“Right, Alfie?”
I blink, realizing Tara’s looking at me expectantly. She’s wearing a pink lacy top, and her hair is pulled back into a ponytail with a few blonde strands shaping her face. It looks pretty.
“Sorry, what?”
Tara rolls her eyes, but there’s concern in them too. Probably because I’ve been acting like a zombie all morning. “Janine was asking about our schedule flexibility.”
“Oh. Yeah. Um, Tuesday and Thursday. Work with you?”
She blinks. “Uh, yeah. I think so. I can work that around my shifts.”
Janine beams and claps her hands together. She’s one of those overly cheerful administrators who probably organizes her paperclips by size. “Wonderful! Now, quick question, do either of you have any artistic abilities?”
“Nope,” Tara says immediately. “I can barely draw stick figures.”
“I do.” The words come out before I can stop them. Both women turn to stare at me.
“You... draw?” Tara’s voice is skeptical.
I shrug, suddenly uncomfortable with the attention. “I’m decent with paint.”
That’s a slight understatement. I’ve been painting since I was kid. Not that anyone here needs to know that.
“Perfect! Well, someone tagged the humanities building last night,” Janine says, pinching the bridge of her nose. “And it’s... well. You should probably see it for yourselves. It’s pretty big, takes up half of a wall. It needs some paint to cover it right away, but why not use it as an opportunity to brighten the space. A mural would be ideal.”
“A mural?” Tara’s eyes light up, and something in my chest does a weird flip. “That’s so much better than picking up trash!”
“You’ll still be doing that too,” Janine clarifies, shuffling through her papers. “But yes, the mural could be one of your major projects. Alfie, I’m going to assume you can handle the artistic elements, and Tara, you can help with the preparation and planning.”
Tara turns to me, her expression a mix of surprise and something else I can’t read. “How did I not know you could paint?”
Because I don’t tell people. Because art is the one thing my family can’t touch.
“Never came up,” I say instead.
“Well, this is perfect timing,” Janine continues, oblivious to my discomfort. “We’ve been meaning to do something with that wall for ages. Even before the vandalization. We think it’s actually the perfect place for a message. Something to inspire people. You two can work on designs, get them approved, and really make it your own project! This will be fun, won’t it?”
So. Much. Fun.
Tara’s practically bouncing in her seat now. “We coulddo something about environmental conservation! Or local wildlife! Or?—”
“Let’s get through the paperwork first,” I cut in, but the corner of my mouth twitches up despite myself. Her enthusiasm is annoyingly infectious.
“So,” Janine says, pulling out more forms, “shall we talk color schemes?”
I catch Tara sneaking glances at me as Janine rambles about approved paint brands.
“Alfie?” Tara’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “Any preference on colors?”
I look at her, really look at her, and for a moment I forget I’m supposed to be pushing her out of my mind. “Whatever you want. Pink, probably.”
Her smile could power the whole campus.
Janine hadthe bright idea that we should kick off our community service immediately.
I watch Tara walking a few paces ahead. She’s bent over picking up trash, her shorts riding up her thighs, and I’m trying not to stare. Failing miserably. She manages to make even this look graceful, which is just fucking unfair. Her golden hair is shining in the sun and I think about how it might feel to run my fingers through it.Or to gently pull on it while she backs up...I nearly snap my own picker in half.
And fuck, maybe Freddie’s right. Maybe I do like her. A little.
