Olive faced Fletcher. She couldn't go on like this.
"Fletcher, I have something to tell you," Olive nervously started and she even twiddled her thumbs, something she never did.
"What?" Fletcher innocently smiled, "If it was me sitting on my ice cream on our date today, then I am so sorry about that."
"No not about that…" Olive uncertainly trailed off. Then she caught herself. Fletcher sat on his food? It reminded her of the time he sat on his lunch after pulling a seat out for Chyna.
"And I made us walk home so I could get a fresh pair of pants!" Fletcher pulled a horrified face on as he snapped his fingers.
"Don't worry I won't put that on the quilt of your most embarrassing memories," Olive reassured Fletcher, making the artist a little bit worried.
"Olive, are you okay? You still kept up sewing all my worst moments even though we went out," Fletcher said carefully. Olive clapped her forehead.
"If you want I can give you back the quilt," Olive impatiently said and was coming to her last thread.
"Olive, what's wrong? You giving up blackmailing me is making me scared," Fletcher said slowly.
"That's the thing! Fletcher, I can't go on like this. I just realized I don't like you and even though I do not like you I like you as a close person and if I went out with you even though I have no feelings for you would be mean," Olive said sadly, "And when you do find out the truth, you will be more scarred than if I had told you when I realize it."
Fletcher's happy cute face turned into an adorable frown as he slowly said the next words, "Olive… are you breaking up with me?"
Olive looked at her hands. Somehow she didn't like how she pushed the truth into Fletcher with such turbulence but she had to. He had to know the truth.
"It is for the best," Olive looked into Fletcher's with her bright green eyes.
The next few moments were so quiet that no one would have imagined what could happen next. Fletcher's face was washed free of emotions.
Then he slowly nodded forced a tiny grin on and said, "Yeah, I guess I was being a nuisance. So who is the lucky guy you like?"
Olive smiled a little and blushed. She said, "Angus."
"I thought you would never fall for him," Fletcher said in a light tone though he felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing his heart.
"I thought that would never happen too, I even mathematically calculated our percentage chance of actually becoming a couple," Olive nervously laughed, her smart side kicking in, "But I just couldn't imagine how he would still be persistent on winning me even though I told him no infinite times. I just fell for him and his persistent ways on making me fall for him."
"Oh," Fletcher said. Then there was another awkward silence.
"Well I got to get back to the lounge area for the ANT's. Got to finish my art project," Fletcher lied.
But Olive bought it in all of her giddiness, and she smiled really big and skipped away.
Fletcher sighed sadly and shook his head. She was such an oblivious person. She wanted to get comfort and now she doesn't need him. What is he, a tissue to use once and throw away?
Fletcher took his iPod out of his pocket and scrolled down his list of songs. He didn't feel in the mood for rock music or even break up songs. Because of Olive, he felt oddly classical.
He punched the button on one of Beethoven's songs, just assuming that the deaf composer was a generally passionate and depressed guy. He went in front of his blank canvas and shoved aside the bright paints that he used to make paintings of him and Olive. He took out all the dark paints and a fair paintbrush.
When a dark piano monologue filled his earphones, he nodded and began to paint something depressing.
Just then, Chyna decided to break up his sad emo moment. The girl smiled at Fletcher, the same kind of smile that made his heart beat fast.
Wait. He got out of a break up with Olive. He can't possibly have FEELINGS now, even a rekindled flame.
"Hey Fletcher!" Chyna said. Fletcher couldn't hear her so he smiled and went back to his depressing paintings.
"Fletcher?" Chyna cocked her head to the side. Then she found earphones plugged in. She popped out one of his earphones and instead of hearing an upbeat song she heard a classical composition streaming from the headphones.
That did it. She ripped out the other one and yanked out Fletcher's iPod from his pocket.
"Hey! Give that back!" Fletcher yelled.
"Put your paintbrush down, Fletcher, unless you want the whole room covered in paint," Chyna rolled her eyes and kept the device out of his reach.
Fletcher did so and Chyna took the opportunity to grab his hand and made him sit on the couch next to her. She faced him and put a stern face on.
"What happened?" Chyna asked with a serious tone.
"What?" Fletcher sputtered, "Nothing happened. I was happy to paint and you came and interrupted it."
Chyna was taken aback by Fletcher's harshness. Usually he would be all blushing and stuttering like an animal she couldn't place her finger on. And he would crawl into an adorable ball when he would be near her.
"Fletcher, you are depressed. Something happened," Chyna pleaded. Fletcher scoffed and folded his arms in a defensive way.
"Prove it," Fletcher said bravely. Then he regretted it.
Chyna's face turned thoughtful and she showed Fletcher's iPod. She nodded at his art easel. She then said to him, "Fletcher you were listening to Moonlight Sonata and you were painting with dark paints instead of light paints."
"Can't an artist experiment?" Fletcher glared back.
"Fletcher you are scared of the dark. You hate classical music especially depressing ones. What happened so tragic that it changed you THIS MUCH so quickly?" Chyna threw her hands up in the air and Fletcher sighed.
"Olive broke up with me," Fletcher whispered, "She likes Angus."
"Oh, about time," Chyna breathed out in relief and Fletcher looked at her in surprise.
"You knew?" Fletcher asked.
"Well everyone knew. Just not you. He even proposed for her to be her girlfriend," Chyna whispered.
"How?" Fletcher asked.
"Well he bought her the MacBook Air Pro and made a special sticker on the top of the laptop that said he loved her in a special way," Chyna confessed, "She liked the computer, I guess, so she said yes."
"And she didn't tell me?" Fletcher whispered.
Chyna gave him a sad look and shook her head, "I guess Olive didn't tell you. She told me not to tell you at all costs. I told her she couldn't do this to you, you know make you wait. But she seemed on the verge of doing stupid things, like breaking up friendship between me and her for good."
Fletcher looked down. Chyna didn't like to see her artistic friend down so she tried to think about a way to cheer him up.
"Hey Fletcher, you know you can come to my house for dinner anytime!" Chyna said enthusiastically. Then she mentally kicked herself in the head. Dinner at her house? Who is she, the Queen of England?
Fletcher smiled and his heart sped up at the offer. He wrung his hands together and he felt his ears grow hot. He nervously smiled and said, "S-Sure. H-How about tomorrow?" Chyna beamed and nodded enthusiastically.
Chyna grinned and squeezed one of his cheeks and said, "You are so adorable when you stutter."
Fletcher froze and Chyna wanted to die on the spot. Then Chyna broke out into a nervous fit of laughter and said, "Oh would you look at the time!"
Chyna fled the room before Fletcher could say anything to her remark.
Fletcher touched his cheek where Chyna pinched him. His cheeks heated up and he muttered to himself happily, "Did she say… I am adorable?"
Fletcher went to the easel and saw a few strokes of dark paint that he made before Chyna came in the room. He put up the dark paints and took out the light paints and started to make a painting he had in mind.
-x-
Chyna smiled to herself as she came to class. That smile turned into a frown when she came to the classroom and she saw her best friend, Olive.
"Hey Olive," Chyna greeted dully.
"Oh hey!" Olive smiled but then frowned when she saw her best friend down, "What's wrong?"
"Well, Fletcher was pretty much depressed," Chyna sighed, "You really waited until the last minute."
"No, I didn't," Olive argued, "If I wanted, I could have dated Fletcher even longer and then he would find out the hard way, Chyna. I told him bluntly."
"Yeah and according to studies he should be a lot less heartbroken then," Chyna mocked Olive's informative voice and set her books down, her small face pulled back into a frown.
"That's what I was going for," Olive twiddled her fingers, "Chyna you have to understand that I really like Angus."
"You LIKE Angus? Honey when the time comes that you LOVE Fletcher don't go dumping Angus and re-confessing to Fletcher," Chyna opened her notebook.
"Why would that be?" Olive asked, offended.
"I do not know, it happens in life when you flip between ex's until you find your prince in shining armor," Chyna quoted that last cliché term.
"Why would I do something like that?" Olive asked.
"Well you obviously didn't respond to any signs Angus gave you when he tried to woo you when I came. Then you fall for him while dating Fletcher? I think you will fall for Fletcher while dating Angus," Chyna said, irritated.
"Chyna…" Olive murmured, amazed. Chyna had never gotten so defensive about a boy other than her brother.
"Chyna, do you like Fletcher?" Olive scooted closer to see what the musical girl had to say.
Chyna didn't have anything to say to that. She just started humming obnoxiously and doodling music notes on her paper.
Olive pinched her nose and murmured, "This is the side of Chyna that I rarely see."
Olive leaned over and plucked the pen out of Chyna's hand. Then she whipped her head up like Olive was her mom.
"Cameron ate the last chocolate bar in the fridge!" Chyna put her hands up in defense. Olive shook her head and waved off that comment. Chyna and Cameron are two weird siblings.
"No it is not that-"
"It isn't? Then it must be he hid all his carrots from last night's dinner under his placemat!" Chyna panicked at full speed. Olive rolled her eyes and grabbed Chyna by the shoulders.
"Chyna. Look. At. Me."
Chyna gulped, made a quick prayer to god hoping for the best before looking into Olive's piercing eyes watching her every move like a hawk.
"Do you like Fletcher? Yes or no answer ONLY," Olive said strictly making the poor girl flinch at every stressed word.
"Yes I do, ma'am," Chyna gulped and to prove it she quickly saluted as if she were drafted into the army.
"Since when did you fall for him?" Olive raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, but am I drafted into the army?" Chyna asked. Olive let go of Chyna's shoulders and she relaxed. Olive still looked at the girl and she relented.
"Yeah I fell for him when he would make all of these nice art stuff for me," Chyna sighed dreamily.
Olive scoffed, "Like what?"
Chyna laughed and she giggled, "Are you jealous, Olive?"
Immediately Olive's face turned red and she put her hands up in mock horror, "NO NOT IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD I WANT TO DATE YOU!"
Chyna froze and then laughed and said, "Just kidding Olive! Well I do remember those wax dolls, countless portraits and especially that bubblegum bust he made of me."
"He made me and Angus chew for hours!" Olive sighed.
"It was creepy. But then I talked about it with my dad and he made me realize that it wasn't creepy but romantic," Chyna replied dazed, "That discussion turned out into a family debate."
"Pretty intense family you got there," Olive smirked. Chyna sent her a glare.
"You've met them. They're normal," Chyna chided as the flow of students came in.
Olive rolled her eyes and murmured, "Except your brother."
-x-
Chyna was all dressed up to see Fletcher. For the first time she actually was excited about dinner guests.
The doorbell rang and Chyna tried her best to ignore her snickering brother and got the front door without losing her cool.
When she opened the door Chyna saw Fletcher with something in hand draped by a black cloth. Smiling sweetly Chyna asked, "What you got there, Fletcher?"
"Secret. Show you after dinnertime, okay?" Fletcher held a finger to his lips.
Chyna couldn't wait but she nodded nevertheless. She opened the door wider and beckoned him to come in.
-x-
Chyna's parents were giving them the watchful eye so Chyna broke the tension as her parents secretly spied on them in the living room behind the piano.
"Fletcher, let's go onto the porch. I know my parents are spying on us," Chyna said. Fletcher looked around.
"They aren't behind the couch so where-" Fletcher's eyes landed on the piano, "Oh."
Chyna nodded and pulled Fletcher onto the porch and when she heard two pairs of feet following them, she said, "Mom and dad do not follow us."
Then they heard the room fill with soft grunts in disapprovals. Fletcher nervously laughed and Chyna rolled her eyes as she closed the door. Chyna apologetically smiled as she turned to face Fletcher.
"Sorry about that. Mom is usually okay with me hanging out with you but I guess my dad is on the overprotective mode right now," Chyna rolled her eyes in an adorable manner.
Fletcher smiled and Chyna pointed to the canvas in his hands, "What's that?"
"Oh," Fletcher said stupidly. He suddenly felt awkward as he shoved the covered painting in Chyna's hands.
"See for yourself," Fletcher quickly added after shoving it in her hands. Chyna gave a nervous thanks before lifting off the black cloth.
Chyna gasped. The painting was her with her hair braided in a wreath of flowers. She was in a pure white dress and she was holding a bouquet of bright flowers. Her smile was dazzling and she looked like she was singing and birds were repeating her voice.
In that bouquet of flowers was one dark purple rose with a black stem.
"Fletcher, why is that rose standing out?" Chyna asked. Fletcher knew the time had come.
"That was the result of a few paint strokes of dark paint that I made before you came in. By the time you left I just turned that into a rose that was just different from the other flowers," Fletcher explained.
"So it has no meaning?" Chyna asked.
"No it's not that. That is the thing, Chyna. Even though I just broke up with Olive I still like you," Fletcher paced around in the porch.
"You like me?" Chyna asked.
"Yeah. I thought I was over you. But I wasn't. And when I saw you smile and talk to me right after Olive dumped me I knew it was confirmed. I am not and never will be over you. So will you please, please, please, pretty please give it another shot at being my girlfriend? And do not pretend," Fletcher brought up the past incident.
Chyna remembered the fake girlfriend incident. She rolled her eyes and smiled and nodded.
Fletcher felt lighter and leaned in for a kiss. Chyna leaned in for her first kiss when her dad burst.
"NO DIRECT LIP LOCKING ON A FIRST DATE!" Her father yelled from inside.
"Daryl let them go at their own pace!"
Chyna sighed and pinched her nose. Fletcher blushed. Chyna looked at her boyfriend and said, "Tell you what. Give me a kiss on the cheek and some other time you can take me on a real date and we can have our first kiss there."
Fletcher blushed hard and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He smiled and said, "Feels a bit planned but I like the sound of that."
"Can I have the painting? I really like it," Chyna smiled.
"You are going to keep it?" Fletcher smiled.
"Well I wouldn't keep it in my room or else it would look like I like myself which is weird," Chyna explained, "But my parents could put it in a hallway."
"Sure. Thank you for considering my feelings," Fletcher said.
"Oh I didn't need to consider them. I like you too," Chyna smiled big before going inside her house filled of commotions.
Fletcher stood outside dumbstruck before smiling to himself as he walked off.
"She likes me too," Fletcher smiled.
-fin-