TMI (2014 Collector's Dream Winner)

TMI - Chapter 21

The days went by and the weather slowly grew warmer and wetter. Bailey had kept her promise. She’d invited Meg over on Thursday night for their weekly vampire viewing. And she’d stopped shutting Meg out.

Meg was doing her best to stop being judgmental and overbearing. Everything was going so well. Ryder had even given her a great tip on a college she’d never considered — New York City’s Cooper Union. If — and this was a big if — if she could get in, the tuition was covered for all students. Meg could hardly wrap her brain around the concept — a full ride. All she’d have to cover would be living expenses. Of course, she had to submit a home test and art portfolio, too, but thankfully, there was still over a year left to work on those requirements.

She hadn’t been able to find a new job though. That had her worried. She’d asked Pauline for money but her mom lectured her on better saving habits between paydays. Her mother didn’t know the theater was closed and Meg decided not to add to her worries. She’d find work somewhere. In the meantime, she’d squandered what money she had left — and that included what she found between the sofa cushions — for her train ticket to the city the following Saturday morning.

She stood on the sixth floor of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Bailey and Chase at her side, awed by the hundreds of pieces in the Print/Out exhibit. Print/Out was this year's homage to the evolution of commercial art. She'd been looking forward to it for weeks and now that she knew about the Cooper Union, hoped she’d get ideas for something she could do with an art degree — something she’d never seriously entertained because it didn’t meet her Plan requirements. Meg turned to grin at Bailey.

She was texting.

Meg rolled her eyes and turned to grin at Chase.

He stared at the display, confusion muddying his vibrant eyes.

Meg turned back to the display with a sigh. She had her two best friends with her and yet, she was here alone. She noticed the name of the artist. "Hey." Meg nudged him with her elbow. "All of this was done by an artist named Ellen Gallagher."

He smirked. "Probably a distant relative."

"So?" Meg spread her arms. "What do you think?"

"Um. She really likes yellow."

With a snort, Meg nodded. "Bay." Meg waved a hand under her face. "Bailey! I told you cell phones aren't allowed in the building. Put it away before you get caught."

"Oh. Right." She slipped the phone back in her pocket like it was the last drop of water on a hike through the desert.

Meg caved. "Okay. Okay, I give up. Come on, you guys."

"We're done?" Chase brightened considerably.

"With this floor. I want to go down to the next floor and look at some of my favorites before we leave."

Meg turned to the escalators, Chase sighing heavily beside her. She swallowed a grin and dragged them to Van Gogh's The Starry Night. "Well? What do you think?"

"This is your favorite?" Chase looked dubious.

Meg nodded. "One of them." They hadn’t stopped to view it when they were here for their research project.

Bailey and Chase exchanged glances.

"Okay, look." Meg grabbed Chase by his shoulders and oriented him in front of the oil. "Look at the colors. Van Gogh's famous for rendering the dark with these bold streaks of light. And the clouds! God, I love the movement. And the way he painted the stars… they look like tiny galaxies. People say Van Gogh painted this from a vision and I can almost believe that, you know?"