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That very day I went upstairs just before the guests arrived. I tiptoed to my bedroom and put a chair in front of the door, to prevent anyone from entering. Ever since I was little, when I lived with my birth parents, I was taught different methods to defend myself. I even took taekwondo classes. The teachers constantly praised me, since I progressed very fast. Unfortunately, all of my classmates teased me for all sorts of things: my hair colour, my height (I've always been really tall), my clothes... Everything that they could think of. Deep inside me I knew that they just teased me because they were jealous, but I often found myself crying because of them. I'm not a sensitive girl, but so many things had happened in the past few years, and I was just confused and didn't know what to do. Once I made sure that no one was close, I spontaneously decided to change my look and disguise myself as a boy. Yes, that sounds weird, but I was willing to do anything to avoid wearing that dress. I've never liked dresses, unlike all the girls my age. I always like to wear clothes that are considered more "masculine", like trousers and hoodies. I went to a small mirror that was on the wall, and searched for a loose piece of glass that was on the floor. I got closer to the mirror and held all of my hair in one hand and the chunk of glass in the other. I took a deep breath and delivered the cut. There was no going back. I looked at myself once more, and I quite liked the new look, I felt free. I didn't change into the dress, keeping my dirty clothes on. I hid the evidence under the blanket and waited for the guests to arrive. I waited for what seemed like hours, and I heard the doorbell. I ran downstairs and welcomed our guests. There was a woman with really curly dark hair, wearing a poofy hot pink dress and really tall high-heel shoes. She had a big purse and a weird hat with feathers. Behind her was a short man, with a big moustache. He was wearing a tall hat and an elegant suit. Just when I thought that no one else was there, I saw... Elise! What was she doing there?

"Hello, little boy, where is the girl that Birsha mentioned?" She asked.

"I don't know who you're talking about. It's just me... Ethon. I work here, I'll lead you to Birsha" I said, trying my best to sound like a boy. The problem is that my voice was pretty high, so it was very difficult. I said a random boy name, so that it didn't feel suspicious.

I led them to the big lounge that I had just cleaned. I looked at Elise, she had an uncomfortable look on her face. Her usual cheery smile turned into more of a worried look. Then, Birsha arrived with another poofy dress.

"Welcome, welcome. I trust that Nerissa lead you here nicely. She is just an adorable girl, isn't she" She said, putting on a very fake smile.

"What girl, it was a boy called Ethon. He said that he was the only one" Said the woman.

Birsha looked in my direction. We made eye contact, and at that moment, I knew that I had messed up. "Shoot!" I exclaimed. It seems like my disguise isn't as good as I thought it to be. I looked at Elise, and she gave me a little smile. On impulse, I grabbed her hand and ran outside with her. I had no idea where I was going, but I didn't stop running. After a while, we stopped at a nearby town to regain our energy. We decided to explore the stalls; and I saw a painting. There was an elderly woman with straight grey hair painting a landscape. I was genuinely impressed, it looked so real! I went closer and decided to ask her a few questions, something about painting just inspired me.

"Um, excuse me, can you teach me how to paint?" I asked, feeling a little bit nervous.

"Of course, darling! Here, use this white canvas" She said, handing me a little canvas.

"Just choose the colour that you like and dip the paintbrush in it. Pass it around the canvas and paint whatever you like" She kindly said.

She showed me different colours, and the first one that caught my eye was teal. I was very concentrated on my work, and kept adding paint. Elise just stared at me, confused and impressed at the same time. I decide that it's done, and step back a bit to look at it with more precision.

As I stand before the canvas, my eyes are drawn into a world full with the mesmerising hue of teal. It envelops me, wrapping me in its tranquil embrace, suffusing every corner of the painting with its soothing presence. The expanse of teal stretches across the canvas like a vast ocean, its depths shifting and undulating with a sense of boundless mystery. Within this sea of teal, hints of other colours emerge, adding depth and contrast to the composition. Wisps of cerulean dance along the surface, shimmering in the gentle light, while streaks of aquamarine mingle with the teal, creating intricate patterns that seem to ripple and flow like water. This is exactly what I wanted to show in my art!

Amidst this serene expanse, delicate shapes begin to emerge, their forms blurred and softened by the ethereal quality of the teal. They drift and sway, like ghostly apparitions, their presence ephemeral yet undeniable. Each brushstroke whispers of untold stories, inviting the viewer to linger and explore the depths of the painting's teal-infused world.

As I gaze upon this masterpiece, I am filled with a sense of calm and wonder, lost in the infinite expanse of teal that stretches out before me. It is a world of dreams and possibilities, where reality melts away, leaving only the soothing embrace of teal to guide the way. The lady smiled widely and patted my shoulder.

"This is a masterpiece—worthy of an Art Museum–, child. How ever can you have made this! Are you sure that you have no experience?" She asked teasingly.

"Well, of course I'm sure" I answered truthfully.

" I'm Dove. Darling, you have great potential. Here, take these other canvases, paint and a paintbrush. Use them to fill the world with your magnificent creations!" She said, smiling.

"Erm, I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to take it from you" I answered in return. This woman was being really nice.

"Take it, I insist" She said once again. I gave in and took them in my left arm.

"Thank you so much, Dove. I will never forget this moment" I said.

"You're welcome, dear. What's your name?" She asked. I forgot to tell her my name!!

"I'm Nerissa Hallie" I answered back.

"Nice name for a young artist. I look forward to seeing you soon!" She finally said and waved. I couldn't help myself, and I hugged her.

Elise nudged me on the shoulder. "You sure are a work of art", she said. She really likes to joke all the time! We walked towards the centre of the village. I stopped. I have no idea where we are! We're lost!

I started to panic, but Elise calmed me down and looked for a map. After wandering for a while, we were stopped by a boy that seemed around our age.

"Hello, ladies. My name is Marcus, and you are?" He asked us. We exchanged confused looks. The boy was slightly shorter than me, and he had jet black hair. His eyes were a piercing shade of blue, and his skin was very pale. He seemed weird, I couldn't put my finger on it. He got closer to me, and winked, expecting an answer.

"Erm, I'm Nerissa and this is Elise. We're not from here" I said, slightly scared. He got even closer to me and said:

"Girl, you're proof that aliens are real, because I think that you just abducted my heart"

WHAT. WAS. THAT. Is he seriously f-flirting with me? He was even closer, which made me completely freak out. I excused us and ran towards the other direction.

"It- appears- that- he- has- a- crush- on- you!" Said Elise, saying every word as she ran.

"It's- absolutely- disgusting! He- doesn't even- know- me!" I answered.

As we ran, I heard a familiar voice.

"NERISSA, YOU ARE SO GROUNDED!!!!!" It was Birsha. Shoot! I completely forgot about her.

Needlessly to say, I was beaten up and sent to my room once again.

And that's probably what is going to happen now.

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