A Grey Past

Paint Off

A/N  okay, uhm. . . Thank you for voting whoever it was? I really do thank you for reading it. Oh, and I forgot last chapter, up above is kiki, I hope you like the aesthetics! I don't know why, but a few paragraphs in it double spaces, and it won't save every time I fix it. Sorry.

Kiki woke up late the next morning -or her version of late which was eight o'clock- with a slight headache, probably not as big as Serra's though.
In addition to any headache, Kiki also had the sudden feeling of unease; today she had to pack for college. Kiki had to leave later that day so she could meet her roommate and explore the building and all that. Last night was her "last hazaa" before leaving two hours south for college, and she had fun. Serra -who stayed at Ian's house for the night- also had fun, drinking Half the night and dancing all night, then heading home and doing god knows what with Ian. But before leaving with Ian, Serra had stopped drinking. Ian had made sure she could think before she went with him. And Cora. . . Well Cora was never really drunk. She was a bit fuzzy, but that would be it be before she left with "Leo". 
Kiki drowsily rolled off her bed and headed to the powder room attached to her bedroom. 
A

few minutes later she exited the small room, cleaned and clad in a black t-shirt and jeans, dreading the long day of folding and organizing ahead of her.
 
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By the time eleven thirty rolled around, Kiki had just finished packing and stuffing everything in the car.
She'd called up Cora and Serra to see how they were doing, and they seemed fine, though wether that was to keep kiki from crying or not, she didn't know; they'd miss her, and she'd miss them with a passion.
Kiki decided to have a bit more fun before she left, so she'd offered Serra and Cora one last paint-off. They'd had so many paint-offs that they couldn't say no. The principal of the "game" was to paint the best you can and the three would judge eachothers through anonymous guesses to avoid being biased. It was always difficult if Corse, Serra and Cora were excellent artists and usually ended up winning. But there was no prize of bragging rights; it was just for fun.
They agreed to meet at the beach parking lot; "to promote creativity using the wonderous view of the landscape" was Kiki's big point.
And that's where she was now, sitting in a lawn chair with a canvas, paint brush and paint pallet in hand, waiting for Cora and Serra to show up -which they would most likely end up arriving together like they always did- at the flat rock that was hidden by brushes and trees.
A few minutes had passed and kiki heard a rustle in the bright green raspberry plants to the left of her, before Serra and Cora appeared. However, Cora had a pained look on her face. . . A physically pained look.
That when kiki noticed the amount of blood leaking down her leg from the cut below her right knee.
Kiki threw her brush to the ground and put the canvas and pallet on the chair before going to see her.
"Oh god Cora! Are you okay?"
Cora laughed, "I'm fine, it's not like it's the worst that happened." Her blond hair whirled as she looked to her leg. 
"I have a Band-Aid in my bag, but we gotta clean in up first." Kiki said.
Cora rolled her eyes, "it's a raspberry bush kiki. Not a knife."
"Yeah well, I can see the thorns in your leg. Sit down." Kiki ordered as she  cleared the chair.
Cora groaned, "Fiiiiiiiiiiiine" she rolled. "Oh, hope your alright with it but I invited Leo, and she invited Ian."
Kiki looked around, not seeing anything. "Where are they?"
"Oh, we may have made them carry our things. Though, it didn't take much convincing." Serra explained.
Kiki was gone to cleaning up Cora's leg as Ian and Leo appeared with a bag hung over their shoulders.
Leo noticed Cora sitting on the chair and went over to her.
"Took you long enough." Cora said before Leo's lips connected with hers.
"Oh get a room you two!" Kiki complained.
They broke apart and Leo looked down to her leg. "Eyes up baby" Cora teased.
Leo looked at her sternly, "not what I'm looking at. What did you do?"
"She scratched herself on the raspberry bush over there." Serra said nodding to the prickly bush.
Serra was leaning against Ian's chest with his arms wrapped around her and his chin resting on her head.
"You two aren't any better. It's cute and all but get a room!" Kiki threw a paintbrush at them.
"Ah, hush." Serra shushed her as Ian began kissing her neck. Serra melted into him, before she stopped him, "not now."
"Let's get to this." Kiki said, rising from her spot on the ground where she was cleaning Cora's leg.
"Ian, can I have my bag?" Serra asked.
Ian -without hesitation as kiki couldn't help but notice- handed her the bag as she picked through it.
Kiki mumbled under her breath, "lovestruck."
"Yeah I am, now get painting!" Cora rushed.
Kiki had managed to paint a beautiful painting; it was all trees. But they faded into to different color themes; one was white and blue, one was orange and red, one was green and yellow and one was green and brown. They were meant to represent the seasons, the colors of the leaves -or branches is some cases- faded into the sections of color.
At some point, Ian had come up behind Serra and they guided eachothers hands on the canvas, not caring what it made, just that why were together.
Wow, one day and they already look like a married couple. Kiki thought to herself.
Cora had painted something on the abstract line, and as always it was beautiful.
An hour later, they finished and instead of being eachother's judges, Ian and Leo decided which one they liked most. Of course Ian chose Serra's and Leo chose Cora's. Biased much?
It didn't matter anyway; they never did anything with the votes, but it was an excuse to spend more time with her friends and she needed as much time as she could get today. 
"Well, seeing as were at a beach. . ." Cora drove off as she gently unbottoned her silky, white and light blue dress to reveal an aqua blue colored bikini with thin straps connecting the back to the front for both pieces.
Leo tried to hide his reaction, his lips were partially separated and you could see his tongue rolling over his teeth.
Serra did the same, except she was wearing a white bikini with lace straps and lace belt. Ian's reaction was similar to Leo's, but Ian acted instead of resisting. Serra was in Ian's arms in seconds, receiving many carresses along her naked waist and kisses on her neck.
Cora rolled her eyes at the two, before she ran to the edge of the rock and dived ten feet down before plunging deep into the warm water. It didn't take long for Leo -who removed his shirt- to follow.
"Was I the only one not prepared to go swimming?" Kiki asked.
"I guess so!" Serra turned in mid jump as she replied to her question, giving Ian enought time to push her farther away from the rock as he jumped with her.
"Come in kiki!" Leo called from below.
"In what?! I don't have a spare change of clothes! Nor a bathing suit!" She yelled back.
"Well. . . I mean I wouldn't mind you getting in here with what ya got underneath all that material!" Leo joked, Cora gave him a nice slap on the chest for that comment. Even from the top, kiki could hear the "it was a joke!" Preach from Leo.
Kiki couldn't help the laugh protruding from her lips.
"Ah what the hell?" Kiki said as she removed her sweater and jumped off the rock to join the others -fully clothed, of course.
When her face emerged from the depths of the water, kiki took in a deep breath to fill her lungs with fresh air.
Leo was still defending his love for Cora, even if they'd only been together for less than a day. 
Cora swam to the path leading back to the top of the rock, a coy smile playing across her face. . . One that she hid from Leo; she was toying with him, and he had no idea which made Kiki want to laugh.
"I'm going to miss you guys, so much."  Kiki said aloud, when they were all on land.
  Cora and Serra looked down, whilst Ian and Leo looked at her with a curious face.
  "She's leaving for college tonight. . ." Serra answered.
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