Forest City Book 5 Chapter 9 -Art Studio-

    Laughter erupted from the living room, a soft feminine voice spoke and another voice followed, this time deeper and more masculine. It sounded like Cobalt. Was it him? I glanced at my alarm clock, 10:41 AM. Must be a weekend. My calendar had been flipped over to February. January must've flown by quickly. Or it seems like it.

    I began to make my way down the stairs to the living room. I had put on a white t-shirt and my purple jacket. There were a few of Hazel's friends, each sitting in the living room. Specifically, the lanky blue wolf, with his burgundy colored boots, stuck out like a sore thumb, in the pastel pinks and yellows of the ladies. I smirked and winked at Cobalt, he had crumbs on his shirt. He glanced down and just brushed them off on the floor.

    "I hope you have extra time to vacuum, Cobalt," Hazel teased.

    "I don't," Cobalt replied, coolly, "Looks like that's all the time I have here today ladies." He stood up and seemed to tower over the whole living room.

    "Did you get my text?" Another voice spoke from behind.

    "To be honest, I woke up like 5 minutes ago," I replied.

    Monty was sitting behind me in another armchair, it was deep sage green and had a cream colored quilted blanket with a black criss cross pattern crocheted into it.

    I looked over at Cobalt, who mouthed the words, "Art studio," to me, he made a gesture with his hands.

    "We're going to the art studio?" I questioned.

    Monty sighed, then laughed quietly, "I'll explain on our way there."

    "Make sure you three have a coat," Mrs. Delwyn's sweet voice called after us.

    We left the house and went past Mr. Delgado's house. He was rocking back and forth on his porch quietly.

    "Is that you Clove!?" He yelled.

    "Keep walking," Cobalt whispered into my ears, "It only encourages him to yell at you."

    "What're you kids up to!" Delgado began to shout.

    "Should I give him the bird?" Monty asked.

    "No...that won't be necessary." Cobalt laughed.

    Monty and I glanced at each other and I replied with nervous laughter, "Yeah..."

    "Something tells me you've done that already," Cobalt replied.

    "We should tell Mac why we are going to the art studio," Monty began.

    "Where even is this place," I chimed into the conversation.

    "Across the street from the Cocobean on Main Street, the building is next to the Glacier Beaks," Monty explained.

    "How many Cocobeans are in Forest City!" I shouted as we crossed the street.

    "About six," Monty replied, "There's one on Main, one near the university, one in the grocery store on Badger Avenue, and there is one near the library with the gross romance section. I can't remember where the last one is."

    "Near the high school on third street," Cobalt replied, "that's where mom and I go every morning before school."

    "What's at the art studio?" I asked.

    "The painting." Monty simply replied.

    "It's more than that though," Cobalt began to explain, "someone owns that building now."

    I lifted an eyebrow and said, "So?"

    "I'm allowed to be there, you guys, not so much," Monty replied.

    "You're not saying that we are breaking into this place to get a painting?" I questioned.

    Cobalt smiled awkwardly.

    "I'm not stealing a painting!" I raised my voice, "I just wanted to know about it!"

    "Too late," Monty replied with his arms raised awkwardly.

     We walked past the Glacier Beaks, Cobalt put his arm around my waist and continued to walk past the art studio.

    "Why aren't we stopping?" I asked.

    "I'm taking you somewhere else first, we have to wait until the owner is...not there," Cobalt explained, "how about the mall?"

    "Oh I guess, but don't leave me anywhere on my own," I teased.

    "Yeah," Cobalt replied, glancing back at the art studio and looking a bit worried.

    Was Cobalt really going to steal this painting? For me?