tea. “Do you want another one? Or some food?”
I shake my head. “No, thanks. I just got a new one right before you came.”
She nods. “Sounds good. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” I pick up my pencil and turn to a new page in my drawing book. I already finished my work for today, putting the final touches to an adorable rhyming book for babies. Bringing these little characters to life, imagining what children might enjoy. I love it.
It’s something that’s always come easy to me. It doesn’t matter if the words are easy, or the story isn’t long, I always have a blast imagining the characters and coming up with the perfect illustrations for the stories.
Now, this competition from the big publisher, that’s a totally different ball game. We’re supposed to draw the illustrations for the first chapter of a major young adult novel. The series has been so successful that the publisher is planning on publishing all books as an illustrated collection as well.
I know the books inside out, having read them several times before I heard about the competition, but I still haven’t had a good idea about how to bring the characters, the story, to life.
The story is about a girl who finds out she’s the daughter of the biggest dragon trainers without even knowing that dragons exist. The story is amazing. Addicting. The character growth, the love story, the storytelling itself, it’s all absolutely beautiful. Magical.
The first chapter begins with her in her normal life, having fun with her girlfriends, giggling over boys, moaning over her chores. And then she’s kidnapped and told about her responsibilities. That her parents disappeared, and she’s the key to finding them.
Talk about being pulled out of your normal life and thrust into a totally different world. Into a life you haven't planned for, and one you’re so not ready for. I read the series for the first time during my recovery after surgery. In a way, I could relate. It also offered the perfect escape from everything else that was on my mind.
And everyone else.
Specifically a certain someone.
My hand flies over the paper as I’m immersed in my own fantasy world, letting the pictures in my hand translate into real images on paper.
“Holy shit, that’s fantastic.” Eadie’s voice pulls me out of my bubble.
When did she come back? And how long has she been standing right next to me, watching me draw?
She leans closer. “Oh, and quite . . . interesting, too.”
“Uh, thanks.” I blink a few times before my eyes truly focus on what’s in front of me.
A colossal dragon, its wings spread wide as it soars through the sky. There are two people on its back, leaning low, clutching the dragon for dear life.
She walks around the table and sits down, setting her coffee and croissant on the table. She grins at me. “I guess I don’t have to ask who’s on your mind?”
“What do you mean?”
Leaning forward, she taps her finger on my paper.
My eyes widen when I take a closer look. I hadn’t paid much attention to the people before because I was entranced by the majestic dragon. But shit, she’s right.
On the back of that dang dragon is none other than me and Noah as teenagers.
Crap, how am I supposed to get out of this one?
I huff. “I . . . uh.”
“Mm-hmm, that’s what I thought.” She pulls off a piece of her croissant and puts it in her mouth.
Eadie tilts her head to the side before putting her hand behind her ear. “I’m listening. How was lunch at your mom’s and what happened with Noah afterward?”
My stomach flutters and my mouth goes dry. After taking a large gulp of my tea, and nearly scalding my tongue, I clear my throat. “Well, let’s see. Lunch was a little weird but not as bad as I thought it might be. And then Noah and I went to the movies. You know that old movie theater we used to go to a lot? They’re playing old movies now for a couple bucks.”
“Oh yeah. I haven’t been there in forever.”
“It was nice.”
“Nice, huh? Did you also make out when the movie theater got dark like you used to?”
Heat rushes up my neck and into my face. Not because she’s right of course, because we didn’t make out at the movie theater, but goodness did we make up for it at my place later on.
My muscle aches and pains are proof of that, a delicious reminder of how amazing