The room bustled with activity, a mess of long legs seemingly tangled over and around each other. A hum of indistinct conversation emanated from the distant mouths of the adults above. I wove between the legs, ducking, twisting. It was like an obstacle course! All these people were boring, talking about whatever they were talking about, standing around doing nothing.
We were here somehow to celebrate my aunt. I didn't really know what for, but my family had all made pictures of her. They were the kind of pictures where you cut out real pictures and add them all together. My mom had given her fox ears, and put her on a leafy fall path. She looked pretty. My dad had done some kind of black and white thing, made her look like she was from a long time ago. I made a good picture too though. I put glitter on her cheeks to make her all sparkly and fun, I drew a crown on her head with a red marker, and found a picture of a castle that I cut out and put on some water, so she was a queen of a floating castle! It was really cool. But now I was bored waiting around. I was in search of adventure!
After picking my way through the crowd, I burst out along the edge of a wooden stage. Nobody was up there right now, so I guess we weren't using it. The huge, draped curtains caught my eye. That would be a fun place to hide! I pulled myself up, sure that none of the adults would notice since they were so busy talking to each other. I scooted across the smooth hardwood floor. Looking down at it, I saw it reflecting the lights above in it's glossy surface, broken sometimes by scuff lines and scratches. In a flash I reached the curtains, and I dove under them. Nobody could see me here!
I peeked out from my hiding spot and surveyed the room. Now I was at the same level as all the talking people. I watched them all blathering on about stuff. I could see the pictures we made here too, posted up on the wall. Some people were looking at them! I ducked behind the curtains and made my way closer, before peeking out again. I wondered what they thought of my picture?
As I looked out again, I saw a line of a few people looking at the pictures. They were standing back from them a bit, silently appraising. Closest to me was my grandma. I saw her smiling and looking at my picture, talking with someone else. She was always so nice to me, she always told me how good my art was.
"I know isn't it horrible!" She laughed loudly, the same way she always did. She turned to her friend. "I mean look at the glitter! At least the parents did something to honor her properly." She stepped away from my picture, still laughing as she and her friend went to look at the other pictures. My heart sank, and I felt an empty sadness form inside. I looked at my picture again, the glittery cheeks, the marker crown. And I understood. Everyone else was so much better than me. I was bad at art.
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