Chapter 5

.:.Thursday.:.

Teehee - Hello everyone! As you can see nita is back with the next chapter! [so don't kill me! lol]

" " Talking
' ' Gui Gui's thoughts

Extra notes after the chapter - and without further Ado - .:.Thursday.:.

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I walk towards the auditorium carrying my canvas in my right arm and my easel on my left, as I lightly hum a tune under my breath. As I make it to the double doors leading to the auditorium's entrance I ease it open with my foot and quickly rush inside before it closes on me. I walk up the stairs leading to the stage and set the easel down center stage,where the curtains were open, facing the black baby grand piano. I place the canvas on the easel and let my hands drag across the piano as I walk towards the steps. I make my way back towards the auditorium's doors, heading back to Miss Cherry's classroom.

I walk inside the classroom and see Miss Cherry sitting at her chair rumbling through her desk drawers, I pick up my bag that I had left on my desk and quietly approach her. When I'm directly in front of her desk I shout, “BOO!” She jumps a foot in the air and stares at me as if she expected there to be a sheet over my head with holes for my eyes. I grin at her cheekily, and she lightly glares at me. 'This is one of the good things about Miss Cherry, if I had done that to any other teacher, I'd have gotten detention,' I think to myself.

She brushes imaginary dust off her shirt and looks at me with an expectant stare, “What do you need Ying Jie?”

'Uh-oh, maybe she wasn't so cool with my little scare as I had thought.' I chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of my head as I asked, “I was wondering if I could borrow some paint?”

She stared at me for a while and I was starting to get worried that she really was going to give me a detention when she randomly burst out laughing, making me flinch slightly. “I got you there didn't I?” she said as she winked at me.

I chuckled slightly and nodded, “The paints are over there in the corner of the classroom, be sure to return them when you're done Gui Gui,” Miss Cherry said.

I walked towards the corner and only found a wooden box and pointed at it and looked back at Miss Cherry and she nodded, so I lifted up the top of the box and saw all the different kinds of paints there were and gave her a big smile, “I'll bring them back as soon as I'm done.”
She simply nodded at me and returned to rummaging through her desk, I fixed my bag over my shoulder and grabbed the box. As I was about to walk out the door Miss Cherry's voice stopped me, “I'll be expecting something amazing from you all tomorrow, after today's presentation's.”

I looked back at her and winked, “You won't be disappointed,” and then walked out of the classroom. As I walk towards the auditorium my mind begins to stray, 'My painting will surely be just as good as today's were! ...today's....today's.' I froze. I raised my brow as I tried to remember just what exactly today's paintings had been about but I seemed to come up blank. Seriously worried about my mental state, I turned and walked in the opposite direction, heading outside for a bit of air before starting on my painting. I found the bench that I had sat at when I told Ya Tou about Aaron and sat there and placed my bag and the box next to me. I closed my eyes and relished the feeling of the wind blowing in my face...

-That Morning-

I raced from the parking lot to the university's front door and ran towards Miss Cherry's classroom. 'I can't believe I'm 45minutes late! Stupid alarm clock!!!' I made it to the classroom door and did my best to open it quietly so as not to be noticed but just my luck, the door squeaked and everyone in the room turned to stare at me in the doorway. I smile sheepishly and heard Miss Cherry say, “Nice of you to join us Gui Gui.”

I opened my mouth to say something but was beaten to it by Xiao Jie, who I just noticed was standing in front of the classroom next to a covered canvas, no doubt about to give his presentation. “I guess we can't really be that surprised, I highly doubt Ghost's keep track of time.”

Everyone starts laughing, including me, as I sit in my desk next to the door. Miss Cherry gives me a look that says she's going to mark me tardy but she's not going to push it any further. I give her a grateful look and then she turns back to pay attention to Xiao Jie. Xiao Jie removes the cloth covering the painting and reveals a painting of an egg in a nest. I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who stared at the egg weird and then at Xiao Jie weird.

“This is my chick Peeperz, [pronounced Peep-erz] well obviously not currently but that was before he hatched.” Xiao Jie said plainly.

Miss Cherry cleared , “You are aware the assignment was to paint something at it's best, not at it's beginning.”

Xiao Jie quickly looks at her before glancing back at us, the audience, “I know that Miss Cherry, but I have a valid reason as to why I consider Pepperz at his best while he was in that egg.”

We wait in silence for a bit waiting for him to tell us but when he doesn't Miss Cherry says, “...and that reason would be Xiao Jie?” She looks genuinely interested in his answer, just as the rest of us are.

“Well,” he begins and points at the egg in the painting, “I much preferred Pepperz at this stage because I didn't have him peeping all night long, keeping me up,” he said with a smile.

The silence began again and Miss Cherry was the one who broke it laughing slightly, “That is one way of looking at it I suppose.” We all laughed lightly as well as Xiao Jie gave us one last smile and took his painting off the easel and placed it near Miss Cherry's desk. We applauded and he took his seat. Next up was Cyndi.

She stood up and grabbed her painting and tripped as she was walking to the front of the classroom, but she was able to catch herself fast enough so she didn't fall but not fast enough for us not to laugh. She lightly pouted but shrugged it off and placed her canvas on the easel. It was a painting of beagle, still a puppy. There is a chorus of “Aaaws” in the classroom.

Cyndi beams and explains, “This is my puppy Choco! I got him 2 weeks ago, so he's still this amazingly adorable.”

“Choco?” Ya Tou asks.

Cyndi nods, “I named him Choco, sort for Chocolate, because that's what his eyes remind me of. Choco is currently at his best because he's so playful and full of life and I just love him to bits.”

'Chocolate...' A pair of eyes flash in my mind, 'Aaron's eyes are a beautiful chocolate brown too' I think to myself and feel a blush color my cheeks and I lightly shake my head to banish the thought. Banish him from my mind. 10 minutes pass and Cyndi is still talking about her puppy, she keeps saying the word Choco which is making it harder for me to get Aaron out of my mind. 2 minutes later and I'm willing Cyndi to stop saying the word or at least finish already.

'I seriously wish I had the Force right about now...' I think but my thoughts are cut as Cyndi takes her painting off the easel and people are applauding. I applaud too, having tuned out the last few minutes of her presentation but not really regretting it.

“ The last presenter today shall be Xiao Yu,” Miss Cherry says.

Xiao Yu takes his time getting up and grabs his painting and places it on the easel. His painting is of a cute black and white kitty...playing on the keys of a piano. I let my head drop on top of the desk and lightly bang my head on it as I stare at it. 'The paino...seriously?'

“This is my kitten Keys, she likes to throw herself on the piano keys. I like placing her on the piano's keys and grab my guitar and play a few chords while she's experimenting with the keys, I find her to be at her best when she's lightly placing her paw over a key or just throwing herself on them without abandon.”

I begin to think of the first time I saw Aaron playing the piano and then all the other day's I've seen him since I meet him and started blushing again, I placed my hand over my face. 'If I keep thinking like this one of these days my face is going to turn so red that I explode... and then they'll really have to call me a ghost.'

-Back to the Now-

I look up towards the sky, grateful for the dark clouds overhead shielding my eyes from the sun, 'I do think about him a lot...' The wind started blowing again and the leaves lightly rustled from the tree's as I thought, 'I think Ya Tou was right... I do like him....' but before I could give that the contemplation it deserved, Hebe suddenly popped into my line of sight. I jumped slightly as Hebe laughed at me.

“I've been watching you for a couple minutes now Gui, you space so hard you should consider a job at NASA.”

I giggled a bit and then shrugged, “My thoughts tend to dominate my mind.”

Hebe sat next to me on the bench and I turned slightly to look at her better, “Seriously though, you looked rather tense. What were your thoughts on, was it important? Did I interrupt some kind of epiphany?”

'Boy, you hit the nail on the head there Sherlock.' I thought that but while shaking my head slightly something different came out of my mouth, “Just a bit, but don't worry about it.” I said and smiled at her.

“What was it?” Hebe questioned again.

“Well aren't you the curious one?” I winked at her.

She laughed, “This coming from the girl who says she died of curiosity!”

I laughed with her and then asked, “What's up?”

Hebe stops laughing and suddenly looked unsure, “Uhm, I've heard that you've been hanging out with Aaron recently...”

'Insert awkward silence here, anyone?'

I opened my mouth to say something, not really sure what, when Hebe continued, “How is he doing?”

I looked at her confused and asked, “Why not ask him yourself?”

Hebe sighed and said in a regretful manner, “We're not really on talking terms with each other...”

I nodded lightly, “I suppose talking to ex's are hard...” I began but stopped feeling a bit awkward.

Hebe jerked her head in my direction and stared and me hard and then promptly started laughing. Hard. I'm pretty sure my expression read, that I thought she was missing a screw in her head because she started waving her hand dismissively and she kept trying to say something but she would just keep laughing. I eventually got tired of it and exclaimed, “What?!”

Hebe tried to stop laughing, “You think me and -” and then she started again. I glared at her and she was able to control her laughter even though she was breathing heavily, “You think Aaron and I dated?” I looked at her shocked, “You weren't? If you guys didn't date, then why aren't you on good terms with each other?”

The laughter was all gone from Hebe now and she seemed rather reluctant to tell me but after a few moments of silence she spoke, “ Drama. That's what happened.”

She took a deep breath and said, “Aaron, Calvin and I were best friends since we were young. Well, when I was in high school I was dating a guy named Mike. Aaron came up to me one day and told me that he had seen Mike with some other girl at the drama department while he was leaving from his practice, but I didn't believe him. I started yelling at him how he was just saying that to try and break us up because Calvin was his best friend and Calvin had had a crush on me since we were 12. I... called him things I didn't really mean, I was just shocked at what he had told me and how it actually made a bit of sense but I still did my best to deny them... so I blamed it on him. I... called him a jerk and then I said that... that if that was the way he acted with the people he cared about it was no wonder his parents had left him to live alone. I still vividly remember the expressions that passed over his face in a matter of seconds, betrayal, sadness and then hatred. He only looked at me with eyes full of contempt after I said that and said, “I see,” before he turned around and walked away from me. I left in a huff and I let him walk away from me.”

She stopped for a bit and didn't continue for a while. When I started to think that she was going to stop and leave me to my curiosity, she continued.

“ I later went to the drama department and found out that Aaron was right, Mike had been seeing a brunette he had met in a drama audition named, Rainie. She hadn't known that Mike was cheating on me but she still didn't seem as mad as I felt, she honestly told me that she had fallen in love with him and he with her. He told me he was sorry and that he had been looking for a way to tell me, which was why he had been so distant lately, and that when he noticed Aaron had seen them together he thought Aaron would tell her and that would be that. I remember looking at him as if I had never seen him before, as if the sweet guy I knew had never existed, and slapped him. I turned to Rainie and told her to “Enjoy him,” and then I left too. And that was that... I had ruined my relationship with my two best friends because of that...”

I bit my lip, making sure I thought before I replied, “Wow. That seems complicated.” I rolled my eyes at myself, 'Way to state the obvious Gui!'

Hebe didn't seem to notice much and just nodded and looked wistful, “I really miss him... both of them. I wish I could apologize to him.”

I looked at her quizzically, “You wish.. what's stopping you?”

Hebe looked at me and replied, “I don't really know.. I just don't think he's going to accept my apology. That it might only just make him hate me even more...” she finished quietly, as if she was scared by just the thought.

I stood up and grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder, then grabbed the box of paint but before I walked away I said, “The Aaron I know may hold grudges, but he's not cold enough to not accept an apology if you give him one sincerely. It may not be the way it was before, but it would be a step closer. The only thing stopping you...is yourself. I'm sure that if you actually apologize, Aaron will forgive you, the only question is... are you willing to try? I'll be rooting for you!” I smiled at her before waving goodbye and walking off.

I opened the door and entered the hallway and as I walked towards the auditorium, I checked my watch and noticed I was 15 minutes late for our meeting. I tried to walk a bit faster when I bumped into somebody and down I went. As did my bag and the box of paint. I looked up and started to apologize when I noticed that I had run into Calvin. 'Ironic. Hebe and now Calvin.. who's next Aaron's imaginary friend?' I think to myself.

Calvin extended his hand and helped me up and then picked up my box of paint, which luckily hadn't opened, as I fixed my bag. He handed it to me and as I continued walking to the auditorium Calvin stopped me, “Thanks.”

I turned to look at him and asked, “Why are you thanking me?”

Calvin smiled at me and answered, “Aaron. I haven't seen him smiling so much in a while, so thanks,” he said that and then walked off leaving me alone in the empty hallway staring after him. “I've barely seen Aaron smile myself, how is he smiling more?!” I ask the air around me. I get no answer, as expected. I ignore it and finally make it to the auditorium, I open the door and my ears are immediately assaulted by Aaron's playing.

“Hey Aaron!” I grin happily as I walk towards the stairs and he turns to look at me, while he's still playing, and lightly smiled at me before turning and continuing to play. My grin widens, 'I guess he really is smiling more!'

I make it up the stairs and throw my bag on the floor and open the box of paint and place it near the easel where I have my canvas and I start to paint. Its been about half an hour with only the sound of Aaron's playing sound around the auditorium when Aaron spoke.

“I have a project to do for tomorrow as well.”

I look at him from over the easel with a brow raised, “Oh really?”

He nods and stops playing as he shuffles through sheet music, “I have to create a piece inspired by someone around me.”

I make an 'ah' sound at the back of my throat and question, “So that's what you've been practicing this week?” I get no answer so I take it as being the right assumption.

Silence once again reigns as Aaron plays some pieces by Beethoven. An hour later and I've mostly finished the painting.

I put the paint back in the box and close it and turn to face Aaron who stopped playing to watch me clean up, “I'm going to leave early because I have to go home and do some touch ups before tomorrow, but after that it'll be Finito!”

Aaron stood from the bench and came towards me, intending to look at the painting but I put my hand on his chest to stop him. “You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see it, like everyone else.”

He stops but he doesn't make a move to go back to the piano bench, I let my hand slide from his chest and turn to grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder. I turned to look at Aaron again and beamed at him, “You've been a perfect painting subject today, thank you!” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek, before I could think myself out of doing it. I looked at the floor between us as my cheeks flared red and I turned to grab the paint box when Aaron grabbed my wrist, stopping me. I didn't look up at him due to my embarrassment, but couldn't stop myself when he brushed my bangs away from my forehead and looked up at him through my lashes. He bent down slowly, and my mind immediately started freaking out. But as he got closer my thoughts became blank and his lips were just about to brush mine when a cough separated us in a flash.

We look to the auditorium's entrance to find Miss Angel staring at us with a disapproving glare. I felt like I could just drown with all the tension flooding the room when Miss Angel spoke, “You, girl. I would like to talk to you outside,” and then she began to walk back out of the auditorium. I spoke, and she stopped, “My name is Wu Ying Jie.”

'Oh why, big mouth of mine did you open!?” I shrink-ed back a bit when Miss Angel turned back to glare at me, “Now. Girl.”

I looked at Aaron and shrugged and made a grab for the canvas when Aaron stopped me by grabbing my hand again and tell the Principal of the University, “She was just leaving Miss Angel -” but he stops at the glare she gave him. I shuddered but Aaron looked like he still wanted to say something, I tugged at the hand he had encased in his and shook my head at him lightly and smiled. He looked upset but lightly squeezed my hand before letting it go.

I grabbed the box of paint and then the canvas, leaving the easel. I positioned the canvas so I would be able to walk out of the auditorium without Aaron seeing the painting and turned to happily smile at him once more, “See you tomorrow!” Then I winked and scampered off after Miss Angel, the image of Aaron smiling at me before I left keeping me from contemplating my doom at the hand of Miss Angel.

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&& that's a wrap!
I do realize there was a lot of paragraphs in this chapter xD Another thing I hope I didn't make anyone [mainly Aaron] seem out of character, that was one of my many worries with this chapter.

I tried to stay away from cliches but well they come back to haunt me! lol I didn't want to make Hebe Aaron's ex because I want Guilun only! lmfao

But I hope you guys like it ;D

.:.Review Replies.:. [For Wednesday (Before Thursday)]

bluerose - You don't have to worry about me not continuing/finishing the story - I will finish it hun. This story is my baby ;D [lol] And I just loved the voting nine times it made me laugh so much ;D
Thank you <3

Bubble - I hope your not too mad at me for making you wait so long but I did it? [ehehehe xD] I honestly got punk'd by your first comment lol Your comment had me smiling and feeling guilty at the same time lolol ;D
Thanks <3

envyislandgurl - Always happy to have new readers, thanks for the praise ;D I found your advice helped me while I was writing the chapter so thank you very much <3

Thanks for Commenting -
alexis, greenie, GL<3, the_myth, kookieez, Bubbles, Joly, CoCo, Yuri, kittykat & Anonymous.

- - - [Author's Note review Reply]

bluerose - You don't have to worry about me not continuing the story - I will finish it hun. This story is my baby ;D [lol]
And I just loved the voting nine times it made me laugh so much :)
Thank you GL I am so sorry I made you almost cry! Really! My bad! <333333 Cookie? =D

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Well there's officially only 1 more chapter left to this story! But since you guys have been so AWESOME, I've been planning an Extra chapter ;D

&& Thanks again for patiently waiting for this slooow author

Xie xie ni for reading! <3

Sayonara!
.:.nitaBonita.: