CANVAS OF US ? Marius de Saeger

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The warm glow of the sunset filtered through Amora's dorm room window, casting a golden hue across the walls. She was stretched out on her bed, flipping idly through her journal when her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Seeing Sophia's name, she smiled and quickly answered.

"Hey, Soph!" Amora greeted, propping the phone up against a pillow.

"Amora!" Sophia's voice was bright and full of excitement. "How's my favorite Belgian-American superstar doing?"

Amora rolled her eyes with a laugh. "I've been here for a day, I'm not exactly conquering Belgium just yet."

"Well, give it time," Sophia teased. "But seriously, how's it going? How's the academy? Are the Belgians as serious as the rumors say?"

Amora sighed. "It's... okay, I guess. Everyone's nice enough, but I feel like an outsider. And today at lunch, someone recognized me, and suddenly, everyone was swarming my table. I just wanted to disappear."

"Sounds intense," Sophia said sympathetically. "But hey, you're amazing, and you belong there. You'll make friends soon, I know it."

Amora smiled softly. "Thanks, Soph. I hope so."

After a pause, Sophia's tone shifted. "Oh! Speaking of Belgium, have you seen Young Hearts yet?"

Amora frowned, sitting up slightly. "Young Hearts? No, I haven't even heard of it. What is it?"

"Are you kidding me?" Sophia gasped. "It's this beautiful coming-of-age film about two boys, Elias and Alexander, who fall in love. It's emotional, raw, and so well done. Plus, it was filmed in Belgium!"

"Sounds interesting," Amora said, intrigued. "Maybe I'll check it out."

"You have to," Sophia insisted. "And text me your thoughts when you do!"

"Alright, I promise," Amora said, laughing.

The two friends chatted a bit longer before saying their goodbyes. After ending the call, Amora grabbed her laptop and searched for the movie. Within minutes, she had it queued up and ready to go.

-

As the opening credits of Young Hearts rolled, Amora found herself drawn into its understated beauty. The cinematography was breathtaking.

Then, as Elias appeared on screen, Amora froze.

Her eyes widened as she leaned closer to her laptop. "Wait... is that—?"

It was Lou.

The same Lou from her acting class. His portrayal of Elias was captivating, raw, and vulnerable, a stark contrast to the quiet, reserved demeanor he showed in real life.

Moments later, Alexander appeared, and Amora's jaw dropped further. "Marius?" she whispered in disbelief.

She paused the movie and stared at the screen, her mind racing. Both Marius and Lou had starred in a critically acclaimed film, and they hadn't mentioned it once. Shaking her head in amazement, she resumed watching, completely immersed in their performances.

Feeling amused and impressed, she grabbed her phone and snapped a quick photo of her laptop screen. She added the text: "Finally watching Young Hearts! Such a beautiful film so far " and tagged the movie's official account before posting it to her Instagram story.

By the time the credits rolled, Amora sat back against her pillows, her heart full. "They're incredible," she murmured, a new sense of admiration blooming.

-

Across campus, Lou and Marius were lounging in their shared dorm room. Lou sat cross-legged on the floor, scrolling through his phone, while Marius leaned back against the headboard, flipping through a book.

"Alright," Lou said suddenly, tossing his phone aside. "I'm bored. Let's watch something."

Marius glanced up. "Like what?"

Lou grinned mischievously. "Something with our new classmate. Let's see what Hollywood thinks is so special about her."

Marius hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him. Lou quickly found Breaking Tides, one of Amora's most well-known films, and hit play.

As the movie began, both boys settled in. Amora's first appearance on screen caught Marius's attention immediately.

"She's good," Lou said casually, but his eyes darted to Marius. "Admit it, you're impressed."

Marius didn't respond, his focus entirely on the screen.

Lou smirked. "You're staring."

"No, I'm watching," Marius said, his tone even.

"Uh-huh," Lou teased. "Your eyes practically light up every time she's on screen."

"Shut up," Marius muttered, though a faint blush crept into his cheeks.

As the movie ended, Lou reached for his phone. "Hey, did you see her Instagram story?"

Marius pulled out his phone, his brow furrowing as he scrolled. Then he saw it. Amora had posted about watching Young Hearts.

Lou let out a laugh. "Well, looks like she found out about us too."

Marius stared at the story, a small smile tugging at his lips. "She liked the movie."

"Of course she did," Lou said. "We were amazing."

Marius rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his amusement.

Lou stretched his arms above his head. "Okay, I see why she's a big deal. That was amazing."

Marius nodded slowly. "It was."

Lou grinned mischievously. "You know what? We should tell her. Tomorrow, we're going up to her and saying, 'Hey, we watched your movie. You were fantastic.'"

Marius hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. "Alright. We'll tell her."

-

Back in her dorm, Amora closed her laptop and leaned back against the headboard, her thoughts swirling. Her respect for Marius and Lou had deepened tenfold after watching their work, and she decided then and there to let them know.

"They deserve to hear it," she murmured with a small smile.

Little did she know, Lou and Marius were making the exact same plan.

That night, as the campus settled into a quiet stillness, all three drifted off to sleep, unaware of the conversations that awaited them the next day.