The Price of Stolen Genius

hoodie, a damp, metallic chill

sting a sickly blue glow on the corrug

p. It was a link to Nic

huddled on a dirty sidewalk, sketching on a flattene

ther' making trash art for change

as homeless, blacklisted from every gallery, every coffee shop, every place I might

sage from N

eb? I remember you do

walls felt like they

ainst the cold, unyielding metal. The door w

ut, Nicol

thumbs clu

video of her laughing, a

er on his lips, was beside her, his arm

or a trash artist like you. Don't worry, my s

heart hammered against my rib

ng from my nerveless fingers. The darkness at t

before all this, a time when her smile was genuine and m

it. Turpentine a

snappe

nlit art room of Northgate High. The familiar chatter of students fill

hot acros

t cascade of blonde, her designer clothes a stark contrast to the paint-spl

st her desk, was Ethan Les

asy confidence of someone who had never been told no. He hadn't had his

ed happy.

uffocating panic as my heart gave out, crashed

st thing-a jar of murky, gray paint

r, a perfect arc, and shatt

of glass exploded acro

m went

et, then up at me, his eyes wide wit

e hell,

nes. But the pain was a distant thing, a dull echo compared to the screaming in my soul.

ight