Paint You Wings

To Color In The Darker Side Of All My Brightest Hopes

Take a deep breath, there's nothing to be worried about. I look myself over the mirror for the tenth time. C'mon, Gaskarth. They'll love your work. I mean, what's the worst thing that can happen if they hate it? Rip your painting off the wall and burn it down? Fuck! I really need to stop talking to myself. I looked at myself for the last time on the mirror. Suit and tie? Not bad, Gaskarth.

I stepped out of the restroom and headed towards the gallery area. "Mr. Gaskarth, where've you been?" asked Mr. Perkins, the art director. "Exhibit's about to start."

"I needed some air." Or to get out of here. I'm fucking sweating bullets. Normally I'd be okay with art exhibits, but nothing like this. In a few minutes this massive room will be filled with incredibly rich people, including the Hills.

"Doors open in five," Mr. Perkins said.

The night didn't turn out how I thought it'd be. Everyone who saw my artwork were impressed. Most of them got auctioned off to about fifty thousand dollars, the least. And, the Hills Family really loved my painting of them. I actually got a chance to meet them, including the great grandparents. A hundred two years old and still kicking, literally. So yeah, it's NOTHING how I thought it'd be.

"Are you Alex Gaskarth?" I turned and saw two girls about my age giggling and jumping from their spot.

I smiled. "Yeah. What can I do for you two?"

"Oh my god! I think you're amazing. My family really loves your artwork," said the one in a red dress.

"Mine too!" said the other one in a purple fitted dress. "They bought the one with the girl under the rain." Whoa. That painting went up to two hundred thousand bucks.

"May we get a picture with you?" Red dress asked.

"Sure!"

After the supposedly meet-and-greets, I walked around the room, looking at the other paintings hanging by other artists. That one's pretty sick, I thought to the one obviously portraying music. Then I came across another one. I stared at it for about a minute. "Is this like mind fuck or what?" I mumbled.

"I think it's great," said a gentle voice next to me. I glanced to my right, and nearly shitted my pants. It's her. It's fucking HER! I stared wide eyed at the mysterious girl. No, I'm not running away this time. But I certainly am staring at her creepily, like I just saw a ghost. "Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost." Exactly.

"Uhh... I-I-" What do I say? That she subconsciously came into my head for no apparent reason and ended up sketching her? Oh, and don't forget she appears in my dreams too.

"You know, the first time we've met you had the same exact expression. Do I scare you or something?" She waited for my reply with pleading eyes. Now I feel bad. I didn't mean it that way.

"No, no it's nothing like that."

"Then what is?"

"I..." Do I tell her? Or would that freak her out? "I thought you look like somebody that I knew, from the past."

She nodded her head slowly, obviously not buying it. She turned her attention back to the painting. "I really admire this painting."

"Really? It's not growing on me," I mumbled.

She smiled. "It's psychology. It's testing a person's mentality."

"Oh, I totally didn't get that." And I still don't.

Later through the night, the guests started to leave one by one. People were shaking hands with me and telling me how much they enjoyed the paintings. Then I saw the girl not too far away from where I was standing.

I thought about our conversation earlier. I finally met her, and she's obviously real. Now what? I decided to approach her. As I walked towards her, she turned around. "So these are yours, huh?"

"Umm... Yeah."

"Impressive. I really like it." She smiled up at me. I awkwardly placed a hand behind my neck. "I really make you uncomfortable, don't I?" She laughed softly.

Just tell her, Alex. Well, it's my turn to freak her out.