AMSAL : AMBW

Fruit Punch

Being 23 and fresh out of college was the best feeling in the world. I have an apartment, job, friends, and family. The only downside is that I have a roommate. When I first moved in I thought they were going to be female. But plot twist, it's a guy.

His name is Raiden Kang, Asian, and a complete douchebag. His appearance is a 100 but his personality is -100. He drives me literally insane, from his loud obnoxious snoring vibrating the walls to his bad habit of leaving his shoes right at the entrance of the door. Like he must want to kill me or something. Oh let's not forget his gun collection in the spare room that I share with him. This guy is literally ready for a zombie apocalypse, it's kinda scary.

My name is Makena Howard, African American and I'm 5'3. I like taking naps and eating. I'm an artist who works at home. But if my paintings are stacking up I take them to the studio so they can be sold.  Raiden says my paintings look like crap, but I honestly don't care what he says. As long as he continues to pay his half of the rent and bills I'm fine.

~

I put my curly pastel purple-dyed hair into a high bun, then I slip on my spaghetti-strapped flower print vintage smock. I wear this when I paint because I don't want to stain my clothes. I grab my phone and walk out of my room and down the hall to the spare room.

I open the door to see the one and only Raiden sitting down messing with his guns.

"Ugh." I grumble and walk over to my side of the room that is paint-covered plastic.

I could feel his eyes watching my every move, probably trying to come up with some smart shit to say. I walk over to my speaker and plug up my phone to it. I cut on Fruit by Abra and begin setting out my paint and brushes.

"Can you please cut this terrible song off? I can't focus." His deep voice interjects.

"No, I don't want to sit here in silence and hear you clank your stupid guns together." I retort

"What makes you think I want to sit here and listen to your horrible music and smell your toxic paint." He snaps back

"I'm sorry that the songs aren't in Chinese and my toxic paint gets the rent paid."

"I'm Korean not Chinese." He seethes while taking an all-black shotgun pump off the wall.

His eyes never left mine as he skillfully took the gun apart in less than a minute.

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" I question while crossing my arms over my chest.

"Why? Do you feel intimidated?" He smirks and grabs a clean towel and begins wiping the barrel.

"N-No, ugh you're such an asshole. Just don't point those things over here." I say while turning back around on my stool and he chuckles in response.

I look at the blank white canvas before me and close my eyes clearing my mind of the arrogant idiot that was behind me. I breathe in and then out, opening my eyes again and taking a brush dipping it into the black paint. I decide to paint a skull with streams of flowers coming from its eyes and an abstract background with wild bright colors. Abstract painting is like my soul, I sometimes just grab a brush and go at it. In my opinion, that's when I make the best paintings.

15 minutes into my painting, Raiden decides to leave the room. Finally, sheesh he was giving me bad vibes since I stepped foot in here.