His feet roamed the empty corridors, lifeless and still, almost silent if not for the birdsong outside seeping in though the gaping windows. The sun reflected on the glossy tiled floor, its sheen capturing auburn irises, expectantly scanning doors for the right number. Posters of various events littering the walls, often featuring a sporting event or music concert on campus available to students. Small chatters could be heard up ahead, a pair of students entering through the doors at the end of the hallway, footsteps in sync with their conversation. The fire-doors retracted back together, a small clamour as they closed. Not attempting to partake in any eavesdropping, Ash re-focused his mind of his current task, yellow folder in hand.

It had been a week since the task was assigned to him, a task that proved more arduous that he first anticipated. The folder spent most of the week in the confines of his grey backpack, almost hiding behind larger textbooks and papers. Eyes flicking between doors, Ash soon stopped walking, quietly observing his intended destination. Professor Juniper sat on her black chair, slightly tapping her shoes on the tiled floors, almost rhythmically. A pen in her right hand, gliding across the various assortment of essays accumulated on her wooden desk. The lecture room was relatively small, only holding a capacity for a hundred people or so, but the seats were empty, bar a few students typing away on laptops. Ironically, they sat furthest away from his professor's desk, a reason he did not need explaining to him.

Surprisingly, the woman used to be in a band, and so the tendency of humming lyrics and songs were all too familiar with Ash. He wouldn't have believed it at first, but the times of social media meant videos of her circulated faster than anyone's business, a fact that she remained oblivious to. But Ash still held a small preference to her over some of his other lecturers, purely because she didn't mind his quieter nature as of late. Watching her neatly put a pile of sheets onto one side she expressed a small groan, inaudible to the students at the back, before heaving another pile in-front of her, pen at the ready. Ash decided this to be his opportune moment, and so gently rasped his knuckle on the door, hitting it twice.

While he caught the attention of Juniper, his knuckle hadn't fully healed yet and so the action was immediately regretted, provoking a small wince from the young man. Regardless, he ignored the now subsiding pain, and walked to the woman, noticing his presence attracted the attention of more than just her. Looking up to the highest stands, and then back to her, she smiled at his presence, setting the lid back onto her stationary. Her white coat adorned the back of her chair, while the sleeves of her pink shirt were rolled up, an observation that Ash found a little intimidating. However, realising he was staring a moment too long, an awkward silence ensued but Ash lifted his arm, gently placing the folder back into her possession.

"Ah Ash I was wondering when you would be back. You seemed to take longer than I thought with it." Ash immediately cursed himself for prolonging his visit, mentally telling himself to put a reminder on his phone for future tasks. It was a week since the file was given to him, which was about six days longer than it took him to finish finding the mistakes. Finding a small hint of embarrassment in her words, she continued, attempting to not make Ash feel guilty. "So, what do you think?". She now took her glasses off, clearly only needing them for reading, and quietly placed them on the table. Her beady brown eyes glaring at Ash who initially struggled to get an answer out.

"Well, I thought it was good, but I'm no expert with fashion. With all due respect, why did you pick me for this? I mean I highlighted the mistakes and errors, but I didn't really know what to make of it as a whole." Ash stumbled the last sentence, clearly not wanting to offend the older woman, pleased with the fact that she didn't seem to mind his bluntness as her expression grew into one of curiosity. Carefully taking out the papers, she examined his work, and something about the papers already on the desk made Ash think she would start getting him to mark his fellow students' essays as well. Allowing the small smile to creep onto his lips, he promptly shook the thought off, glad she didn't see it. He felt as if he was already on thin ice, and the students behind watching the ongoing interaction definitely wasn't helping.

Thoroughly satisfied with the task, she placed the papers back onto the desk, once again meeting his eyes. "That's exactly why I chose you Ash". His brows furrowed, something she did not miss, and so she continued, smiling at him now leaning back into her chair slightly. "Do you know why you do so well in class? It's because you're prepared for the questions I'm going to give. It's not a bad thing, in fact your grades would say it's a good thing. You're someone I've observed a lot of change in Ash."

Now Ash was completely confused. Her words passed over his head, not allowing him to grasp the true meaning of them, his mind racing for answers. Something of which his professor only laughed at the action of. "See this is my point Ash, you're using your mind to find the answers. What does your heart say?". The words rendered him speechless, as if his very soul were frozen in time, powerless by the gravity of her words. Looking down, eyes back to her papers, she opened her wooden drawer, pulling out a small notepad, scribbling something down. Ash stared at her hands, moving intently, writing a few words down of which he couldn't quite decipher upside-down. Some numbers were on there, but he was simply too far away to see her small calligraphy.

Tearing off the sheet, she handed the note to Ash, his hand hesitantly taking it. He opened the folded paper, reading the words. 'You can find something truly important in an ordinary minute - One More Day; 285937.' Quickly reading the number, the young man realised that it was in fact a book, the six-digit code was how their library ordered books numerically. An ordering system he was all too familiar with. Nevertheless, the note only created new questions in his mind, and it became apparent that Professor Juniper only seemed to add to the confusion the longer their conversation continued. Deciding to thank her, he pocketed the note, telling himself to follow up on the task better that he did with the file. She began to delve back into her work again, uncapping her pen, scanning the table. Taking this as his leave, Ash thanked her again which she seemingly ignored, and walked out of the class. Not realising that students were now entering the room, the white clock above the beige door indicated the start of the next class.

"You might be interested in Art's Studio 3B. Could provide a change of pace, to so to speak." He couldn't tell if the comment was directed at him, the bustle and chatter of the incoming students drowning out the words. She looked at him intently for a moment, now standing up, and clapped her hands, ordering silence. Still as intimidating as ever. Ash nodded his head, understanding that she was indeed talking to him, before leaving the room and into the busy corridor. The students in the room bewildered by their interaction, dreading the next hour with her.

Within a few minutes however, Ash saw that the corridors were once again a desolate place, small voices of various classes going on. He approached the arts building, not too far from where he was a couple of minutes ago, entering the doors, smiling at the receptionists and student advisors. He had a couple of free periods in between lectures, so time was not of the essence, allowing him to casually walk through the site. He glanced at the framed artwork on the walls, various designs and styles creating a monologue of ideas, inspiring imaginations into flurries of emotions and ideas, but Ash hardly paid much attention to his imagination. Simple and direct, that was his bread and butter.

Walking up the flights of stairs, the raven-haired teen muttered the classes under his breath, searching for 3B. Having never set foot in such a place, it was clear he was a little out of his depth. The long narrow corridors, weird design structure, and awkward corners were definitely what Ash didn't expect, but different isn't always bad. However right now he contemplated the words, struggling to find the room, the class numbers skipping from 3A straight to 4A. Noticing his adversity, an elderly man approached the boy, keeping track of his pacing movements having witnessed him walk down the same corridor almost three times by now. "Ah can I help you?" Jumping at the noise, Ash swivelled, almost flinging his bag into the man which he only wore with one strap.

Apologising dearly, the man let a small chuckle out, giving Ash the opportunity to properly address who he was conversing with. He was of an average build, but his stature was only a few inches smaller than Ash's. The brown blazer hanging on his broad shoulders was adorned with elbow patches, a dark shade of green, his trousers almost the same shade of brown for that matter. His tie clip had a strange insignia, but it was far too worn for Ash to make out. "Erm, could you tell me where 3B is?" Awaiting his reply, the man chuckled once again.

"Ah it's on the top floor. Hmm. Student's never seem to be able to find it, maybe we should have a sign." He rubbed his white beard with his fingers, wrinkles evident. His gold ring shone in the light, several scratches on the face, a tired condition. Thanking him for his time, Ash made his way to the stairs, watching the man walk backwards, into his office, the door closing momentarily. His feet climbed the stairs, noticing that this staircase was slightly longer than the previous ones, an unexpected feeling arising in the temples of Ash's head. He craned his neck upwards, hand gently brushing the steel banister, before walking into a set of large fire doors, revealing two more sets of doors. Reading the metal plating on both doors, Ash pushed into 3B, half wanting to see the viewing gallery behind the other one first.

The light blinded his eyes for a second, before his pupils became accustomed to the intensity, softening. His hand once again back by his side, he decided to put his bag on with both straps around his shoulders this time. A few dozen canvases littered the room, he expected there to be puddles of paint everywhere and brushes all over the counters, but surprisingly in was fairly immaculate. The occasional paper and pot still on the desk. A few cupboards hugged the sides of the walls, which he assumed to contain paints and other equipment, and on top were washing stations. One or two not fully fastened, creating little droplets of water continuously appearing and disappearing into the drains.

His attention shifted towards the voices at the far end of the room, ten or twelve students surrounding a much larger canvas, a woman in a white apron dashing her paintbrush along its grainy template. Making out a few words, he established that she often spoke using the words 'abstract' and 'gradient', meaning he was in the middle of a class of sorts. His attempt to soften his footsteps were successful enough for him to closely approach the huddle of students. Normally he wouldn't have been so curious about art and paint, but he was directed here for a reason, and there was nothing else in the room at the minute, so he stood next to the students. Coming to the conclusion that this was indeed a class, the students in the huddle were scribbling notes down haphazardly onto notebooks, eager to jot down every detail as the teacher, he assumed, flicked her wrist, adding more colours onto the areas of white.

Her words confused Ash; a feeling he was beginning to grow accustomed to today. Nothing made much sense to the teen, so he stood there rather innocently, soaking in the jargon emanating from her pitched voice. Stealing glances across the circle, the sounds of scribbles were prominent, while some students simply observed, a method Ash supported completely. Despite his utter lack of knowledge of all things colourful, he knew art was felt, not thought. Immediately his mind flicked back to his conversation with Professor Juniper. What does your heart say Ash?

He didn't think he would be sent to the other side of campus simply to see someone deface a perfectly clean canvas with brash and reckless strokes. But somehow in his mind, her picture made sense. Unclean lines, jagged edges, some paint slightly dripping down the slope of the angled frame. The overall picture a holistic representation of imperfection. But somehow it made sense to him. Feeling a flurry of new emotions, his eyes intently watched her tarnish the image with more colours, adding more textures and boldness to its persona, mixing colours and shades. A couple of minutes after she had finished, now beginning a conversation with her students, some of which still scribbled notes down. Rolling his eyes, he took a step back from the circle, just barely remaining in earshot of the teacher's voice.

She began asking the fellow observers about the painting, almost frightening them into saying something good for the sake of not passing offence. Laughing slightly at the scene, the class dissolved, each student taking their seat onto their own easel, awaiting instructions. His eyes wandered around the room, almost feeling intrusive of being in a class he didn't take. Deciding to come back another time, his feet took him towards the door, silently stepping to attract as minimal attention as possible. He would've made it, if not a tap on the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Turning around slowly, the woman he assumed to be the teacher eyed him, clearly establishing him as a sort of rogue student.

He smiled innocently, his fingers playing with themselves behind his back, palms gaining moisture very quickly. Expecting to be thrown out, her words couldn't have been further from his expectations. "You can observe if you wish, as long as you don't make any noise". Her tone was noticeably gentler than before, her whispers almost inaudible to the students who had already begun working. Taken aback, his back stiffened as she pointed to an empty desk, a few metres away from another student working. She smiled before proceeding to walk around the room, her white coat swaying in the movement, the black flats almost silent under the motion. Eyes scanning each artwork, she offered advice and small conversation occasionally, before continuing her rounds.

Still temporarily in disbelief, Ash decided to occupy the empty table, silently observing the class work. However, it wasn't too long before he began to feel restless and bored, silently wishing he had visited the library beforehand so at least he would have a book to read. Not wanting to waste the time though, he dug through his bag, pulling out a notebook and pen. His own fingers now moving on a white sheet, filling the space. Although some students did turn around and noticed a random student sitting at the back, Ash attempted to pay no attention to it. Keeping his gaze firmly fixed on a textbook, he frequently turned the page, the crinkle of paper louder than he wished.

However, a few minutes later, the doors opened very slowly, Ash being the closest the only one to hear it who jerked his head in curiosity. A girl slipped into the class, eyeing the students to see if she were caught, sighing at the realisation she wasn't. But Ash did notice the woman he spoke earlier to approach the girl, allowing him to study her closely while she stood adjacent to the door. Noticing her quick breaths and beaded sweat on her pale skin, he could only assume she ran up the stairs. Her dark purple bag looking old and faded, resting in her fingers, next to her legs. Her hoodie covered most of her frame, albeit being slightly oversized, but given the chilly weather as of late, he was hardly one to judge. Her dark blue jeans travelling down to her shoes, shades of faded black around the rims with frayed lace tips. 

Their conversation was brief, the girl doing her best to catch up with her breath, nodding at the teacher who gave a look of intent, which soon faded into one of compassion. Her eyes softened, the girl reciprocating with a slight smile, now leaning against the painted brick walls, shoulders slumping somewhat. Overall, the conversation was brief, the girl every so often looking around the room as if to mentally catch up with the class. Some people finally noticed, not giving it much of a thought, before continuing their task; others oblivious to the exchange happening behind them. Soon the woman walked off, back to her routine walk, nonchalantly playing with the clean brush in between her fingers. Ash's attention turned back to the girl, who took a moment to compose herself at the back of the room, eyelids staying closed for a second or two. Quickly gaining said composure, she walked towards Ash, her bag almost dragging across the floor.

His seat wasn't so ideal anymore. Although there were enough seats, she walked onto the table, sitting a metre or two away from the boy, lifting the chair out and placing her weight off her feet. She relaxed into the feeling, Ash not missing her shoulders dipping down slightly, breathing almost normal again. His eyes remained glued to his book though, it wasn't any of his business, but he did debate whether to ask if she was doing alright, but he quickly bit back the thought. Slowly getting into the rhythm of the class, she opened her bag, lifting out a bottle of water only to realise it was empty. Saving her the hassle and noise of refilling it, Ash delved into his own bag, offering his drink to her. His arm extended for her to grasp the plastic; her face almost surprised at the gesture.

She took the water, and lifted it above her lips, letting the contents soak into her dry mouth, trickling into her system. However, her eyes soon darted to Ash, who was jotting something down, and before long she lifted too high, water bouncing off her chin. Gaining Ash's attention with her sudden reaction, her expression grew into one of embarrassment, handing the bottle back before it could do any more damage, miming a thank you to which Ash simply nodded. She rubbed on her slightly wet hoodie, understanding she couldn't do anything to dry it, and so focused on the blank canvas staring at her. The raven-haired boy watched intently, her sapphire eyes darting to the empty spaces, imagining the combination of colours that would perfectly capture the images she visualised in her head.

Opening the cupboard next to her feet, she leaned to get some paints, once again Ash stole a glance at her. Her warm blonde hair swaying with the action, her slender arms picking up the bottles, carefully placing them on the table. Realising his eyes were fixed on the random girl, he once again tore his attention off, subconsciously compelling himself to keep at his own task. He was intrigued by her, the way she came late, the way she was dressed, the way she carried herself. He didn't know why exactly, but something about her meant he couldn't keep at ease. While he partook in his internal dilemma, her eyes danced across the table, eyes glistening slightly with the lighting in the room. She searched for a specific object, failing to spot it, only to locate it on the other side of a random boy, who clearly was in the wrong place to study.

Not one to judge, she observed him for a moment, mentally willing him to look at her as a way of not having to initiate the conversation. However, his focus was straight down at his book, never looking up once. She tried to make a small noise to attract his attention, but after several feeble attempts, she huffed herself of the chair, wincing at the added weight to her heels. Her shoes were not comfortable in the slightest, but she powered through the pain, tapping his arm. Feeling the smooth fabric of his own hoodie against her fingers, he jolted up, almost losing balance, but gripped onto the table, staring intently at the girl. Her finger pointed to a bottle an arm's length away from Ash, who was initially confused, but gathered his bearings and reached out to it, handing it to the girl. Her pink lips curved into a small smile, nodding before returning to her chair.

Her brush floated across the canvas, not wanting to create a bold design, she purposely chose lighter colours to lay the foundation of her work. Occasionally stopping to muse at her evolving design. Her hands sat on her lap and she craned her neck, lightly biting on her lower lip. Grabbing a new bottle, her strokes were much more defined now, almost brash. But her wrist flicked and glided with elegance, the course of the brush acting like a puppet on strings. Watching the clock quickly tick by; time was limited, and so with a small exhale and deep breath, she got back to work. Outlining shapes, adding, and mixing colours, experimenting with contours on her hand, her piece was developing. However, it was too little too late.

The teacher clasped her hands, signalling the time to end, a few groans emitted from the students who also failed to finish. Ash looked at his book; having almost finished his notes from his lecture, he made a mental task of continuing in the library and also checking the book he was referred to out. He glanced around the room, seeing the artworks now more developed since he last looked. Some were accomplished artists, others he could tell were just experimenting with the time, seeing their ideas unfold in any way shape or form. As the students filtered out the room, they left their work out on the side to dry, and intent on following them out, Ash packed up his things. About to stand up he once again looked at the girl to his left, who sat unmoving, her head resting on her chin.

Her eyes intently stared at the canvas, contemplating her colour choices and combinations. Ash's eyes however were fixed on her position, so much so he failed to realise the professor walk up to their pair, now being the only three left in the room. "Ah marvellous as always, a shame about the time though. You can always come back to finish." Her hand gently resting on her shoulder. He noticed that the woman was far more forgiving to this girl than anyone else, her soft tone comforting the girl. The door suddenly opened, a girl walked in, brown hair neatly combed, burgundy coat in her arms.

"Hey Ash, what are you doing here?" Her voice louder than she expected, Shauna looked around the room, relieved to find it relatively empty. Shocked to find the girl here, he got off his seat, intending to greet her, but her hazel eyes made its way over to the canvas the other two females were discussing. "Woah did you do that? It's amazing!" She was now in shock, eyes widening, taking a few footsteps closer to the image examining it more closely. Curiously, Ash walked over as well, intent on discovering what the commotion was about, only to soon find out it was justified and then some.

A flash of blue danced on the canvas, a thick vertical strip from top to bottom. Shades of green, each as defined as the next perfectly blended into a grassy meadow, small trees outlined in black fine liner, pencil marks jotted across the board. The white clouds perfectly capturing the right feel of softness, the gravel path imperfect, jagged shades of brown and grey capturing the real-life expectation perfectly. Different textures adding depth and design. It was the best image of the traditional 'rainforest with a waterfall' Ash had ever seen in his life. His mouth slightly agape in awe, the artist now embarrassed slightly at the three reactions. Shauna congratulated the girl, hugging her from behind in an awkward hug, her jacket brushing her cheeks with fur.

To Ash it was simply incredible, almost rendering the boy speechless. In all honesty he couldn't find the words to say something, anything he'd say would be an understatement. "Hey Ash, you want to go grab some lunch?" Shauna pulled him out of his astonishment, Ash only just realising that the teacher was now walking back to her own desk and the girl had begun preparations to leave as well.

"Erm... yeah sure. I've got nothing on." Regaining composure, he swung his bag onto his shoulders, ready for the descent back down the stairs. The pair were about to leave, only for Shauna to stop before the door.

"Oh, Serena do you want to come?" She turned her head, eyes directed at the girl, who was also edging towards the door. Ash's mind snapped into gear, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. It was a coincidence surely, however not one to miss an opportunity, he questioned the girl. Simple and direct.

"Serena? As in Serena Blakely?"