CHAPTER FIVE:
𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
❝ ...ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ, ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʀᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏᴇᴛʀʏ,
ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ? ❞
✧･ﾟ: - *✧･ﾟ* :･ﾟ- *:･ﾟ✧
So...
I did my research last night.
I've read this Vincent guy's entire biography on Wakawakapadia.
I've watched every single 'Top 10 Facts You Didn't Know About Vincent Van Gogh'. Trust me, there were a LOT.
I tried to give myself a quiz and try to name all his paintings. Spoiler alert, I sucked. His dark paintings were especially hard to remember! Who would've thought he came from making those dark-ass paintings to these brighter and more colorful ones?
Heck, I've also tried to memorize his entire family tree. Apparently, there was more than one Vincent Van Gogh. I almost lost my mind when I found that out. I thought I've been researching the wrong Vincent for four hours straight all this time. But I wasn't, thank the stars.
I even went as far as to take a 'Which Van Gogh Painting Best Reflects Your Soul?' quiz. I got The Potato Eaters. Aye.
Why, you ask? So, I could actually hold a conversation with her instead of just small talk, work, and the weather! Why else? The things I do for love.
Speaking of Porcelain...
Almost knocking over my alarm clock, I grabbed my phone.
yo
yo
yo
yo where u @ is jack w/ you
Yes, I'm at his place. Why?
lezz meet!"!!!"!!!
Uhm, no thanks.
Not after your tomfoolery yesterday.
xD
imagine having sex. ew.
WE ALREADY TOLD
YOU NOT TO COME!
😡
come onnnn,
lets hangoit!
*hang out
*hang-out?
Got smthng to tell u blokes
Why not just text us
or chat through video?
lazy
It takes a lot more effort to meet
than to just tell us online!
Not good enough
of a reason. Sorry, bye.
We both need some time
away from you before
we go to work hahhaha
uh yeah dont think im
still not mad bout u 2
lying 2 me abt ur sched
> : ((((
sozz........... not.
- rack joss
COME OOOOOON
OR ELSE
ILL GO THERE MYSELF
😒
✧･ﾟ: - *✧･ﾟ* :･ﾟ- *:･ﾟ✧
After further debate, I finally won and convinced both of them to meet-up at Teana's, the coffee shop Rapunzel and Eugene (mostly just Rapunzel) invited and treated me a drink at yesterday.
I was about to describe to them what said shop looked like, so they'd know where to find it, but Jack and Hiccup told me they've already been there countless of times while I was still at school, and they never even told me! Crivens, how much more secret wonderlands are they hiding from me?!
Right now, I was seated across the two (of course, they would sit together). The place was exactly how it was. The same ambiance, the same unmistakable smell of brewed coffee beans in the air, and the same slimy amphibian lovers in the tank by the corner.
Jack ordered a Vanilla Frappe while Hiccup ordered a 'Batirol' or whatever it was called. I ordered... well, nothing because I didn't have any money. I was sort of hoping that these tubes would find it in their dark hearts to give me a swig of their drinks as time would pass. They didn't.
"Right, so!" I clasped my hands together like a basketball coach before a shitty pep talk, "Here's my plan— I'll strike a conversation with her tonight about art and all that jazz and when it's the perfect moment... I'll ask her out!"
"Neat."
"Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw!" Jack curses. Hiccup shushes him.
"Problem is... I have no idea where to take her."
"Aurora Creek Museum!" Hiccup suggests without another thought.
"Aurora Creek has a museum?!" I almost stood up from my seat. They really are just purposely hiding these secret wonderlands from me, I knew it! "Perfect! I'll take her there."
They both cheered for me like I had just won an award.
"I remember the time Hic and I fell in love." Jack's voice lingered at the end. His chin rests on top of his palms, staring at the ceiling with a goofy smile on his lips like a princess waiting for her prince charming. The only thing missing was a long and dreamy sigh.
"Siiiiiiiigh."
Right on time.
Jack likes retelling his and Hiccup's 'love story' melodramatically to annoy us, but mostly Hiccup. I don't know why he does it— to make him rethink his bad decisions?
"Remember, Hiccy?"
"Hiccy?" Hiccy— I mean, Hiccup's mouth twists in disgust.
"Prom night?"
"Nope." the brunette harshly turns the pathetic Grandpa down. Jack sinks into his seat and stares at nothing in particular through the window beside him... probably at another gay couple who were a thousand times sweeter than them.
Lavvy-heid.
Looking at my two friends on the verge of a lovers' quarrel, it hit me again. I feel awful.
"I'm sorry, guys."
They stared at me with arched brows, "For what?"
"I've been selfish. It's always been about me recently. H-how have you guys been?"
Hiccup smiles again, clearly appreciating my gesture. He raised the book he was reading and showed me, "Dragons."
"Of course." Why did I even ask?
"They're real, I tell you! They're out there." he says with such a determination that he even beats his fists on a table.
"They're not." Jack and I comment in concert.
"They are!"
"Oh, and the earth is flat?"
"The earth being flat is real, too!" Oh, brother.
"The edge of the world! That's where the dragons lived. And mark my words: one day, I'm going to find it."
"Sure. Isn't Toothless dragon enough for ye?" —his pet cat.
"You know what, you just gave me an idea!" then the nerd returned to drawing on his notebook. We've officially lost him.
I turned to Jack and asked him next. He reacts with a sly smirk whilst raising a brow at the brunette sitting next to him.
"I'm glad you asked!" He raises a finger. "I have actually met this pretty girl at the movies."
Oh, the J game, I see.
"Blonde hair, blue eyes, bangs. Pretty cute. Might ask her out when she returns, IDK." Jack shrugs, glancing back and forth to Hiccup, awaiting his reaction.
However, Hiccup was smart. He wasn't having any of Jack's tricks, "Oh, you mean Astrid?"
Jack's jaw drops.
"Yeah, she's also really cool and smart too. I actually had a crush on her back in high school. Come to think of it, I still have her number!" he nears his phone to his ear. "Want me to call her for you?"
Score one for the Dragon Lad.
After that remark, the two ended up having a lightweight lovers' fight in front of me again, with Jack apologizing for ever teasing him and tugging at his shirt. I could hear him suck in a snot drooping from his nose then snuggling close to him as Hiccup continues to ignore him. These were the same gormless lads I walked into the other day?
Sickened, disgusted, revolted, nauseated, repulsed, and grossed out!
"Okay, fine! I'm Single McSingleton."
"You won't be soon enough." Hiccup reassures, only annoying Jack more that his partner would talk to me but not him.
✧･ﾟ: - *✧･ﾟ* :･ﾟ- *:･ﾟ✧
"I spy with my little eye... something curly!" I heard Ralph say as I was nearing the entrance to the bar. I pretended not to know he was actually pertaining to my locks.
"Hmm." Vanellope rubbed her chin, thinking long and hard. It wasn't that hard, lass. I was already there in front of them. My hair just screams it.
"Merida?" Vanellope finally made her guess.
"Wrong!"
"WHAT?!"
"Heya, fellas." I greeted with a smile and wave.
"You're back!" he sounded relieved, "You feelin' okay already?"
I raised a brow, "Aye? Why wouldn't I be?"
"Ten shots of Valka? Does it ring a bell?"
Them too?!
Vanellope eyes me up and down and hums, "Well, someone's in a good mood!"
I was? I guess, I am. I believe the thought of being confident enough to ask the girl you like out and already having back-up conversation starters will definitely put anyone in a good mood.
"Well—"
"RALPH, what curly thing were you talking about?! It's Merida!"
And that was my cue to leave them alone to their own devices.
Just like that, the first thing that caught my eye as I entered the room was her platinum blonde hair standing out under the dimly lit room. I can't remember the last time I saw her. Was it three days ago? It felt like I haven't seen her in forever.
As I walked nearer and nearer to the bar, I felt my palms turn into swimming pools. Whatever happened to my good mood earlier?! Seeing her right now made all that bravery I had worked so hard to gather the past two days all get flushed down the toilet.
I forgot how intimidating her presence was for me. I didn't just call her Porcelain for no reason— delicate and refined, she was. And clumsy was I. They don't go together. I don't deserve to be here.
But here I am.
And here I go.
"Psst," I heard someone call. It was Rapunzel. She gave me a thumbs up and a wink in support as she mixes drinks a few meters away from me, tending to customers. I just hope you're right, Blondie.
Elsa gave me a smile as soon as our eyes met after I took the seat at my usual spot. I felt all my insides begin to melt, solidify again, and repeat.
"Merida! You're here."
"Aye! May I have a shot of water, please?"
"Coming right up." she laughs before finally serving to me the infamous 0% alcohol content drink.
Merida, whatcha waiting for? Time to prove you're not a lame ass anymore.
Step one: look for something considered 'aesthetically pleasing' in your immediate surroundings and blabber about it pretentiously.
Bingo. The fairy lights.
"These lights are pretty cool, aren't they, lass?" The plan was in motion.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Pretty cool, indeed. However, they seem to appear more like fireflies than fairies to me. I suppose 'fairy lights' has a better ring to it than 'firefly lights' did."
Fuck, so cute. She even used the word 'however' and 'indeed' in a casual and unironic conversation? What a creature of the gods.
Wowzers, I'm gay. It doesn't take much to impress me at all, huh?
"I-I know right? They're so... so uh, so—!" FINISH YOUR SENTENCE, LASS! "...so art."
I am going to take five hundred, twenty-five thousand six-hundred-minute bubble bath in bleach.
"Yes, so art!" Porcelain beamed like the rays of the Sun. She was being nice because she thinks I'm weird, is she? Argh.
Step two: "speaking of art..."
"Speaking of art..." was she still paying attention? Okay, she was. Keep going! "There's this museum at the edge of town and—"
"You mean the Aurora Creek Museum?" I wanted to die. Of course, she knew. I didn't think this through. She probably practically lives there or is bored of it! Uh, is Teana's an okay alternative? "Oh, I've been there a million times already. It's not far from where my house is located. It's basically my second home."
No no no! She's been there a million times?! OF COURSE, SHE WOULD. SHE'S AN ARTHOE.
Abort the mission!
HELP ME, FAIRY LIGHTS.
DARK WINGS, RISE.
TAKE ME TO NEVERLAND.
TAKE MY HAND.
TAKE MY WHOLE LIFE TOO.
"We should go there sometime, you and I." I felt frozen. Did I hear that right?
"I... you... huh?"
"I said, we should go there sometime. You and I." she cleared her throat, "I mean, if that's fine with you, that is."
I did hear that right.
DID SHE JUST ASK ME OUT?
HER?
ME?
"What do you say?"
"That's... awesome." That's an understatement. I felt like I was at the gates of Valhalla. I still can't process the thought that she would be the one asking me out instead of the other way around. Congratu-fucking-lations, Van Gogh.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"So, it's a date!"
"A date, aye!"
"I mean, as friends, of course."
"Of course. I mean, duh." I wanted to die again.
As a lame attempt to ease the fire of pain starting to engulf me, I changed the topic. "By the way, what's your favorite drink here?"
She shook her head, "No, I don't really drink. And I don't intend to."
"Your bum's out the window!" I've been fooled, "But you're...?"
"I know. Sweet irony."
"M-me too!" was all I could say. I saw her eyes again, accompanied by a doubtful smirk.
"Are you, now? 'Cause I think I heard a little scene took place in here last Sunday." she tapped her index on her chin.
HOW DID SHE KNOW? Wait...
Rapunzel's giggles were crystal clear amidst the blasting speakers. Looks like she understood that she was indirectly mentioned in our conversation with the way she had an unapologetic grin on her face. I guess this was my end of the deal when she bought me a drink.
When the chortling died out, Elsa looks me in the eyes and tells me ever-so-softly, "You know, I think you're real cool, Merida. It would be an honor for me to introduce you to the world of art!" and she winks at me.
I felt like I could fly, chase the wind, and touch the sky.
"So excited for that date!"
I felt like I was crash-landing.
Yeah. The date as friends.
Disturbing our conversation was a loud and unexpected bursting open of the doors and the wailing of a depressed and strangely consistently well-dressed woman.
Little Miss Ugly Gladiator Shoes.
Gods, she really does go here every night.
Me and Elsa were the only ones staring at her despite her roaring cries echoing all across the room. They seem to be used to her being like this.
"Aww." Elsa sighs, "Listen, I need to go and comfort her. It's sort of become part of my routine now. I might take a while—"
Then, Ugly Gladiator Shoes suddenly face-planted to the floor, continuing to moan about. She hasn't even had a drink yet!
"Uhm, make that a long while." and with that, she left.
I scowled. She left me for that sad old lady. It was going so well. Curse her horrendous shoes. Seeing that there was no more reason for me to stay there what with Elsa being too busy to talk to me. I finished my glass of water and bounced.
I was just asked out by the girl I like. I should feel as though I was on top of the world right now, but tonight, I'm walking back home alone with a frown on my face.
Whatever. We're just friends, after all.
Walking out, Vanellope and Ralph were still trying to look for that curly thing Ralph spied with his little eye probably an hour ago. Has it been that long? "Just tell me, Ralph!"
"No, we promised each other it's 'guess forever until we finally found it', right?"
"Drats!" Vanellope agreed against her will.
Even in the dark of the night, I could still notice a couple viciously making out nearby. They reeked of beer and Valka. Are they friends with Gladiator Shoes or what? Ugh.
Like I would usually do, I neglect the two and be on my merry way. But I saw something.
Something about the lad.
Something about his... sideburns.
What gives, Merida Van Gogh? There are a lot of people with sideburns in Aurora Creek. Why are you interested in his? Where have I seen him before? His ginger hair displayed perfectly and intact despite this aggressive activity he was participating in. Must be the magic of hairspray.
Was it in a dream? No. I don't dream of dudes, especially not dudes with intimidating sideburns.
Was it at the picture show?
Was it by Grubber's?
And it dawned on me. Aye, it absolutely was at Grubber's, the burger stand in the street where Hiccup and Freddy worked!
I was also sure he wasn't alone. He was with a lassie, the lassie that looked like Porcelain. And this girl here he was having a tongue-wrestle with right now definitely didn't resemble even a wee bit of her nor Porcelain.
Was this lad cheating on her?
I have about as much business to interfere with the love lives of others as the alcohol content of the water I ordered earlier. But cheaters just make my blood boil.
No. Maybe they broke up? Maybe Freddy cursed the burger he gave them to make them fall out with each other? I remember Freddy telling Strawberry he was in love when she said she liked free food too and probably wanted her for his own!
Argh, what am I saying? I'm acting like a mental case!
I didn't know what to do or what to think. Somehow, I had this strange idea that I should do something about it, that there was probably a reason Elsa had to cut our conversation short— it was so I'd leave immediately and spy with my little eye... a cheater.
I placed the phone on my ear and took a snap of the ginger and his side chick, kissing like there was no tomorrow underneath the starry night sky.
✧･ﾟ: - *✧･ﾟ* :･ﾟ- *:･ﾟ✧