I woke up on the first morning of the summer brake all energized. It was the day that Laura and me started working on the art school's project. We were given the task of decorating a playground in our hometown with paintings.

It was 8 o'clock and I had to be there by 9. I went to the bathroom to get ready. The mirror was showing that my deep dark eyes, there tired, although I didn't feel like that at all. I washed my face, it was already better, then I put on some clothes that were suited for the task of being covered in paint.

I headed out and went towards Laura's place to meet with her.

- Alma! - she shouted, once she saw me in the distance. - How are you?

- I'm pretty excited about today. I feel like it's gonna be a great day!

- Me too. I already drew some sketches. I'm gonna show you once we're there.

Laura was my best friend for the longest time. She was chubby and having the kindest hear I've ever known, putting others ahead of herself.

Once we arrived and got the paint from the storeroom, she laid down her sketches on the ping-pong table. They were wonderful, with fairies flying around, and big, magical trees. It was like a child's world opened up in front of me.

- This is magical! I haven't even thought about anything we should paint, I thought we would just improvise. But I can see that you're well ahead of me, as always.

She put on a big grin, while blushing a bit from the compliments she just got.

We started planning, placing the magical element in the playground, deciding on tasks, when I suddently heard a voice:

- So you're the ones who're gonna work on the playground?

As I turned around I saw two guys looking at Laura's sketches. I also noticed some other people came to play on the basketball ground. One of them was paying close attention to the discussion, but only from distance.

- Yes, hello! She's Laura and my name is Alma, nice to meet you.

One of them put on a smirk, while the other was searching for Laura's eyes, while she was too absorbed by work to pay attention to him. They were both really tall and good-looking. One of them reminded me of my favorite singer. After they introduced themselves I quickly forgot their names, as that is my weak point.

The guy that was just silently observing the discussion from afar, at a given moment came running and grabbed the two guys by their shoulders, almost trowing them to the ground.

Wow, such an appearance. I thought.

- 'Cmon, you punks, we gotta play.

His energy and joy were overflowing. I felt like they had reached me too.

- In a sec, we were making conversation here.

- Yes yes. - he said, while looking at me for the first time - The game's gonna be more interesting than such a plain girl.

Excuse me? Did I hear it right? Were my senses playing tricks on me a few moments ago? I thought I saw something brighten up in his eyes, while he looked at me, but I must've been mistaken. How rude, to say such a thing in front of the person...

The rest of the day we kept working hard, laid down the sketches on the walls gradually. Still, they were quite plain yet.

Plain. This word kept coming up in my mind, without me noticing. Plain.

My eyes kept running toward the basketball ground. Plain...

- Am I plain\, Laura? – I asked suddently without thinking

- What? You\, plain? Hahaha. That’s the silliest thing I heard from you in a while.

Well, I guess that means no. But then again, I’m not like all those people, going around, joyfully talking with anyone. It’s hard for me to even start conversation, most of the time I’m just stuck inside my own head. I don’t like dressing up to draw attention upon myself and I don’t feel like I have any special qualities either. Does that make me plain?

My eyes ran again towards the basketball ground, and I stood there amazed for a few seconds. That rude guy was actually playing pretty well, he was scoring the most. And he was taller than any of the others. He’s even handsome. I thought for a second, but when I realized I turned my gaze and thoughts away. One still slipped through: He’s not plain at all.

I got back to working on the outlines, and soon got carried away by the flow of creation.

- These sketches are not bad at all. – I heard from behind me.

As I turned around I saw the you-are-plain guy. I decided on being nice to him, maybe we just started off with the wrong foot.

All people are good inside.I told myself.

- Yeah\, they are pretty amazing! Laura made all of them\, she’s so talented!

- Ah\, I thought so. It couldn’t be you\, who made them.

What the heck? I know I’m not as talented as she is, but still, to say such a thing. So there are people that are simply mean.

- Where do you get these ideas from\, Laura? – he said\, as if being charmed by the drawings.

- I don’t know\, sometimes I dream about them\, sometimes they just come naturally\, as I’m drawing.

- Amazing! – he said\, with a big smile\, carrying the honesty of a child.

It makes him even more handsome. I shook my head. I need to stop thinking this. He disgusts me, the way he acts with some people, and then puts on the nice guy mask in front of others.

- Cade! C’mon\, we can’t start without the capitain.

- Comin’.

Yeah, you better go. I thought, as if being glorious.

- He’s a nice guy\, isn’t he? – Laura said.

- I’d say that he’s rather sly. Don’t get fooled by him.

Laura didn’t seem to agree, but she didn’t say anything.

In half an hour we were done for the day, so we were getting ready to leave. Laura was acting silly and made me laugh out loud, just as always. She’s a really cheerful person.

As we were getting out of the playground, I had a strange feeling, something a gazelle probably feels, when she the predator’s eyes are locked on her.

- Cade\, what are you doing? – someone on the baseball ground shouted\, just as I was turning that way.

But as I looked everything seemed normal.

Was it my imagination? I asked myself, without finding the answer.

The next day I woke up from the worst nightmare of my life. It was about me planting seeds and growing plants. A lot of flowers have grown due to my hard work. All of a sudden Cade appeared, leading a group of elephants. I was screaming, begging him to let my little flowers live, but he, laughing hysterically just went all over them, destroyed all the beauty, just before stepping on me, to which I woke up, feeling my lungs exploding.

It was just half an hour before my alarm went off, so I woke up. Having some spare time I took a piece of paper and started sketching the beautiful field full of all kinds of flowers. Just like Laura would do. I didn't include the tragic ending, I wanted to take hold of the wonder just before it was ruined.

I'm not as creative as Laura - I said to myself - but my dreams sure are very imaginative and vivid.

It was almost time to go, so I went to the bathroom to get ready. I didn't even look in the mirror that morning, I was too preoccupied with the thought of Cade showing up again.

It seems that he hides his meanness quite well from others. But I see through you, don't think I don't... Or you know what? Just think so, it will make it easier for me to crush you.

So if he says that I'm plain once more? This time I'll defend myself, I have to come up with a good reply...

That's what I was trying to do the whole morning. Until I met with Laura. She was the kind of lively, kind person that would melt any anger in someone's heart.

As we arrived and started working, I realized how big of a contrast there was between her and Cade. She had the softest heart in the world, and angel sent down on earth. While Cade was the devil himself, so deceitful and disgusting.

Ah, that's it, it's better being plain, than disgusting... better plain, than disgusting... better...

- Hey\, what's that? - Laura asked

- Oh\, I almost forgot\, these are some sketches I've done.

- Wow\, these are amazing! We should put them here\, on this wall\, instead of my drawing.

- You think so? I think they would be better for decorating small portions\, like the wooden structure of the slide.

- Hmm\, if you say so. You're the better designer among us. - she shrugged her shoulders with a bright smile on her face.

We both started to do the outlines for the flowers. A group of guys started gathering and looking at our works, only talking between themselves. As I could hear they liked it.

- Oh\, these flowers are... - I heard Cade's voice getting closer.

- Well\, it's better than being disgusting! - I exclaimed without thinking.

- ... beautiful.

Oh no, oh no. It never ends well, when I speak without thinking. And with all these people around too...