The Group Dater

Once the time was at the top of the hour, Ella
made her way to the front of the room. She asked for a
music request before the class got lost in a world of art.
“Lauryn Hill, Nothing Even Matters.”
“Gotcha, sir.”
He remembered. Lauryn Hill was one of Kaymie’s favorite
artists, and he picked the right song to vibe to.

Now the skies could fall

Not even if my boss should call
The world it seems so very small
Cause nothing even matters, at all

In that moment, nothing mattered but the canvas, paint on
her brush, and the tall drink of dark and sexy in front of
her. She was consumed in a world that eased her mind and
seduced her soul.

See I don’t need no alcohol
Your love makes me feel ten feet tall
Without it I’d go through withdrawal
Cause nothing even matters, at all

Lauryn crooned from the speakers as Ella instructed them
on how to construct the first image on their canvas. The
finished project was a night sky, deep and dark, filled with
sorrow and confusion, but a moon lit up the darkness and
brought light to the shadows. The trees sitting under the
night sky drooped as lights adorned their branches. It was
Kaymie’s life. As she painted, she recalled the darkness in
her own life, and although Rob and she dug into a dark well
last night, he brought so much light at the same time. She
dwelt under his gaze as she painted. It felt warm and cozy
and a light filled her soul as the moon in their painting
brightened the night sky. In that moment, nothing
mattered.

These buildings could drift out to sea
Some natural catastrophe
Still there’s no place I’d rather be
Cause nothing even matters to me

She was lost in the strokes of the brush and came alive
under the watchful eyes of Robert. She swayed to the drawn
out beat and melody as she had an out-of-body experience.
The song catapulted her to another world, one where her
sin wasn’t a weight on her chest. She didn’t want to be
anywhere else but in this moment, with him.

You’re part of my identity
I sometimes have a tendency
To look at you religiously (baby)
Cause nothing even matters, to me

As she sketched the branches and adorned them with beau‐
tiful ornaments, she saw Robert and herself. Both of them
had a darkness but then beautified each other in ways
nothing and no one could define. She was happy in this very
moment. The tree within her drawing looked as if it begged
for a change, for light to shine and give it a chance to be
different, and she resonated with it. The new wine skin.

Now my team could score
And make it to the Final Four
Just repossessed my four by four
Cause nothing even matters, no more

They went over to the hair dryers near the wall to speed up
the drying process on their masterpiece. She was truly
happy and gave no thought to her sins that stained her the
night before. She was her biggest critic, so to forgive herself
was nearly impossible. She wore self-condemnation like a
necklace. A yoke around her neck, but in this moment,
Kaymie was free. She was at peace.

Nothing even matters
Nothing even matters no more
Nothing even matters
Oh no more

Nothing mattered, In this moment, she was a girl
painting and smiling. guilt-free, pain free, just free.
Lauryn’s song faded and her painting was complete. She
was no artist but she kept up well. Rob, on the other
hand, made branches that looked like arms and the
moon looked more like a globe. She giggled at his
canvas but complimented him nonetheless. “Not bad,
sir.”
“Yeah right, my tree looks like a whole human.” The two
giggled and basked in the carefree joy. It was a great day,
and she needed that date. A time to think about nothing but
pure bliss. The class concluded, and they took their “master‐
pieces” with them. It was a good day.