The Painter

If I were a painter, mixing my colors

How could I ever find the blue of your eyes?

The canvas could never capture the light of your smile.

“Hey Daniel!” a voice called. I turned around, my dark brown hair falling into my eyes. Whoa. Her smile is so beautiful. My best friend and long-time crush, Kayla Martin, rushed towards me with the brightest smile in the world. “Dan, I’m so happy!”

“Why’s that?” I replied. I couldn’t help but smile as her beautiful blue eyes sparkled brightly in delight. She wrapped her arms around me in a quick hug.

“I got an A minus in Biology!” she squealed. Not only was she a beautiful girl, but also brilliant. Whoa…

And girl, if I were a sculptor, working on marble

I couldn’t hope to copy your perfect face

The curve of your body, the feel of your skin

My hands could never, ever trace

“Congratulations, Kayla,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. Electricity shot through my body as I felt her skin on mine. She smiled brightly at me. “So, what are you gonna do for a celebration?”

“Hang out with you, of course!” She laughed. “Come on, you owe me an extra large root beer float, and I’m starved.”

I laughed and she linked arms with me. We both started walking out of the campus grounds and to my motorcycle. Handing her one of the helmets, I quickly put on mine and we both boarded the motorcycle.

So I’ll try and find a melody as beautiful as you

Find the words to say your eyes are bluer than blue

Fill my voice with the emotion I’m feeling for you

And now, when the beat is still strong

I’ll give my heart in a song

Once we arrived at the really old soda fountain, we hopped off and strode in. Our good friend, Mr. Johansen smiled at us from the counter. “What’ll it be, lovebirds?”

Kayla blushed, and it still made her cheeks seem so adorable. “Dan’s treating me to a root beer float! I passed Biology and an A minus too!”

“Congratulations, Kayla!” Mr. Johansen said proudly. “Daniel here won’t have to treat you out. Two root beer floats on the house.”

I smiled brightly. She grinned at me, her blue eyes sparkling. “So Dan, how are you?” she asked, trying to strike up a good conversation with me. I grinned teasingly at her.

“I’m quite fine, thank you.” My smile grew brighter as she blushed slightly. “How about you, Ms. Martin?”

“I’m quite fine, seeing as I get a free root beer float with my best friend,” she replied, staring brightly into my eyes. “And, if possible, I would want him to play me a song.”

“Come on, Kayla!” I whined slightly, making her giggle. I loved her laugh more than anything else. It made me feel so wonderful inside.

Oh girl, if I were an actor, I would be someone

Someone who’d always know the right things to say

But as soon as I’d see you, I’d forget all my lines

And you’d never know what I feel inside

“Oh, please, pretty please?!” she pleaded, giving me her puppy dog eyes. Oh no. Not that face. She looked so pretty.

“Not that face,” I said softly. She only smiled and continued. I sighed. “Oh fine, if it makes you happy, Kayla. But if you do that on me again, I swear.”

“What are you gonna do?” she asked, as if asking for a challenge. She raised an eyebrow at me, smirking slightly. I sighed and threw my hands up in the air.

“Whatever.” I turned to Mr. Johansen and asked if he had a guitar. He pointed to the stage and an acoustic guitar was beside a stool. “Will I have to perform there?”

“Come on, please!” Kayla smiled at me. I sighed. There’s something about this girl I can’t ever resist.

I stood up and walked towards the stage. Everyone’s eyes were on me when I picked up the guitar. I smiled shyly at them. “Um, I’m dedicating this song to my best friend Kayla Martin. And maybe, somehow possibly, she’s more than just a friend.”

Mr. Johansen grinned wryly, while Kayla glanced at me, her brows knit in confusion. I started strumming to “The Painter.”

So I’ll try and find a melody as beautiful as you

Find the words to say your eyes are bluer than blue

Fill my voice with the emotion I’m feeling for you

And now, when the beat is still strong

I’ll give my heart in a song

I felt Kayla’s eyes on me the entire time as I sang and played to the song. Somehow I couldn’t explain how I felt, because it just came out naturally.

Once I finished, everyone in the soda fountain clapped loudly. Some even hooted. I blushed slightly and got out of the stage. I couldn’t meet her eyes once I sat down beside her, the root beer float in front of me. I started swirling the straw.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked quietly, staring at me. I couldn’t meet her eyes. It was really embarrassing. “Daniel Adam Moore, face me.”

I slowly glanced up at met her blue eyes. Somehow I saw something I never saw before whenever I glanced at her. “I don’t know,” I admitted silently. “I just… figured you’d never like me back anyway.”

There's no other way (no other way)

That I know to say (I know to say)

Baby, how much I love you

And if you'll only give me a chance

Oh girl

“What makes you say that?” she questioned, staring directly at my brown eyes. “Come on, Dan, you know you could’ve told me anything. We’ve been friends for years.”

“I know…” I answered softly. I really couldn’t speak at all. She sighed and took my hand. It felt so warm and wonderful… “Kayla, I’m sorry.”

“I know you are.”

So I’ll try and find a melody as beautiful as you

Find the words to say your eyes are bluer than blue

Fill my voice with the emotion I’m feeling for you

And now, when the beat is still strong

I’ll give my heart in a song

“I really am, you know, somehow I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t,” I said apologetically, staring at her. She stared back at me. “I know you could possibly hate me for this—”

“Dan, I like you.”

“What?” I stammered. Whoa. This is a total shock. She glanced up at me, her dark brown hair falling into her perfect eyes. She smiled slightly. This is Kayla Martin, the girl I’ve crushed on for years. She said she likes me back.

“Yeah, I’ve liked you for years. I just figured you would’ve liked someone else.” She stared at the floor. “I was never really confident in myself.”

“You’re mad,” I said, making her laugh slightly. “Come on, Kayla, you’re wonderful. If anyone actually saw the real you like I do, I don’t see how anybody could not fall for you.”

“Right, and my mom’s the queen of England,” she muttered. I sighed, and tipped her chin up. She glanced at me.

“Kayla Angela Martin, you’re brilliant. You’re beautiful. You’re wonderful. That’s why I fell for you,” I said quietly. “And nobody or nothing can keep me from falling in love with you.”

Then here came the fireworks of my life. I bent down and kissed her. And the best part of all this, the moment I’ve been waiting for my entire life…

She kissed back.

So I’ll try and find a melody as beautiful as you

Find the words to say your eyes are bluer than blue

Fill my voice with the emotion I’m feeling for you

And now, when the beat is still strong

I’ll give my heart in a song

O-Town, “The Painter”