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“Well, what do you want me to do, Rachel? If I lose, I’m fucked. Absolutely, royally fucked!”
Rachel steps towards me, but stops, her gaze dropping to the floor. “You didn’t have to come. I didn’t want you to…to spend your days stressing over some stupid race.”
I scoff. “You must be kidding me!” I shout. “How could I not come?” I shove a finger in her direction. “I wanted to be with you, because I love you, and I can’t stand the idea of not being with you; of you gallivanting off with the others and leaving me behind.”
“We weren’t leaving you behind, Seth.”
My hands fist at my sides. “Yes, you were. If I had stayed, would you even be thinking of me? Would you even care?”
Her mouth parts. She looks absolutely horrified as she stares at me and I know I’ve gone too far, but I can’t take back my words now that they’re already out. “Of course, Seth.”
I shake my head. “You don’t know that.”
“I do know that.”
I stare back at her, not knowing what else to say. I should take her into my arms. I should hug her and apologize, but for some reason I can’t move. I’m too angry. I can’t believe she thinks this race is stupid; that she thinks everything I’m doing to remain in Paris with her is stupid.
“Seth,” she says, reaching for me.
I turn on my heel, ignoring the pain twinging in my right while I stalk towards the foyer and shove on my shoes.
“Seth, where are you going?”
“For a run,” I say while throwing open the door, hearing it slam shut behind me.
14
HUNTER
I stare at the basket of fruit in front of me. The room is small with no windows. Drawings hang on the pristine white walls, watching me as I press my pencil against the paper. I bite my tongue, trying to concentrate as I make a line, frowning when the line isn’t what I intended. I glance to the elderly woman sitting on myright. Her wrinkle veiny hands move precisely as if she’s done this before. One strand of her grey hair hangs over her face.
My frown deepens when I see that her basket of fruit is pretty much an exact copy of the objects before us. The woman’s eyes lift, and she frowns at me, moving her drawing away from my prying gaze. I sigh and turn back to my own drawing, scowling at the shaky line. I have no clue where to start. Looking around, I see the others are drawing easily while the instructor walks around, nodding approvingly. She points randomly at someone’s paper, smiling as if the guy has drawn the most extravagant thing in the world and not a basket of fruit.
I press my pencil against the sheet once more, knowing I need to have at least something for her to look at. I get to work, starting with the apple. I draw a circle, but realize that’s all wrong. The apple isn’t necessarily a complete circle. More like tooth shaped. I try to erase my lines, but they’re still there, just faded, staring back at me. I try again, but my lines aren’t right.
Fuck it. Apple done. What’s next?
I move onto the banana, which is, unfortunately, positioned in front of the apple. My lines cross as I draw the curved oval. I’m not in the mood to start all over and the instructor is about three people down. I move onto the grapes, drawing several weird little circles that look nothing like the green fruit before me.
How the hell does anyone draw this shit?
Isn’t this supposed to be one of the easiest things in the world?
“Mr. Smith.”
I still when I hear my name, slowly peering up and offering a nervous smile. “Umm, I’m not done,” I say, not even wanting to look at my shitty drawing.
She smiles brightly and nods. “It looks good.”
She’s a fucking liar.
“Umm, thank you,” I say while turning back to my paper, staring down at the dark lines that remind me of a kindergartener’s work.
“Keep up the good work,” she says while patting my shoulder.
I scowl at my drawing. That’s it, I give up. There’s no way I can ever be an artist. I will have to find something different to occupy my time.
After drawing class ends, I file out of the small room and into the museum. I look around, wondering if I will be able to see Rachel, or of she’s nearly done with work. The Louvre is amazing. I can’t believe Rachel was able to score me a class here. I’m almost sorry I have to give it up.
