The Art Is Inside

"You know the art is inside, right?" A voice asked, causing Gray to jump slightly.

The young man had been standing outside of the art museum, watching the bustling sidewalks of the city. He'd been entranced by all these people going about their normal lives. After being trapped in the lab for so many years, rarely able to leave, just the normal day to day lives of others and the world around him amazed Gray. So he'd been watching two men arguing outside of a grocery store when the girl approached him. His cheeks turning pink, Gray spun around to look at the girl. When he saw her, his heart skipped a beat and he found himself lost for words.

"New to the area?" she asked with a small laugh that sounded like music to his ears. "I'd be happy to give you a tour. I'm Kenzie, by the way." She stuck out a hand and even Gray knew enough about human behavior to know that he was supposed to shake her hand.

He wiped his sweaty palm on his jeans before reaching out to shake her hand. "G-Gray. And, uh, yeah. I'm new. Is it that obvious?" he asked. He let out a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. The only girls he'd really interacted with had been Riley and Carly, but there was something different about Kenzie. There was something contagious about her bright smile and her sparkling brown eyes that caused even Gray to wear a small smile of his own.

"Well, don't worry, Gray. I grew up on these streets and I'll show you all the best places," she said, making no comment about his question of whether or not it was that obvious.

He spent a lot of time on his own and never really talked to people in the city, so Gray wasn't sure what possessed him to actually interact with Kenzie. Most of the time, he'd just wipe away comments like that and continue with his business. It appeared rude, but it was simply because Gray didn't know how to interact with others. He'd always been a shy kid and his time in the lab had just worsened it. Despite that, he felt a warmth spread throughout his body as he let Kenzie take his hand and pull him down the sidewalk with a childlike energy in her step.

There first stop was the nearby park. Gray spent time here before, finding himself a spot on a bench for a few hours and getting to work with his sketchbook. Of course, he didn't share that with Kenzie because he couldn't bring himself to dull the excitement radiating off of her as she brought him to the first of her favorite places.

"It's beautiful here," Gray commented, surprised to find out how easily the words were coming to him. It had taken him a long time to feel this comfortable talking to even Carly, but Gray just assumed it was due to her contagious energy. He still stuttered around Riley and barely shared any words with Fletcher. But Kenzie? Gray almost wanted to continue the conversation as he listened to her chatter about the park.

"... and I like to come down here a lot with my camera. Or a pad of paper if I'm feeling adventurous," she said with a smile. She finally released Gray's hand and sat down at the base of a large tree. "This is my favorite spot. I used to come here and have picnics under this tree with my family. Now it's my place to hang out and draw and think about life." There was a dreamy smile on her face as she patted the ground next to her.

Gray had never been the outdoorsy type, though his father had been an avid hunter and camper. He did, however, see the beauty in nature and didn't hesitate to plop down in the spot next to Kenzie. "You're an artist?" he asked, brown eyes widening as he found something he had in common with the others. Art and juggling were his only real skills and he didn't think of any his roommates shared those interests. He was still wearing the same goofy smile that had formed on his face when Kenzie began talking to him.

"Yeah! I'm more into photography, though I like to think I'm somewhat decent at drawing. Painting and sculpting and all of that? No way," she said with a shake of her head. Gray was short and Kenzie was even shorter, so she had to tilt her head slightly to look up at him. "Are you?"