Episode 2: The First Lesson

Mia still felt the rush of adrenaline from her unexpected conversation with Adrian Knight. As she packed up her brushes 🎨 and wiped her hands, her mind replayed his words.

"Maybe you can teach me sometime."

"Maybe you can show me how to… feel something."

She wasn’t sure if he had been serious or just teasing. But something about the way he looked at her, even for that brief moment, made her wonder.

The next afternoon, Mia was setting up her paintings at the art exhibit when a familiar deep voice made her jump.

“So, when does class start?”

She turned quickly, nearly knocking over a small easel. Adrian stood in front of her, his leather jacket draped over one shoulder, a cocky smirk on his lips. 😏

“Class?” she repeated, confused.

“You said you’d teach me,” Adrian reminded her, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’m here. Impress me, Picasso.”

Mia blinked. “Wait… you were actually serious?”

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like someone who wastes time joking?”

Mia crossed her arms, eyeing him skeptically. “Actually, yeah. You do.”

Adrian chuckled. “Fair. But I meant it. Teach me how to draw.”

Mia hesitated, then sighed. “Fine. But don’t expect to be good on the first try.”

“No promises,” Adrian said, following her into the art room.

Inside, Mia handed him a blank sketchpad and a pencil ✏️. “Okay. First, we’ll start with basic shapes.”

Adrian glanced at the pencil like it was a foreign object. “What am I, five?”

Mia rolled her eyes. “Just try. Draw a circle.”

Adrian sighed dramatically and sketched something on the paper. He flipped it around with a smirk. “Done.”

Mia stared at the wobbly, uneven shape. “That… is not a circle.”

“It’s my version of a circle,” Adrian said defensively.

Mia giggled. “Okay, fine. Let’s try something easier. Draw a straight line.”

Adrian gave her a look. “Mia. Seriously?”

She raised an eyebrow. “If you can’t draw a circle, I don’t trust you with a straight line.”

He scoffed and put the pencil to the paper. When he lifted it, Mia burst out laughing. “That’s curved! What is wrong with you?” 😂

Adrian groaned, leaning back in his chair. “I’m never gonna get this.”

Mia softened. “Art isn’t about being perfect. It’s about expressing something. Here.” She moved closer, gently taking the pencil from his hand. “Watch.”

She guided his hand over the paper, drawing slow, smooth lines. Adrian tensed for a second at their close proximity, his gaze flickering to her face.

Mia didn’t seem to notice—she was too focused on the sketch. But Adrian? He could barely concentrate. Her voice was soft, her hands delicate against his, and her scent—vanilla and fresh paint—was distracting as hell. 😳💘

“See?” Mia said, smiling up at him. “Not so bad, right?”

Adrian blinked, realizing he hadn’t even been paying attention to the drawing. He quickly looked away, trying to play it cool. “Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”

Mia giggled. “You’re a terrible liar.”

Before he could respond, the door suddenly swung open.

“Miaaaa!—oh.”

Mia and Adrian turned to see Emily Taylor, Mia’s best friend, standing in the doorway. Her blue eyes widened as she took in the sight of Adrian sitting way too close to Mia.

Emily smirked. “Am I interrupting something?” 😏

Mia immediately backed away, her cheeks turning pink. “N-No! I was just teaching him how to draw.”

Emily crossed her arms, still smirking. “Uh-huh. Right.”

Adrian smirked, enjoying Mia’s flustered reaction. “You jealous, Blondie?”

Emily snorted. “Please. I just didn’t expect Mia to be hanging out with you.” She turned to Mia with a teasing grin. “But I gotta say, girl… interesting choice.”

Mia groaned. “It’s not like that!”

“Yet,” Adrian murmured under his breath.

Mia turned to him with a glare. “Excuse me?”

“Nothing,” he said innocently, fighting back a smile.

Emily grinned, clearly enjoying the banter. “Well, don’t mind me. I just came to tell you that Mr. Wilson needs you to set up the display outside.”

Mia nodded quickly. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Emily winked at her before leaving. The moment she was gone, Mia turned back to Adrian. “You enjoy teasing me, don’t you?”

Adrian leaned back in his chair, smirking. “Immensely.”

Mia huffed but couldn’t hide her small smile. “Come back tomorrow. Maybe we’ll actually get past stick figures.”

Adrian chuckled, standing up and stretching. “Looking forward to it, teacher.”

As he walked out, Mia found herself staring at the sketchpad.

One page had a horrible excuse for a circle.