Fulvio leans over to tap Leo’s shoulder. ‘Io e te?’
Veronica shakes her head. ‘English please, Fulvio. And I think Leonardo and Evie should work together.’
I swallow my protest. Me? Paint Leo? What happened to coming early just for the briefing? I haven’t picked up a real paintbrush in ages. I thought I’d be eased into this – basic techniques and building from there. Not thrown into a live portrait. That’s the big finale, not the warm-up.
I shove my iPad into my bag before Leo notices the cracks spidering across the screen, then splay my empty hands. ‘I’ve got nothing with me.’
He jerks his chin towards the back of the room. ‘The cupboard. You can borrow stuff there.’
I hover uncertainly over the shelves, grabbing a bit of everything – brushes, paints, charcoals, inks. It’s half nerves, half the thrill of touching real materials again. Then I carry the pile back, sit opposite Leo and wait for more instructions.
But everyone’s starting, and Veronica’s busy powering up her laptop.
‘Umm … what does your mum want to see, exactly?’
‘A portrait,’ he says, dismissive, as though it’s impossible for him to imagine messing this up.
‘Right. Thanks for nothing,’ I mutter, setting everything down.
His head snaps up. ‘Silvia hand-picked you, didn’t she? You know the drill.’
I narrow my eyes. ‘You’re actually worried I’m competition, aren’t you? Like your pal Jacopo said.’
‘Jacopo doesn’t know what he’s talking about.’
A grin creeps across my face. ‘Could you hold that scowl for me?’
He blinks, thrown, but I’ve already dipped a brushand gone in. The bristles feel clumsy compared to my stylus, and the paint doesn’t move like the layers on my screen. It drags and gloops and refuses to blend. Frustrated, I switch to a palette knife, scraping and smearing instead.
I’m aiming for a shoulder-up portrait. But after the whole shirtless-in-the-bathroom incident, I can’t bring myself to meet his gaze, which is kind of an issue when it comes to painting his eyes. They’re a million shades of blue and green, forcing me to rinse and reload the brush again and again.
I remind myself this is a warm-up, that it’s not going to affect my result. I finally relax and get caught up in the process. As I do, a faint golden crown appears around Leo’s head – faerie-prince style – then I catch myself and scrub it out. I exaggerate his nose instead. Just for my own satisfaction.
We work in silence, a total contrast to Nadia and her partner – a tall girl called Alessandra who’s painting in a tailored co-ord. Leo keeps checking his phone, like he’s waiting for a message. I don’t dare do the same, even though Rebel’s probably wondering where I’ve got to. I’m not the teacher’s son.
By morning break, I’m flushed and breathless and a tiny bit exhilarated. Once I stopped overthinking, it was actually fun. I don’t even hate the result. Butwhen Leo swivels his easel towards the wall to hide his work, I do the same … nerves creeping in as I come back down to earth.
Nadia invites me to join her and Alessandra at something called abacaro. ‘Forcicchetti. Small bites.’ She mimes eating with a hopeful smile.
I wish I could say yes. My stomach’s growling, but I can’t risk blowing all my cash on juice and snacks. And I still haven’t checked in with Rebel.
‘I, um … need to find apiccolo… shop,’ I say slowly. ‘And message a friend …’
I fish my phone out as the others drift off, already planning what to say.
Leo’s zipping up his coat when Veronica stops him. Between her gestures and the little Italian I understand, I think she wants him to paint over the graffiti. Now.
Sighing, he picks up his phone and heads to the supply cupboard.
I can’t resist a little jab on my way out. ‘What’s up, da Vinci? Do you only paint masterpieces?’
His shoulders stiffen and I slip through the door before he can reply. Almost instantly, my phone buzzes.
@RenaissanceRebel: Still waiting for a new masterpiece!
Ha! See? Telepathy. I literally just said the word ‘masterpiece’ out loud.
@TotallySketchy: I have one! But … drum roll … it’s on paper for once. I’ll take a pic and send it later. What about you? You promised, remember?
