Chapter 6

.:.Friday.:.

Hehehe try not to kill me right?
Hello everyone! As you can see nita is back with the next chapter! I'm sorry it took so long, really I had no idea it was going to. )':

" " Talking
' ' Gui Gui's thoughts

Extra notes/apologies/comments after the chapter (finally)

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-Thursday evening-

I cradled my phone in my hands, nervous yet not sure why. I mean, it was just a phone call right? With that in mind I dialed the number he had given me earlier.

‘How many times should I let it ring? If I hang up after one ring he might think it’s a prank call and not answer when I call again. How much is too little, too much?’ I freaked and soon lost count of the times it rung and didn't notice when he answered.

“Hello?” he repeated, his voice sounding slightly annoyed.

“Aaron!” my voice cracked and I had to clear my throat before I continued, “It’s Gui Gui!”

Silence met me on the other side.

“Um,” I muttered while twirling a lock of hair around my finger as I paced my room, “I’m calling to remind you that I have my presentation for the painting tomorrow. I wanted to let you know I’ll be the third to present; you can come if you want! It should be about forty-five minutes into the class!”

“I assume the painting is ready now?” He asks.

“Why of course and it looks amazing if I do say so myself!” I boast confident in my artistic abilities.

He chuckles and replies, “We’ll see tomorrow then, shall we?”

I nod with a grin and say, “Yes, we shall!”

“Great, I've got to continue working on my project now Gui, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he tells me with a light tone to his voice that makes me wish I were with him because I was pretty sure he might be smiling.

“I’m done and you’re not? Hm, you’re not a procrastinator in disguise are you Aaron?” I ask humorously.

He laughs and says, “No, I’m working on a project that’s due next week. Unlike you, I don’t leave things for the day before.”

I pout and say childishly, “When it comes to painting the more time you've spent observing and keeping inspiration up it doesn't matter when you start!”

“Hn, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he replies with humor.

“Alrighty, Goodnight!” I say cheerfully before I start to hang up the phone but before I fully end the call I hear Aaron call out my name.

“Yes?” I question.

“Do try and not embarrass me, okay? I can’t have an ugly painting of me exist, it would ruin my reputation.” He says and hangs up, the last thing I hear is his laughter as I giggle over his unexpected but completely welcome childish behavior.

.:.Friday.:.

I thrum my fingers against my desk in anticipation as I await my turn to present my painting to the class. I glance to my left and let my hands clutch at my project, feeling soft under the sheet Ms. Cherry provided us once we got to the door. Claiming we needed to keep up the mystery as to what we painted until we presented, an air of dramatics that Ms. Cherry has.

I smile as I watch Mei Mei continue with her speech, it came and didn't come as a surprise that she had chosen to paint Ms. Cherry. Everyone adored her for her abilities to be both tough yet caring, always easy to forgive and eager to lend a hand. Ms. Cherry looked close to tears as she stared at herself in the painting, a lovely piece that showed her grinning as she stood in front of a board behind her with the words Art Class written in script in the painting. It was obvious to everyone that Mei had painted Ms. Cherry to depict her giving an art class, where she is always so full of energy and enthusiasm.

She finishes her presentation and we all clap for her and Ms. Cherry stands up and hugs her with a huge smile on her face.

‘I know someone who is getting an A!’ I think to myself in a sing-song voice.

Next up is Ya Tou and predictably on her canvas is a painting of her boyfriend, Ah Wei, as he laughs. It was a beautiful painting with lots of details to the lines of his face and the space around him. The painting itself seemed to exude a humorous air, making you want to laugh just by looking at it. Its adorable how she talks about her boyfriend and how she explains that he is at his best when he is laughing and smiling. We clap for her and her boyfriend hugs her before she sits in her chair and he sits beside her, having been invited to the unveiling of her painting.

I glance at the door from the corner of my eye hoping to catch a glance of Aaron before it’s my turn to present but he wasn't there. I swallow my sigh of disappointment and make my way to the front of the classroom with my painting covered by the sheet and placing it on the awaiting easel. I stand proud and tall in front of the class and greet them before my eyes flash to the doorway when I see a shadow pass.

I grin as I see Aaron standing in the doorway looking out of breath but fine nonetheless and begin continuing with my presentation. I take a deep breath and begin.

“As everyone knows, Ms. Cherry assigned us to paint something that we feel was at its best. I thought for a while just what she meant by that and felt it referred to where the subject seemed to be in a world of its own, like, a moment in time when you really felt moved and happy. I was assigned to draw a person and the one I painted was,” I paused while I grabbed the sheet covering the painting and pulled it off, leaving my painting visible and continued, “Aaron Yan.”

There were a few gasps but overall the classroom was silent with admiration as they stared. The painting had Aaron sitting on a piano bench off in the corner with his eyes closed and his long eyelashes casting shadows on his cheeks. His lips were tilted upward in a small smile as his fingers danced on the piano keys even with his eyes closed. His face portrayed a feeling of passion and staring at the painting you could feel his devotion and love for playing the instrument. The empty auditorium in the background was dark yet visible with rich shades of red and while it did well in leading up to the paintings main focal point, it was easily forgotten as you stared at the facial expression on Aaron’s face.

“Oh wow, Gui Gui. This painting is exquisite, look at the shadows on his face, the small smile that looks like it breathes life into the painting. You must have studied that particularly hard,” she said while winking at me when she caught Aaron standing in the doorway of the classroom.

Feeling my face grow hot from her comment I lightly cleared my throat and reasoned, “I am nothing if not profession in my ventures Ms. Cherry!”

“Professional, you say?” Xiao Jie asks while laughing, “Then why are you so red right now? Why not just admit you have a crush on the guy?”

I felt my eyes widen and glance at Aaron to see him smirking at me. Feeling embarrassed I smacked my hands on Xiao Jie’s desk and did my best impression of Aaron’s glare as I said, “Quiet and let me finish my presentation!”

He shudders and says, “Is it just more or did her glare get a lot scarier? I just felt a cold chill, you really do live up to your namesake, ghost!”

I laugh dramatically as I cross my arms over my chest when Ah Ben shouts from his chair, “She’s been hanging out with the guy who has the killer glare, what were you expecting?”

I pouted as everyone laughed and looked to Ms. Cherry for help, who after laughing herself calmed everyone down. After complementing me again she placed my painting with the others and gestured me to return to my seat, as I walked to it I grinned at Aaron and he smiled back at me. It was a challenge to keep in my squeal but I felt proud when I did. As I sat down, I felt Aaron approach me and stand near my back, deciding to stay and watch the next presenter. Who just happened to be Hebe.

She stood up with and with canvas in hand made her way to the front of the classroom. Placing it on the easel she turned and lightly smiled. She gripped her sheet and pulled it off reveling a painting of herself with two boys. They were grinning as they stared out from the painting and there was an air of familiarity, the painting just made you want to smile too. After staring at it for a while longer, I noticed that the two guys in the painting were Calvin and Aaron. From his slight intake of breath, I assumed Aaron noticed as well.

Hebe glanced up at him with hope in her eyes before looking once again to the class, “For my project, I decided to paint when I was at my best. In the past I had two best friends who were the most important thing to me but thanks to my petty actions, I lost them both. I've always felt regret over the past and only recently did I realize that the only way things would change was if I made them change, thanks to some help.” She smiled at me and I winked at her and her smile turned into a grin and she continued, “With this painting I tried to express my apologies for the things I've done and while I know things might not ever go back to how they were in this painting…I’m still hoping we can try to be friends again.” She ended with a smile and a thank you.

We all clapped for her and she looked up and suddenly her smile went away slowly and she took her seat again. Wondering why she stopped smiling, having been proud for her attempt to rekindle her friendship I turned toward Aaron to find him no longer standing behind me. I turned to look at Hebe and saw her with her head down staring at her desk.

‘I hope I didn't give her the wrong advice,’ I thought as I stared at her.

The bell rung just as Ah Ben was standing up to give his presentation, Ms. Cherry stood up and said we could leave. Telling those who couldn't present today, they’d have a chance on Monday. I glanced back at Hebe to see her still sitting at her desk while everyone gathered their things and began leaving, I waved at Ya Tou as she left with her boyfriend and made my way towards Hebe.

“I don’t think he’s mad at you, you know.” I said in a low voice, so she would be the only one who heard me.

She looks up at me with watery eyes and says quietly, “You think so?”

I nod and reply, “Your painting probably brought back all the good and bad memories of before and he might have been overwhelmed. I think…no, I know that he was touched by your efforts though. It might take a while, but he’ll forgive you. He knows you want to be friends again and you've apologized, it’s a start.”

She smiles and wipes at the tear that falls from her eye and stands up, she hugs me before grabbing her bag and leaving the classroom but says before leaving, “Thanks Gui Gui, you’re an amazing friend. I’m really glad you and Aaron are together.”

I open my mouth to correct her but she’s gone before I say anything. I shrug my shoulders before grabbing my bag and exiting the classroom as I go look for Aaron.

‘Let her think what she wants, not like I mind she thinks we’re together.’ I freeze in my steps and feel my eyes widen at that thought.

‘I…want us to be together? Then, I do like him?’

The sudden warmth I feel and the smile that breaks out on my face is answer enough as I continue on my search.

I make my way to the auditorium and decide to go in through the main entrance this time and after making a loud entrance I see Aaron sitting at the piano bench and exclaim in greeting, “Aaron!”

He stands up as I make my way on stage and gives me a small smile as I stand in front of him. I return his smile as I ask, “So…did you like my painting?”

I giggle, already knowing the answer but wanting praise anyway.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” he began, “You are an amazing painter Gui.”

I grin and swat at his chest in false modesty, asking him to stop but hoping he’d continue, “Oh stop.”

He grabs my hand and holds it in his and stares intensely and caresses my cheek as he says, “I mean it. I loved it.”

I look down, suddenly feeling bashful when he uses his hand to tilt up my chin and look him in the eyes when he suddenly declares, “I want you to listen to my project now.”

Surprised, I nod my head and watch as he sits back on the piano bench and smiles at me before placing his hands on the piano and begins. This moment, I feel as he plays, will forever be part of my memory. He begins with a slow haunting melody that makes me feel sad and alone, then it turns into music with a face paced tempo and worked beautifully with the haunting side and it only seems to get louder and louder, beautiful and more beautiful before it ends, too quickly if you ask me. He lets the last note hold and I felt that last note held so much hope and happiness that I was smiling. I felt something tickle my cheek and then realized that I was crying.

Aaron looks up at me and see’s my tears and frowns, he stands up and walks towards me. Reaching to lightly brush away my tears he says still with a frown, “I didn't think it was so bad, my teacher gave me an A for it.”

I shake my head, still unable to express just how much I loved it and waited for the overwhelming emotion I was experiencing to leave. Breathing in and out I grabbed his hands from my cheeks and clutched them to my chest and smile through tears, “I loved it.”

His frown melted into the most beautiful smile I had ever seen and I smiled back at him with a giggle, “I’m glad you liked it,” he says looking down with a small tint of pink on his cheeks, “Because you inspired it.”

My eyes widen and before I know it my arms are wrapped around Aaron, squeezing him tight. He freezes but puts his arms around me and we stay like that for a few moments. I pull away and smile at him and he smiles back at me. The smile looks so familiar and I suddenly remember Hebe’s sullen face from when he left the classroom, I tried my best to get a feel on the situation.

“You know, Aaron…about Hebe and her painting,” I started but he stopped me with a hand gesture.

“Look Gui, I know you want to help and I appreciate it but I just need time to think about things. I’m not going to just run to her and say everything’s forgotten.”

I shake my head and agree, “I know that, I just hope that you will think things through because Hebe is really sincere with her feelings. She really misses you.”

Aaron looks away and then looks at me with a small smile on his face, “I know you’re trying to help, thank you. I promise I’ll think and make a decision after I've thought about it.”

I smile, pleased that he won’t just brush it off and grab my bag from the floor and clutch his hand as we make our way out of the auditorium.

“You know, that painting is yours if you want it.”

He intertwines his hands with mine and smirks at me while saying, “I think I’ll let you keep it, so you can always remember how handsome I am.”

I laugh and elbow him in the ribs and say, “What happened to the guy who would glare at me and respond with one word to my questions, huh? He seems to have completely disappeared and left me with an overly confident and talkative guy who smiles a lot!”

He looks at me and I almost melt from its intensity and it’s obvious what’s displayed in them. Affection. Caring. Importance. Love.

“You melted the ice,” he replies and I squeal and squeeze his hand while grinning. He lifts my hand to his mouth and lightly kisses it before we walk out of the auditorium, leaving it to fade to black behind us.

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Well, that’s the end of that. I do apologize for all the time it’s taken me to finish this, I realize that it was terrible of me to take this long and I fully understand if no one even reads it anymore. But I am grateful for everyone who read it thus far and commented and I hope you liked it.

This is the end chapter wise but I am going to include an epilogue that will have the results of Aaron’s piano competition, what Miss Angel said to our Gui Gui and Aaron’s response to Hebe’s apology. I am not, repeat not, going to take 2 years to upload Saturday. It is already plotted it out and almost done, I will upload it soon within this week or the next.

I love you all and I really do hope you enjoyed this final chapter. I hope I didn't let anyone down with the ending and with the turn Aaron’s character seemed to take, I couldn't help it. I felt he could just melt with Gui and he quirky personality.

I've been seeing a lot of Hebe and Aaron on winglin, seriously people what’s going on?! Ajajajaj just kidding, forever a GuiLun shipper though. J

Thanks for reading/Leave a comment if you wish ;)

Xie Xie ni for reading <3
Ciao, nitaBonita <3