Chapter 41 The Last Escape

                                    

                                          
Rhea got into the park and sat on a bench. Maybe her sister was just exaggerating. The park looked in good condition, in fact, better than most parks she had seen. The benches were clean, the grass looked fresh and green and there were purple laburnum trees overhead. She sat under the shade with the laburnum hanging flowers over the bench. She was dressed in a white frill top, blue high waisted jeans and a cream coloured mini shoulder bag. She wore two daisy-shaped earrings and a white stone ring. White daisies flocked around her, and she looked at the metal gate, waiting for Ember. She held her glass paintbrush and two sketchbooks in her arms.
                          
Suddenly, she saw him walk into the gate in light blue, torn jeans and a white sweatshirt. She got up and waved at him. He smiled and waved at her. He soon reached her, she could smell the strong scent of sweet Autumn Clematis. She looked down at his white sneakers.
                          
"Hello, young lady," He smiled.
"Hello," She giggled and looked at him. His blue eyes were staring into hers. She looked down again. Why was it so hard to look at him now, she wondered.
"You got your sketchbook too?" He asked.
"Oh yes!" She held it tighter, "I was wondering if... We could paint together,"
                          
"Oh?" He laughed, "Sure, but I'll tell you, I suck at painting,"
"It's fine. As long as both of us enjoy it," She passed him the sketchbook, "That's what matters,"
He gently took the sketchbook from her, they sat together on the bench with her white mini bag between them, holding all the art supplies they needed. They shared the same colour palette and a multitude of tube paint colours.  A plastic water bottle was resting on the bench. Rhea had just brought it from the store, her tinted lip balms mark over its tip, and half of its cold water poured into a mini porcelain bowl. Their white sneakers matched over the green grass. 
                          
Ember held a wooden paintbrush and Rhea held her glass paintbrush. Her page was covered with a lilac shade, just like the laburnum over them. She peeped at Ember, who was busy painting with a smile. They seemed to talk without speaking. He caught her staring and chuckled. She quickly looked into her sketchbook. She felt his gaze upon her but decided to ignore it. 
                          
But whenever he was around, 
Time went by so fast.
Whenever he was around
She caught herself smiling for no reason,
Whenever he was around
She forgot about all her problems
                          
Whenever he was around
She felt this euphoria you experience when you're first falling in love.
                          
It's such a wonderful thing to love.

                          
"I'm honestly surprised though," Ember spoke as he continued painting and she looked back at her sketchbook, "What?" 
He smiled and turned towards her, enclosing some distance between them, "That you still have it" He pointed at the glass paintbrush.
                          
Rhea looked at the glass paintbrush Neel gifted her, "This paintbrush?"
"Yes, don't you remember? I bought this for your birthday,"
"...What?" Rhea's eyes widened.  She thought about Neel. How did he find that brush?
Ember kept his paintbrush into the water bowl and turned towards Rhea, "This is what I made, I wish I could draw better but well,"
                          
It was a stick figure of a girl. With two brown dots on its face as eyes and a wide smile, two pigtails and a blue dress, with a caption that said, "Very cute,"
"...Is that me?" Rhea laughed.
"Mhmm," He smiled.
"It's so cute, what the hell," She felt like crying out of happiness. She took the sketchbook from him and looked at the painting. 
                          
"No one has drawn me before," She looked at him.
"Aw, it's not even that good, come on,"
"No," She hugged the sketchbook and smiled at him, "I'll keep it with me forever,"
"Now, that will be embarrassing. My "15-year-old friend drew this stickman figure" People are gonna judge me," He laughed and she looked at the wrinkles around his eyes as he laughed.