Slipping out of the dormitory at five-thirty, I found my way to the art room in the school building. I spotted Mr. Crooge on one side, staring at a canvas. “Good morning, Mr. Crooge.”
“You’re right on time, Jules. Thank you, son, for helping me out.” He beamed a smile, lines etching his wrinkled face. See? He was a sweet old man. I was so glad that I helped him out.
“So where should I start?”
“Come here for a second. Let me show you the piece that I think will be the main attraction today,” Mr. Crooge told me instead.
Masked guy painting alarm! Masked guy painting alarm!
I stiffened in my spot. With all necessary, and superfluous, hesitation, I dragged my feet to where Mr. Crooge was standing. By the time I successfully made three steps forward, I had already swallowed all the saliva in my mouth, as well as all the glands that produced it. My body was only functioning because I was technically alive. The presence of my mind was elsewhere—to nervous wrecked land, maybe.
That was my face. That painting had Fiona’s face. The masked guy submitted my face as his entry. They would exhibit me. The entire school would know. Tomorrow, they would cut off my father after discovering that he had compromised my documents and my admission here. And then, after that, Finn would completely end his ties to our family.
Probably out of shame.
Everything happened because of that masked guy. And Channing’s party. And Clark’s request. And Paige’s insistence. And my ever-present helping hand.
I pulled a forced smile on my lips the moment I was standing beside Mr. Crooge. Hesitant to look at the piece, I was still facing my art teacher, instead of looking at what he had wanted me to check out. Understandably, it wasn’t him. But he was still busy gawking at the piece, so he didn’t really see my apprehension and nervousness.
“Isn’t it a beauty?” Mr. Crooged quietly asked.
And once again, holding on to whatever, I deliberately, very, very slowly, turned to my left. Sweat was trickling down my whole body. My mind was already saying goodbye, and my nerves had been demolished a long time ago.
However, from what I’d seen, it was… not?
What I was seeing was something beautiful. Astounding. Magnificent. Stunning. Aesthetic. Mind-blowing. Beautiful? Astounding? Err... I ran out of adjectives. To put it simply, it was beauty at its finest.
Yeah, I should forget all about sabotaging it and throw my doodle away. The painting was beyond magnificent. The lines of the center image were subtle, yet it blended well with the whole thing. Every stroke, depth, and hue that the painter had used made the image alive. It was speaking soundless words, telling one great story behind.
Delight.
For me, it wasn’t the food that was emphasized. Although it was supposed to be the theme, the painter made the emphasis to it supplemental. Even for an ordinary spectator like myself, I had clearly seen what he meant.
The girl with a red apron loosely dangling around her neck, who was holding the silver tray in her hands, was happily looking at the boy who was running with a cellphone pressed to his ears. And it was the one that was showcased. Her surroundings were blurred. The colored lights from the strobe lightly pressed against some spots, a few reflecting in her auburn hair. People around her were only silhouettes, like the boy she had helped. Everything around her was silenced. Only she was beaming with endless bliss.
When I thought that my helping around acts were a nuisance, here was one guy who had seen through it. He saw that this was what was making me feel that joy, contentment, and that throbbing in my heart when I knew I was doing the right thing.
I didn’t have to search the whole world anymore to find what could make me happy, because here it was—exhibited.
“Do you know who made this?” Mr. Crooge asked, taking me out of my thoughts.
“The masked guy,” I quietly answered. Now, I could relate to the girl he had painted before. When a painter did justice to you, you couldn’t just say no.
Even if that was Fiona in Clark’s red apron, I wanted this piece to be included in the exhibit. It would be a shame if they wouldn’t see his piece. I couldn’t find the heart to be selfish this time around. Everyone who would attend the exhibit had to see this one.
And though she still resembled me, the painter did not fully define my features. I just blended with the whole thing. You couldn’t fully make out the girl’s identity with just this painting. It was only now mine, Clark’s, and the masked guy’s secret to keep.
“So, what can you say?” Mr. Crooge asked me.
“It’s so good. He’s expected to be the main piece of the day. Everyone’s certain that he’ll end up in the center spot.” I shrugged.
“Unfortunately, no. He didn’t get the main spot. Andrew, a sophomore, got it. This year’s theme was delight, with correlation to foods. And I’m sure you can tell that he was showing something else,” Mr. Crooge replied.
“This is... not... the main piece?” I asked with absolute astonishment.
“That boy is protecting something in this piece. He knows how to abide by the theme. He never did this before,” Mr. Crooge replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Protecting?”
“That’s just my guess. I have a feeling it’s because of the girl. Last year, all the boys have searched for her to the ends of the earth, just because of one painting.” Mr. Crooge smiled wearily.
“So I heard.”
“However, I made sure that he gets a pleasant spot. It’s his last year here in Corner Stone, after all. There are twenty-seven pieces in all. I’ll check the place. Just bring everything there, and hang it nicely according to their spot.”
I nodded.
Taking one last glance at the masked guy’s work, I started with the others first. The gymnasium would be the venue for the exhibit. Everything was already set up, thanks to the student body. All that was needed was for these art pieces to be moved there. Thankfully, they could all be hand-carried by one person. It was part of the guidelines.
White Canvas Art Exhibit had been a traditional event at this school. The owner of this castle was a famous painter, whose name I forgot. They held the White Canvas Art Exhibit in his honor. That was also why everyone was required to have an art class for four years.
And saving the best for last, I finally held the masked guy’s painting in my arms. Walking across the corridors, I acted like one happy child carrying her favorite toy to show to all. Since my face lacked definition and my hair was auburn in this one, no one would recognize me.
On the way to the gym, there was this hall that had burnt out light bulbs. I guessed they were all placed at the same time and died at the same time as well. Too bad for them. The entire length of the hall was very dark. At times, this old castle could be really creepy.
So, like what I had been doing while bringing all the artworks from the art room to the gym, I picked up my pace and readied myself to get to the other end of the hall in a haste. There was the slightest light coming from the other end, since I’d left the door open. Swallowing my fears, I prepared myself for a quick run.
But halfway along, the white cover cloth dropped to the ground. Right now? I groaned. But I had no choice. I had to stop. And trying to find the cloth in the complete darkness, I placed the painting beside the wall.
Why, of all places, should it fall right here?
While searching for the cloth, I noticed something in the painting. I thought my imagination was playing games with me, or I was being haunted. There was nothing like that before.
But as I looked at it closely, I realized it wasn’t just my thoughts. They were real. I choked on my breath at the words written in green luminous paint: Clark, what are you doing here in Corner Stone?!
There was one thing I was forgetting here, I realized. With me acting so happy about not being showcased, there was one important thing that I had forgotten. And here was where I had ended up, blindly believing that the masked guy didn’t realize who I was. That he had just changed his mind and was only rebelling about this year’s theme.
But no, he did. He knew.
Aside from Grayson, someone else was aware of my secret. There was someone out there in this school who had known it all along. Hiding in the shadows, he was watching me. He had recognized ‘Clark’ from Channing’s party. He knew I was a girl dressing up as a boy.
FINDING FINN JOURNAL NO. 10
He knows! That guy knows who I am!! OH NO… nooooooo
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