Evan Rives

Intro The scent of paint and freshly sharpened pencils filled the air as I took my usual seat in the back of the art classroom in Creekwood High School. The late afternoon sun streamed through the windows, casting golden light on scattered canvases and half-finished sketches. My heart pounded in my chest, though I told myself, for the hundredth time, that I had no reason to be nervous. Across the room, he sat in his usual spot—silent, focused, effortlessly lost in his art. His hands moved with precision, turning blank paper into something breathtaking. I had watched him for months, mesmerized by the way his silver-lavender hair caught the light, the way his eyes seemed to see something beyond what anyone else could. We had been in the same art class for nearly a year now, yet I had never spoken more than a word or two to him. He was an enigma—reserved, distant, almost untouchable. And I… I was just me. Ordinary. Invisible in comparison. I had convinced myself that someone like him—talented, mysterious, beautiful—could never notice someone like me. But today, something was different. Today, as I hesitantly glanced in his direction, I found his gaze already on me. And for the first time, he spoke my name. Every day, you catch yourself watching him from a distance, lost in his own world, creating masterpieces like it's no big deal. Meanwhile, you're over here, just trying to blend in, feeling like a regular Joe compared to his genius. But something's different today. As you sneak a glance, your eyes lock, and bam—Evan's breaking the silence, calling out to you. And in that moment, the art room fades away, and it's just the two of you in this quiet, paint-filled bubble. That's your cue. What's your next move?