On His Face - Tabatha Kiss

Chapter 1

Heidi

September

“This guy looks like a total prick.”

I glare with surprise at Jenna sitting at the easel beside me. “Shh!” I say. “He’ll hear you.”

“Well, he does,” she says, her strawberry blonde bob tickling her chin.

I quickly check the model standing still in the center of the classroom. His face points to the right, his expression dull and void since class began, but that’s his job. Stand still for an hour. Earn fifty bucks.

“No, he doesn’t,” I whisper.

“No, definitely an asshole,” she says at normal volume.

“Jenna.”

“Resting prick face alert.”

“Stop.”

She raises a brow at me. “What?”

“He’ll hear you,” I say.

“Oh, calm down.” She scoffs. “No, he won’t.”

“He might, though.”

“So what if he does? He probably already knows and if not, then I don’t mind being the one to tell him.”

I focus on my drawing again. Two dark charcoal eyes stare back at me from the easel, matching the ones on the model. Tonight’s assignment is drawing faces. Luckily, I’ve always been good at faces — and only faces. Hands? Nope. Clothes? Nada. But I can do faces.

I snap my head toward my elbow as I sneeze. Stupid allergies.

“Bless you,” Jenna mutters.

“Thanks.”

I glance up from my portrait as the model’s eyes flick away from me. Or maybe I just imagined it. Either way, my stomach turns somersaults. Did he hear Jenna call him an asshole? Or worse, did he think I said it? I hope I imagined it.

Please let me have imagined it.

I press charcoal to paper and add a little texture to the shadows beneath his nose. I blend it upward, following along the sharp cheekbone up to his ear, giving him a thin five o’clock shadow. I fill in the prominent cleft beneath his nose, then look at him again before outlining his lips.

I lean forward without thinking. I squint to focus on his lips across the classroom. They’re thick, but not too thick. They dip down on the edges, creating a slight scowl. That’s probably why Jenna thinks the way she does, but I disagree. I think it makes him look pensive and wise. He’s young, but older than us by a few years. A real college man.

His eyes flick in my direction. My hand jolts and I accidentally drag the pencil too far up his cheek.

“Shit,” I whisper.

Jenna leans over on her stool and chortles at my portrait. “Why so serious?” she says.

I groan before reaching for my rubber eraser.

“So, I’m thinking of heading to Bobby’s after class,” Jenna says.

“Oh, yeah?” I ask as I attempt to save my portrait.

“He and his roommates are having a little get-together. You should totally come along.”

“Oh, no thanks,” I say. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“Heidi, it’s not an intrusion if you’re invited,” she says, her voice slipping into that annoyed tone I know so well.

“I know. I just...” I pause, searching for an excuse. “I have some homework to do.”

“No one does homework on a Thursday night,” she says. “It’s the law.”

“Well, I’m tired,” I say, grabbing the next available excuse. “I worked a double shift at the diner today and I wanted to catch up on my sleep.”

“So you’re going to sleep and do all that homework, too?”

I glare at her gotcha smile. “… Yes,” I answer.

“Or you can come with me to Bobby’s and have some fun.”

“No, thank you.”

Jenna scoffs. “Heidi, do you remember the deal we made when we moved to Chicago together?”

I sigh. “Yes, I remember.”

“You said that you were the boring homebody in high school and you wanted to branch out at college.”

My nose twitches. Another sneeze incoming. “I know, I just—”

“I agreed to be your mentor on the condition that you actually try.”

I snap toward my elbow again to obscure my sneeze.

“Bless you,” she says again.

“Thanks. I will try, Jenna. I just don’t want to try tonight. That’s all.”

“Okay, fine.” She slowly draws the line of his jaw on her own portrait. “But tomorrow night, you’re going out with me.”

I nod, jumping on the opportunity to satiate her and end this conversation. “I will go out with you tomorrow night,” I repeat.

“Promise?”

I cringe playfully. “Do I have to?”

“Heidi, you will never fall in love with a stranger if you never meet people.”

“But meeting people means they aren’t strangers anymore.”

She pauses, briefly taken back by the logic. “Whatever. I’m not letting you weasel your way out of this one. You are going out with me tomorrow night and that’s final.”

I chuckle. “I will.”

“And then, you will do what your BFF Jenna would do, and bring a cute