I glare down at my sheet of paper. There's nothing on it except the lines that originally came with it. Some fiery strands of hair fall into my face for the umpteenth time today and I finally relent and pull it back into a high pony tail.

"What's up chickadee?" I look up from the paper and meet Cameron's smiling eyes. She slides into the seat across from me and looks between the paper and my no doubt annoyed expression. "Still can't figure out what you're going to do for the senior project?" There's a small amount of pity in her voice that ticks me off slightly. I shove down my annoyance, though, because it's not right to take it out on Cameron.

She's got enough troubles with those attacks.

"Yeah. I've no idea what I'm supposed to freaking do! I mean, I get the gist of it, kind of, but what am I supposed to put down for being a model?" Cameron leans her chin on her hand and I look over as more people enter the library. The place is quickly becoming packed with other seniors in similar positions as me. "There's only two weeks left until we're done here and this stupid thing is due in half that time!" I shoot the paper another glare before sighing and lying my head down on the cool, wooden table.

"Well, why don't you write about how you'd get an internship or maybe the process in which you'll get into the industry?"

"Yeah, I've got all that down it's a matter of getting something more to carry my project further. My writing ability isn't all that. I've barely managed to pass my composition class. It was such hell." We fall into a silence at that until I finally sit back up and move the annoying piece of blank paper aside. "So, how's your art piece going?" Cameron practically beams at the question and it seems to lessen my frustration for the moment.

"It's coming along great! I'm so excited to find out what the teachers will think of it as my final project." She goes into telling me about all the details of the project and how she originally got the idea for it. I just sit there and listen, content with doing nothing else. I've already heard this story a hundred times over, but the excitement in which Cameron explains everything just makes it better every time. When she's finally done she has to catch her breath. "It's really great." She said once more and I just nod.

"I bet. When do I get to see this amazing piece of art work?"

"You'll be the second one!" I raise an eyebrow at that and can't stop the knowing smile from spreading across my face.

"Oh? Let me guess. Sean will be the first?" Cameron's cheeks heat up at the name and she looks down at the table, her brown hair shielding her face from view. I catch her nod ever so slightly and my smile widens. "So, are you guys official now or what?" Cameron starts toying with the bottom of her shirt and she looks towards the entrance of the library.

"Well, I mean, I don't really know." I snort at that.

"How do you not know? I mean, you guys have been hanging out practically everyday in between classes and on weekends. It honestly feels like I've lost my best friend." I'm only joking around, but a small amount of hurt does leak into my voice. It doesn't go unnoticed by Cameron either.

"I'm so sorry! I really don't mean to do that to you! Really." She starts breathing harder and I can tell by the panicked look in her eyes that she's starting to have an attack. I reach over and place my hand on hers.

"Hey, hey, it's alright. Don't worry about it. You're happy, right?" I asked and she nods. "Then I'm happy. Really." Her breathing seems to calm slightly and I relax a little.

"I just don't want to neglect my friend at all. You're right, we haven't been hanging out all the much recently."

"Then, how about you do my portrait? You always used to let me model for your artworks, remember?" Cameron nods and smiles at the memories and I know I've successfully calmed her down. I lean back in my chair and sigh in relief.

Man, you really need to choose words carefully around her.

"I've got it!" I jump as Cameron slams her hands down on the wooden table. My wide, surprised eyes meet hers.

"Got what?" I asked warily and Cameron smiles brightly at me as she quickly moves from the table.

"I know that extra thing you need to push your project up and over the teachers expectations." Cameron clamps down on my wrist and pulls me from the table. I scramble to grab my things before I'm being dragged out of the library.

"Okay? What is it?" She looks back at me as she says,

"You're going to model."

***

"Wait, what's going on?" The guy, Xavier, asked. He's as baffled as I am by this sudden turn of events. I look over at Cameron as she explains the situation to both of us once more.

"You still need something to do your project on and Lauren needs something to propel her project further. Both of you can work together and help the other. Lauren can be your project and your picture of her can be her propeller forward." Xavier and I look at each other after that, studying one another.

I've seen Cameron hanging out with him every once in a while. They're both in the art club and exceptionally good with paintings. Though, Cameron clearly has him outmatched as our schools 'Prodigy Painter'. I've never actually talked to the guy before now.

He pushes some brown hair out of his dark green eyes before holding his hand out to me.

"We should probably introduce ourselves first and foremost. My name's Xavier." I take his hand and smile kindly as I say,

"Lauren. Nice to meet you. So, do you want to work on this project together?" We release each others hand and Xavier shrugs like it doesn't matter either way.

"I'm down with it if you are. If I don't do this, I'll probably be screwed." I nod in understanding.

"Then, I guess we're in the same boat." Xavier flashes me a smile and my heart stutters for a moment in my chest.

"I guess we are." Cameron claps in excitement and we both look towards her.

"Yay! This is perfect." I smile and then look behind her as Sean enters the art room. He nods in greeting to Xavier and I before smiling at Cameron's back and sneaking up behind her. His arm snakes around her front and he pulls her back. She yelps like a pup and looks up, wide eyed at Sean.

"Hey, you ready to go? Ice cream won't wait around forever." She nods, still wide eyed as a doe caught in lights. "Good." Sean looks back up at Xavier and I. "Catch you guys later." He leads Cameron out of the room leaving Xavier and I alone.

"They're totally dating." Xavier said and I nod.

"Totally." Without thinking I hold my fist up and Xavier bumps his against mine. I smirk up at him and he returns it. "You know, ice cream sounds pretty good in this heat. What'd you say? Tomorrow at the local shop in town around noonish?" Xavier raises an eyebrow in surprise.

"Aren't you gung ho about getting this project done?"

"Gung ho? I didn't realize that was still being used in this century." I said, still smiling as I walk backwards towards the door, my eyes never leaving Xavier's.

"I'm an old soul."

"You're something alright. See you tomorrow, Xavier."

"Later, Lauren." I leave the classroom with a huge smile.

***

"Hey, did you wait long?" I asked as I step into the ice cream parlor. Xavier sits beside the door flipping through his sketchbook. His dark green eyes look up and meet mine.

"Nah, I just got here." I breathe out a sigh of relief as I slump down into the chair. "Good, I was worried there for a moment. I kind of over slept my alarm by an hour this morning." I run my hands through my straightened hair. "I barely had time to do my hair on top of everything else." Xavier raises an eyebrow at that.

"You straighten your hair?"

"Yeah." He looks thoughtful for a moment before saying,

"I would've like to see the curls." I can feel my cheeks heat up at that and I have to look away in embarrassment.

"They're not all that great. It's really hard to manage."

"All the more reason they'll look gorgeous when managed." My entire face must look like a tomato by now and I quickly stand from my seat.

"I'm just gonna go grab the ice cream. Anything in particular that you want?" I asked still not able to meet Xavier's eyes.

"No, I'm good for now." I nod and hurry to the counter.

When I come back, calmed down and ready to work, Xavier eyes my bowl of blue ice cream warily.

"What is that?"

"Cotton Candy." I said happily as I take a bite. "It's delicious."

"I'll take your word for it. Anyway," He starts and I sit up a little straighter. "I figured I could do a few sketches to get a feel for drawing you and then we could start brainstorming some ideas." I eat another spoonful of my ice cream before pushing the bowl aside and nodding.

"Sounds like a plan. Make sure you get my good side, though." Xavier looks away from his sketch pad and smiles at me.

"Sorry, what side is that again?" I shoot him a glare and he chuckles. "Joking, joking. They're all good sides." With that, he gets to work quickly falling into silence and focusing solely on the picture.

My ice cream begins melting at some point and I sigh at how sad it looks. Xavier doesn't say anything to me while he draws and I quickly get bored with sitting here doing absolutely nothing.

I forgot how long this stuff usually takes. It's been forever since Cameron's actually drawn me.

I look around the small ice cream parlor, people watching. Most of them are couples chatting happily and I start wondering how Xavier and I look together. I quickly slam down that line of thinking as I look back towards him.

"So, what got you interested in art?" I asked, unable to take the silence any longer. It takes him so long to respond that I actually start thinking he didn't hear me.

"I like the therapeutic side of it."

"The therapeutic side of it?" Xavier nods and continues on.

"Yeah. It's nice being able to express myself so freely with the art work. It's a lot better than what I used to do." My interest becomes peeked and I find myself leaning a little bit closer to him as I ask,

"What did you use to do?" Xavier looks up from his sketch pad and meets my eyes only momentarily before looking back down at the paper.

"Punch holes in my wall." I choke on a laugh at that only half expecting it to be a joke. From the serious look in his eyes, I know it's not. Before I can question it he continues on. "My family life didn't always use to be so great. We always used to put on a front for the outside world while everything behind the scenes was very different. My parents were always cheating on each other and arguing about everything. My older sister was out all hours of the night doing god knows what. I was in my teenage rebellious phase so I started punching holes in my wall to relieve anger and stress." Xavier shrugs like this is all completely normal. He continues to draw.

"What happened?"

"My younger brother killed himself." Everything seems to go silent around us at that. My chest tightens and my stomach twists painfully. For a moment I feel like I'm about to lose my breakfast and the two bites of ice cream I took. Xavier looks up at me and smiles, though I can see the pain behind it. "Hey, don't worry about it. Things are a lot better now. My parents got counseling, my sister became less of well, yeah and I started painting and drawing."

"That doesn't mean it didn't happen. That doesn't mean it didn't hurt any less." I look down at the table and grip my hands into tight fists. "I'm sorry, about your brother." We're both quiet and I glance up at him through my lashes. "How did he..." My sentence trails off.

"With my fathers pistol in our room. It's one of the reasons my mom and him fought so much. If he'd just kept it locked up properly, my brother might not have been able to get to it."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I." The atmosphere around us seems to get much darker then and the only sounds after that are the pencil scratching along the paper as Xavier continues to draw me. I look out the window and watch as a number of people pass by, smiles on their faces as they enjoy the warm and beautiful weather. Despite it being so hot outside I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of a blizzard.

Xavier and I don't speak anymore after that. Him too focused on the drawing and me stuck in the turmoil of my own thoughts.

What do you say to something like that? How do you convey you're sorry without making it feel so cheap and like it's not enough?

I wonder and then bite down on the inside of my cheek.

You can't because it won't change anything anyway. There's nothing that can be said to lessen that type of pain. Nothing.

I can feel my eyes heat up from oncoming tears and I force myself to hold them back.

Then, there's only one thing I can really do, right?

I look back over at Xavier and gasp when my eyes unexpectedly meet his. I'm even more shocked to see him smiling so warmly at me like he hasn't ever experienced any of what he just told me about.

That does me in and the tears spill over. Xavier's smile falters at that.

"Do you not like it that much?" He asked looking between my crying self and down to the picture he has facing me. I look at it and cover my hands over my mouth at the beauty of it.

"It's amazing." I cry and stand up from my chair. Before either of us can do or say anything I pull him into a hug and squeeze tightly. Xavier only freezes up. "It's beautiful." After another moment he slowly relaxes and leans into my hug.

"Well, it's pretty easy to draw something beautiful when the subject is stunning." I squeeze him tighter and his warm hand comes up to rest on my arm. I can hear the smile in his voice and feel the calm radiating off of him as he whispers, "Thank you."

Day 15, story 15 COMPLETED!!! Holy crapola guys and gals, we're 15 days into this little challenge. I am baffled by that. It's almost over. Three more days and the story will be coming to a close. It's a little heart breaking just thinking about it. Tell me your thoughts on the story this time around and, if you enjoyed it, press that little star button to give it a vote! Until tomorrow Bookoholic's!