Setting: this is after Clem and AJ have been at the school for 6 months.
"Clem, I'm mad" AJ said, glaring down at his drawing in disgust. "What's wrong?" Clem asked, with a concerned and puzzled expression on her face. She walked over to the desk he was sitting at in their room. "I've been trying really hard to become a good artist, like Tenn" AJ explained "but I feel like no matter how hard I try, I can never draw anything like he can." Clem looked at his drawing, a picture of him and Clem hunting Rabbits with Aasim and Louis and smiled. She thought he had come a long way since his first drawing of him protecting Clem. The rabbits he drew had surprisingly good detail considering he had to draw them from memory. "AJ, I think your drawing looks amazing, you have to remember Tenn has had a long time to practice and perfect his craft, plus it seems like it's his personal niche." Clem said. "Yeah, but I know it's still not anything like his, he draws things that look so real" AJ complained "what's a neeshay?" He asked after a brief pause. Clem chuckled at his inability to pronounce the word. "It's called a niche" she explained, "it's like finding your passion, what you like to do, maybe being an artist isn't your thing. We just need to find something you enjoy and feel like a natural at." "Oh" AJ said, with an intrigued expression on his face.
A couple of hours later it is getting closer to the evening and everyone is out in the courtyard waiting for Omar to make a batch of his signature rabbit stew, which had been recently enhanced by some herbs Ruby had found in the greenhouse, rosemary and oregano mainly. AJ and Tenn are almost finished with their shift as lookouts, and Clem and Louis are sitting together on the steps of the admin building, snacking on one of the secret bags of pretzels Louis had stockpiled. "How's the little man been holding up?"Louis muttered through a mouthful of pretzels. "He's been doing okay" Clem answered, taking a bite of pretzel herself, "but he's been a little frustrated about how he can't draw as well as Tenn can even though he spends pretty much all his free time practicing." Louis sat there watching AJ for a few seconds before responding. "Yeah, I can tell something's been bugging him" Louis said, "he's not as cheerful or as interested when I try to talk to him" Clem smirked, it always warmed her heart to hear him talk about how much he cared for AJ, just one of the many things she adored about him. "Earlier today I taught him what the word niche means" Clem said "I brought up the idea that maybe being an artist isn't something he's cut out to do, and that he and I need to explore other creative outlets for him. I want him to be a normal kid, can't have him acting like an adult all the time" Louis stared off into the distance, deep in thought. "I have an idea!"
To be continued in part 2.