They stared at the painting for a long minute without saying anything. Camie wasn't going to be the one to break the silence. She really liked paintings but she didn't know how to explain what they were making her feel. The stranger didn't seem bothered by the silence anyway so she just kept to herself and waited.
"She is quite talented isn't she? She imitated the impressionists with no problem."
Camie quickly nodded:
"If someone told me that this was a Monet, I would believe it."
The stranger laughed:
"Right? I would pay to see this in a museum.
-Me too! I think it's in my top three paintings of all time. Who would have thought that I would find this in a public library, hidden on the fourth floor.
-Why do you think that is?"
Camie frowned. How would she know?
"I don't know.
-Why would someone hide this gorgeous painting where only a few people can see it? Is it an artistic choice? Or is it an attempt of the artist to hide their art?
-Why would they hide it?
-Exactly. Is it shyness? Or a total rejection of their own creation?"
Camie shrugged:
"Maybe it's nothing deep. Maybe the artist just sold their painting and it got hooked here."
The stranger smirked:
"Why would the rich Ember Hunt sell her painting? I don't think she is in need of money. It would be more logical for her to open a gallery in her name just to exhibit her work.
-Wait what?"
The stranger looked at Camie for the first time.
"Did you just say Ember Hunt? Ember Hunt."
The stranger pointed to the white rectangle next to the painting and Camie bent closer to read what was written.
"Ember?"
She thought her chin would fall off. She never saw Ember painting in her visions. How could she be so talented? Seeing Camie shocked made the stranger laugh:
"Is it that unbelievable that Ember painted this?
-No. I mean, yes. No. I... I didn't know that she could paint.
-Come with me."
Camie followed the stranger to the first floor at the end of a deserted corridor, hidden behind a lamp. The stranger grabbed the lamp and pulled it away to see the painting better.
"This was her too?
-Yes. What do you think?
-But... The style is totally different."
The stranger crossed her arms:
"She must have been looking for her own style. Here she imitated realist painters.
-I like this one even better than the first one."
Camie stared at the face on the painting. She had never seen such sorrows in someone's eyes before. The woman on the painting was staring straight at the spectator and Camie was scared that the painting would move any second. Her skin looked like it was real. Her eyes looked like she was about to cry. Her hair looked like it would be carried away by the first breeze. Camie wanted to reach out and comfort her.
"She gave life to her painting. I don't know how long she must have studied portraits to be able to achieve such a result. You must be really passionate if you are capable of creating something like this. This is my all time favorite painting but she never agreed to sell it to me.
-Were you trying to buy it?
-Of course. Who wouldn't want this painting? Every time I look at her face, I can feel her pain. For me this is the pinnacle of art. After I saw her paintings, I couldn't stop thinking about it and never found any other painting tasteful. I really want to have her paintings in my house. I made her an incredible offer but she wouldn't budge. I have been coming to her every week for the last 7 months but she always just gets mad and orders me to stop talking.
-Is she complexed by her paintings? Maybe because she is the painter, she doesn't think they are good enough.
-You think that Ember Hunt is complexed by something? I thought everything she did was perfect."
Camie shook her head:
"Ember is way more complex than you would think. If only she could realize that she is good enough and stopped living through others. Her paintings are works of art. I don't even have the words to describe them. She is so good."
Just as Camie finished talking, they heard something behind them. The stranger didn't even flinch. Camie did turn to the sound but when she looked she didn't see anyone. Camie didn't think a lot about it. The library was a busy place. It could have been anything.
The stranger giggled:
"She is, isn't she?"
Camie looked back at the stranger:
"Do you know Ember personally?"
The stranger pinched her lips:
"Does it seem like I do?
-Yes.
-Maybe we could say that.
-Who are you?"
The stranger looked at Camie for the second time since they started talking and she detailed her face before smiling:
"My name is Opal. Who are you?
-I'm Camie."
Opal nodded politely:
"Nice to meet you."
She then turned around and left as if she had never been there. Camie stayed a bit more to admire the painting before remembering her friends and going back to the fourth floor. This time she immediately took the right turn and found her table without problem. However she didn't even have the time to sit down that Lula asked:
"There you are. We thought you would never come back. Where were you?
-My father called.
-And you spend all this time on the phone with him?
-No. I met someone."
Théa suddenly seemed interested:
"Someone?"
Camie nodded:
"Her name is Opal. We talked about paintings for a bit."
Nylora smirked:
"About paintings? I see..."
Camie tilted her head:
"What is it?
-Did she come up to you to talk about paintings?
-Yes. I was staring at a painting so we started talking about it.
-That sounds like she was flirting with you, Camie."
The latter frowned. it wasn't like that. If anything, Opal sounded interested in Ember, not Camie. And Camie wasn't even sure that she was interested in Ember for those reasons. Opal looked like a very professional and cold person.
"No."
Topiary rolled her eyes:
"You never notice when people flirt with you, Camie. Was she good looking at least?"
Camie tried remembering Opal's face. She was already starting to forget it:
"She was.
-Was she charismatic?"
This time Camie knew the answer immediately:
"Yes. And she was very mysterious."
This made her friends smirk. They didn't add anything more but it seemed Théa wanted to know what they were thinking:
"What is it?"
Topiary looked at Camie to make sure that she could talk before answering:
"Camie has a weak spot for strong and charismatic women."
Once again, it wasn't like that but Camie knew that her friends wouldn't believe her so she just stayed silent. Hearing the answer, however, Théa turned to Camie suddenly:
"Are you gay?"
Camie frowned:
"Of course."
She thought it was obvious but Théa looked very shocked for some reason.