Chapter 2 Two

A traditionally styled room with canvas, paints and brushes, elegantly arranged on the round tables. A group of twelve students attended the painting class. Governed by a beautiful, well dressed and charming tutor.

Alan Rush was dressed properly, it was only his painting classes when he dressed elegantly in expensive clothes otherwise he was generally found in rugs.

Money, excessively rich people don't know where to spend their money so they spend it on things like this. Well, all I care about is the knowledge that I get about painting, otherwise, it would be a waste of my precious energy, Alan thought.

"Painting isn't just filling up a lifeless canvas with a mix of colours. Painting is an art that involves your gentle strokes, affection in your eyes, passion in your blood, rush in your adrenaline and yearning of your heart. A perfect blend of your emotions as colours reflects in your abstract art," Mona June, the teacher of painting class flowed like a gentle breeze as she explained the art that she worshipped.

"Teacher. Your explanation of painting is more like explaining your love," a boy said.

"Hm. Indeed it is. Art is love and if you want to learn painting, you have to make it your lover," she said, "Now! Let me know how all of you define painting."

"Painting is the ability to bring reality to reality and even fantasy to reality."

"Painting is..." every one of them put their thoughts in front of her. Soon Alan's turn came. The boy who rarely opened his mouth spoke about painting something he adored and worshipped.

"Painting..." Alan was in deep thought, "painting is what makes my heart pound faster. It's like the origin of a new world and creating every small detail of that world. You are the God of your painting. You create, you cherish and you destroy."

Mona was flabbergasted, "No words for this explanation. It's just beautiful. Best way painting could ever be defined."

The class looked at Alan, who was spacing out.

"Well, your classes have just started, but I want you to find something for yourself, that makes your heart pound and your eyes linger on it. Find yourselves a model," Mona said.

"Yes teacher," students in unison said and the class dismissed. Once again Alan was the first one to leave.

A model huh! A model! Hmm. What can it be? What makes my heart pound? Except painting it's nothing else. Well, the next class is a week later until then I will find my inspiration, Alan thought. The painting class was just a few hundred steps away from his bungalow, so he just walked back home.

The way was connected with an abandoned metro, known as Bermuda square. Although it was scary and lonely that is what Alan liked, he loved being lonely, with no one to waste his energy on, except himself.

----

"Charlie! Watch out!" Henry shouted and he dodged the bat that was about to hit his head.

Ripped jeans, messy hair, leather jacket, silver accessories and sports shoes influenced his charm and dark, shady contrast made his milky skin glow even more. Charlie scuttled and kicked the boy, knocking him down. Jacob, Henry and Daniel took over the other boys.

"You lose. Accept your defeat and just fuck off. Don't ever come in front of me again," Charlie said, placing the last punch on the one who led the group.

"We do..." the other boy came and supported his injured leader to walk out of the abandoned metro.

"Bermuda square was and will always be our area. The dogs that come to take over will be torn off by wolves," Daniel said, shooing off the defeated.

"Let's go!" Charlie said and the silhouette of the group of four was seen disappearing into the light that entered the metro's exit.

Meanwhile, Alan Rush walked in through the entrance once the storm had subsided in the Bermuda square. "Woah! That's creepy and I like it," his voice echoed. "Hoho! Echo. I like this place. It's just my ideal place, aloof from the world, no one to disturb me, no voice, no studies, nothing." Alan took out his canvas and paintbrush and started drawing the entrance of the metro.

It was evening and he lost track of time, drowned in colours, brushes and the painting. It was already late at night when he completed his painting. He looked quite happy, he packed his things up and ran through the metro.

Just when Alan dashed out of the exit, a silhouette of someone came out and looked at him.

The next day in college.

"Charlie! What happened? You look as if you didn't sleep last night," Jacob asked.

"Hm. I didn't," Charlie yawned.

"What were you doing? Don't tell me some girl approached you again," Henry chuckled with the rest.

"Huh! My virginity is precious to me. I can't just waste it on random people. The thing that's bothering me is about...Bermuda square."

"What happened to it? Did some other boy group challenge us?" Daniel asked.

"No. Yesterday, I quarrelled at home..."

"Again!" Jacob interrupted.

"Yes! Again! Don't interrupt me when I am speaking. So after the quarrel, I went to the Square to calm myself, but I saw someone running through the square."

"Who?" Daniel asked.

Charlie glared at him, "I said don't interrupt me when I speak. I am not going to speak, I won't tell you now."

"Ah! Ah! Wait! Wait! No one will interrupt you now. Tell me, what happened?" Jacob said, dragging Charlie to sit again on the stairs that led to the roof of the college.

"I don't know who that person was. I don't know what he was doing there so late. I don't even know what he looked like. He had a bag on his back and a bigger one in his hands," Charlie stopped and looked at the three idiots looking at him. Awkwardly, he stared at them with a done face, "what?"

"What?" the three said in unison stupidly looking at Charlie. "I have a group of idiots. I am leaving," he got up again.

"Where are you going?" Henry asked.

"When I was speaking you kept on interrupting me in the middle, but now that I am done speaking, all you do is look at me like stupids," Charlie said and walked down the stairs.

The three of them jumped on him together, "oh come on! Why do you have to be worked up on mundane things like that? What matters now is knowing who that person is?" Henry said, keeping his hand across Charlie's neck.

"And what are his intentions? We are protectors of Bermuda square," Jacob said.

"Yup," Daniel nodded.

Charlie faintly smiled and walked in the corridor with his gang to the canteen. Just when they entered the canteen, Alan walked out of it. Their eyes met for just a fraction of seconds and they walked on their ways.