Ash couldn’t believe how fast time had flown by. He looked forward to their art lessons every week, where he could watch her create beautiful paintings, listen to her stories, and make her laugh with his jokes. He loved everything about her, and he wanted to tell her.
But he was afraid.
Afraid of ruining their friendship, afraid of being rejected, afraid of losing her. He didn’t know what to do, or how to say it. He wished he could just draw his feelings for her, and hope she would understand. But he knew that wasn’t enough. He had to be brave, and take a chance. He had to confess his love for her, before it was too late.
Friday afternoon came. Their last art lesson before the tests. He had to do it today. He had prepared a special gift for her, a sketch of her face that he had spent hours perfecting. He hoped she would like it, and see how much he cared for her. He waited for her in the art room, his heart pounding in his chest. He heard the door open, and saw her walk in. She was a vision of beauty, with her jet-black hair shining like silk, and her eyes sparkling like stars. She smiled when she saw him, and he felt his breath catch in his throat.
“Hey, Ash! You’re here early!” she said, walking towards him.
“Hey, Leann! Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something.” he said, nervously.
“Oh? What is it?” she asked, curiously.
He took a deep breath, and handed her the sketch. “This is for you.” he said, softly.
Leann gasped as she took the sketch from him. She recognized herself in it, down to her expressive brown eyes and jet-black bangs falling in her face. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She looked at him with awe and gratitude. “Ash… this is…” she said, softly. “It’s amazing. I love it.”
He felt a surge of hope in his chest. Maybe she felt the same way as he did. Maybe this was his chance. He gathered all his courage, and looked into her eyes. “It’s… it’s… my way of telling you that… that… "
“That…?” she prompted.
He swallowed hard, and blurted out the words he had been holding back for so long. “That I love you!”
He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for her reaction. He expected her to laugh, or scream, or run away. He didn’t expect her to hug him.
She wrapped her arms around him, and whispered into his ear. “I love you too.”
He opened his eyes in disbelief, and hugged her back. He felt a wave of joy wash over him. She loved him too. She loved him too!
They hugged for a long time, oblivious to the world around them. They didn’t notice the third person in the room, who had been watching them with amusement and interest.
Angie smiled as she finished sketching the scene in front of her. She had followed them to the art room, curious about what they were up to. She had seen Ash give Leann the sketch, and heard him confess his love for her. She had also seen Leann hug him, and say the same thing.
She was happy for them. They were perfect for each other. And they made perfect models for her drawing.
She closed her sketchbook, and cleared her throat loudly.
“And… done!” she announced.
Leann and Ash broke away from their hug, startled by the sound of her voice. They turned around, and saw Angie sitting on the teacher’s table in the center of the room, holding a sketchbook in her hands.
She grinned at them wickedly.
“Hi guys! Don’t mind me. I’m just here to draw.” she said innocently.
The three friends shared a laugh. Angie hopped off the table and sauntered toward the others. “In all seriousness though, that was the most cliché confession ever. Shame on you, Ash. You could’ve done better.” she said in a deadpan tone, raising an eyebrow at him.
“It was sweet, Angie. Cut the guy some slack.” Leann said brightly, defending him. “He’s really improved his realism after I taught him.”
She handed her the drawing, feeling low-key proud of Ash’s work. Angie couldn’t help but admit, “Not gonna lie, that is impressive.” She examined the sketch closely, noticing how Ash had captured Leann’s features and expression perfectly.
“I learnt from the master,” he replied, gesturing to the girl standing next to him. He gave her a thumbs up, making her smile.
“Right… but still, for your first real confession, that was lame.” Angie teased him, poking his chest.
Leann opened her mouth to try and counter this, before being interrupted by Ashton. “You don’t have to defend me, Leann. How do I put this nicely… she’s really… insensitive. She doesn’t understand the sentimental value of anything.” he said, rolling his eyes at Angie.
“Excuse me?! Which of us came up with the idea of the Princess Dragon Trainer for the contest? Me!” Angelina argued, pointing at herself, referring to their entry for the art competition, which was based off of the princess and dragon they drew on the day the first met.
“You still caused me so much emotional trauma from second grade! At least be nice with your rejections.” Ash reminded her, frowning. He was referring to the time when he had asked Angie to be his valentine, and she had laughed in his face.
“That’s your own fault, you’re too sensitive! Besides, you just confessed to Leann!” Angie retorted, shrugging. She didn’t think it was a big deal.
“That’s because I did my research and observations before telling her.” Ash explained, sounding proud of himself. He had spent weeks studying Leann’s likes and dislikes, habits and hobbies, before making his move.
Leann, meanwhile, shook her head. She had gotten used to the constant bickering and arguing of her friends. Even when the argument ended off about whether round or flat brushes were the superior variety, she still kept listening. It was one of her favorite things about Ash. He never gave up on an argument. Whether he brought good, valid points to the table or not, he brought them forward with such confidence that everyone accepted it as fact without a second thought.
As she listened to Ash and Angie’s banter, she felt a sudden urge to join in. She grabbed a sketchbook and a pencil from her backpack, and started to draw a caricature of the two while arguing. She exaggerated their expressions and gestures, making them look like cartoon characters. She drew Angie with huge eyes and a smug grin, and Ash with a red face and clenched fists. She showed her drawing to Ash, who burst out laughing. Angie snatched the sketchbook from him, and glared at the drawing. “Hey! My eyes are not that big!” she protested, holding the sketch next to her face for comparison.
Leann giggled, and high-fived Ash. “You have to admit, it’s pretty accurate.” the boy said with a laugh. He winked at her, making her blush.
She chuckled and took her sketchbook back . She flipped to a new page , ready to draw something else.
“Hey guys, can we please focus on the important thing here?” They both stopped talking, and looked at her expectantly. She smiled brightly at them both, and continued excitedly, “We just confessed our love for each other! Shouldn’t we celebrate or something?”
Ash nodded eagerly , and put an arm around her shoulder . He pulled her close to him , feeling happy and relieved . Angie rolled her eyes , but smiled nonetheless .
“Fine , fine . You two are adorable . But don’t forget about me , okay ? I’m still your friend .”
She hugged them both , feeling happy for them . They were perfect for each other . And they made perfect friends for her .
The three friends were interrupted by the sound of the bell, signaling the end of lunch break. They quickly gathered their things and headed to their next class, still arguing and laughing along the way. Leann felt a warm hand holding hers, and looked up to see Ash smiling at her. She smiled back, feeling a surge of happiness in her chest. She didn’t care if their confession was cliché or not. All that mattered was that they had each other.
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