PAINTED LOVE

TWENTY-EIGHT

loïse madden

.  .  .  .  .  .

I walk out of the science lab, my chest filled with pride for having done these experiments perfectly, as always- duh. 

Luckily, this was the last class for today. Even though everything went well, I feel my hands shaking from fatigue. It's 7 already, I've been running around campus since 8 in the morning and I have eaten nothing but Sebastian's sandwhich he offered me. 

He's constantly telling me how I need to look after myself more, take days off of studying and relax. Like hell, I'd to that. I'm not letting my parents down like that. They paid for me to become a surgeon, so I'll turn the best freakin' one in New York City. 

I'm still chatting with Crystal after class when I hear my phone ring, suddenly. 

"Hey princess", I hear. I immediately smile when his voice reaches my ears. "How was your late class?"

"Great! Everything was absolutely sparkles."

"Sparkles?"

"Y'know, it went well."

"Oh, okay." 

I roll my eyes internally at how he doesn't even know what being sparkles means. I mean, I invented that saying when I was 9 with my cousin, and I've been using it ever since. Even around him, so thanks for showing me how much attention you pay to me when talking!

"Anyways, wanna sleep over tonight? My psychology class is being cancelled- the professor's sick. And you only have to be at your first one at 11."

"Have you been stalking my schedule?", I ask, a smirk on my lips.

"No..?" 

"Mhm, sure. But yeah, sounds good. I'll pack my things at my dorm quickly and I'll come to yours, okay?"

"Wait no, I'll pick you up. I thought we could, uhm, get something to eat maybe? And go to that field I once took you to after?"

The field we once went to is where he told me about his dad. It's where I realised what I felt for him. It's where we did stargazing. It's where I fell in love. 

It holds all those good memories. 

"I'd love that", I smile. 

About an hour later, we've had our dinner (a good, classic pizza) and we're at the field again. This time, I took my own sweatshirt so the prickly plants don't hurt me again. 

It's not fully dark already, but the sun is about to set, which gives the sky this beautiful orange-pink color. 

"Aren't you cold?", he asks. I shake my head, not taking my eyes away from the sky. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice how he's nervously fidgeting with his fingers, looking like he's trying to figure out words to say. 

"Is everything okay?", I ask. "You're acting a bit... odd."

I smile at him softly. 

"Yeah, sorry. I, uh... I have to tell you something", he breathes out.

"Then tell me", I shift closer to him, touching his cheek softly. My heart starts beating faster, like it knows something is gonna happen. 

"I love you."

My eyes widen in surprise. Out of all the words that exist in this world, he said those three that I've been dying to tell him. I let my thumb brush over his cheek, his hand rests on my arm. His eyes are looking in mine nervously. My smile grows wider than I think it can.