Chapter Text
The paint brush drew over the canvas with restlessness. The lines were aimless and cluttered. Paint splashed on blank parts of the sheet. Frustration dawned over the art as he reached for the canvas laying on the easel.
Branzy’s face scrunched in annoyance as he looked at the painting in front of him. His drawing just wasn’t right. It didn’t feel correct. It just bugged him. It really annoyed him why he just couldn’t pin what exactly was wrong. Was it the colors, or maybe the way the line art was drawn? The colors blended in nicely and the sketch of the drawing wasn’t terrible. It might be the lack of light or shadows or the color palette. He was contemplating on changing it to a warmer tone instead of it being so cold.
He heard the sounds of somebody putting their bag down behind him. He didn’t hear the door open nor footsteps coming down from the hallway. He set his painting down back on the easel and turned himself around to face the person behind him.
“Hey Rek”
Rek lifted his head as if he had previously just been trying to look for something inside his bag. Rek gave him a small smile before beginning to try and find whatever he’s looking for again.
“Hey Branzy, ugh- sorry I’m trying to find my phone but I can’t seem to find it.”
Branzy gave a low hum in response.
“Have you tried looking in your small pocket?” Branzy suggested.
Rek seemed as if a switch in his head just popped on before he started rummaging through his small pocket instead of the main one. It took a couple seconds before he spoke again.
“Ha! Found it”
Rek replied, finally sighing in relief and placing his phone next to him on his bed. He looked back up at Branzy after closing his bag, then at his painting behind him.
“You do art?” He asked. Had Branzy really never told him, or at least shown him?
“Rek, I have a huge easel in the small corner of my room.”
There were a few moments of silence that followed before Rek shrugged and went on his phone.
“Also, I came here because I was bored out of my mind and needed someone to be stuck in my boredom with me.”
Branzy sighed heavily and laid his head down on the head of his chair. Rek looked up at Branzy briefly before looking back down at his phone.
“Rek, which club are you in?” Branzy asked. Branzy had no idea what club to be in currently. He could join the robotics club, but he would just be stuck with geeks. The art club would feel more like a job than a hobby and he didn’t have many specialties in anything.
Rek looked up from his phone, “You’re still not in a club yet?”
Branzy shook his head no. Rek sighed before looking at him again, as if remembering something.
“You should join the photography club!”
“What?”
“Yeah, Yeah! You’d be like totally great, anyone can be great in photography!”
“Rek, why would I join the photography club?” Branzy deadpanned
“It’s easy just snap a few pictures and stuff and you’re set! Besides, it's the first year the club is running so everybody will be new at it. I'll also be in it, so you aren’t alone!”
“So, what, you just take pictures of like-”
“Like basketball games and school events for banners. Oh! And you could also edit the yearbooks so that’s a bonus!”
“What if I just end up taking horrible pictures.”
“What if you don’t.” Rek responded “Branzy please, I’m serious!”
Branzy paused, thinking the idea over before eventually giving into Rek’s whining. “You’re insufferable.”
Rek’s expression went from a weeping puppy to it wagging its tail eagerly. His smile was as bright as the sun, almost blinding Branzy’s vision.
“You’re the best!” Rek yelped.
“I know."
-
“Here’s your camera! The fee if broken will be $1.4K. Please treat with caution.”
Was what he was told by a girl with brown hair in two buns at the back of her head. She had two bows on top of that, one pink and the other purple. She had a pink sweater with a small yellow bow design at the top right, near her collarbone. Baggy ripped jeans, she seemed energetic, kind. She might be the club leader, or assistant leader. He could picture her fitting into both roles.
He walked back to Rek who was sitting at an empty table with three empty chairs, two now that Branzy was sitting at one. Rek showed Branzy his camera; it looked like the same type he’d just been given.
Branzy rested his head on the palm of his hand and stared out the window.
Someone was explaining what they were going to do in the club and the basics of what not to do and other rules that he really couldn't bring himself to care for.
Branzy yawned. The day today looked quite nice, it was vibrant. Summer had just ended a couple weeks ago so it hasn’t had time to transition to the orange and brown, the cold yet warm feeling of autumn yet.
His eyes drifted down to the track field. Some kids were currently running laps. Some girls were walking together and laughing. The more athletic kids seemed to be running. He’s seen them all once.
Some are his classmates, other acquaintances. He can’t recall a friend in that class so that’s off the charts. Others, he’s seen maybe in the hallway during the passing period, or on his ride to school, or maybe in public, or in the yearbook. The point is he recognizes their appearance.
Yet, he can’t quite place his finger on who a particular student is. He’s never seen him before, never ran into him in the hallway, hasn’t had a class with him. Normally he wouldn’t care for transfer students. It is a big school and he doesn't have time for that.
But he’s stunning.
What he means by that is that the guy looks like he’d end up on a magazine cover in the future. The type of beauty to see online at night while doomscrolling and end up dreaming about. He looks ethereal.
He has dark hair, it seemed tangled at the moment for running. He could tell it has layers, the shortest layer being from his mid neck down to being below his shoulders. The sun shows red streaks running down from his roots. He seems athletic. He isn’t scrawny nor too muscular. His eyes seem sharp. Branzy wishes he could get a closer look to see his eye color.
He seems to have taken a rest and stopped running a while ago. He is sitting on the bleachers that are pointed towards the school.
Branzy has been staring for a while now. He’s sure of it but doesn’t bring himself to care. He feels like his eyes have found a magnet force that he can’t pull away from. The guy is luring.
He isn’t quite sure if somebody is still talking right now. He hasn’t looked at Rek in quite a while. He’s not quite sure if that’s the worst thing ever.
The light from the sun shined on his skin perfectly. He seemed tired, covered in sweat. Now that he’s sitting facing Branzy’s view, Branzy realizes that he has wispy bangs. It suits him nicely with his face shape. He never thought someone could fit bangs as a guy as well as him.
He sat with his legs spread out just a tad bit more than casual. He was interested in this guy. Branzy felt glued to him in a way that felt natural. It just felt right to look at him for this long.
Sadly, the moment of a one-eyed stare couldn’t last forever as he felt a tap on his shoulder, possibly coming from Rek or somebody else. His eyes remained on him for a second longer than it should have since he saw the guy look him straight in his eyes. They made eye contact. Branzy isn’t imagining it. He isn’t. No wait, they’re actually making eye contact.
Branzy froze. Caught red handed. He felt his face heat up almost immediately. He turned his back to the window so fast he thought he might fall out of his own seat, accidentally startling whoever was tapping his shoulder.
He looked at Rek, “My bad!” He shrieked, apologizing immediately.
“Are you alright?” Rek asked, “You were staring at that window for so long, I haven’t seen you look anywhere else this entire time!”
Branzy waved his hand around brushing it off, “Nah, nah bro, just distracted by nature, you know!” Branzy attempted to smile, it came out crooked.
“Nature.” Rek deadpanned, he wasn’t falling for such an obvious excuse, luckily for Branzy, he didn’t push further and asked him about the camera they were given.
Branzy answered automatically. He couldn’t quite give his whole focus to Rek. Not after what just happened.
Well he actually wasn’t quite sure of what just happened.
The rest of the time went by alright, he didn’t necessarily talk to anybody else aside from Rek. He figured out the mechanics of the camera pretty quickly for not listening the entire time. Nearing the end of their time, Everybody got handed a small bag. It clearly wasn’t the best there was but it was efficient to say the least. Of course, getting it handed came with a small reminder to be cautious and the safety rules and the money for the fee if broken.
—
The rest of the day was a snooze fest. Nothing compared to his small incident earlier. He is still not so sure on what to call it. Honestly, it felt embarrassing. Admiring such beauty that is too far out of reach just to get seen. Humiliating in Branzy’s opinion. Yet, although Branzy didn’t want to come to the conclusion for it, he was sure he’d never see the guy again. If he never saw him before then he’d just not let himself sit near the window when in his club. He wouldn’t be avoiding him if he never got a chance to see him in person, with no window in between them.
Branzy turned again and stretched his leg from underneath the sheets. The weather had still not cooled down from summer yet and the warmth was really starting to get to him. He misses the chill from the winter brings. He had set his phone to charge on his desk that is far from his bed’s reach so he wouldn’t get lost on his phone until it’d be too late to get a full night's rest.
He is conflicted on telling Rek about it. Rek is his best friend. His brother from another mother he’d say. However, he isn’t sure if it’s a story worth telling yet. It was just a small thought. Could develop into more. It was really nothing from any one else's perspective. Yet that’s what Branzy is most stuck on, the question that has been running on his mind, cursing his thoughts, was it really nothing?
Branzy was on the third floor, he wasn’t sure if the windows were tinted or not but it shouldn’t matter here. It was a sunny day today so the light from the sun hitting the guy’s face should’ve at least made him squint. Blind his vision just a tad bit. He could’ve just felt that feeling of somebody watching him. Branzy swears he didn’t see his eyes searching though. The guy’s eyes just landed on him. The eye contact makes Branzy cringed by the thought. He probably seemed like a creep looking directly at him.
Branzy felt his eye lids getting heavy. He yawned onto his mattress and tussled once more on his bed turning onto his right side. He blinked open his eyes to see the time on his clock. It was too dark to make sense. He eventually gave up on reading it and closed his eyes once more, letting his mind rest at last.