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mbavholidayexchange · 4 months

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to: @doublemyheight from: @bloodykora

Title: Art Therapy | Rating: Teen | Word Count: 2.3k | Summary: Erica's been given gentle detention with Mr. G, in a hope of letting her release her inner emotions he persuades her to paint. Rory tags along too because the more the merrier.

They had sat in that classroom for what felt like hours, in reality it had been about 40 minutes. It was a practice her guidance counselor had recommended after she may have gotten in trouble for "bullying" one of the fresh men. She wasn't necessarily a troublemaker but Erica's attitude was beginning to be known by the teachers and principal.

Mr. G volunteered to supervise Erica while she painted out some of her aggression. Which she had already been highly embarrassed before Rory practically signed himself up for it too. Wanting any excuse to be near her, to be with her. In turn ruining any escape plans Erica may have had. She would've been dreading it if it weren't for the small little flutter in her heart considering she wouldn't be as alone in the classroom.

"Now Erica, this is not a punishment or something to be ashamed of. Everybody has feelings that are sometimes too big for their body, all I want is for you to paint something. Anything. As long as it's finished, you will be free to go." Mr. G presents his words with a smile in front of the canvas and easel before walking back to the desk. Taking a seat and beginning paperwork.

She had sat there since, a few lines drawn on with a pencil but her mind drawing a blank. And everytime Rory would try to initiate conversation, Mr. G would stop and remind him that it was Erica's time to reflect and that talking could be done later. And that he had his own thing to pay attention to, gesturing to the canvas in front of him as well. She had memorized the cracks in the wooden easel, how the grooves wove through the material. Listening to the ticking of the clock, the repetitive clicks of Mr. G's keyboard as he emailed other teachers, the taps of Rory's vans hitting the tile floor. She would sneak peeks at him, hoping his insistent fidgeting would ignite something in her brain to snap and start something on the white in front of her.

'What would mom do? She wouldn't even be here, she isn't here.' Her thoughts ramble on as any teenage with parental issues would.

She leans to the side, sneaking a glance at Mr. G before picking up her pencil. Her fingers roll it a bit before gently writing a delicate fuck you onto the canvas. She grins, taking a small amount of pride in her victory. A true rebellion to the institution.

Rory’s eyes flutter to the blonde next to him, he always felt like she casted this glow onto him. And it wasn’t just because of her beauty. He had always looked up to her independence and strong will, even before when they were both humans. Behind her shy and polite exterior hid the fire that vampirism had so welcomingly brought out. His lips crack into a smile, reading over the words lightly scrawled onto her art project. He sits, watching as she puts her hand near her mouth, slightly picking at her bottom lip.

The sound of a chair scraping draws both their attentions, Mr. G having now stood up.

“I hope you both are ready to show me at least something over there!” He says with an excitement only an art/history/whatever he taught teacher could have. Erica’s small smirk had dropped, the whole fuck the system was going to now bite her in the ass. Her hands drop, mouth agape as her mind races for some excuse to stop him.

Next to her Rory automatically dips his hand into his cup of maroon, previously using it for spot marks on the yellow that had been thickly added to his masterpiece. Having gotten it from the crate in between them on the ground holding all different colours, brushes and red solo cups. Before even having a second thought he gently smacks onto hers, paint splattering with a slap sound. Erica’s face flinches, turning to the side to avoid the spray getting onto her. Her eyebrows furrow as her eyes re-open, turning to look at him in shock and a smidge of anger. His eyes meet her furious ones, shrugging his shoulders in defense.

“Rory! Now that is not how we encourage Erica, you need to apologize to her.” Mr. G says, coming around and behind them. Staring at the two portraits, shaking his head to himself. Rory is quick to fess up.

“I apologize Erica, I am not sure why I did it. Just popped into my brain and I did it, I can clean up what I did.” His words are half sincere, knowing it did just pop into his head but not feeling remorse considering the words that had been there before were now covered.

“Well, I am off to get paper towels. Now you two don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone.” He waits for the confirmation, finally turning to leave when they both nod in agreement. They watch as he opens the classroom door and leaves.

“What did you do that for? I would have figured something out, now mine is all dirty you genius!” Her voice lets out in a hushed whisper, hands gesturing with her words.

“You had eff you on there, and there was no time.” He half explains, she knew and understood why he did it. A part of her felt relieved too yet she still had the difficulty of receiving the help her friends, and more, had to offer.

They both sit quietly, fidgeting with hands and hair. Erica takes a breath, finally pushing away the mental wall.

“I like your giraffe.” Her words barely take a second to register in Rory’s ears before he perks up, turning to face her fully in excitement.

“Did you know wild giraffes fight with their necks? They whip each other with them, it’s very strange and a tad silly. They also have very long tongues that’s black and then purple slash pinkish!” He rambles a bit as she listens, staring blankly.

“I didn’t know you liked them that much.” She sighs out, finally taking a brush in her hand. She begins to spread the colour sporadically over the white. Breaking the tension that now seemed so non serious between her and the assignment.

“They’re so cool! Well, cool in the chill way. They don’t compare to crocodiles cause they are more of a dangerous cool.” Erica ponders for a moment before glancing at Rory beside her.

“Do they have any natural predators?”

“No, only humans! Adult crocodiles are so strong they’re top of the food chain, except the babies. They are sometimes hunted by raccoons or bir-” His rambling gets cut off by Erica who although was curious, she did not care about wetland ecosystems that much.

“I meant giraffes dude.”

“Oh.” He pauses nodding before continuing again. “They do have some like lions or hyenas, even leopards! But to be fair, they are herbivores. Not hunters like the other animals I mentioned. Actually, scientists report that only a quarter of baby giraffes make it to adulthood because of their natural predators.”

She nods and listens, looking back to the canvas. Her thoughts rush through her subconscious as Rory continues to talk, he keeps his gaze on her as he mumbles on though. Her canvas has become dark, black residing on the outer edges before fading into a maroon and then into a crimson red in the middle. He readjusts on his stool before realizing the red had taken the shape of a heart.

“What are you painting?”

“Not sure, something vampiric though. Dark and gloomy like our eternal souls.” She lets her more whimsical side shine in her words.

“Woah, that sounded like it would be out of your Dusk books.” She smirks, nodding in what Rory could only assume was pride.

She continues on, reaching down to grab a new cup and colour. Taking a smaller brush to add a tan kinda tone in the middle of the red in a smallish line. She pauses, waiting for the layer to dry before going back in.

“You know, Mr. G is taking his sweet time.” Erica remarks, checking the clock on the wall in front of them.

“I wonder if he or us slipped into an alternate dimension, like when we pulled Benny and Ethan and Sarah out of that weird ghost-like state.” Her hand shoots up as if to block what he said, like she was keeping his aura at bay.

“Do not start manifesting that, it’s the last thing I need right now.” He snickers at her comment.

“You’re starting to sound like Benny.” Her mouth falls open into shock, looking insulted.

“How could you ever say that to me? I’m way more sophisticated and hotter than him.” Her hand goes back down to her thigh, still in shock at Rory’s comparison.

She presses a finger onto the canvas, testing the wetness of the paint. She looks onto her finger tips, noticing no stain left. She picks the black paint back up, stealing Rory’s black paint brush. Dipping it into the cup before moving close to the canvas, steadying her arm on the easel. Her purple painted nailed hand gently begins to make the shape of an eye, the outer rim and the circle of the pupil. She takes her hand back, looking at her artwork. The lighter colour she put down earlier was to resemble the skin of the eyelid fold above the eye. She goes back in, finishing some of the details such as eyelashes and lines, not disturbing the other parts she had just painted.

“Wow, that looks great Erica!” A voice booms over the pair of them as Erica pulls back from her creation. She jumps a bit due to her being fully concentrated in the work.

“Maybe you just needed the authoritarian figure out of the way to break out of your shell a bit, this makes a lot of sense.” He begins to tap his finger on his chin before walking to his desk, scooping the pile of pages up before returning back near the exit.

“Now, I am going to trust you both. I am heading just next door to finish up my paperwork, I’ll come check on yous in every so often. I want you to keep the creative energy flowing!” Rory nods excitedly and Mr. G exits the room. Leaving the vampires again.

“Well, maybe now we can sneak out. I don’t think there’s anything else to add to mine.” Erica mumbles, turning back to her station.

“Nuh uh! You are missing the best part.” She looks to him with her eyebrows furrow, insinuating she had no clue what he was referring to.

“You have to sign it, every artist signs their painting.” He explains, turning back to his canvas. Picking up a brush, dipping it into a green he had for a leaf that the giraffe was chewing on and scribbled his name messily in the corner.

“See, gotta leave the artist mark.”

“I am not an artist, besides. I don't even know if I'll keep it.” She sighs, finding the whole exercise Mr. G had insisted upon as stupid. However her actions go against her words as she lightly writes E.J in the corner of it.

“Well, if you don't want it. Then I'll take it!” Rory insists, getting to his feet way faster then Erica had expected. She stutters over her words as he happily trots around her and lifts it off her work station.

“I think it would go beautifully with the Star Wars poster and mathematics award on my wall.” He says, mostly to himself yet Erica feels a sense of pride in her chest.

“If you want it that badly then sure, take whatever your heart desires.” The end of the sentenced is more muttered out as she brushes her hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, you're right. I should give something back, make it a fair trade.” He scans around the room ad Erica questions how she had fallen for the blond with almost no social awareness. His eyes fall onto his giraffes, his beloved giraffes. She follows his gaze onto them, understanding how big of a present it would mean.

“Rory I don't something in return, its fine. I was just whining.” She tries to convince him. But he insistently shakes his head.

“You have to take good care of them, make sure they like the spot they will be in. You have to say hello to them as well and they like Elton John.” A small smile begins to appear on her face as he talks about them like they're alive.

“Rory, I will take care of them like they are my children. Okay?” For a moment Rory could actually see her wall come down for a moment, her face softens as she speaks to him. He stops talking, smiling widely before nodding to her.

“You wanna get outta here? I know a super place where we could catch some coyotes!” His eagerness bounces through him, grabbing his jacket and bag. Slinging it over his shoulder as his other hand holds the painting.

“Ew coyotes! Why can't we just nibble on a college student and be done with it?” Erica states, getting up to grab her stuff along with Rory's painting.

“I swore to Ethan I'd never drink from a person without their permission.” Rory looks at Erica, half disappointed. They had already had long talks about human vs animal consumption.

“Ughh you're no fun.” She lets out before they hear a familiar voice through the echo of the hall.

“How are we doing over here guys?” Footsteps being to approach, the blondes quickly look at each other. Erica breaks into a grin before running out the door, going in a spur. Rory follows her right after.

The only thing Mr. G finds left behind are used solos cups, some paint splatter and two empty easels.

#my babysitter's a vampire #mbav holiday exchange #mbav #mbavholidayexchange #erica jones #rory keaner

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