A Work of Art
Mizi and Sua waited in line to board the bus, enthusiastically discussing what the trip would be like.
"They have some old portraits I'm looking forward to seeing," Mizi said. She had recently gotten into portraits and had even tried to paint Sua.
Sua preferred painting sunsets and beaches. "I've heard they have some really good landscapes."
"I CALL THE WINDOW SEAT!" Till yelled from in front of them.
Ivan put on a disappointed face. "You can have it on the way back," he said.
"But I'll fall asleep and then I won't be able to see anything." Till was practically whining.
Sua rolled her eyes. "We're not gonna have a problem with that, are we?"
"Nope." Mizi affirmed. "You get the window seat on the way back, I get it on the way there." They lived so close to each other that they went on the same bus, and they had the same routine at every other place in a vehicle. If it was driving, Mizi would drive on the way there, and Sua on the way back-especially for parties, where Mizi tended to get too drunk to drive back home.
Hyuna came up behind them and pulled them closer, Hyuna in the middle. "We're going to have so much fun," she declared. Then she paused to consider, "if Ivan and Till stop arguing. Luka's letting me have the window seat the whole time, but I'm pretty sure he'd just like to be in between me and everyone else on the bus."
Mizi snickered. "Sounds like him," she agreed.
Finally, their teachers would allow them on the bus. Their whole friend group chose to sit at the very back of the bus.
Mizi and Sua quickly settled into their seats. Mizi knew that Sua wanted to save the majority of her energy for the museum, and silently watched her as she put on her headphones to listen to music. Sua quietly tapped her foot to the beat, and Mizi focused on the way her raven-black hair had been allowed to grow longer, now slightly past her shoulders.
In almost no time, they were at the museum. Mizi halfway listened to the instructions, but dragged Sua away as soon as they were finished.
The pair stumbled upon a painting of a full moon peeking through the trees in a forest. Sua marveled at it. "The moon looks like it's actually glowing," she observed.
The next painting they stopped at featured two girls, one blonde blowing a dandelion and watching as the fuzz floated away, and a brunette with blue streaks hugging her from behind. "I like this one," Mizi commented. "It seems real." Sua immediately understood what she meant.
The last painting that really caught their eyes was of light, spiky, blueish-purple flowers climbing up a fence. They were still staring at it when Luka tapped Mizi on the shoulder, Hyuna by his side. "We need to get back to the bus," he said.
Sua looked out the window of the bus, then leaned against Mizi. "We should go there again," she mumbled.
"Definitely," Mizi said, braiding the front of Sua's silky smooth hair.
"Just us." Sua slowly closed her eyes and her breathing slowed as Mizi cradled her. The bus ride was over all too soon.