Her Name is Memory

12| empty void

"What do you do to pass time instead then? Drawing?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's mostly art. I love painting and drawing mostly freely. That's all I want to do with my time. Just have a studio and paint," she said, smiling at the picture down at her. The sketch on her lap was in progress. She spent most of the time outlining in pencil of an eye before using pastels to color it in. It was abstract, eye was different shades of blue with streaks of different colors that looks so abstract that it fitted.

She was talented.

Just like I was with music.

"This is your life, and it's only ending one moment at a time," I quoted. Elise gave me a questioning look. "You never watched Fight Club?"

She shook her head.

"What's that?" she asked.

"The best movie ever. I recommend it," I said, brushing the movie aside. "What else do you do." 

She shrugged, not losing focus. "Nothing else. Friends. Normal stuff."

I grinned. "And daydreaming how attractive I am also, don't forget about that."

Her pencil paused on the paper. She peered up again and rolled her eyes. "You're not funny."

"I'm hilarious."

She shook her head. "Definitely not."

"I bet I can make you really laugh," I challenged her. She put her pencils down, shutting her book, and giving me her full attention."Like a real laugh. Not that giggly crap where you cover your hand over your mouth"

She frowned.

"That isn't how I laugh," she immediately denied.

"It is, but don't worry about it. You have a cute laugh-" I insisted, before stopping myself momentarily. Cute? I knew there was something there about her.  It gave me warm feelings I haven't felt since Mom died."I am talking about your real, ugly laugh. The one where you're dying on the floor."

"And you think you can make me laugh like that?" she asked unconvincingly.

Her tone made me say, "Absolutely."

"I don't think so," she snorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

My eyebrows shot up.

"Care for a wager then, princesa?"

Her eyebrows slightly raised, her lips pursed. "What if you win?" she asked me.

"We will watch Fight Club."

Her eyes widened at my words, leaving me feeling unsure.

"Let's say I entertain this idea...what if I win?" she asked.

I shrugged, not able to think of any other idea for her. She thought about it for a moment before nodding her head.

"Deal. Do your worst."

Feeling suddenly excited, I shot up, placing my guitar on the ground.

"Alright. You need to lie down," I instructed her.

Elise gave me an uncertain look, her smile slightly dimming. She got up, brushing some dirt off her shorts before lying down. I stood over her, looking at her slim legs and looking towards her stomach that was slightly peeking from her t-shirt. I realized that it was the first time I actually noticed her body.

I couldn't breathe.

Part of me subconsciously knew that I found her good looking. There were just moments I didn't think about, but her looking at me and her body in view made me realize how beautiful she was.