"Sorry, I think you dropped this." Alex turned around to see a boy standing in front of her. He was around her age with brown shaggy hair and a boyish grin on his face. He held out a paint brush.

"No. That's not mine." He shrugged.

"Yeah, I know. I needed an excuse to come and talk to you." Alex eyed him with a sly smile. Cute but not her type.  "It's quite lovely- What you're working on there." Oh British...

"So, new British guy, How close are the countries British and England?" The boy grinned.

"They're the same country. Kind of. And it's "Britain", not "British"." Alex smirked.

"I know. I just think it's hilarious when people explain ridiculous things." Mister Leritate walked to the centre of the class.

"My name is Mason Greybeck." The boy introduced. Alex shook his outstretched hand.

"Ok, holster your brushes, hombres. I trust you brought something new to compete in the art off."Mr Leritate drew his imaginary guns and was about  to 'shoot' people when the door opened and Ronnie ran in, her red curly hair bouncing around her face. Alex's eyes moved to Mason to see him nearly drooling. Not over her though, over Ronnie. Her smirk widen as her wicked mind started to create a plan of action.

"Miss West. Care to explain why you are so late" Ronnie turned to him, her face red from running and a huge piece of paper underneath her arm.

"I'm sorry mister Leritate but I just needed to get the right paint to finish my painting." Mister Leritate waved it off.

"You are lucky you are my favourite student but as a punishment you need to show off your painting" Ronnie nodded.

"Deal" Mister Leritate grinned and turned around looking for his other victim. Ronnie walked to her work spot and placed down her paining. She opened her bag, took out her paint and started painting. Not once did Mason look away.

"That's Ronnie" Mason finally looked away from Ronnie. "Hey Ronnie!" Ronnie held up her finger.

"One moment!" She finished her stroke and withdrew her brush. She took a step back and stared at her painting. After a moment she nodded, took a piece of fabric, covered her painting and moved it to the frame next to Mister Leritate. Finally she joined Alex and Mason. Her eyes sparked when she noticed Mason.

"Ronnie this is Mason Gra..." Alex tried but she couldn't remember what his last name was. Mason finally found his voice again and shook Ronnie's hand.

"My name is Mason Greybeck." Ronnie smiled.

"Ronnie West, nice to meet you" Mason's eyes widen.

"You're English?" Ronnie nodded.

"Yes. Nice to know I'm not the only English person in the school anymore. From what part of England are you from?"

"London" Now it was Ronnie's time to gasp.

"Me too, what pa-" Alex, having heard enough of all the geographic crap decided to speak up.

"Mason Greybeck. That sounds like the name of a game show host, doesn't it Ronnie" Ronnie nodded with a small frown.

"Yes, uhm, Mason Greybeck, I'll take "Bridges" for a thousand, please." Mason used his brush as a microphone and beamed.

"Your question is, "I think you're cute. What do you think of me?" Ronnie was dumfolded. He liked her? He a good-looking guy. The only thing that had ever liked her was a large dog of her old school groundkeeper.

"Uhm I-"

"Ronnie!" Their heads snapped to the side to see Mister Leritate beaming at her. She turned to Mason with an sorry smile before she walked towards the teacher. Another boy stood at the other side. Todd I believe.

"Ready.
Set.
Art off!"

Both teams pulled off the fabric of their paintings. It wasn't a challenge really. Todd had drawn a failed stick figure wearing a straw head. Ronnie on the other hand had drawn a picture of a full moon complete with a fully painted sky and some sort of forest underneath it.

"Well uh, stick figure plus hat equals... farm. Full moon wins!" Ronnie smiled and took her paining off the frame. The bell rang and everyone started to pack their things. Ronnie was just packing up her paint when Mason stopped next to her bag.

"How would you feel about maybe going for some tea later? Then maybe we can talk without Alex interrupting us." Ronnie laughed. Mason felt his legs wobble. He was falling so hard.

"Ok, but if "go for tea" doesn't mean a date, then I'm going to be really embarrassed." She teased and left him.

-

"So that's why I don't drink thee after 5 o'clock." Ronnie laughed. It was so nice to talk to another British person  again after 2 years. They understood why drinks didn't always need fizzing.

"Okay, now it's my turn." Mason beamed and poured them another cup of thee. After school had ended they had ended up in a small cafe two blocks away. Ronnie had recommended it saying they had the best thee, and she was right. Ronnie thought for a moment, scrunching up her nose. "Oh I got it. When I was 14 my brothers swapped my grape juice for squid ink. It took me a year to get my teeth white again." Mason laughed.

"We should have a romantic montage." Mason stated suddenly. Ronnie's cheeks flushed before she shyly nodded.

"All right, that should get our relationship started."  Mason grinned and helped her up.

-

They spend the week together. And with that I mean they literally spend every minute of the whole week together.

On Monday they rented a bicycle and drove trough new York. Mason up front and Ronnie on the back.

Tuesday they went to the cinema and watched the whole marathon of 'Supernatural? I think not!'

Wednesday they spend the entire afternoon in the local park, watching people walk by, imitating them and watching the stars in the evening.

Thursday they did all kinds of random things and Friday they had a small painting contest which ended in them both being covered by paint. The weekend they spend just like Friday doing stupid stuff.

Now it was Monday again and that meant art class. Ronnie had  drawn a painting again, this time inspired by the time she and Mason were in the park. It was a parody of the famous painting 'The night watch' but instead of humans, the heads were dogs. It was already standing on her frame inside the art room.

Ronnie and Mason walked into the class. Mason held his painting in one hand while his other one was interlocked with Ronnie's.

"I'm thinking of showing of my painting, its inspired by our first week together."

"Great! I've got something to show you, too. I was up all night working on this, and I think it's one of my best." Harper ran towards them.

"Oh, my gosh! An unveiling in front of the whole class will be so romantic." Ronnie shrugged.

"Or Mason and I can just show each other now." Harper glared at her.

"Don't rob me of my part of this romance." Ronnie help up her free hand in surrender. Mister Leritate walked  into the room.

"Who's ready to face off in today's Art off?" Harper held up Mason's and Ronnie's hand. His eyes fell onto Ronnie and Mason, he beamed. "Ah, a battle between two friends from across the pond. Or as I like to call it: "The civil war part deux?" Ronnie and Mason shrugged and placed their paintings on the frames. "Ready Set Art off!" They pulled of the fabric's showing their paintings. Harper awed. Both painting had the same theme. Ronnie and Mason shared a loving glance before Alex gagged.

"Somebody flush the toilet. We got stinkers over here."

"Calamity Jane! We have identical themes. The revolutionary war and dogs." Mason frowned while Ronnie glared at them.

"Oh, my gosh! You both bought the worst painting you could find? You are the best art couple ever." Mason shook his head, angry.

"No, Alex, you're making fun of my painting, a- and Ronnie's" Alex's smile disappeared and turned to the two.

"Then that means I just called your painting horrible and ridiculous."

"You also said it belongs in the toilet." Mister Leritate added.

"Ok, I know that my laughing seems rude, but, you see, in America, laughter is how we show our appreciation." Ronnie rubbed her face and walked past Alex to stand next to Mason. A small smile found  his face and he interlocked their hands again, sending sparks up Ronnie's arm. "Like, "Mr. Leritate is a great teacher". They laughed very fakely while Mister Leritate frowned. "Or, or, "Harper, that's a great outfit". This time Harper looked offended.

"Alex, I know you" Ronnie frowned. "And I know you don't believe either of those things are true." Mason nodded in unison. 

"You know why you don't like it? Because you don't understand it." Alex frowned.

"No I just don't like it" Ronnie sighed before she smiled and turned to Mason.

"Well, I like it" Mason looked at her and beamed.

"I'm so glad you like it. This is so great, because I had an idea for my next piece. I'm going to paint a portrait of you." Harper awed. "It will be your face as a cute teacup chihuahua." Alex, Harper and Mister Leritate looked scared while Ronnie beamed.

"With my red hair" Mason nodded, exited.

"YES!  And sewing the stars and stripes, as if you were Betsy Ross." Ronnie laughed happily.

"No, no You, you don't have to do that." Alex tried, not wanting to see Ronnie as a dog. Had she lost her mind? "Nobody needs to see her as a dog." Ronnie finally looked away from Mason and frowned.

"Dogs are my muse, Alex." Mason explained. "And I've already got the image in my head." He pointed his finger in the air before he pointed at Ronnie. "I've got to get going on this." Ronnie nodded and together they ran out of the class.

-

It had taken Alex nearly a whole day but she had found a way to make sure Mason wouldn't humiliate Ronnie by drawing her as a drooling dog. She walked out of her home to see Harper sitting on the steps.

"Hey, Harper! I figured out a way to stop Mason from painting that picture of Ronnie."She opened her bag and took out a large sea shell. "A magic shell.
I blow through this shell and Ronnie becomes Mason's artistic muse. He'll want to paint Ronnie as Ronnie, instead of a chihuahua." Harper frowned.

"But chihuahuas are so cute."

"Well, I know Ronnie's cuter than a dog that lives in a purse. For once, I'm gonna help a friend.

"Look, you barely got out of trouble with them yesterday. Don't make it worse by adding magic. Ronnie doesn't even seem bothered by it" Just than did Mason and Ronnie walk past. Ronnie had her hair up today, creating a huge bun on top of her head.

"Hey Alex, ready to see the first raw sketch?" Alex held up her finger.

"Just one second. My allergies are acting up." She turned around and blew inside the horn, thinking of Ronnie. Music flew out, straight into Mason. He blinked and grinned.

"I just had a most splendid idea." Alex smirked.

"I was pretty sure you might" Mason laughed and ran away. Ronnie watched him leave before she turned to Alex.

"What did you do?!"

-

"I repeat, what did you do?!"Alex waved it off and sunk further into the couch. While she had made herself comfortable Ronnie and Harper stood stoic at the other side of the room.

"I just used some magic to make you his muse." Ronnie's eyes widen.

"You did what?"

"Relax, it's always better than being drawn like a dog." Ronnie was fuming. Why would Alex do this?  She and Mason were really getting off. He even asked her to be his girlfriend before all this. The door opened and Mason stumbled in holding a lot of paintings.

"There you are, my love! I've finished! All of these are of you." He started placing them on the couch. They were indeed beautiful but she liked his originals better.

"I don't know which one's my favourite, but they're all good."

"They're beautiful."

"And the moment I started I couldn't stop." Mason scratched his head. "When I paint you, something just comes over me." Harper raised her eyebrow.

"It feels Magical?" Mason nodded fiercely.

"Yes! Magical." Ronnie licked her lips and turned to Alex.

"Did you hear that? I'm sure there's not just these, probably hundreds and hundreds of-" She took Mason's sketch book and opened it, showing all the sketches of her and not one dog to find. "And there they are." Mister Russo walked down the stairs and noticed them.

"Hey, it's you again! Is it Martin or Jason?" Mason smiled.

"It's Mason."

"Wasn't that one of the choices" He noticed the paintings. "Oh wow, these are great. You can hardly see the numbers." Mason got down on one knee.

"Ronnie is my muse. My inspiration. All I want to do is paint her." Harper nodded.

"Yep. It's like he's under her spell." She empathized.

"Yes! I only wish I could paint Ronnie on a bigger canvas. And I think I've got an idea. Excuse me." Mason pushed past Mister Russo and out of the door.

"I think I've got an idea, too. You stole my muse shell." Mister Russo pointed at Ronnie. Ronnie shook her head.

"It was Alex. She just had to try and 'fix' me and Mason" Alex huffed.

"You like him, and he likes painting you." Mister Russo pointed at Alex.

"I'll tell you what the big deal is. Pretty soon he's not going to be able to eat or sleep. All he's gonna want to do is paint Ronnie." Ronnie's eyes widen and turned to Alex.

"You have to fix this! That shell's already turned him wacky." Alex rolled her eyes and took a cupcake off the counter.

"Wacky? Come on!" Ronnie's eyes widen as she finally looked out of the window. There was Mason, drawing a huge painting of her onto the street.

"It's beautiful." Alex breathed, standing next to her. Ronnie send her a fierce glare. "Oh, fine! I'll get the shell" Ronnie nodded and quickly made her way down. Mason beamed, seeing her.

"What do you think? Do you like it?" Ronnie nodded unsure.

"It's, it's beautiful. It's great." Mason nodded stepping closer.

"That's so good because I really want you to like it. You are beautiful, and I'm going to keep painting you." He fell down his knees and started drawing again. Ronnie sighed and tried getting him up.

"Well, why don't you take a break and we can go get a sandwich?" Mason pulled his arm out of her grasp. 

"No time for eating!" He stopped and pointed at her. "Right there. The light is hitting your hair perfectly. I want to do a bigger chalk drawing of you over here, in profile." He skid down the street and pushed the people away. "Excuse me. Move! Thank you." He started again. Ronnie shuffled over, praying Alex would be fast.

"So, is this what you're just gonna be doing from now on?" Mason nodded happily.

"I hope so. We're the ultimate art couple." There was a rumble before it started pouring. Ronnie tried pulling Mason inside.

"We need to get inside." He withdrew again.

"No, I have to redraw this as it washes away. The more it washes away, the faster I have to draw."

"Ok that's very poetic but we need to get inside." She ran a hand through her already wet hair. Mason frowned and was about to go back to drawing when there was the sound of a horn. Mason blinked and looked down at the chalk in his hand. Ronnie coughed, already feeling cold. Mason quickly turned to her.

"Are you ok? Sounds like you've got a bit of a chest cold." Ronnie send him a small smile. "We need to get you out of this rain and inside." He dropped the chalk and grabbed his jacked before draping it over her shoulders.

"Well wait! So you're done drawing me?" Mason nodded.

"Yeah, I feel like painting some dogs." Ronnie stepped closer hugging Mason. He smiled and hugged her back.

"Good." They stood there for a moment in the pouring rain before Ronnie pulled away and looked up into Mason's brown eyes. He stared back into her green ones before they closed the gap and kissed each other. Sparks flew. After minutes, hours, days they pulled away and smiled at each other. Now only one question remained inside Ronnie's head. Why does Mason smell like wet dog?