Piper brushes her fingertips across her wrist absentmindedly, pursing her lips as she forces herself to read the book that's assigned to her for her English class. Every now and then she finds herself glancing down at the words sketched across her tan skin, the handwriting cursive and loopy.
She huffs, turning back to her book, the light breeze tangling its hands through her choppy hair, pushing it into her face, and brushing it away is just as natural as the way she outlines her soulmate tattoos.
A shadow crosses in front of her and she looks up, hoping her expression isn't too unimpressed. A short girl with curly cinnamon-colored hair approaches her cautiously, a sketchpad in her hand, messing with it anxiously. Visibly, she has two tattoos around her neck like a noose, and around her ankle, though Piper can't decipher the words.
"Can I draw you? It's for an art project." She says, her voice a bit timid, her eyes a deep golden color.
Piper drags her eyes away from the girl, trying to seem nonchalant as she hopes blood doesn't rush to her cheeks. "Whatever floats your boat." She mutters, glancing down at her book, then freezing.
The girl makes a sputtering noise, dropping to her knees and tipping her head down to see Piper. "Did you just say 'whatever floats your boat?'" She asks, her voice a bit frantic, and Piper can detect a faint Louisianan accent.
"Yeah, did you say something about an art project?" She asks, glancing back down at her wrist and brushing her thumb across her skin, her eyes slowly widening.
Out of the corner of her eyes, the girl nods profusely, her expression breaking into an adorable smile. "You're my soulmate! Well, one of them." She says breathlessly, and Piper picks her head up to actually look at her. Thankfully, she seems very good.
"Yeah. My name's Piper." She mumbles, thoroughly shocked, though the other girl at least deserves an introduction.
"My name's Hazel. Nice to meet you." She beams, and Piper can't stop the way her heart flutters in her chest.
"Can I draw you? This is a moment I don't want to forget." Hazel asks, already pulling supplies out of the yellow backpack she had carried with her, and Piper nods numbly.
She doesn't think she'll forget an experience like this even without a painting.