Chapter 10
Art class was just before lunch. The day before was just a demo on oil painting, but today our hero's actually got to paint.
"Yay…" Edaniel called sarcastically twirling his finger like a party pooper.
"Oh just do it," Dinah hissed. Edaniel looked closely at his canvas, and then his face lit up in sudden inspiration. With a smirk he dipped his brush into the green paint and flung it at the pure white canvas. "Argh! Edaniel! You got paint all over me!" Dinah yelled, wiping green paint from her face.
"Sorry toots." Edaniel shrugged as he continued painting.
"Hahaha, calm down Dinah, its' just a little paint," Laughed the school's quarterback, and Sarah's boyfriend, Nick. He handed her a rag before going back to his own painting. Dinah noticed that he was using quite a bit of blue. Dinah wiped her face quickly and scowled at Edaniel's happily painting form. She chanced a glance over at Edrear. He was painting with long sure strokes, his face set in mindful concentration.
Dinah shrugged and went back to her own painting.
About an hour later the teacher, Mrs. Roper, came around to view and grade everyone's work.
"Excellent use of color Daniel, but May I ask exactly what it is you painted." She smiled sweetly.
"This is my cat, E-Daniel. He's sexy just like me." Edaniel grinned. Dinah peeked over at his painting. Sure enough, there was a grinning green cat thing with a top hat and a magic wand sitting on the canvas. It all together wasn't very good, Dinah groaned inwardly.
"Creative," Mrs. Roper scratched something on her sheet and continued on to the next one, which happened to be Dinah's.
With a flourish Mrs. Roper uncovered the simple picture. Twig like trees in a forest scene played behind a purple and black cross.
"Excellent depth Dinah!" Mrs. Roper exclaimed, stirring a fit of giggles from the cheerleaders. Mrs. Roper moved on to Nick's painting. She unveiled it as Nick smirked. It was truly a beautiful painting. Mostly sky but on the side there was a single tree. The tree held a swing that sent the girl in the painting flying through the air. The girl was laughing as her black curls streamed out behind her. "You've delivered another masterpiece Nick!" Mrs. Roper gasped, "The continuation of your 'Only' series?" He nodded once and cast a slightly nervous glance to Dinah, who stood in awe of the simplistic but well painted scene. For some reason that tree and that girl looked familiar to her.
"Your brush strokes look a little choppy," Edrear examined the painting closely.
"Like you could do better?" Nick challenged.
Edrear gave the room a sly smile before ripping the cover from his own painting. A collective gasp brushed through the room and Mrs. Roper fell over in astonishment. There on the canvas was Vincent, Dinah, Edaniel (in his human form), Eniri, Elala, and Edrear. All stood in front of the hooded angel of the Mausoleum and all were smiling brightly. Dinah wore a simple cocktail dress straight out of the 20's, Vincent was in his old t-shirt and jeans, Edaniel looked exceedingly sexy in his cropped shirt and low slung jeans, Eniri was clad in a dress that seemed to be made of vines and feathers, Elala looked simply stunning in her crimson renaissance gown, and Edrear had depicted himself in his characteristic armor.
"It's beautiful," Mrs. Roper finally breathed, "What do you call this piece?"
"Err… Supposed To Be." He blushed and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. He didn't like all the attention he was getting. Nick fumed silently as he was pushed to the back of the room by a class room of girls trying to get a better look. Tears sprang to the corners of Dinah's eyes.
"You knew Vincent?" Kathryn piped up.
"Yeah we did, George was a good guy!" Edaniel cut in for crowd control.
"Who are these two girls?" Sarah pointed.
"My sisters," Edrear mumbled.
"Why aren't they going to school here?" Kathryn asked, shoving Sarah behind her.
"They graduated High School already," Edaniel smiled, "Me and my bro here are the babies of the family." Edaniel draped a slightly jealous arm around his blushing brother's shoulders. The bell sounded through the class.
"Edward! Before you go I'd like to speak to you about your painting." Mrs. Roper called.
"Catch up to us later by the big tree out front," Edaniel ordered giving his brother a push. "Artsy show off," he grumbled leaning against Kathryn's locker as Dinah pulled out her lunch money.
"Your brothers a really good artist," Kathryn commented pushing Edaniel aside to get to her own locker.
"Don't tell me girls here like that sort of thing," Edaniel whined turning to Kathryn.
"More than we like arrogant pretty-boys like you. By the way, do you really have a cross tattoo on your chest?"
"Want to find out?" Edaniel waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.
"Maybe later" Kathryn poked Edaniel on the nose as she looped her arm through Dinah's and headed off to the cafeteria. They paid for their lunches, and one for Edrear, before heading out to the big tree. Just as they sat down Edrear came through the doors. His expression was a mix of embarrassment and accomplishment.
"So, how'd it go?" Dinah asked around a mouth full of cafeteria pizza.
"Madame Roper wishes to enter my painting in some sort of Art Show." He grinned despite his embarrassment.
"Way to go Eddy!" Kathryn exclaimed thwacking Edrear on the back. He made a funny oof sound as Edaniel tried to hide his jealousy behind a pear. He gave his brother a thumbs-up and shoved the fruit, core and all, into his mouth.
"You deserve it, that painting was beautiful." Dinah smiled forcing the blush that was finally fading to return to Edrear's cheeks.
"Yeah, you made Dinah look like a freaking goddess! But what was with all the period costuming?" Kathryn raised a suspicious eyebrow.
"The outfits match our personalities." Edaniel pulled of casually, "Dinah here is all dainty and old fashioned, Charles was kind of ordinary, Edrear here is all hero-y, Lana, the one in red, thinks she's queen, and Nyasa, the other on you don't know, loves nature and stuff. I of course am just sexy like that. It's symbolic or something."
"I totally get it." Kathryn said while shaking her head side to side.
"Sure you do," Dinah laughed. Edrear tore into his lunch without another word. He didn't feel like he could speak without stuttering terribly.
"Hey Kat!" called Nick's lackey, Derek as he and Nick ran up to the munching crew.
"Don't call me that," Kathryn hissed.
"Sure, wanna go to Sarah's party with me this Saturday?" It was no secret that Derek had the hots for Kathryn.
"Not particularly," she smiled but her voice dripped distaste.
"Told ya'," Nick smirked dragging away the shot down Derek, but not before giving Dinah a wink. Anger flared in Edrear's stomach.
"What don't like parties?" Edaniel asked casually.
"Oh I'm going, just not with him." Kathryn shrugged then turned suddenly to Dinah, "Oh my god what are we going to wear?"
Dinah leaned backwards, "We?"
"Don't be such a Recluse!" Kathryn pleaded, "You have to come; otherwise I may be converted." She shoved a thumb toward the school steps, where the jocks and cheerleaders sat in giggling company, with a disgusted snarl.
"I wasn't invited," Dinah shifted uncomfortably.
"I was and so was Edwardo here," Edaniel said simply, pulling a slip of paper from his pocket. "It says we can bring a date."
"Yeah, you and Edward can totally become public! Two birds with one stone." Kathryn clapped her hands together as if everything was solved.
"Become what?" Edrear cocked his head to the side.
"Public, you know since you're already dating all secretly and what not why not bring your relationship out in the open?"Kathryn grinned.
"We're what?" Edrear looked very confused.
Edaniel leaned over to his brother and whispered, "Courting, she thinks you're courting Dinah." It was inhumanly possible for Edrear to turn redder than at that moment.
"Th-that's not... no… I… we… argh!" he stuttered pointing at Kathryn accusingly.
"You think we're what? Where'd you come to that conclusion?" Dinah faltered also turning a shocking shade of purple-y crimson.
"Well you guys are always together and I've seen the way he looks at you. What else explains it?" Kathryn crossed her arms, very put out at being made out to be wrong.
Dinah groaned, nothing logical did explain it. Edrear took a deep breath before speaking calmly. "Such liberations of a lady are not to be taken by a gentleman such as myself, such activities are inappropriate and-" Edaniel silenced his brother's rambling by smacking his hand over Edrear's mouth. Edrear continued as if nothing had happened though no one could hear him.
"He's being stupid," Edaniel smiled and sweat-dropped. "Of course they're dating. They're just embarrassed." He chuckled awkwardly.
"Then it's settled, tonight we're going to the mall and getting new outfits and then Saturday you're coming to my house to get ready before the party. Then we'll party till dawn!" Kathryn jumped up happily.
Dinah sat with a what-just-happened expression on her face. The bell signaling the end of lunch sounded like a death toll to her.