[Baconwizard]

[Eeeeek yeye maybe a little conversation between them. :'D It's good for Ava to befriend Cyril's family sooner than later pfft]

Ava's mouth parted slightly, and she flushed to the tips of her ears, her brown eyes wide with surprise. Did––did he just call her pretty?! Ava stared at Cyril for a moment longer, confused by the pink on his pale cheeks and the embarrassed twist to the edges of his mouth. Quickly closing her mouth, Ava bobbed her head up and down, beginning to busy her hands with cleaning up her own things. "Th-thank you," she murmured, partly for his encouragement, and maybe a little bit for the compliment. He really did have the most beautiful smile... With a small exhalation, Ava pushed her notebook back into her crammed backpack, then hoisted it up onto her shoulder. "I-I'll... talk to you later, then?" She asked, a hopeful note in her voice as she peeked up at him. Now that he was done tutoring her, there wouldn't be an excuse for them to talk. Ava didn't want that to happen; she liked talking with Cyril, and she liked just being around him. Even though he called her pretty... but that had to have been just him being kind, right?

[zapdragon555]

Cyril twisted around slightly to toss his empty food container into the trash, then carefully picked up her empty one as well, wanting to keep his hands busy and partially hide his expression from her. Oh, the stutter in her voice--she'd noticed. She'd definitely noticed his slip up. Fighting down the flush that threatened to spread to his face, Cyril straightened up to meet her eyes, his own expression soft. "Yes, I'll talk to you later," he automatically murmured in response, before his expression flickered with surprise. Now that he wasn't tutoring her anymore... would they talk together? Inwardly he certainly hoped so. It felt easy to talk to Ava, like he didn't have to have up some kind of facade all the time. He felt like he could relax around her, even just a little bit. "See you," he murmured, picking up his backpack once he'd gathered his things and slinging it over his shoulder, nodding to her with a smile and moving towards the exit of the library.

[Baconwizard]

Ava's shoulders automatically relaxed at his words, and she smiled, gripping at the straps to her backpack. They would talk again! And not just about math, either. Ava couldn't describe the happiness that welled up inside of her, but it made her feel a bit lightheaded. "Bye!" She chirped after him, raising a hand in a small wave. She waited for a moment for her heartbeat to calm down, and then moved towards the exit as well, heading to the fine arts wing of the school. Her feet were so light, even with the heavy backpack on her shoulders; Ava felt like skipping. They would be able to talk again!

In no time at all, Ava was walking into the art room, breathing in the familiar smell of clay and drying paint. The previous class had been for a younger class; there was glue and paper stuck to the messy tables. Ava smiled, then put her backpack on one of the hooks on the wall, then moved towards the storage room to get the painting she had been working on. Someone was blasting music from the pottery room, and Ava peeked through the glass window to see someone dancing around the wheel while they made a very strange-looking... thing. Art students were really weird. Ava went to the end of the hall and opened the door stepping inside to see––someone kissing! Ava made a startled noise, bumping into the doorway, her hands automatically going to cover her eyes. That was Griffin Pearcival! Kissing a girl in the art storage room! "I-I'm sorry!" She squeaked, not sure what to do now that she had interrupted them.

[zapdragon555]

"Jesus!" Griffin snapped, immediately pushing off the wall and whirling around to face Ava, his shadow hiding the face of the girl who he'd had pinned. They both looked rather disheveled, Griffin's tie loosened and hair mussed, and her clothes a little rumpled. Their expressions, however, were comically quite different, with the girl grinning sheepishly at Ava and Griffin looking like he was about to blow a gasket, if his flushed red face had anything to say about it. The girl was a senior, and she butted in before Griffin could open his mouth to shout at Ava anymore.

"Hi there!" she chirped, though she sounded a little embarrassed, her smile forced. "Did you need something out of here?" she asked, peeking out of Griffin's shadow. She straightened up slightly and straightened her shirt, clearing her throat and quickly moving to button up the top button, which had been clumsily undone. "I suppose this was a bad place for us to, ah... mm..." she lapsed into silence, a smile on her face as she glanced away and tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. Griffin glanced back at her, his scowl melting slightly into an embarrassed smile, before he cleared his throat and looked back at Ava sternly.

"Just knock next time," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face, a shameful scowl on his face as he glanced back at the girl over his shoulder. "I'm really sorry, Mildred," he murmured to her, and she smiled and shook her head, then looked at Ava.

"Actually, you probably shouldn't knock. People might look at you funny if you're knocking on a closet door," she chuckled.

[Baconwizard]

Ava's face was a beet red, her expression cycling from embarrassment to absolute terror to just plain old confused. Her hands slowly left her face to clutch at her chest, and she shrunk back against the door, not sure what else to do. "I-I'm so sorry to interrupt," she stammered, averting her eyes. "I was just... getting my painting..." Griffin looked so mad––and since when did he have a girlfriend? Ava had noticed the upperclassman girl before, but she didn't know that they were... Wait, she'd seen them go down the hall together before! "D-do you do this a lot?" She asked, her voice quiet, and a little awed as she stared at Griffin, and then the girl. Ava relaxed a little at the girl's reassuring smile, and by Griffin's obvious change in attitude by just a few words from her. They really were a couple... Ava wondered if Cyril knew about this.

[zapdragon555]

Griffin and Mildred exchanged a look at Ava's words, and Mildred burst out in a small chuckle, hiding her mouth with her hand as Griffin flushed a darker shade of crimson. "N-not... usually, no," he breathed, obviously tense, but couldn't help a small, goofy smile at Mildred's laughter. He let out a breath and ran a hand through mussed blond hair, then mumbled something to Mildred before darting out the door, inching around Ava with a stiff posture.

Mildred grinned and walked after him, leaning down to Ava to whisper. "Don't mind him; he's a little rude when he's grumpy. Go ahead and get your painting," she chuckled, offering Ava an apologetic smile before slipping out the door as well. Griffin was standing outside the door with a pink blush on his face, his hands folded in front of himself. Mildred raised an eyebrow at him, smiling in amusement, then reached out her hands to straighten up his tie, humming a few notes under her breath. "Don't look so sour," she chided gently, her green eyes flicking to meet his. "It doesn't look nice on you, and she's only a sophomore. I'm sure she won't spread this around..."

"Y-you're too trusting of people," Griffin's voice hitched slightly as Mildred lightly brushed her fingers over his neck, still a little sensitive from before, and he cleared his throat, nodding his head and offering an easy smile, his shoulders deflating with a breath. "Sorry..."

[Baconwizard]

Ava nodded her head up and down, still a little frozen from the shock. She felt a little bad for disturbing them. At least Mildred didn't seem that mad. Letting out a small breath, Ava got her canvas from the wide cubby that was labeled as hers. Every art student was given a storage place, and Ava was just thankful it was at a level where she could reach it. She looked at it for a moment, her mind wandering as she barely overheard Griffin's and Mildred's light conversation. Ava wondered if Cyril ever did that... kiss girls in hidden corners or behind closed doors. Part of her hoped that he didn't. Blinking out of her daze, Ava quickly moved out of the storage room and smiled nervously at Griffin and Mildred. "U-um, I-I won't tell anyone, s-so don't worry. I-I... think you two are a nice couple..." Ava trailed off, staring at the floor, her face turning a beet red. She held her canvas a little closer, then took a quick breath, bobbing her head to make her exit. Why did she always say these embarrassing things! But she wanted Mildred and Griffin to like her, so this was the least she could do...

[zapdragon555]

Mildred blinked at Ava's shy posture, and she smiled, nodding her head. "That would certainly put Mister Paranoid here at ease," she teased him gently, barely elbowing his arm as she addressed Ava with a gentle expression. "Don't worry about it. We technically weren't supposed to be in there..."

"Well," Griffin interrupted, his face growing pink as he frowned and glanced away. "Most people do know that it's the... kissing closet. You know. Where couples go..." Griffin flushed, as if just realizing what he'd said. Every part of it, from 'kissing closet' to 'couples.' He flushed and opened his mouth to sputter out a further explanation, but blinked as Ava darted away into the main part of the art room. Griffin glanced at Mildred, who seemed to be holding in her laughter, and she let it out in a quiet chuckle, stepping over in front of Griffin and leaning her front against him, making him blush a deeper shade of pink. "E-eh--"

"You should go apologize to that girl," she advised gently, her hands moving around to the small of his back, and he made a small squeak of surprise as she began tucking his shirt in in the back. Right, that had come undone when they'd been in the closet together... "Okay? I'll go with you. We definitely scared her."

Griffin made a small sound as Mildred moved away, and she raised an amused eyebrow, her eyes flicking down, then back up to his face as her smile grew. "I'm not tucking the front for you. That's your job; c'mon," she chuckled, moving to follow where Ava had gone with a flustered Griffin in tow.

[Baconwizard]

Ava's face grew even redder at Griffin's mumbled words, and she quickly sped down the hall to the work stations. Kissing closet... Did that mean a lot of people use that room?! It was weird. So weird. Ava's heart was thudding in her chest and she propped her canvas up on an easel, moving fast as if she could outrun her thoughts. Getting her palate, Ava began to put little globs of paint on it. She wouldn't have much time to paint, but every little bit helped. Ava watched the blue pigment slowly ooze out of the tube, her mind wandering as she vaguely listened to the sound of Griffin and Mildred's voices coming down the hall. Couples kissing... Cyril kissing...

Wait, why did she keep thinking about that?! Stupid brain! Ava gasped as she put too much blue on her palate. "Oh, crap..." Sighing, Ava grabbed her preferred brush, then moved over in front of her easel and began dabbing at the corner. It was a garden scene, filled with vibrant splotches of color, but it was lacking something... Depth, maybe. She always tended to overuse one color. Sighing through her nose, Ava tried not to think about where her mind had been going. It was none of her business who Cyril kissed, if he kissed anybody at all. Why did the thought fluster her so much? She was being weird again... Ava blinked, realizing that Griffin and Mildred were coming over, and she flushed again, straightening like a rod on her stool. "U-um..." she stammered, still holding her brush in front of her.

[zapdragon555]

Through Mildred's prompting, Griffin was nudged in Ava's direction, stepping forward first with Mildred close behind. Griffin looked tense as he glanced at Ava, and he let out an embarrassed breath, rubbing at the back of his neck slightly. "I'm, uh... really sorry for that scare back there. I didn't mean to seem so mad," he admitted, which was partially a lie. He had been angry at the time, but... now, he almost felt like chuckling about it, the whole thing was so absurd. "And... yeah."

Mildred raised her eyebrows at Griffin's lack of eloquence, and she chuckled slightly, walking over and clapping him on the shoulder, smiling at Ava. "We just wanted to check on you to make sure we didn't do too much lasting damage. I'm Mildred, and this is my boyfriend Griffin," she said, gesturing to him with a flourish as she stressed the word, making Griffin wince in protest, a sheepish smile worming over his face. "He's embarrassed by me, see. Thinks he's too good for labels like that."

"I do not!" Griffin snapped, his voice more pitiful than actually retorting, and he glanced back at Ava, his brows knitting indignantly. "I'm not--she's... yes, she's my girlfriend. As of... a month or so ago. Still getting used to the word, I-I guess..." he murmured, letting out a breath, some of the tension coming out of his shoulders. He glanced at Ava's painting, and his eyes flickered soft, blinking. "Oh, this is nice," he murmured, tilting his head to get a better look before straightening in realization. "Oh--sorry, do you... mind if I look at it?"

[Baconwizard]

Ava was silent as Griffin spoke, a little surprised by his words. Without her realizing it, Ava was beginning to smile, enjoying just watching the two interact. She quickly shook her head, clearing her throat. "Th-there's no damage. I-I was just kind of surprised, is all." Ava let out a small laugh, her shoulders hunching. "C-congratulatious, though... You two are r-really cute together..."

Ava jumped a bit as Griffin leaned closer, and her shoulders hunched a bit. "I-It's not quite done yet!" She stammered, holding tight to her paintbrush. He complimented her painting! "You... can look, if you want. I'm trying to get the colors right; th-they're all coming out flat..."

[zapdragon555]

Mildred beamed at Ava's compliment, chuckling at Griffin. The boy already seemed to be quite distracted by the painting, his blue eyes flicking over the canvas curiously. "Mm... well, even if it is a little flat, you have some excellent color palettes here," he mumbled, eyes growing focused as they darted over the canvas.

Mildred stepped over to the other side of Ava, peering at the canvas as well and chuckling. "Oh, you've made friends with him now," she whispered to Ava, grinning.

"Which art class are you in? Art two, if you're a sophomore?" Griffin murmured, smiling at the painting. "Here... if you want to give it more depth, have the colors fade just a little bit as they reach this focal point... here," he said, hovering a finger above an area of the garden and looking at Ava with a sheepish smile. "I've... found that helps. Vibrancy closer to the viewer... metaphorically speaking, anyway."

[Baconwizard]

There was a fluttering feeling in Ava's chest as Griffin looked at her painting--even complimented it! The art teacher was always supportive of anyone's creative talents, and most of the other Art two students kept to themselves. Her parents disapproved of her "hobby," so they rarely came to the yearly exhibition for the art classes. But Griffin was really looking at her piece, and giving her real advice. Swallowing, Ava glanced at Mildred, grinning from ear to ear. "Th-thank you... U-um, yeah, I'm in art two." She leaned forward to peer at the canvas as well, trying to see what Griffin was seeing. "Ohh... Like what the Renaissance painters did. Make it all fuzzy in the distance."

[zapdragon555]

Griffin paused at her words and glanced at her, his eyes shining a little as a real smile grew on his face. "Yeah, exactly like that," he chuckled, leaning away to give Ava more space. "It might seem like a shame to water down your colors, but I'll bet it'll definitely help, if depth is what you're looking for." Griffin glanced at Mildred, who was smiling knowingly at him, and he cleared his throat, flushing as he realized he was talking more than usual. "I-it's... it's a nice painting," he finally finished, nodding his head slightly.

Mildred chuckled, leaning her hip against the table. "Well, I'm glad Griffin can rattle off art jargon at someone who fully understands it. I'm afraid art isn't really my thing," she admitted, grinning sheepishly. "I mean, I do like it a lot, I'm just no good at it. Though sometimes Griffin has me help out if he needs a subject to paint..." she added with a joking lilt, and Griffin blushed, clearing his throat as if to speak, but said nothing in response besides a sheepish smile. "But it's great to see someone in art two so dedicated to painting. I've heard a lot of people are in there just for the credit."

[Baconwizard]

"Thanks," Ava replied with a grin, a little breathless from the compliment. She had seen Griffin's landscapes before; they were way beyond her skill level. Looking over at Mildred, Ava giggled, enjoying the playful banter. "I'm always happy to talk about art. Though most of the time, for me, it's more of a conversation of 'does this look okay?' or 'I wonder if I cover it up, people won't notice.' But that might be because my class is full of the, um, kids who just need the fine arts credit. Hopefully next year they'll all take other classes. I've heard that's what happened when you reach the upper level classes."