Breaking His Rules

🏈27🏈

Kayla's picture is even more breathtaking in person. The mix of the colours, the contrast between the dark background and the calm gentle tones of ice-cream, everything so well detailed – amazing.

Gently, I take the painting down from the wall, holding it close as I use my fingers to gently trace over it. I imagine Kayla's emotions as she painted it, her long hair and intense green eyes staring at the artwork.

My watch beeping brings me back to the present. I glance down anxiously at it.

Ten minutes left.

Hastily, I make my way to the window. It is a bit harder to climb down with only one hand, but I refuse to let go of Kayla's painting. This is the only chance for her to enter the competition and I am not going to mess it up.

As soon as I get down, I sprint for my car. I glance at my watch again.

Eight minutes.

I know I can make it – I made it to Kayla's house in ten minutes, and I know I can make it back to the school.

I gun the engine, and turn the car out of Kayla's driveway and down the road. Soon I am speeding, the wind tousling my hair.

But soon I am forced to slow down. The car in front of me isn't moving. I honk my horn, trying to get the driver to speed up. Don't they know it is an emergency?

But the car in front of me is also honking their horns. In fact, all of the cars around me are honking their horns.

A traffic jam.

All the cars are at a standstill, no one moving at all. Hit the horn in frustration, even though I know that it will do nothing. The school isn't that far away, but in this traffic, I'll never make it in time.

A glance at my watch reveals that there are only five minutes left till the competition starts.

In frustration, I turn my car onto the curb. I park and get out, making sure that I have Kayla's painting secured in my hand.

Then I start to run.

I feel the wind rush against me as my legs cover the ground in front of me. I've always been a good runner, but mostly for sprints and short distances. I don't fare very well with long distance running.

It's not that far, I try to think to myself as my breath comes out in pants.

I feel like I've been funning for hours, but a quick glance at my watch reveals that I've been running for three minutes.

Two more minutes.

I feel my adrenaline pumping, giving me an extra burst of speed.

I can see the school gates in front of me – just a few paces away. And I see two people waiting in front – on person has a shock of red hair, the other a piercing green stare that I could spot from a mile away.

"Aaron, what happened?", Kayla asks as I practically collapse beside them.

"Car... Traffic... Had to run", I manage to pant out as Kayla gently runs her finger down the length of my face.

Steph reaches out, collecting the picture from me and staring at it in awe.

"We need to get this on your easel", she says, turning to Kayla. "The judges will be there in no time, and Quinn has already given them the photographs of your artwork."

Kayla nods, her eyes still on my face. "Thank you", she says with a smile and I feel all the exhaustion draining out of me just staring at how happy she is – how happy I've made her.