Work of Art

Chapter 23

Nick let loose a stream of choice words as her alarm blared. Eyes still closed, she felt around on her nightstand for her phone. She cracked one of her eyes only wide enough so silence the incessant beeping. Bleary eyes and phone in hand, she groaned as she rolled out of bed; she had already hit snooze twice so she could no longer deny the inevitable.

Her every waking moment was possessed by prepping for the musical. Hell, she may have even dreamt of a vampire last night.

The team had spent all of their free time in the woodshop since Meyer was able to get permission a week ago. So their nights had been spent with the wood and nails, the room filled with noise from the saws and excited chatter. But the week had paid off, the set was a bit simplistic, but it would convey the settings perfectly, well, except for the fact it was still entirely in different shades of brown.

The only thing that allowed Nick to roll out of bed for school Thursday morning was the knowledge that her team would finally start painting the set after school, and the fact she had no exams today. Still half-delirious, Nick rushed through her morning routine and made her way toward the school. She just barely made it into Mrs. Cottan's room before the first bell of the day rang. Her purple-haired friend grinned from beside her as Nick plopped down onto her stool.

"Long night?" She joked.

"You have no idea," Nick grumbled, causing her friend to cock a brow. Nick scoffed in reply to the facial gesture, "Just working."

"Whatever you say," Maggie teased again as she stood to go retrieve the painting she was working on for class.

Nick stood and trailed after her over to the cubbies, determined to prove her point. The night prior, the whole group had been working especially late, but all except Maggie, Nick, and Meyer had left earlier on. Maggie, too, tapped out earlier than the other duo after yawns interrupted every sentence she tried to speak.

"So you're telling me the two of you were all alone in that big bad woodshop just working?" Maggie prompted.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you."

Maggie scoffed.

"What did you expect to happen? Us to have sex back in the finishing closet?"

"The what closet?" She grinned, proud of her innuendo.

Nick just rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched at her friend's humor. "You're insufferable."

The two painted in silence for a minute before Nick continued, "We're just friends anyways."

That statement caused Maggie to loft another eyebrow. "Since when do 'just friends' go on dates?"

Nick rubbed a hand down her face. "I-" she stuttered for a second. "It's only been two dates, well three if you count when you ditched me." She shot a pointed glare at her friend, which Maggie blew off with a smile. "Why do you care so much anyway?"

Maggie looked contemplative for a minute before putting her hand on Nick's shoulder. "I just want what's best for you." She looked so sincere for a minute as something passed through her eyes before her usual mischievous glint returned. "You have to admit, it was a pretty good plan though. Jonah and I devised it after that one day at lunch."

Nick's jaw dropped. "Jonah helped you?! That little bi-." Nick caught Mrs. Cottan giving her a look out of the counter of her eye, returning the look with a grin. The older woman held her front a minute longer then grinned back, walking over to join the squabbling pair.

The girls continued to chat lightly with their teacher for the rest of the period, Nick planning all the ways she would lay into Jonah next period as her hand worked her paintbrush across the canvas. Soon enough, the bell rang, and in sauntered Jonah. As Maggie passed him on the way out, she patted his back, "Good luck." He looked after her in both confusion and concern, before he turned and saw the look Nick was giving him, but before she could approach the suddenly apprehensive senior, Meyer walked through the door behind him. He greeted the pair sleepily before going over to his seat. Nick looked on after him as he moved, conflicted by the conversation she had with Maggie the previous period. Last night had been enjoyable; they worked in tandem to complete the last wooden frames if the set and conversation flowed easily. She knew she should like him and she wished that Maggie was right all along, but there was something holding her back. There was a sort of hollowness in her chest, something that she was able to ignore most of the time but still present nonetheless. Nick couldn't recall when it started, but she never recalled it occurring before the past week that she had dedicated all of her time to the play and none to her mural. She let herself be lost in these thoughts as she worked on her drawing throughout the quickly passing period.