Sonder

Chapter 6

Checking the time once again, I decide to start getting ready in order to be there ahead of the others. It's always easier to set your stuff up without dozens of others in your way. I roll off of my bed with such elegance before stalking over to my little, white closet and opening it, letting my eyes skip through its content. It doesn't really matter though, I'll be wearing an apron anyway. I pull a pair of black pants and thinner long sleeved baseball shirt out of two shelves, putting both items on and taking a small step to the left where a full body mirror is mounted to the wall. I stare at my reflection for a bit, ruffling through my hair to get at least a bit of structure and order into it but I don't think it'll get any better than this.

Simply, giving up, I fetch both my phone and keys from my bed and leave the room to walk along the hallways which are slowly starting to get more busy since most readings end around this time so the students have plenty of time to go over their notes and get ready for dinner. As for most artists here at this college, we don't have any other subjects other than art which is divided into just drawing with or without instructions and actual readings where we learn about the different epochs, great artists and different styles and how to use them. It's pretty chill compared to other things.

I greet a few of the guys walking towards me, quickly exiting the warm and cozy building and crossing my arms in front of my chest as soon as the cold wind hits me right outside the huge glass doors. Heading over to the artist home, I reenter into comfortable warmth and the smell of acrylics and some chemical substances. It's an odd combination but I don'this like, maybe because I'm so used to this place or because I've always loved being here.

Taking two steps at a time, I swiftly make my way up the stairs and onto the third floor which basically consists of one atelier. We have two of those though, one right above us for actual lessons and this one for some freestyle painting.

"Hello Adrian. You're here early. As usual.", Mr Erben mumbles, not even looking up from his own painting close to the middle of the room.

"Uhm, yeah. Hey.", I awkwardly wave before quickly stepping to my scaffold with my project still placed on it. I examine it for a second, wondering where I will continue today. It shows a half of a mans face but everything held in abstract colors with light flesh as the most natural skin color functioning as some sort of highlighter. The mans features are soft and feminine, despite the harsh and sharp contrasts in color.

"It looks as stunning as all of your pieces.", Mr Erben utters, almost inaudible and with a hint of sarcasm, you literally never know if he's telling the truth or just trying to mess with your feelings.

"Oh, thank you, sir.", I smile sheepishly, scratching the back of my neck while taking glances at his old and wrinkled face. He puts his weird, red clip on glasses which break in the middle of the two frames and puts them on his thick nose to get a better look at my painting.

"Try getting more detail into the eyes, give them more depth with whites and maybe a darker shade of blue.", he places his thumb and index finger around his chin, making a few groan sounds like he's still thinking long and hard on what to approve and change.

"Okay, thank you for the advice.", I nod, watching him retreat to his own easel as one by one the chatter of people draws closer and closer to us.

"Ugh, those stairs always kill me.", I can't help but grin at the faint Russian accent in a girls voice as she enters the atelier with panting.

"Hey, Katja! James asked me if we could paint his flowers again this year.", trotting over to her, I stand next to her while she sets up her stuff.

"Yas! That was so much fun! When and where, bitch!", she cheers, actually pausing to drop in a few dance moves.

"That I don't know yet but I'm sure he'll inform us beforehand.", I chuckle before creeping back to my own place and quickly getting the paint and brushes I need to avoid a huge crowd which will form in the next few minutes. With one last deep breath, I finally start to work on my project, really wanting to finish it by tonight.

"Adrian, Mr Erben already left.", I flinch at the sudden voice behind me, turning to face Martin leaning in the frame of the door. Oh how cool. Not.

"It seems so. I'm used to being the last one, you should know that.", I chuckle, focusing back on my painting.

"Ad, you need to stop or else you won't be able to get dinner.", he scolds, his deep and soft voice slowly drawing closer.

"I'm not planning on getting dinner there anyway, I'll just make myself some Ramen or something.", I mumble, trying to make the cheekbones look a tad higher than they previously were.

"Wow, you're being awfully healthy today.", he wraps his arms around my waist, pressing his body against my back and resting his chin on top of my head.

"Marty, I really want to finish this by tonight.", I don't want to start pissed or annoyed but it did kinda sound like it.

"Don't be like that,you should finish something else instead.", he reaches across, taking my face into his big warm hand and tilting it back towards him, his lips soon after sealing them together. I place my right hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer to me.

Finally being able to turn around in his arms, I throw mine around his shoulders, waiting for him to lift me up.

"Don't tell me I intrigued you?", he smirks, after having broken the kiss.

"N-no, of course not!", I let go of him reluctantly, turning back to my painting and picking up a random brush.

"Ow, I'm just playing with you. Let's head over to the dorm, you can crash at my place since my roommate will be sneaking over to his girlfriend.", he places both of his hands on my hips, beginning to sway them from side to side.

"Which means we'll have the room to ourselves.", Martin whispers right into my ear, his hot breath causing shivers to run down my spine.

"Great, sleep without that jackass snoring.", I could almost hear him out behind me. Honestly, he's such a child, really. No, wait, more like a very hormonal teenager during puberty.

"Okay, fine. You win.", he kisses the side of my neck one last time before letting go of me entirely.

"I always do, you should know that by now.", I grin, examining my painting for a few seconds.

"I think I'm done.", I whisper, taking a few steps back to get a better look at it. The vivid colors do please me a lot and the face came out better than expected.

"It's absolutely beautiful.", Martin leans his arm against my shoulder, once again making me feel even shorter than I already am.

"Thank you, although I did promise Hanna she'd be the first person to see it.", he chuckles, ruffling through my hair.

"Boyfriends before hoes, duh.", we laugh at his statement and I start to clean my things, putting my scaffold to the very edge of the room, where all the others one are already placed before taking Martins hand in mine, smiling up at him.

"I'm so hungry, I think I'm dying inside.", I utter with the most cheerful grin and glint in my eyes, I know how much it distresses him whenever I do it.

"Ad, we talked about this! Stop making that face when you just said something like that.", he furrows his brows in worry to which I can't help but laugh.

"I know, but your reaction is priceless each time.", and with that we turn all the light off and close the door behind us as we make our way out of the building, literally no one else is still here.

"I'm really looking forward to my instant Ramen.", I cheer with my most singsang voice, close to skipping alongside my boyfriend.

"You know, whenever you finish a painting you're cutest human being on this planet, you should stick to this positivity, babe.", Martin chuckles, pressing a kiss against my temples. It's quite cold outside, now that the sun is gone and all. We head over to the dorm, marching right up to my room first so I can fetch my food and something to sleep in before taking the stairs to the floor above mine. He unlocks the door and the all too familiar scent of my boyfriend floods my nose. I always thought that their room smells more like him than his roommate but maybe that's because I'm more fixated on him than on Leon.

...........
Hey! I'm back, sort of! Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Leave a comment and vote, pretty please?