with oil paints and brushes and a pencil box filled with art pencils. "My book should be in this box," She mumbled, sorting through the mess. "Ah ha. Here it is." Handing the sketch book to Gerard, she sat down on the floor, crossing her legs.
Gerard opened the book, studying each page carefully before turning to the next one. His face was expressionless and he looked over her drawings, making Bella feel more nervous than ever and wondering if allowing him to see her sketches were a bad idea.
Bella sighed, rubbing her hand over the back of her neck. "I know they're not very good, but--"
"No," Gerard shook his head, still keeping his gaze fixed on the paper. "These are rather good. Really good, actually."
"Really?"
Gerard nodded, joining her on the floor. He moved the book so that she could see, too, and pointed to the drawing she had done of a ground-view Willow Tree. "I really like how you used the blending cloth to mesh the roots together. And, your pencil strokes are amazing."
"Thank you," Bella smiled sincerely, elated that he genuinely liked her drawings. If she'd have shown her mother, all she'd receive was 'Good tree, honey.' Not someone who'd actually appreciate every small pencil stroke she made. "I want to go to Art School after I graduate. I was looking at the New York Academy of Art. But, I could never get in there. It's a private school."
"You could always go to the School of Visual Arts. That's where I plan to go. I've already sent my application in."
"No use," Bella shook her head, leaning back against her bed frame. "Mom would never let me go to an art school. She thinks it's a dead profession."
"That's ignorant. There's jobs everywhere that are open for art grads." Gerard put the book down and scooted himself to sit beside her, against her bed. "You could always just apply and see if you get it. She can't control what school you go to."
"She can if she's paying for it."
"You could always try to get in on scholarship. You're good, Bells. There's nothing you can't do if you set your mind to it."
Bella mashed her lips together, nodding faintly. "I suppose," reaching over, she wrapped her arms around Gerard's neck, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thanks,"
Gerard hesitantly brought his hands up, stopping just before he made contact with her. His heart was racing and he felt like his stomach was making it's way up his throat. Sucking it in, he allowed himself to gently rest his hands on her lower back.
"Any time, Bells."
Every time Bella tried to get comfortable in the seat, she would lay her hand down flat on the fabric and it would end up brushing against Gerard's fingers. Muttering a soft "sorry", she'd push herself against the door to give space.
Abby glanced in the rear-view mirror, giggling childishly. "Seriously, you guys? She's not going to bite and he doesn't have cooties."
Gerard ducked his head, embarrassed. "Shut up, Abby." He glanced over at Isabella, offering an apology smile to which Bella just laughed it off. To be honest, neither of the two could come up with a feasible reason as to why they were suddenly so nervous as they were thrown into the backseat together. They were perfectly fine being alone in the park; Although, their friends were present there.
And, when the car stops, they know they'll be completely alone with each other. No Abby, no Mikey, no Frank. Just Isabella and Gerard.
"Alright, people," Abby brought the car to a stop, turning around in her seat. "This is where you get out."
Isabella flung the car door open a little too eagerly and jumped out, bending down by Abby's window to say goodbye. "Thanks for the ride. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"
"Of course," Abby grinned, putting the car back into drive. Pulling away from the curb, she waved out the window, reminding Bella that she'd call her later tonight.
Bella smiled at Gerard, gesturing for him to follow her inside. As they stepped over the threshold, Gerard whistled lowly, gaining an odd look from Bella. "What?"
"This is the inside of your house?" Gerard let his eyes roam over the vast space and offered a lopsided grin. "It's really nice, Bells."
"Bells?" Bella asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Sorry," Gerard ducked his head again, hoping to conceal the blush that was spreading over his cheeks. "It was just a nickname I was working on for you. If you don't like it, I can change it or whatever. No big deal."
Bella shook her head, "I like it,"
"Really?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Now, come on. I believe I promised some drawings to show you." Bella led him upstairs to her room, pushing a few boxes out of the way. "Sorry about the mess. I haven't completely unpacked, yet."
Gerard laughed, "It's okay. You should see my room, it's a total wreck. My bedroom is the basement so there's always boxes down there."
Bella dug through some smaller boxes, taking the items out carefully until she came to a wooden box filled with oil paints and brushes and a pencil box filled with art pencils. "My book should be in this box," She mumbled, sorting through the mess. "Ah ha. Here it is." Handing the sketch book to Gerard, she sat down on the floor, crossing her legs.
Gerard opened the book, studying each page carefully before turning to the next one. His face was expressionless and he looked over her drawings, making Bella feel more nervous than ever and wondering if allowing him to see her sketches were a bad idea.
Bella sighed, rubbing her hand over the back of her neck. "I know they're not very good, but--"
"No," Gerard shook his head, still keeping his gaze fixed on the paper. "These are rather good. Really good, actually."
"Really?"
Gerard nodded, joining her on the floor. He moved the book so that she could see, too, and pointed to the drawing she had done of a ground-view Willow Tree. "I really like how you used the blending cloth to mesh the roots together. And, your pencil strokes are amazing."
"Thank you," Bella smiled sincerely, elated that he genuinely liked her drawings. If she'd have shown her mother, all she'd receive was 'Good tree, honey.' Not someone who'd actually appreciate every small pencil stroke she made. "I want to go to Art School after I graduate. I was looking at the New York Academy of Art. But, I could never get in there. It's a private school."
"You could always go to the School of Visual Arts. That's where I plan to go. I've already sent my application in."
"No use," Bella shook her head, leaning back against her bed frame. "Mom would never let me go to an art school. She thinks it's a dead profession."
"That's ignorant. There's jobs everywhere that are open for art grads." Gerard put the book down and scooted himself to sit beside her, against her bed. "You could always just apply and see if you get it. She can't control what school you go to."
"She can if she's paying for it."
"You could always try to get in on scholarship. You're good, Bells. There's nothing you can't do if you set your mind to it."
Bella mashed her lips together, nodding faintly. "I suppose," reaching over, she wrapped her arms around Gerard's neck, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thanks,"
Gerard hesitantly brought his hands up, stopping just before he made contact with her. His heart was racing and he felt like his stomach was making it's way up his throat. Sucking it in, he allowed himself to gently rest his hands on her lower back.
"Any time, Bells."