Girl Meets Ryan Matthews

31.

Back in art, Ryan was staring at a blank canvas. The subject of the piece was meant to be his sister, but honestly? Ryan just wasn't feeling it.

He stuck in his headphones and scribbled in a notebook. His sister was talking to Maya and Ms. Kolassal had to keep her on task.

He smiled and began drawing a sketch of Riley. Her mouth was open comically wide and she was facing someone out of frame.

He didn't notice everyone leave the room, nor did he notice the girls start yelling at each other. What he did notice was the paint being splattered across the canvas. And his shoes.

Ryan got up and looked where it came from. Riley and Maya had just stormed off in different directions. Mrs. Kolassal slowly walked back in to assess the damage.

"I'll assume your sister did this?"

Ryan nodded. She nodded and left towards her office.

Ryan stared down at his yellow shoes. They were splattered with purple paint.

He sighed and grabbed a paintbrush and some purple and white paint. He then began to make the most out of the situation and added paint splatter to the rest of the front of his shoe with purple and white paint.

--

It was the night of the art exhibit. Ryan stopped by the Alvarez's household before going to school.

"Hey, Elena." Ryan walked in, shutting the door behind him. He walked up to the kitchen counter where Elena was.

"Sup, chico." She placed a plate of cookies in front of him.

"Did Aidan tell you about my thing today?" Ryan said around a mouthful of cookie.

"I know about your art exhibit," She smiled at him and ruffled his hair. Ryan smiled and grabbed another cookie.

"Where is Aidan, anyway?"

"He's drafting another argument for debate. He's trying to beat that Smackle girl out for the top spot." Elena said as she gathered some papers into a folder. "Y'know, I think he gets that drive from me. I'm a very good debater as well."

Ryan grinned. "I'm sure you are." He slid off the stool and grabbed a few more cookies. "The exhibit's tonight at 7. It ends at 9. I'm gonna go set up."

"Bye Ryan"

"Bye Elena!"

--

The exhibit had many pieces in it. So many, in fact, that it spilled into the surrounding hallways. Ryan had to set up in the hall as the pieces that were submitted earlier were in the art room.

He had passed Maya on the way to set up. Her painting was similar to his, in the fact that the subject of it was not the focus.

The woman in hers was only half their.

The boy in his was just a silhouette.

His painting was originally going to be an accurate portrayal of the photo he took of Aidan, but then he realized he had no clue how to paint people enough to confidently show it off, so he made the subject a silhouette and the rest more accurate.

He sat on a stool next to his painting for the better part of an hour, greeting people who walked past and explaining the meaning behind the piece to those who asked until he had to use the restroom.

When he got back, he saw his family leaving the art room, and watched them walk straight past his piece.

Ryan rolled his eyes. Really, he shouldn't have expected anything more.

He sat down on the stool once again.

--

If there was one person that Ryan appreciated, it was Elena.

Because Elena makes promises that she can keep, and never makes promises that she can't.

She when she says she's going to show up, she will.

And she did.

"Ryan, this is amazing!" Was the first thing she said upon finding him slouched in his stool.

"Aidan said you did this last minute! If this is last minute, hijo, I would love to see what a painting you spend a long time on looks like!"

Ryan grinned widely and looked to Aidan.

"It looks great, bro. I make a great model, huh?" He said and struck a silly pose.

"Ryan is this for sale? I want to buy it!"

"Oh," Ryan said, more than a little shocked. "Yeah, it, uh, it is. Let me go talk to Ms. Kolassal about it."

As Ryan left, Aidan turned to Elena.

"Why do you want the painting, tía?"

"Because it's Ryan's. And also because the subject is you," Elena grabbed Aidan's face with one hand and squeezed his cheeks. Aidan playfully smacked her hands away.