Chapter 5: Anything Can Be Art

Week 3

"This isn't what I expected when you asked me to join the art club." Hope mumbled disapointedly.

Vanille was already in her element setting up an easle and started sketching Hope's silhouette. "What? I think this is perfect."

"Well, there are supplies, I'll give you that. But don't you think its odd that there are only three members?" Hope pointed out. "Not to mention you didn't even introduce your friend."

Vanille lookee confused for a second as if she had forgotten, "Oh... This is Serah, she's one of my partners in crime." She explained in a jokey tone as she pointed to her accomplice.

'Serah reminds me of someone, I can't quite figure out who.' Hope realized. He then turned his attention to Vanille who was already painting quickly and messily. "That wasn't so hard was it." Hope mocked.

"Aww... you're so harsh Hopie." She teased in reply as she looked away breifly from her easle to get a better look at Hope.

Serah was giggling behind her own easle while she listened in on Vanille and Hope's banter. "You two make such a great couple." She commented without forethought.

"Really!?" Vanille responded.

'I can see where this is going.' Hope thought. "We're not together though, before you go jumping to conclusions." Vanille stopped painting briefly and added some darker colours to her usually sunny pallet. "Just so you know." Hope added as an afterthought. Serah smiled sadly at the two of them. 'Why does she look so dissapointed.' Hope wondered.

"It's a shame though. You'd look real cute together in my opinion." Serah mentioned rather casually.

'I'm not particularly opposed to it I suppose, and she is pretty.' Hope rationalised as he touched the wrong end of the paint brush to his mouth in thought. "Eurgh!" he exclaimed as he realised his blunder. The girls giggled at his mistake and Vanille was quick to grab a rag to wipe it off with. "You don't need to make such a fuss." Hope explained in an attempt to regain some composure.

"Don't worry about it, it's the least I can do." Vanille maintained.

Hope just looked into her eyes now that she was close. Vanille glanced up briefly and started to blush. "I-I think I got it all." She whispered.

Vanille walked back to her easle with some urgency. 'That was nice, plus she's even prettier up close.' Hope thought.

"So, shall we take a look at what we've accomplished?" Serah asked in order to permeate the silent atmosphere that had enveloped the room.

"Sounds good to me." Hope replied as he turned his easle towards the others.

The trio stood in the middle of the room, silent as they scrutinized each others work. Vanille's painting depicted a detailed painting of Hope's profile one side of the picture was painted with vibrant sunny colours and the other utilized gloomier tones. On the other hand Serah's painting was simply a picture of a tall man in a white trenchcoat. And Hope's picture resembled a a ball of red string.

"Yours is very abstract Hope. What is meant to be?" Serah asked tactlessly.

Hope scowled slightly as he explained. "It's actually meant to be a rose." He stated simply and then laughed. "Maybe I'm not cut out for art."

"Well at least you have a chance to improve now." Vanille chipped in, hoping to save Hope from his embarrasment.

'That's rich coming from you.' Hope thought sarcastically, turning his gaze towards Vanilles portrait of him. "I could probably learn a lot from you though, your piece is much better than mine." He commented without thinking about Vanilles reaction.

"T-Thanks..." She stuttered in an unusually shy way.

"You only like it because it is a painting of you." Serah joked. "You're such a narrcissist Hope."

"I am not." Hope argued, but realised it was futile as the girls were already giggling at his discomfort.

On the way back to their different halls of residence Serah split off from Vanille and Hope. 'I'm not sure how I feel about this situation.' Hope thought as he grew flustered now he was alone with Vanille. The petite girl was also unusually quiet too. Neither of them spoke until they had reached Vanille's dorm.

"I guess I'll see you around later." Hope murmured half-heartedly. 'That's not how I want this day to end.' Hope thought and pinched the bridge of his nose in thought. 'Vanille deserves more than a somber goodbye.' He concluded.

"Hope, you look like you are in pain. Are you okay?" Vanille questioned with unwavering innocence. She looked down at her feet and seemed as if she was about to cry. "Y-you're tired aren't you? I bet you wished you never even joined the art club." As she finished speaking a tear rolled down her cheek, followed by a downpour of emotion.

Hope was frozen by her sudden change. 'What do I do? What can I do?' He asked himself. Suddenly he wrapped Vanille in a tight embrace. She pushed against him but she could not break free of his grasp. "I'm sorry for making you think that." Hope half whispered to the trembling girl. "I actually enjoyed myself a lot. So much that I didn't want to go back to my dorm. In fact I think I don't want today to end." He tried to joke but even his emotions were stretched to the limit.

"Do you mean that?" Vanille whispered almost inaudibly, her crying had now stopped.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't." Hope replied with sincerety.

Vanille looked up at Hope, her eyes slightly red from crying. "I'm sorry for being so emotional." She stated sadly.

"Theres nothing to apologise for, its much better to say what is in your heart than to bottle it up until you feel like your heart will burst." Hope explained, adding a chuckle to try and lighten the mood.

"I see..." Vanille muttered, returning to her happy but naive outlook. "Then there is something I must do." She almost shouted, her determination was clear to Hope.

"What is it?" A genuinely curious Hope asked.

Without warning Vanille shifted her weight towards Hope and kissed him on the cheek. "That." Vanille said with a mischevious smirk as her cheeks reddened. She then closed the door to her dorm and left Hope standing in the street completely dumbstruck.