CHAPTER 12
>>MARCO'S POV<<
It was the first class of the day. I was bored and decided I would just draw a picture of Jean in my sketch book when suddenly there were two hands that slammed onto my desk top, startling me.
"What're you drawing Freckles?"
"Oh Jean, it's just you!" I chuckled as I put a hand to my chest which was beating so hard and fast I feared it would burst. "I was just... drawing some random person." I lied to my friend.
"Hm." Jean uttered as he gazed down at the image. "Looking good Freckles, looking good."
"Thanks." I said as I quickly closed the book. Jean then sat on the top of my desk and picked up my sketch book.
"Any other good pictures?" Jean asked as he flipped through the pages and glanced at me.
"Well... In the front of the book, there's a lot of scenic sketches, and then towards the middle there are portraits and cartoon sketches." I answered him.
Jean nodded his head as he looked through those pages. He then reached the portraits and stopped at one of me. "What's this?"
"Oh that? I drew that when I was in the hospital after my accident. My right side of my face got badly hurt, I forgot to mention... So I drew my face with the left half perfectly good as it was and then the right side which was the bad side, I had covered with several different flowers... You like it?"
Jean nodded. "It's beautiful..." He then flipped through other pages and stopped at another one of me sitting on a brick wall with wings like the Wings of Freedom on my back. "What's this one?"
I chuckled a bit, forgetting I ever drew that one. "Oh, I went through a phase where I liked angels and so I drew myself on a brick wall with angel wings... This was my first portrait project for this class."
"I love it." Jean said as he smiled at it. "It's flawless."
"Do you... Want it?" I asked Jean as I looked at him with a slight smile.
"Really? You mean it?" Jean looked as happy as a little kid on Christmas.
I nodded my head. "Yeah, rip it out and take it."
"Ok." Jean carefully tore the page out of the book and held it in his hand as he set down the sketch book. "It looks so wonderful... Thank you."
I blushed real bright and looked away from Jean so he couldn't tell I was blushing. "I should be the one thanking you for admiring my art." I said softly. "But you're welcome, Jean."
Jean smiled at me and then swung his legs over the desk to sit in his seat beside me. "So hey, wanna go with me to buy some new art supplies today? My mom finally mailed me my check so I can buy new supplies."
"Check? For what?" I asked my friend, a bit curious as to why he had received a check from his mother.
"Oh, from when I worked at her café before I came here... She never gave me my last check."
"Oh." I said softly as I looked into his beautiful eyes. "I would love to go shopping for new art supplies with you."
"Great. After school we can go." Jean said as he took out his sketch book.
"Sounds like a plan." I beamed at Jean.
"Yep." Jean replied and just then class began. I couldn't wait till the end of the day though. I was just so excited about it for some reason.
>>JEAN'S POV<<
"Ready to go Freckles?" I asked Marco as I waited for him by the entrance door of the school.
"Yep!" Marco called out as he ran to me with his bag. "You're lucky I bring my wallet everywhere I go, otherwise we would have to go back to the dorm rooms!"
"I guess I am lucky." Marco and I shared a laugh for a minute then made our way outside. I walked the freckled boy over to my car and threw our bags in the back. "Alright, get in Freckles!" I said as I crawled into the driver's seat.
"Will do!" Marco said in that cheery voice of his as he got in and slammed the door shut behind him. I locked the doors put the key in ignition, and then started the engine. I put the car in gear and drove off into the city.
"Know any good art shops, Marco?" I asked as I looked at every strip mall, shop, and building.
"Well there is a pretty good on close to here... Just take a right at the next intersection, then go straight two blocks, then a left and it should be there!" Marco said as he beamed at me.
"Alright..." I mumbled as I stopped at the stop light and waited for it to glow green. In about half a minute I finally took a right then drove straight. I did as Marco had instructed and sure enough there was an art shop just as Marco had said.
The two of us slipped out of the car. I dug into my pocket, pulled out my keys and locked all the doors as we entered the shop. It was artist's galore!
"What was it you were thinking of getting Jean?" Marco asked as he laid a hand on my shoulder.
"A few colored pencils, shading pencils, new sketch books, water colors, maybe one of those wooden models some artists use..." I said as I stopped to think. "Now come on, let's look around Freckles!"
I just grabbed a bunch of random shit, not really caring much about the quality when suddenly Marco spoke.
"Hey Jean, why are you just grabbing random stuff?"
"Huh? Oh. I just don't wanna be here all day looking around at stuff." I said as I looked away from my friend and blushed.
"I know my art supplies pretty well... I know which brands are the best and all... Would you want me to look around for you?"
My heart leapt. I never enjoyed shopping, so having someone do it for me enlightened me greatly. "Knock yourself out!" I exclaimed and put everything I had back to where it was.
"You won't be disappointed!" Marco gave me a weird salute where the right hand was above the left side of the chest and the left hand rested behind his body. I returned Marco's strange salute and watched him while he left and made his way down the isles.
After a couple minutes, Marco had returned to me with his hands full of pastels, shading pencils (both colored and regular), water color, paints, sketch books of all sizes, and even wooden models of all sizes as well.
"Here ya go Jean!!!" Marco exclaimed as he ran up to me with his face blocked by all the supplies. I laughed since he looked like a total dork... A cute one. My laughing quickly faded when Marco had tripped and everything fell all over.
Everything happened so quickly, I couldn't process it in my mind. Marco had sprawled out his arms as he flung forward towards me. It seemed as though he were giving me a clumsy hug, and instantly it all happened.
Marco had hit me with just enough force to push me down to the floor, with him on top of me. I hit my head on the floor and winced at the shooting pain in my head.
"Oh my god." Marco gasped.
I lifted my head up and saw Marco's face hovering just above mine by mere inches. It took all my willpower to not just grab his face and pull him in for a kiss. I then noticed my face burning red.
"I-I'm so sorry Jean." Marco said and quickly shot up from off me. He bent over to pick up the mess he had made, while I laid on the floor trying to process what just happened in my head.
"Sir, are you alright?" The store clerk asked as he offered me a hand.
"Uh... I think so..." I said a bit dazed. I took the kind man's hand and he hauled me back up on my feet. I dusted myself off then the man handed me a store basket.
"Perhaps you should put your items in this basket." The man chuckled.
I quietly snarled at the man so he wouldn't hear and took the basket. I held it out as Marco placed everything in gently. Luckily he didn't break anything and it looked like he had got everything I needed.
"Ready to check out, Freckles?" I asked as I held onto the now heavy basket.
Marco nodded not looking me in the eye. Was he mad at me now or something? I didn't blame him for being clumsy so I don't see why he would be.
The two of us walked over to the counter to purchase the items. When I had paid the clerk for everything, he smiled at us.
"You two gentleman fine? That was a pretty nasty tumble." He chuckled.
Marco looked away and rubbed his arm that was sore before. I then realized why he was so quiet, he probably hurt his arm again. I looked to Marco for a minute then remembered that the clerk had asked me a question.
"Yeah, we're fine." I said. "Let's go Marco..." I gave Marco a look saying "I want to go, NOW!!!"
Marco gave a small nod then followed me out to the car. We put the bags in the back of the car and slipped in. Once I started the car I looked to Marco.
"Your arm alright?"
Marco looked at me for a second then looked away. "Ugh... Yeah... It's fine." Marco said sounding a hit downcast. "Let's just go..." He said softly.
I looked to my upset friend with a concerned look. I let out a sigh. "Kay." I said as I put the car into gear then drove away.