Genius (CENTURIES series: Book #2)

24

"... and he was undoubtedly one of the most influential abstract painters within the radical category of the many art styles we have in this world. Jackson Pollock changed modern art by rewriting the rules of lines and coloring, detaching it from stereotypical drawing and painting. He was revolutionary within the art world, and is today considered one of the modern days most cherished, artistic expressionists." Valenches looked around at all of them, giving them a little smile. "Are you all still awake on me?"

The class laughed a little. Mia had always enjoyed Valenches lectures, but today—no, actually, it had become almost a daily basis now—she couldn't focus.

She felt like she was leading a double life. One where she was a simple student, working her way to the exams, and one where she was secretly helping two geniuses, one of whom where chased by... the government, broadly speaking.

"So class, I'd like you all to consider Pollock's work not as eccentric for a moment, but as rudimentary art – what if it had been that his art was considered 'normal', and simple portrait drawing was the eccentric?" Valenches sat down on his desk and looked out to all of them. "How do you think we – you – as an artist could've changed the world with your creations? Would your individualism have changed the rules of expressing oneself within art as Pollock did? And would you have been able to understand it? I know society always frown at the one that's different, but in this class, different is what we aim to achieve. There's something to think about. Alright, off you go. Enjoy your lunch."

Mia packed up her books and went into the hall, heading for the cafeteria like the rest of them. For some reason she was feeling under the weather, maybe it was the stress and pressure finally getting to her. Exams, keeping secrets, her feud with Anna, complicated feelings...

As if her mind could manifest him, she spotted Eli at the end of the hall. He was scrubbing a white wall clean of the stubborn graffiti, his eyes focused on the task.

They had spent the entire weekend together, having fun with Elana. They took her to an amusement park, then to the beach. When they'd come home and put her down for her nap after the exciting day, they had both taken a shower, together. Eli had rubbed the soap onto her body, and she his. Nobody had really spoken. Not until their lips had found each other's, and before they knew it, had been fucking in the shower.

No, wait. Not fucking. You couldn't call it that anymore. But it definitely wasn't love either. What was it then? What did you call it? Hell, what did you call them? They weren't friends nor enemies anymore, they didn't fuck, but they also weren't lovers, because that would have to include love, which none of them felt... right?

Humanity needed to invent a whole new name for what they were. There had to be an in-between thing for lovers and friends who didn't just fuck.

It had been such a great weekend, but things were still the same. They hadn't talked more about Eli's past since that night, they had just been... been...

Mia didn't know anymore. She just didn't know, and that feeling was like a tumor to her brain. She couldn't stand it. Her head started pounding. Her throat was closing up, drying out. Her stomach was burning. Lungs contracted. Her body ached.

Was she getting sick? It wouldn't surprise her.

Feeling feverish, Mia ran for the closest bathroom. She ran inside and passed all the booths until she reached the one at the far end. Locking herself in there, she bent over the bowl and retched. It came, just like that.

A few moments later, she wiped the cold sweat off her forehead, flushed the toilet and then stood up. Leaning against the wall inside the booth, she focused on her breathing.