Beautiful Somehow

Henry was jealous, that much was obvious. Maybe he was convinced that I was too much of a goody-two-shoes to have even a slight crush on a so-called troublemaker. I didn't know, but I did know that I needed to quit blushing like a four-year-old who just pissed her pants. I shrugged my shoulders at Henry's comment about Edison and I being mushy, and dipped the brush in the paint a second time.

I sighed, shaking my head disapprovingly. On the left side, the outline was crooked and the line was too thin. "Crud," I mumbled, wiping the paint brush clean before picking up the graphite pencil and fixing it. "Does that look better?" I questioned, turning my head slightly as I turned my attention to Edison.

He bit his lip, squinting his eyes. After a few seconds, he shrugged. "I don't see the difference. Is it just an artist thing or...?"

I shook my head and looked at it for a while, as well. "It might be. I just—you really can't tell the difference from the way"—I gestured toward the part of the line in which I'd fixed—"it looked before?"

"Not at all," he said. "Maybe you're just a lunatic."

"Maybe just a tad bit." I smiled softly before attempting to paint. That time, though, I mixed brown and white, and possibly a hint of red, until it created a soft peach color. I started with the jawline, dipping a clean brush into the paint before curving it against the canvas. "How does that look?"

Edison stood next to the canvas and attempted the drunken smile that was portrayed. He spoke through half-closed teeth, "I dunno, does it match my skin color?" I couldn't help but smile at the dark-haired brunette.

"It matches fairly well," I told him. "Now, cut that out before your face stays like that forever. Do you really want permanent laughter lines as young as you are?"

He frowned slightly. "Something tellsme that that's a rhetorical question and that we both know the answer to that ques—"

"For the love of Finn and Jake, will you two puhlease be quiet?" Henry cut in, throwing his hands in the air dramatically.

I scoffed. "Henry shut up and watch the show. I love you, dude, but you're annoying sometimes. Go buy your own cable." It was a bit contradicting, though, of me to tell him to buy his own cable. I just got lucky that Ma and Pa offered to pay my living expenses so that I could focus on art. "Are either of you up for some grilled cheeses and tomato soup? 'Cause I'm starving."

"I guess so when you think that painting is a higher priority over food," Henry mumbled. "What kind of dinner is that anyway?"

"A working man's dinner. Duh, Henry. Do you guys want some or not because I'm making myself some food regardless." I let the two think and come to a cordial decision as I contined to paint in the facial detail. "Eh. I'll make the decision myself. I'm making us some food." I laid the paint brush down and set the paint tray upright against the bottom of the easel.

Edison pushed his hands into his pocket and walked back to the sofa to Henry as I walked toward my room. I took my phone from my pocket and pulled my shirt over my head, tossing it into the clothes bin. I opened the first drawer of my dresser, noticing a shirt that I'd gotten at an event one day. Rolling my eyes and chuckling silently to myself, I retrieved it and walked back out to the living room, pulling it on.

Henry was the first to notice. "Is that a freakin' T-Rex on your shirt?" I simply grinned. "It doesn't help that it's a T-Rex attempting to do push-ups."

"I think it looks sexy on me. I think it shows off my chest great." Edison just smirked at me while Henry wiggled his eyebrows. "Welp, it's food time," I said, disappearing into the kitchen.



The two had originally only stopped by for "dinner and free cable," as Henry had said, but if that was the case, they would've left a long time ago. We were currently sitting around the table, talking about nothing in particular. "As bored as we all are, we should just take some shots," Henry suggested.

"I don't even think you're old enough to drink. You're under twenty-one or I'm just crazy?" Edison pointed out.

"You're one to talk," Henry retorted. "Hey, Vin, what do you say? Or would you rather have shots of apple juice while Ed and I drink big boy stuff?"

I shrugged. "You're the farthest thing from a big boy. There are shot glasses in the cabinet above the kitchen sink. I may have some vodka somewhere in there. You'll have to search for it."

Henry got up from the chair and scurried toward the kitchen. Edison played with his fingers absentmindedly, humming. My eyes were drawn to his soft brown eyes and how smooth his hair was. "How long do you spend on your hair in the mornings?"

Edison laughed, almost awkwardly, before answering. "Not much. Why, does it look bad?"

"No, no, no," I stuttered. "I just think that it looks nice, that's all."

"Thanks," he said. Henry came scurrying out of the kitchen, holding two shot glasses, a wine glass, and a bottle of vodka. "Um, Henry, you realize that only two of those are for shots."

"I'm not dumb, Ed. It's just that those were two small for me. I needed something bigger, taller. I'm a large guy, Ed. What did you expect?"

"Yeah, as if being five-foot six is large," I scoffed.

Henry set the the stuff down on the table and grimaced at me. "I was talking about my penis, you dickwad." I scowled and he laughed. "I'm joking, I'm joking, now let's get this going!"

An hour and a half later, Henry was bent over the toilet, puking. I stood next to him, patting his back softly. "You're quite the irresponsible drinker. How about you take the couch and crash here?" I asked.

He sat up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "How nice of you?" And then there he was again, heaving forward and spewing.

When I left the bathroom, I caught eye of Edison passed out on the carpet. I smiled to myself before taking going over to the closet next to the front door and pulling out two blankets. I tossed one of the couch for my drunk best friend and laid one atop of Edison so he wouldn't wake in the middle of the night shivering. "Good night, you fools," I mumbled, flicking the light off and going into my room.