𝓓𝓸 𝓸𝓻 𝓓𝓲𝓮 ❣︎ 𝓔𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓐𝓭𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓼

𝓢𝓔𝓡𝓘𝓔𝓢 𝓞𝓝𝓔 ❣︎ 14

As Ember, with Thing on her shoulder, waited outside this shed in the woods she had followed Xavier to, she felt very uncertain. More than she had ever been in her life.

She had tracked the boy from Botany and ended up here, in the middle of the woods. The only thing standing was a shed, and that was where Xavier was just now.

"We have to do this," Ember told the hand on her shoulder. "Xavier doesn't get those scratches from fencing. He's hiding something."

And, as if on cue, Xavier came out of the shed. Thing melted back into Ember's backpack as she watched him cross the clearing the shed was in and go into the woods.

Ember then sneaked out from her hiding place and headed towards the shed door, sneaking in neatly and shutting it behind her.

She became aware of her surroundings immediately, as soon as she pulled the light switch.

She was in a room, with hundreds of canvases around her. And the majority of them showed the monster.

The same one Ember had on her notice board.

"I suppose every artist needs a mused," Ember said to Thing, remembering Enid talking about Xavier as the 'tortured artist'.

She then held up her two pictures of the monster. A perfect match.

"Xavier, you just became that much more interesting."

She turned off the light, put her own pictures in her pocket, and left the shed. She shut the door quietly, and was about ten paces from it when she heard a voice behind her.

"Ember?"

Xavier's voice.

Ember turned to see him. He had come round the side of the shed, and hadn't seen her exit.

"Xavier. Hello," Ember said, as he walked towards her.

"What are you doing?" He questioned her.

"Nothing," she said immediately. Her default answer. "I just saw you come out this way. What is this place?" She looked to the shed.

"It's kinda my... private art studio," Xavier said. "I cleared it out and fixed it up so Weems let me use it."

"How very entrepreneurial. I would love to see inside," Ember was challenging him. She knew there was no way he would show her. "Why don't you give me a tour?"

Xavier looked down. "Uhh... not right now. It's a total mess."

"How convenient for you," Ember found herself saying. "But wouldn't you like to show me around? I'm not easily fazed."

"Maybe another time," Xavier shook his head. "Why were you looking for me?"

Ember was suddenly lost for words. She was opening her mouth but nothing was coming out. Then, finally, she got her act together and said. "I-I- wanted to go over Ms Thornhill's homework assignment."

Xavier took this in. "She didn't give us homework, remember?" He told her. "Why are you really out here?"

Ember stayed still, not knowing what to say.

Xavier, meanwhile, smirked. "Is this about a certain dance that makes you want to cough up your guts, perhaps?" He asked, referring to what Ember had said earlier in Botany. "I'm all ears," he grinned. Ember thought, for a second, that it was maybe... genuine.

Either way, she was just stood there, with no idea of what to do or say.

Sometimes intentions melt in the face of unexpected opportunity.