Hi I just edited this chapter again don't mind me...
Here:
The wind makes the tree bend and strain. I watch it's movements for a few more seconds before I dip my paintbrush into the gray again. Vivid strokes create chaos in the sky, giving the storm life on my canvas. Not as much life as out there. I mentally point out, as the thunder booms again.
The door bangs open downstairs and I jump, and stand as I greet Kasey. "Holy crap it's really stormy out there." She huffs, dropping her bag and taking off her coat.
"Yeah tell me about it." I chuckle, leaning over the edge of the loft. "How was practice?"
She blows a stray hair out of her face. "Um, good. But Alondra was uber grumpy today. She yelled at me seven times, D. SEVEN! And I'm not even sure why! Like seriously!"
"Hey, I mean she's stressed out for you I'd say, your auditions are coming up."
She sighs and changes the number on the fridge. "Yeah I know...I actually can't believe that in a little more than a week, the only thing I've wanted will be happening." She shakes her head, then grabs an apple from the fridge.
"Yeah, I know! Exciting, huh?" I gush.
She makes a noncommittal sound and takes a bite of the apple. That's always her response these days. "So what are you working on?" She starts to climb the stairs to my loft, and I make a frustrated sound.
"Oops! Merda, sorry." She jumps back to the ground and looks up at me. "May I enter?" she says almost sarcastically.
I roll my eyes and remove the paints from off the floor where they previously were, and seal the lids. "Yeah, come up."
"Seriously Dakota! How can you live like this?" she holds onto the railing as she removes her socks, and rolls up her sleeves so they don't accidentally get covered in paint. Her critical eyes survey the room, and she gingerly steps over a blob of paint splattered on the tarp covering the ground.
I shrug and look for a place to put down the paint jars in my arms. "It's not that bad..." I defend, shoving a few things off the desk to make space.
The papers flutter to the ground, and Kasey rushes over and grabs them, putting them in a neat stack.
"What are these?" she looks down at the pile, flipping a few pages.
"Um, I'm not actually sure..." I peek over her shoulder. "Prolly garbage."
"Kota. These are your acceptance forms for Harvard, Yale..." she continues flipping through them.
"Oh. That's where they went. Yeah my mom brought those in a few days ago, I forgot where I tossed them.
"Hey! Ainsley came by and you never told me?" she frowns.
"You were at work, I think. I told her you said hi." I shrug.
She rolls her eyes. "You still haven't talked to your parents about not wanting to go to law school in September?"
I shift uncomfortably and pick at a dry spatter of paint on the corner of my desk. "Actually...um I did." I bite the inside of my cheek as the lie just floats past my lips.
"What?? Actually!" She squeals
"Um, yes?"
She plops the pile down on the ground and gives me a hug. "I'm so proud of you! What did they say?"
"Umm, they were okay with it?"
She frowns and looks at me disbelievingly. "They were okay with it."
"Well not exactly. They were mad that I was 'throwing my future away'. But they'll get over it, right?" I fake a smile.
"Ohhh! Is that who you were yelling at on the phone the other night?"
I frown. "When?"
"The other night. You were on speakerphone and I heard the person yelling at you, then you yelling that they were being selfish...?" Kasey elaborates.
Oh, when Kevin and me were fighting a few nights ago "Umm, yeah. I'm sorry that you heard it."
"Well I didn't really. I just heard raised voices." She shrugs. "Okay! Enough about life being sucky! What were you working on?"
"Oh, here." I walk towards the easel facing the window.
"Wow. Dakota, that's actually really, really good! Why don't you like, try to sell them or something?"
"Oh, come on I don't have anything worth money." I brush off the compliment.
"Yes you do! What about these ones?" she walks over to the far wall and holds up a few canvases that I did oil painting on.
"I dunno..."
"C'mon! I KNOW you have the talent to do it. You just need to have the ambition." She encourages. "Like for example. This one you did of me and my mom? I know a bunch of people who would pay big bucks for this."
"Yeah, I can see it..." I admit. "Especially if both of you signed it."
"Exactly." She nods, satisfied. "Now I'm not usually the one who goes out here and encourages people to follow her ambition to the end of the moon, but-"
"There's no end to the moon." I interrupt.
"Yeah, whatever. Right now, I'm telling you just that. You are really good. You can start by selling some online, and eventually by auction, and think: if they start raising enough money you can start getting orders from people, and selling them at stores..." Kasey drifts off.
"Okay, okay. I'll think about it."
"Thank you. Now c'mon! Didn't Erin say that she was dating a guy that owned an interior design business?"
"Yeah, I think so." I start to get excited, seeing where her mind is going.
"Now, we can call her up and then get her to show him your sketchbook, and then he'll tell us what he thinks, and who knows? Maybe he'll offer to buy a few of them." Kasey grabs a notepad and finds a blank sheet.
"Okay, step one. We find all the ballet mediums you've done. If I can get mother to sign them, we'll try selling them at different dance studios, online..." she trails off, still scribbling in her book.
"I'll start looking for all of them." I begin searching through my completed art containers and end up pulling 15 different pencil, conte crayon and pastel drawings, and paintings.
"Perfect. I've finished my list." She announces.
"Is a list really necessary?" I roll my eyes
"Hello? Yes! Organization is always necessary I can tell you aren't exactly great at that." She dramatically gestures around the area.
"Okay, fine read the list." I humor her.
"1. Find art you'd be fine with selling, and ballet mediums. 2. Have both Ashughs sign them. 3. Call parents and ask them to do the legal stuff."
"Um, I'd rather not."
"WHAT? Why? Lady! That's free!" she cries.
"Yeah but they don't know about the whole plan and I don't think they'll approve." I explain.
"Ok, I suppose that's a reason. Do you have friends that'd do it for you?"
"Yeah, Seth. He's the son of my fathers' business partner. He's now a lawyer. I know he'd do it."
"Perfect. Okay...number 4. Find interested buyers. 5. Talk to Erin about talking to her bf about decorationing."
"Which isn't a word." I add.
She ignores me completely. "6. Post your art on social media and see what the world says."
"Kasey. It's not that easy. Most people don't have a blue check mark by their Instagram." I roll my eyes.
"Hey! I don't. My mom does but not me."
"Whatever. You have that little 'Public Figure' title in your bio."
She grins. "Yeah I do."
"But I don't. So...?"
"Okay, okay fine. I'll put it on my Instagram too." She lets out a dramatic huff. "Can I finish my list now?"
"It's completely unnecessary, but fine."
"Okay! Number 7. Talk to Joanie about revamping her art so customers can see your stuff. 8. Talk to Momma Em, because she knows everybody, and also Andre, because he owns a club and would be fine with displaying some abstract stuff maybe? 9. Start an official business website and hand out business cards to people we know. 10. Display posters, or cards at our parents' places of work. And finally, advertise to paparazzi, earn a gazillion dollars and be an official business. See? Ten simple ideas that guarantee success."
"That was eleven." I roll my eyes at her, fighting the growing smile.
"Oh, c'mon. You are super pumped, don't lie." She smirks at me.
I totally am. "Eh, sure, I just don't see the need for all this organizing stuff. We could, you know, wing it." I suggest, mostly joking because my bestie is a fucking genius and I don't wanna admit it.
"Wing it?" She crinkles her nose and does another once-over of my loft. "Yeah darling, you can't just "wing" these things. That is why I will be your honorary COO."
"C-O-O?" I frown at her.
She dramatically rolls her eyes. "Chief Organizational Officer. "
"I don't think that's a thing, Kase."
"Yeah, well what would you know?" She challenges.
"Well I know enough about business to know that you legit just made that up. COO stands for 'Chief Operations Officer' so..."
"You know what? I'm gonna go search that up. There HAS to be more than one definition for that." She dramatically flips her hair and jumps down the stairs.
"Sure, if you say so. Knock yourself out." I mutter turning back to my painting. I examine it for a few seconds and look outside again before picking up my no. 4 brush.
"More green..." I mumble to myself as I dip my paintbrush into forest green paint and swirl it around the canvas.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
I stand back and survey my work. I'm actually surprised that it didn't take as long as I thought it would, and it turned out good. Maybe Kasey's idea isn't so stupid after all. But still. It's not perfect.
"Wow, that's pretty."
"Ahh!" I jump and swing my fist at her as I spin around, and Kasey easily dodges me. She scared the shit outta me.
"Yikes, lady."
"What the fuck are you doing up here!? You aren't allowed in here! There a genius at work, obviously."
"Um, actually you aren't working right no-"
"Get out!" I huff.
"I brought coffee?" she offers.
"Ok, ok, ok, ok. I love you don't leave." I grab the cup eagerly and take a sip.
She chuckles and looks at my painting again. "No, but seriously. That's so good."
"Eh, it's not perfect yet."
She rolls her eyes." really? Perfection?"
I shoot her a look. "Let's just say 100 pounds."
"Okay, shut up." She ducks her head, knowing that I'm talking about how she was crazy for a few years, trying her hardest to not weigh more than 100 pounds, so she would be the best ballerina. I eventually dragged her out of that extreme downward spiral, but she still is striving for perfection every time she looks in those mirrors that line the walls of her studio.
I shrug "You have your obsessions, I can have mine."
"I'm hungry". She announces changing the subject completely.
"What did you find out about COO?" I smirk,
"So what do you think we should have for dinner?" She completely ignores me.
I smother a grin. Knew it. "How 'bout I make dinner?"
"Well, I mean I'd rather that, but what are you planning on making?" she bites her lip in thought.
"How does pasta sound?"
"Um, like a shit ton of carbs, and not at all taking it easy until NYCB." She sasses.
"Well I'm gonna turn into a rabbit if I have to eat leaves for another meal, Kasey." I huff dramatically.
"Yeah well." She shrugs. "You wanted to move in with me so..."
"Uh, this was a joint effort, hun." I stick my tongue out at her.
"Yeah, whatever... just no carbs for dinner, okay?"
"Fine, I guess I'll have to make yet ANOTHER salad meal." I roll my eyes.
"You love me." She blows me a mock kiss, and heads back downstairs. I watch as she picks up her gym bag from near the door.
"Hey, Kase? Where are ya going?" I call, dreading the answer.
"The gym. I'll be back in like...an hour." She announces, picking up her phone from its charger.
"Kasey, don't overdo it. You just got back from practice."
She ignores me and the door bangs shut. I send a silent prayer that she won't fall back into the same rut she's been attempting to climb out of for years.
With a quick glance around the loft again, I sigh. Now to start on supper.
How am I supposed to make arranging leaves in bowls take an hour?
______________________________________________________________________-
Hi everyone!
Lemme know if you liked it? Personally, this was one of my favorites to write...idk I just love annoying best friends that bring you up and give genius ideas
XOXOXOXOXXOXOXO to all my besties you are so awesome!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Cassi