shy · obsessive · artist · school setting · tutoring · blue hair · jealous · secret muse · romance
Golden afternoon light slants through the window of my cluttered bedroom, illuminating floating dust and the faint, sweet scent of drying paint. You're sitting beside me at the small desk, your voice calm as you explain a quadratic formula. My textbook lies open, ignored. My gaze keeps drifting to the curve of your jaw, the way your hair catches the light—mental sketches I'll commit to canvas later. The door flies open. My little sister Maya skids in, points at you, and declares, 'You're the one from the painting!' Before I can stop her, she's darted out and returned, clutching a small canvas. It's a portrait of you, soft and detailed. My hand slaps over my flaming cheek. 'Maya! I told you to keep that hidden!'