Aaron's POV:

"All contestants, you have 30 minutes to set up your artwork", the voice from the loud speaker pierces into the silent room.

Kayla is on the floor sobbing. I have never seen her cry before and it wrenches at my heart.

Because deep down, I know that it is all my fault.

I try to ignore the little voice in my head which is blaming me, even though I know it is my fault.

I have to find a way to solve this.

"Don't you have another artwork to enter into the competition?", I ask Kayla.

She slowly looks up at me, her face drenched in tears as she shakes her head.

"I have to – ", she breaks down in tears again and Steph crouches down beside her, hugging her head against her chest. I want to comfort her as well, but now is not the moment to succumb to emotions.

I need to fix this.

I turn to look at Quinn who is standing awkwardly above Kayla, patting her head, camera around her neck.

"Kayla has many pieces of art. Surely you have pictures of some of the ones that Kayla ripped?"

"I have pictures of all her torn art – ", Quinn starts slowly as she lightly touches her afro.

"That's awesome!", I break in, turning to look at Kayla. I expect her to look a bit happier, but her head is in her hands and the tears continue to run.

"The rules of the competition state that you need both photographic proof and the artwork.", Quinn tells me.

I immediately deflate.

"So there is really nothing we can do?", I ask, running my hands through my hair.

Quinn looks down, her eyes avoiding mine.

"Let me see your camera", I ask, desperate for something to do. I can't just stand there watching Kayla being sad and knowing that I am partially responsible for it.

Quinn seems to understand how I feel because she hands me her camera without a further question.

Slowly, I begin to scroll through the pictures. Most of them, I recognize because I have seen them before since I come into the arts class after Kayla is done painting. Also, pieces of the paintings are strewn around the floor.

Some of the pictures don't only show the pictures, but Kayla as well and my heart jumps at her sad expression, sometimes a glimpse of tears behind her eyes. I have to hold back my own tears at the sight of her looking so sad, and it doesn't make me feel better knowing that I am the cause of it.

As I go through the photos, I can't help but admire Quinn's talent with photography. Kayla's artwork is gorgeous but with Quinn getting all the right angles and lightings, it looks simply angelic. I recognise all the artworks but seeing it in this form feels like the experience of a lifetime.

As I scroll on, I begin to get to other pictures that are not of Kayla's art, probably because Quinn took these before Kayla was preparing for the competition. I am just about to hand Quinn back her camera when something catches my eye.

It's a picture of a piece of art – but it isn't one that I've seen before. It looks like the tattoo shop that we passed on the first day that we ditched school to go to the arcade. And is that an ice-cream in the foreground?

"Quinn, what is this?", I ask , thrusting the camera towards her.

Quinn catches the camera and looks at the picture, her expression a mix of confusion and then acknowledgement.

"Oh, I remember this.", she says, her voice getting far away. "This is how I met Kayla. She was painting this picture and I came in to take pictures for the...", her coice fades away and a look of realization comes across her face.

"Let me see that", Steph says and she snatches the camera away from Quinn to get a look at the picture.

Her face instantly lights up.

"Kay, you have to see this"

Kayla looks up just as Steph practically shoves the camera into her face.

She gasps.

"Quinn, how do you still have this?"

"That's not important right now", I cut in as Quinn opens her mouth to explain. "Where is the painting?"

I've been looking around the arts class for the painting, but I can't see it anywhere. However, I don't believe Alicia tore it up.

Which leaves one option.

Kayla sniffs a bit. "It's actually back at my house."

My fears have been confirmed. It's at least a twenty-minute drive between Kayla's house and the school.

I look at Kayla, anxiously twisting the ring around her finger, her face devoid of any colour and her eyes beginning to lose hope, and I know that right now I will do anything for her – even go to the very ends of the earth for her.

"Kay, do you trust me,", I ask, kneeling down so that our faces are level.

She hesitates for a second – then she nods.

"Set up for your presentation. Your easel and other stuff. Get ready with the other contestants."

I turn to Quinn. "Get those photos to the judges as evidence."

"And what are you going to do?", Steph asks.

I turn to walk out the door, setting a timer on my watch.

"I'm going to get Kayla's picture."

🏈🏈🏈

I drive like a crazy person. I know where Kayla's house is, and I know that if I can get the picture for her in time, she'll be able to participate in her competition.

Within ten minutes, I am at Kayla's house. I glance at my watch: twenty minutes till judging starts.

I run to the front door and turn the handle.

Locked.

In retrospect, I should have asked Kayla for her house key, but in the heat of the moment I must have forgotten.

I could kick myself in frustration.

Now what am I to do?

I walk around the perimeter of the house, trying every door and window, but they are all locked.

I look up to the window of Kayla's room – I know it is hers from the time I was last here.

And I notice that it is open.

If only I could get up there.

I look at the tree growing beside the window, a branch leading into her room, and I have an idea.

🏈🏈🏈

It is easier to scale the tree than I thought, and soon, I land with a thump in Kayla's room.

Clothes scattered everywhere, papers and paint stains greet me, but I have no time to look at that or even focus on anything but scanning the walls, looking for the picture. There are quite a few paintings, but the moment I see it, I gasp.

Kayla's picture is even more breathtaking in person. The mix of the colours, the contrast between the dark background and the calm gentle tones of ice-cream, everything so well detailed – amazing.

Gently, I take the painting down from the wall, holding it close as I use my fingers to gently trace over it. I imagine Kayla's emotions as she painted it, her long hair and intense green eyes staring at the artwork.

My watch beeping brings me back to the present. I glance down anxiously at it.

Ten minutes left.

Hastily, I make my way to the window. It is a bit harder to climb down with only one hand, but I refuse to let go of Kayla's painting. This is the only chance for her to enter the competition and I am not going to mess it up.

As soon as I get down, I sprint for my car. I glance at my watch again.

Eight minutes.

I know I can make it – I made it to Kayla's house in ten minutes, and I know I can make it back to the school.

I gun the engine, and turn the car out of Kayla's driveway and down the road. Soon I am speeding, the wind tousling my hair.

But soon I am forced to slow down. The car in front of me isn't moving. I honk my horn, trying to get the driver to speed up. Don't they know it is an emergency?

But the car in front of me is also honking their horns. In fact, all of the cars around me are honking their horns.

A traffic jam.

All the cars are at a standstill, no one moving at all. Hit the horn in frustration, even though I know that it will do nothing. The school isn't that far away, but in this traffic, I'll never make it in time.

A glance at my watch reveals that there are only five minutes left till the competition starts.

In frustration, I turn my car onto the curb. I park and get out, making sure that I have Kayla's painting secured in my hand.

Then I start to run.

I feel the wind rush against me as my legs cover the ground in front of me. I've always been a good runner, but mostly for sprints and short distances. I don't fare very well with long distance running.

It's not that far, I try to think to myself as my breath comes out in pants.

I feel like I've been funning for hours, but a quick glance at my watch reveals that I've been running for three minutes.

Two more minutes.

I feel my adrenaline pumping, giving me an extra burst of speed.

I can see the school gates in front of me – just a few paces away. And I see two people waiting in front – on person has a shock of red hair, the other a piercing green stare that I could spot from a mile away.

"Aaron, what happened?", Kayla asks as I practically collapse beside them.

"Car... Traffic... Had to run", I manage to pant out as Kayla gently runs her finger down the length of my face.

Steph reaches out, collecting the picture from me and staring at it in awe.

"We need to get this on your easel", she says, turning to Kayla. "The judges will be there in no time, and Quinn has already given them the photographs of your artwork."

Kayla nods, her eyes still on my face. "Thank you", she says with a smile and I feel all the exhaustion draining out of me just staring at how happy she is – how happy I've made her.

And then, with a backwards glance at me, she enters into the school building.

🏈🏈🏈

The judges have long since looked at the artwork, and I have to admit that it's been absolutely nerve-wracking. All the paintings were amazing, but there was a girl from another school who had a gorgeous piece that seemed to symbolize the detoriation of the earth due to pollution whose artwork was simply excellent. It was beautiful and touching, and the judges - two men and one woman who seemed to be in charge - seemed to be very moved by it.

However, they seemed very impressed by Kayla's art, almost astonished as if they couldn't believe the colours and contrast in scenery.

They've been out discussing for a while, and I have been feeling anxious. A quick glance at Kayla shows that she is feeling the same. She catches my eyes and gives me a quick grin, before her eyes travel back to the judges' table where the judges have their heads close together as they whisper amongst themselves.

After a few more minutes, the judges turn to face the school. The mumblings in the room cease, and everyone turns to look at them. The room is immediately quiet and filled with tense energy.

The female judge in the middle stands up.

"First of all, congratulations to all the contestants seated up here.", she gestures towards them, and the hall claps politely. "You all have so much talent and potential, and I cannot wait for you all to grow up and become talented artists."

There is another round of applause, and I notice Kayla smile a bit.

"Now, the moment you have all been waiting for, the moment that we announce the winners of the art contest"

A hush falls over the hall, as everyone practically strains forward in their seats.

"In third position, we have Jason Greene from Seaside High"

A cheer goes up as a tanned boy with golden blonde hair stands and waves to the audience. He goes to stand by his painting – a watercolor scenic view of the pool formed by a waterfall in the middle of two mountains.

"Second position goes to Gina Jones from Brookville High"

Loud cheers come from a corner of the room where I assume the other Brookville High students are. Giana Jones – a tall willowy girl with hazel skin complexion and dark auburn curls gets up and stands by her art which is the one that seems to talk about earth pollution.

"And first position...", the judge draws out the words, building up the anticipation. "For this art piece, we had to consider a lot of things but its complexity, the detail and the obvious talent of the artist made us pick them."

Everyone is looking visibly strained as the woman looks around at us with a smile. "The winner of our art competition is no other than Kayla Jones from Meadowbrook High"

The hall erupts with screams and cheers as a stunned yet proud looking Kayla takes her place beside her artwork. Camera's flash from all directions as people hurry to take her picture, a picture of her art, a picture of her with the judges.

Then she calls Quinn and Steph and they pose for a picture together.

Shyly, her emerald eyes find mine, and she gestures me over as well.

I shuffle my feet until I am right beside her.

"Thank you", she whispers, as the photographers move us closer together. Her hand brushes against mine, but before she can pull away, I grab it and look into her eyes.

"Kayla, I know now is not the best of times, but I lost you once due to procrastination and I'm not going to make the same mistake again."

Kayla pauses, glancing up at me, her eyes searching my face. A lump forms in my throat. What if she doesn't like me that way? What if we were just friends to her?

But I plow on anyway.

"I like you, Kay. A lot. You're fun, pretty and special. You are bad, yet you're just so good and well...and I was wondering... well maybe we could put the fake dating aside and start dating for...real this time."

Kayla takes in her breath sharply.

"Or if you don't want to, that's also good as well. I wouldn't blame you if..."

But Kayla pulls me towards her, silencing me with a kiss. Her hands tangle in my hair and I am vaguely aware of the hall cheering as I grab her by the waist, opening my mouth slightly to deepen the kiss.

Camera's flash around us, but as Kayla sighs and leans  against me, her mouth still on mine, I am not bothered at all.

I am kissing Kayla Barnes and that's all that matters.

A/N: I am so very sorry for not posting on Saturday. I've been really busy with school and I was not in a good place emotionally at the time. Please don't be too angry at me 😓😓😓

Anyway, what do you think of the chapter? Alicia's plan failed, and now Aaron and Kayla are going to be an official couple. I am so happy for both of them.

We're soon coming to the end of this book 😭. 

But before that, I have a little surprise for you.

Don't forget to vote and comment loves. See you in the next chapter 💋💋💋