art geek ⌽ hemmings

prologue

Hallie

Nothing could possibly drown out the imbeciles at the back of the bus, not even Violet rambling about her boyfriend. Michael this, Michael that, the usual. Hallie didn't mind, though. she was her best friend after all. Violet continued her enthralling monologue and adjusted her septum piercing towards the innards of her nose.

"I take it Mr Norman gave you another lunchtime yesterday?" Hallie efforted a smile, Violet's nodded in response as she chewed on the other half of her cheese and bacon roll, the students at the back of the bus continued. They always did. Fuck's sake, Hallie thought.

"Like, since when did it become illegal to have your nose pierced? Fuck off." Violet seethed. The ruckus from the back of the bus only increased and Hallie was on the verge of insanity. She brushed aside a tress of her unruly blonde hair and gave the last mouthful of her roll to Violet.

"Thanks, Hal." Hallie smiled and brushed the crumbs off of her pale hands.

"So, I'm going to The Agora after school, wanna come?" The Agora Gallery on 25th was one among many of Hallie's favourite art galleries in Williamsburg. Being the nearest gallery located from school, she often found herself wondering from artwork to artwork in there after exhausting school days. Granted that she also lived with her aunt Jocelyn, it wasn't hard to catch the bus home just before dinner. Sometimes, on the very rare occasion, Violet would come too.

"Nah, Michael's coming over." Violet slung her bookbag carelessly onto her lap as the bus came to a stop at Westerburg High. Hallie did the same.

"No worries." Hallie smiled as they both shuffled past everyone, Violet holding onto her hand as they shoved their way off the bus.

Violet and Hallie were greeted by Michael and Ashton, one of Michael's close friends who -thanks to Violet's constant persuasion- had convinced Hallie he had a pathetic crush on her (which was evident, even to a blind person at times, but Hallie often thought nothing of it).

"Hey, Vi." Michael pulled Violet in for the usual morning snog session in which Hallie ignored, as usual. She almost felt bad for leaving Ashton alone with the two but she walked on anyway.

"Hey, um, Hal -can I call you that?- Uh, anyway ... " Ashton caught up to Hallie, almost out of breath. She pulled at her Twenty One Pilots tee and smiled somewhat expectantly. Great.

"Oh! Um, are you going to that gallery you always go to tonight? Because if you're not, then ... would you like to? With -um- me?" Hallie mentally slapped herself at his pathetic attempt to flirt. But she nodded, anyway. Stupid Hallie, she thought.

"Yeah, I'm going." She looked behind Ashton for any sign of Violet, Michael, anything that could save her right now. Nothing.

"Okay, cool. Yeah, well ... see you there!" Ashton grinned and tugged on the straps of his backpack in the process. Hallie almost felt sorry for him again (she really had to stop sympathizing him). She had planned to sit on the freshly polished floors of The Agora, draw absolutely nothing in particular in her mess of a sketchbook. Now that Ashton was more than certainly tagging along, he was sure to ask countless pestiferous questions like 'Wait, who's Kahlo?' and 'What's abstract cubism?', no doubt. She was doomed.

Hallie shoved her bookbag along with her Art Culture textbook in her locker and gathered her essential books for science. Double period.

The Boomtown Rats were right, the silicon chip inside her head had most definitely been switched to overload and she really didn't like Mondays, not at all.

+
this was a pretty mundane start to the story but hey, it's only a prologue.
lukelands is basically the influence of hallie as well as the beautiful and talented nina nesbitt so chuck her a follow.
hopefully the first chapter will be longer but don't expect a five page spectacular because i don't often do that until about the tenth chapter or so.
well i try.
leave a vote, comment, whatever you fancy.
also this is set in new york in case you were confused by the disclaimer.