Camille

 

On the night of the art show, Devin turned up outside Camille’s house in his car to pick both the girls up. Emotions were running high - Shayna was giddy with excitement while Camille kept her lips sealed, even when Devin kissed her.

 

“Just relax, Camille, it’ll all go well. You look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear as she sunk down into the passenger seat. Camille had taken her time getting dressed. The shoes, the earrings, the clutch, the dress, the hair, and the neutral looking makeup… it all had to be perfect.

 

Shayna was in her usual fishnets, a black velvet dress, and lots of costume jewelry. Both of them praised each other for how beautiful they looked.

 

“Are we ready to go?” Devin asked as he settled into the front seat. Shayna clapped her hands and Camille turned to him with nervous eyes.

 

“Hey!” he said, touching her shoulders to reassure her again. “I know you’ve never done anything like this before, but you’re in good hands. If there’s anyone who could do a better job than Evangeline, I have yet to meet them.”

 

Camille nodded. He had dressed up for the occasion as well. Camille had never seen Devin in anything else except his leather jacket and jeans. Tonight he was in a navy suit, tailored to perfection and a red bowtie. He looked slick like a movie star, and she blushed every time their eyes met. The most gorgeous man she had ever met was driving her to her first art show.

 

They drove in relative silence. Each of them had their own nervous thoughts to think about, and when they reached the gallery, Evangeline was waiting outside to greet them. She was right, there were huge crowds and an even bigger media group waiting. It had all been kept a big secret, and she had been able to get the buzz going off the launch of a new artist. Nobody had seen a preview, so everyone was dying to know which new talented artist Evangeline Fox had discovered this time.

 

Evangeline surprisingly held the car door open for Camille as she stepped out, and they both exchanged kisses, something that Camille was still getting used to. As usual, Evangeline was the epitome of perfection. She was in an angelic white sheath dress that flowed like an old Greek princess around her as she moved. She had a floral necklace around her throat and matching earrings. She looked like she belonged on a meadow or a beach, but either way, she was able to carry it off well; creating her very own magical aura with every step she took.

 

“You look absolutely stunning, darling,” she said, clutching Camille’s arm with her cold, pale hands. A shiver ran down Camille’s spine, but she smiled anyway. She was grateful for everything that Evangeline had done for her and Shayna, and she couldn’t really blame her for anything now. Evangeline was being the poster child of friendliness.

 

“Hello, darlings, doesn’t Camille look lovely?” She turned her attention to Devin and Shayna while Camille tried to catch Devin’s gaze. She was still nervous, and she didn’t want him to leave her side, but Evangeline was leading her down the red carpet, on either side of which people had been barricaded out along with the press.

 

“We’ve made this a member’s only screening. Just for the first few hours, so that they can all have the best selection. The other walk-ins can come in after two hours and take the rest.” Evangeline waved her hands around as she spoke, entangling her long arms with Camille as they walked slowly towards the entrance.

 

“And we also have another little surprise for everyone,” she added, and Camille turned to her with her brows crossed. What more could Evangeline have possibly done? She was already so grateful to the woman.

 

“I decided that the best effect would be created if we all gathered in the gallery in darkness, just to heighten the tension. There’ll be a countdown, and then the lights will come on, and all the artwork can be revealed in one go. What do you think?” Evangeline turned excitedly from Camille to Devin, ignoring Shayna completely.

 

Camille looked over to Shayna who was walking behind them, and Shayna shrugged her shoulders.

 

“That sounds like a good idea, Evangeline, thank you for thinking of it,” Camille said meekly.

 

“You know best,” Devin said as he walked beside them.

 

“Smile and wave, honey.” Evangeline nudged Camille with her elbow as she turned to the flashing cameras and waved. Camille pasted a fake smile on her face and tried to weakly wave. This was not the life that she was used to; this was exactly the kind of fame she wanted to stay away from. But it was too late now.

 

“Camille.” Devin’s hands grabbed her by the waist just as they were about to enter the darkened gallery. Camille caught Evangeline turning to them with crossed eyebrows, and her expression changed again to a wide plastic smile. She grabbed Shayna’s hand instead and pulled her inside.

 

“Stand anywhere. Just don’t bump into anything,” Evangeline informed them before walking in with Shayna.

 

Camille turned to Devin, who placed a hooked thumb under her chin and lifted her face to look up at him.

 

“It’s all going well. You don’t have to stay in the limelight for the whole night. A couple of minutes more and once the artwork is revealed, you can get yourself lost in the crowd,” he told her, and she looked deep into his brown eyes. How did he always know exactly what she was thinking?

 

Camille smiled, grateful that he was right there by her side and she nodded. “Let’s go in, I’m ready.”

 

***

 

Evangeline had arranged for the gallery to be dark, but as their eyes adjusted to the lack of light, Camille could make out figures of people and canvases and framed artwork hanging on the walls. But the darkness wasn’t bright enough to reveal what the artwork was. Camille smiled as she stood with her hand clasped around Devin’s arm. This was all her. This was her work. Her moment. Her chance to shine.

 

There was the sound of a microphone being turned on, and then Evangeline’s voice filled the room.

 

“Good evening, ladies and gentleman. I am Evangeline Fox, and I welcome you to Camille Griffin’s show, ‘Country Crowns, A True Story.’”

 

All around Camille, in the darkness, the room erupted in loud clapping. She could sense that Devin beside her was clapping as well. She couldn’t stop smiling now.

 

“Once the lights come on in a few minutes, you will be able to witness the work of a truly talented young artist. We will also be handing out pamphlets for you to read a little more about Camille Griffin and the stories behind her work - a project she has completed in association with master storyteller, Shayna DuVry,” Evangeline continued, and there was more applause, even louder this time.

 

It was evident that people were losing their patience; they all wanted to see these brilliant pieces of art that Evangeline was promising them.

 

“So without further adieu,” Evangeline said, and Camille felt Devin’s mouth press against the side of her head. “I present to you, ‘Country Crowns, A True Story.’”

 

Suddenly all the lights turned on.

 

There was a gasping sound around her as the sheer force of the sudden lights first blinded Camille and then her vision began to clear up.

 

Her hand from Devin’s arm dropped, and her mouth automatically hung open. All her artwork, hanging from the walls, they had all been disfigured. They had been slashed with a sharp object, like a knife, right down the center, and what looked like black ink had been splashed all over them. None of them looked the same - they had all been destroyed. They had all been originals, the only copies of all her artwork. A lifetime’s worth of work… gone.

 

There was silence in the gallery, except for the gasps that were still erupting around her. Then Camille heard Shayna’s loud wail.

 

“What the fuck!” Shayna’s voice pierced through the air, but Camille was frozen on the spot.

 

“What is going on? Who did this?” Devin thundered, but all Camille could do was stare at her destroyed art.

 

“I apologize, ladies and gentlemen. There seems to have been some sort of confusion. Please give me a few moments,” Evangeline’s voice rang through the microphone again, and finally, Camille looked up at her.

 

Evangeline looked as confused as her; she looked like she was on the verge of tears too. She dropped the microphone and came running towards them, pushed Devin out of her way, and pulled Camille into her arms. Camille felt the cold skin on Evangeline’s shoulder as she forced Camille to rest her head there.

 

“I’m so sorry, Camille. I have no idea what happened. They were all fine when we arranged them and turned off the lights. I checked them all myself. I can’t believe this,” she said, and Camille heard the tears in Evangeline’s voice.

 

Camille straightened herself; hot tears were prickling the back of her eyelids. They were threatening to come gushing down her cheeks, but she was forcing herself to not cry.

 

“Camille…” she heard Devin’s voice beside her, but nothing was making sense, none of it mattered. Her work, her soul… was all destroyed.

 

“Camille!” she heard Shayna’s voice and turned to her best friend. They both hugged tightly, aware that everyone’s eyes were on her.

 

“This bitch did this!” Shayna screamed, turning on Evangeline, but Camille held her back.

 

“She has nothing to do with this. Shayna, just calm down.” Camille tried to talk to Shayna in a calm controlled voice but it wasn’t working, Shayna was in tears too, just like Evangeline.

 

“Camille…” it was Devin who was calling her name again, and this time when she turned to look at him, she saw a look on his face that she had never seen before. He looked destroyed; he looked as though he was mourning the loss of his own paintings. Like he had spent his whole life working on them himself.

 

“Camille…” he said, and she turned straight into his arms. His hands were on her head, stroking her hair. She snuggled into his arms and closed her eyes, still forcing the tears back.

 

“I don’t know what to say, Camille. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have forced you into this,” he whispered, cradling her in his arms. Camille shook her head and looked up at him. She knew that he could see it on her face, that she was doing everything in her power to stop herself from crying. Her nose was bright red, her cheeks were flushed, and the back of her neck was burning up, but she was holding herself together. She wasn’t going to cry. She was an artist. She was Cammy.

 

“It’s alright, Devin. I can deal with it,” she said, and she heard Evangeline’s wail again.

 

“No, Camille, you shouldn’t have to deal with it. This is all my fault. I should have been more careful; I should have taken the insurance out against vandalism. I should have known that you could have enemies - competitors against your art,” Evangeline told her through her tears.

 

None of those things were making sense to her. Enemies? Competitors? Nobody even knew that Camille drew; she had always published the comic books under a pen name. Who could have held a secret grudge against her work?

 

“Why would Camille have any enemies?” It was Shayna who came thundering forward and wedged a gap between Evangeline and Camille.

 

“Shayna, please just… don’t make a scene,” Camille whispered. She had lost her voice somehow, and Devin’s hand had disappeared from her shoulders too, so she was feeling more and more now like she was losing all her strength.

 

“Yes, Shayna. That’s the last thing we want - to drive all my guests away,” Evangeline snapped at Shayna, turning on her with her wide piercing eyes.

 

“Shut up. You messed this up. Screw your guests!” Shayna screamed, and this time it was Devin who came over and put a calming hand on her shoulder.

 

“Shayna, let’s all just take the time to figure this out,” he said while Camille bit down on her lip, trying to hold the tears back.

 

“Figure what out? It’s all ruined. Destroyed. Because of your jealous ex-girlfriend.” Shayna was still speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.

 

“Oh my God!” Evangeline wailed, and Camille stepped in again.

 

“Shayna, please, leave her out of this. Can we all just please calm down?” She tried to make her voice heard, but neither Shayna nor Evangeline listened. They had started quarreling among themselves, and Devin simply shook his head and came over to her.

 

“Camille, I feel so bad. How can I fix this?” he asked, and Camille shook her head. She was too lost in thought; it was all too confusing. Why would anybody do this to her work? What could anybody possibly have against her?

 

“You can fix it by shutting them up, please Devin, before they go out of control here,” Camille said, with her lips quivering, and with one nod of the head, Devin stepped in between the two quarreling women and separated them with his hands. He was holding Shayna and Evangeline at bay, who were only seconds away from scratching each other’s faces off.

 

“Camille, you have to believe me. Devin… I had nothing to do with this,” Evangeline said, clutching Camille’s hands again. She tried to wriggle out of her grip.

 

“I believe you, Evangeline, please just let me go now. I need to think,” Camille told her, finally being able to free herself.

 

“I suppose I should just call it off. I should go and make the announcement right now,” Evangeline said, wiping some tears away from her face.

 

“No, wait!” Camille called out to her. “I’ll announce it. It’s my art.” Camille walked past Evangeline, not giving her the opportunity to protest or interfere. She walked straight to the discarded microphone while everyone else’s eyes followed the disgraced artist across the gallery floor.

 

She picked up the microphone, switched it on, and faced her audience. Camille tried hard to not look at Devin or Shayna’s defeated faces. She didn’t feel defeated yet. Not when she had Devin by her side.

 

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am Camille Griffin, and as you all can see, I also used to be an artist,” she said nervously and smiled. A few people in the crowd smiled at her too. However, most people were too much in shock to find that statement funny. Certainly, nobody was laughing.

 

“It appears as though my art offended a few people.” She stretched her hands, indicating to the destroyed frames hanging on the walls. Everyone looked at her with rapt attention and Camille tucked in a few curls behind her ears and continued. “It was that good.”

 

There was laughter this time and more people smiled. When she looked at Shayna, she looked like she was still in shock. Devin looked like he was in disbelief. He hadn’t been expecting this reaction from Camille. Evangeline, on the other hand, looked angry!

 

“I do urge you all to, however, not leave this gallery empty-handed. You all came here today to be stunned and shocked by my art, and truly, have I not achieved that?” Camille added, and then was a sudden murmur in the room. People were talking amongst themselves, consulting each other. And suddenly the mood had started to change.

 

“Isn’t this art in itself? Look around you, and you will find that each piece of vandalized art here will speak to you, straight to your soul.” Camille wasn’t fumbling with her words any longer. She was confident, and Devin had been right, an artist needs to sell themselves just as much as their artwork.

 

“Buy one of these pieces today, and I’ll sign it for you, and this night’s presentation will be etched in your memory for life. You’ll have a piece of vandalism hanging from your living room walls as a steady reminder that this kind of hateful action cannot kill an artist’s soul. Thank you all very much for coming,” she finished and switched off the microphone. She couldn’t even hear her own footsteps as the whole gallery erupted in the loudest applause of the night. She could see Shayna wiping a few tears from her cheeks. Devin was clapping the loudest. He looked proud and happy, and like he couldn’t wait to have her in his arms again.

 

Camille smiled as she walked towards him. Her life’s work had been destroyed, but she was in a room full of people who were going to buy her destroyed artwork, who would remember her name forever, and that was worth something. Whoever had destroyed her art had done her a huge favor.

 

“Devin,” she said as she fell into his open arms.

 

“You are a shining star, Camille,” she heard him say in her ear as he held her tight and kissed her cheeks.

 

People were still clapping, Shayna included, but Evangeline had disappeared. But Camille wasn’t concerned about the truth. She was just happy knowing that she and her art were being appreciated. Even if it was in the most absurd way possible.