Searching for Love, Found Wealth

“I want that one!”.

What? I and someone had said it at the same time. I turned to see Jacob.

“Oh, you can have it?” he said.

I shook my head, “I didn’t want to buy it. I just wanted to see it. That’s all” I rushed and gave it to him.

The standard price for each painting was $25 dollars but Jacob gave $30 with the excuse that he liked round figures.

Joey had happily told him his ‘shop’ was open anytime, anywhere.

It was nice seeing classmates supporting each other. I saw another painting of a male and female holding hands.

I subconsciously smiled but I didn’t endeavor to buy it. My mom would ask if I lost a knot if she saw a romantic painting in my room.

I didn’t even watch romance movies except rom-com with more com to rom.

“This piece is $40 dollars. No bargaining” Joey immediately announced. It was that particular painting.

“Why so?” Chloe asked. She was almost selling it off at the $25.

“We did it together. There’s deep emotion in that painting” Joey acted dramatic.

Sheena and I began laughing. We never saw this part of Joey, he was always serious while he was at our class.

Well, a class with no Cara should be happy.

“Duh, you’ll find who’ll buy it at $40…” Chloe swallowed her remaining words when Cara raised her hands to buy it.

She cat walked to Joey and patted his back.

“Forty dollars. Nothing less” Joey emphasized.

Cara nodded and brought out $40 dollars from her purse. “I would turn it to something fun for my next party” she mused.

Joey became reluctant to sell it.

“Why would you destroy the art” Sheena asked.

Cara gave her a death glare and she flinched. “Cos it’s my money.. “.

“It is my art, I won’t sell” Joey interrupted. He and Cara exchanged glares and she stormed away.

Well, we need more people to stand up to Cara. “Congratulations Joey, she’s a psycho” I smiled to Joey and he gave a smile back.

“Who’ll buy it now?” Chloe’s voice sounded bored. She was obviously not liking standing under the sun, hawking paintings.

“Fifty dollars… okay, sixty”.

I heard Jasper and Reuben arguing about something. They came to Joey’s stand and smiled like fools.

“What’s with them?” Sheena giggled.

“Paintings?” Chloe put forth the painting to them.

Reuben attempted to touch it but Jasper snatched it first, “Do you have another one? I don’t want to pay sixty dollars for a painting” he asked Joey.

Joey shrugged, “It was only two honestly. Jacob took the first. This is the last. Do pay sixty dollars, mon cher” he was faking a French accent.

Sheena and I giggled again.

“Seventy dollars or rock paper scissors?” Jasper told Reuben.

Chloe exhaled and walked away from them to some other customers.

“Have it. We live in the same house anyway” Reuben smirked and hopped off. Jasper looked defeated. He paid sixty for the painting and ran off with his cousin.

“What a good day!” Joey sang to himself as he brought out more artwork. At the end, he congratulated Chloe for helping. His team had never sold so much.

She was rewarded with $50 dollar at the end. She was speechless as she didn’t expect any reward.

She had sold twenty-six paintings according to him, which was $650 dollars. He only had three members so they could share it $200 dollars each. He had to reward her so she can comeback again.

Chloe promised to and threatened to kill him if he let someone else sell for him. Sheena began regretting not helping out too.

I didn’t mind, after all Chloe bought us ice cream with the money.

“Well, the sweating was worth it” she gulped down her ice cream. We were now at an abandon swing, far from the field.

No one used the swing cos it’s childish for grade seven and above to still use swings. I don’t know who made the rule.

I began swinging on it anyway. At Cornfest, I couldn’t cos no one would push me. If they did, it would be so harshly I’d fall and get a bruise.

“Jennifer is prettier than me though” Sheena said suddenly.

Chloe glared at her, “Don’t start. My mood is all pumped up. You always compare you and your sister. It’ll take you nowhere”.

I nodded in agreement.

Sheena was much more approachable than Jennifer. Jennifer was just nice on the outside but she had a scary part.

“My dad praises her a lot. My mom too. She’s smart, pretty, popular and is good at playing instruments too. I am neither” she said sadly.

Chloe sighed and left us at the swing.

I nudged Sheena playfully, “She’s not that great. Love yourself”.

I then remembered a song I listened to once. I remixed it and began singing, “No-one should stop you loving yourself…”.

Sheena began smiling, maybe it was my voice or my effort but I was glad I did.

We caught up with Chloe ordering another ice cream. She was with another one but refused to give it to Sheena.

“Repeat after me…” she commanded, “I am great”.

“I am great” Sheena repeated. More because of ice cream than cos she believed it.

Sheena was declaring another one when I saw a fight about starting.

I rushed to the scene and the girls followed. Cara was being pressed to the floor by a girl. She was a Jamaican girl and even had a Jamaican head band to prove it.

“What’s Jane doing? She’d get punished” Chloe looked traumatized.

Jane tackled Cara to the ground and began landing punches on her on the ground.

“Never call my skin dirty again” Jane screamed as she tackled her. Jasper was coming to separate them but when he heard Jane, he stood back.

Cara called her skin dirty? Now I was angry.

“Jane stop” Joey rushed to carry Jane from atop Cara but she pushed him away.

Cara began slapping at Jane’s thighs but they were too thick and heavy and didn’t even budge.

It took Jasper, Joey and Chris to lift Jane from Cara yet she was still struggling.

She was so angry and I didn’t blame her. Was Cara going to bring racism to this school now?