Touch Me

Chapter 1

One week earlier (Friday, August 8)

Alexandra Grabowski Ivanov, mostly known as Alexa, smiled as her professor praised the piece she presented to her.

“This is truly intriguing, Miss Ivanov, and fits the theme very well. Very unusual but captivating all the same,” Professor Sherman, her Aesthetic 4 professor, continued scanning her piece with a keen eye.

Alexa’s piece, although dark, was indeed captivating. The painting depicted a close view of a young girl; there were cracks all over her face and shoulders, with small broken pieces falling from her cheek, like shattered glass; her left hand held the left side of her face while her right hand was raised to catch the falling pieces.

The true gem of the painting was the girl’s eyes. Her right eye was exposed, bright with unshed tears, a look of terror and despair in them, giving a feeling of helplessness as one looked at the right side of her face; the terror in her eyes and the hand raised to catch the falling pieces of her face showed her desperation to keep herself together.

The other side of her face, however, showed a different expression. While her right hand seemed desperate to keep the pieces of her face together, her left hand seemed to be clawing at her face. The fingers of her left hand curved inward, as if to dig in; her left eye peeked from between her fingers with a dark and sinister gleam, like a monster clawing for release.

“This is very remarkable, Alexa. You continue to prove your amazing talent as time goes on. But I did not expect less from a top student,” Her professor’s praise made her smile bigger.

“Thank you, Professor Sherman,” Alexa worked hard on the piece as it was the first project for the first term of her last year at Wingston, and always had a big influence on her grades.

“This painting is certainly fit to be placed in the Artist’s Hall. I would like to show this to the other professors and get their opinion,” Professor Sherman smiled as she saw Alexa quickly nodding her head, beaming widely.

“Of course Professor, that would be amazing,” Despite having several of her pieces from the last 3 years already hanging in the Artist’s Hall, it was still thrilling to know her piece could possibly be hanged there.

Wingston University College of Art was one of the top art universities in the country, and so it was expected that its students are all crazy talented, but only the best of the best pieces are hung in the Artist’s Hall. Every visual art student dreams of having their piece placed there⸻ it meant that the piece they created is truly remarkable and was able to impress all six members of the Board of Arts. They decide which piece or performance is good enough to receive a huge amount of recognition from the school itself, which will help the student’s reputation and credibility when they finally start working.

Waving goodbye to her professor, Alexa left the room and sighed happily. This was her last year at Wingston before she graduates and start to make her way in the real world. But she was confident that she’d make it. She was one of the top students at this university, as soon as she graduates, multiple offers were gonna pour in and all she had to do is pick.

Yes, I’ll be fine and dandy and successful.

“Alexa...Alexa!” She jumped as she looked to her right and saw her friend and roommate Sarah Lawson.

“Sarah, you startled me! Seriously!”

“Well sorry, but I’ve been calling your name for the past 30 seconds. What were you daydreaming about this time?” Alexa smiled at her.

“Oh nothing important, just wondering about the Artist’s Hall..,” She said teasingly. Sarah’s face changed from confused to delight as she quickly caught on.

“Really? Again?” Sarah grabbed her shoulder as she shook her gently.

“Yes Sarah, again,” She smiled as her friend squealed in delight.

“Yes! That’s my b***h!” Sarah screamed as she hugged Alexa.

“Sarah, keep your voice down,” Alexa scolded her with a smile.

“Oh hush, I’ll scream as loud as I want. Let’s go back to our room and share the good news with Shannon and Jane,” Sarah grabbed her arm and proceeded to drag her through the hall. As they neared the building’s doors, Alexa’s notebook fell so she tugged on Sarah’s arm and skidded to a halt.

“Alexa what—”

“My notebook fell,” She tugged her wrist out of Sarah’s hold and quickly turned to grab her notebook, only to bump hard into a big body. Alexa felt herself fall back and braced for the impact. It never came. There was an arm around her waist and large hand on her arm. She looked up to find charcoal grey eyes peering at her. Eyes belonging to an incredibly handsome face; an incredibly handsome face connected to a tall, lean and muscled body.

“Learn to watch where you’re going,” His deep voice shook her out of her shocked state.

Oh God it's Professor Sawyer...shit, s**t, s**t. Get your ass up Alexa!

Alexa quickly scrambled to stand upright and get out of his arms.

“I’m so sorry, Professor Sawyer. I...it won’t happen again,” She said nervously. Professor Sawyer stared at her for a few more seconds before walking past her without another glance. Alexa sighed out in relief and quickly picked up the things she dropped on the floor, including her fallen notebook. Sarah, seemingly shaken out of her own shocked state as Professor Sawyer walked off, rushed to her side and helped her pick up her stuff as she started rambling.

“Oh my God, Alexa, are you okay? That was Professor Sawyer! Oh God I hope he didn’t get upset. Well, technically he has no reason to be upset. I mean it’s not like you bumped into him on purpose. But still, he’s one of the people who will determine your fate at the end of the year. s**t I hope he forgets—” Alexa held all her things in her right arm and covered her friend’s mouth with her left hand.

“Sarah, relax. Like you said, it was an accident. He’s one of the top professors here. I’m pretty sure he’s not petty to hold a grudge over something like this. You’re overreacting,” Alexa said calmly, dropping her hand from her mouth. Sarah nodded and sighed.

“You’re right; the great Logan Sawyer would not be that petty. Come on, let’s go,” Sarah grabbed her wrist and began dragging her to their dorm room again, albeit more gently this time.

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“Seriously Alexa? Can you at least give us a chance and leave us space in the Artist’s Hall for our own pieces?” Jane Milgard, sighed as she slumped on her bed. Alexa let out a snort.

“The Artist’s Hall can hold 50 artworks, there are still 9 slots left. I don’t know what you’re complaining about,” Her roommates sighed. Shannon Lionel, her third roommate, walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders, staring her right in the eyes.

“Alexandra Grabowski Ivanov, the point we’re trying to make you see is that you already have 4 paintings hanging in the Artist’s Hall, while the rest of us only have one. At least, let us have the chance to catch up. With you monopolizing the adoration of half the professors in visual arts, the rest of us mortals don’t stand a chance,” Alexa removed Shannon’s hands from her shoulders.

“I don’t monopolize their adoration, stop being silly,” She shook her head at them.

“Uh huh, sure you don’t,” Sarah says as she sits on her study table.

“Yeah she doesn’t. Only Professor Sherman’s,” Jane jumps on her bed and gives her a sarcastic grin.

“And Professor Hawthorn’s,” Shannon continues.

“Professor Richmond’s too,” Sarah joined in.

“And Professor Linwell,”

“Professor Patel,”

“Professor Cole,”

“And don’t forget Professor—” Alexa cut them off before they could continue.

“Alright, alright, I got your point. But for your information, I really don’t monopolize their adoration. They just really appreciate true talent,” Alexa says, smiling smugly at her friends.

“Whoa ho ho…someone wanna help me knock down Miss Perfect from her high pedestal?” Jane asks the others as she gets up.

“Yeah, she’s being very mean. We should teach her to be humble again,” Shannon smiles as she and Sarah get up and they all start walking slowly towards me. They raised their hands and wiggled their fingers. My smug smile dropped as I realized what they were planning. I started backing away but was trapped by the bunk bed behind me.

“Don’t even think about it,” She warned them and tried but failed to find a way out. “I’m warning you guys, don’t you dare—” Alexa got cut off as the girls tackled her to the bed and started tickling her everywhere. Her squeals filled their room as the others laughed at her and kept on tickling her.

Their dorm room continued as it has been for the past three years, full of love and laughter.