Two Streets Down [R.D.J]

Chapter 1: Housewarming Party

Grace unlocked the door to her apartment after a short visit to college on a Saturday. She dumped her bag under the coat rack next to the door and strolled to her studio. She set her portfolio in the desk and went back to the kitchen. She had a one hour meeting with her professor and classmates. There was an upcoming gallery and they had to arrange which pieces of art they would be showing. Three of her paintings would be showing in the gallery, which was next week on her twentieth birthday. Her parents were taking her out to eat that day and together they would go to the gallery since it was starting at six. She was going to celebrate with her friends on Friday night.

Grace grabbed a bottle of water and a granola bar. She clicked on her phone, looking for an album and pressed play. The volume was medium, not wanting to disturb her neighbors. She had one month living in the apartment with no disturbances whatsoever. Her neighbors were a calm young couple. So far, every resident she had encounter with had been nice.

The area was perfect. Two streets down was a nice community with small decent houses. Two streets up, she could find anything she could need, the grocery store, shops, restaurants, and a cozy cafe with delicious pastries. The apartment was in the most adequate spot she could have asked for.

She visited her parents, or the other way around at least three times a week. She would drive to the house to have lunch with her family at least once a week, then see them again on the weekend, mostly Sundays. Whenever her mother wanted to visit her, she would text her the day before or that day in the morning to let her know.

Grace bit into her granola bar as she strolled into the studio. She place the water bottle and granola bar in the desk. She had to look for a painting that was to be included in the gallery. She started searching through the closet, which she had turned into an art work storage. It only took her a minute to find it. It was a self portrait. Mrs. Gia had encourage them to include a self portrait in the gallery. The one Grace, with the help and encouragement of Mrs. Gia, had selected was the most resent she had. She had painted it the second semester of her first year of college.

She had mixed the paint spectacularly, obtaining the right medium chocolate brown for her hair, which only rested on her shoulders then. It was longer now. Her skin was a creamy light tint of peach. She was pale. Her green eyes were reflecting the light and her pink stained lips were forming a genuine smile. She had painted the scene which was initially captured in a picture during her cousin's birthday party. She was wearing a white spaghetti strap which showed the rain of freckles on her shoulders.

Originally, two of her cousins were in the picture but when she decided to paint it she cropped them out. She didn't want to be rude but the project was a self portrait. Her cousins would never know.

She carefully placed the painting in the portfolio with the other two. She twirled around, grabbing the apron that was hanging from the wall and tied it around her waist. She pulled her hair in a pony tail as she sat down on the stool on front her ongoing piece. The unfinished painting was of young boy, looking at his reflection in a puddle of water.

She was using watercolor as her medium. The apron was not really necessary. But she was clumsy; the day before, she was squishing the remaining brown watercolor paint out of the tube into the pallet and some how she dropped the pallet on her leg. She didn't dare to risk it again, not so soon and wearing a white blouse.

She drank a sip of water before starting. Next to the paint, she had another bottle of water, filled from the faucet. She twisted the cap open and poured into a cup, which was stained of paint from years of use. He had about five of those. She selected the brushes she was using and dipped them in the water. She used the larger brush to mix the colors she was planing to start with.