Bloody Paintbrush

Chapter 3

A few weeks pasted since Eri's encounter with mystery man. She's been meaning to cross paths with him again, but she hasn't seen him around.

Does he even attend here? Eri thought to herself sighing in disappointment. She met up with Tallie walking to class.

"Am I boring you?", Tallie asked.

Eri was so out of it she didn't even hear Tallie's question. Tallie walked in front of Eri and placed her hands on her shoulders preventing Eri from taking a step further.

"What's wrong?", Tallie asked, worryingly. Eri looked up at Tallie making eye contact.

"Nothing. I'm fine. I was just deep in thought," Eri said, with a faded smile.

Eri herself did not understand this feeling she was feeling. It was like sadness, but different from the ones she experienced in the past.

"Are you sure?", Tallie asked. "Yes, I'm sure. Thank you," Eri said, bluntly.

Eri and Tallie continue walking to class when Eri spotted her chains and rings mystery man for the first time in weeks through the outside windows.

Eri's eyes widen not knowing what to do. She didn't give it much thought she just had to see him again.

"Um... Thank you for walking me! I suddenly need to use the ladies room!", Eri said, speed walking away from Tallie before she could say anything.

Eri camouflaged herself behind the fountain examining the boy in front of her. Making sure it was her mystery man.

"Blackberry," She said underneath her breath while huffing and puffing softly. Eri sat there not knowing what to do.

He's leaning against the brick wall with one hand in his pocket and the other holding the cigarette in his mouth.

Eri wanted to have an excuse to talk to him, but didn't know what.

A few minutes pass, and the bell rings. Eri's thought is to go to class, but she noticed that he's not moving from his spot.

Is he skipping class? Eri thought to herself trying to make sense of the situation. I should probably get to class... but this could be the excuse I've been looking for. Eri thought to herself.

Get a hold of yourself! You worked too hard to get into this school to get distracted by a boy. She thought to herself raising both hands and slapping herself on her cheeks, leaving a faded red mark.

Eri got up from her station and made her way back in the building and to her classroom.

Lunch time arrived, and Eri made her way to the rooftop trying not to think about her chained and ringed mystery man.

She approached slowly to her spot. Once she arrived and made herself comfortable she found herself scanning the area looking for him.

There he was. Laying with his back against the concrete floor facing up at the sky.

She slowly walked up to him calling him softly. "Blackberry," She said under her breath. He looked up at her confused. "Blackberry?", He said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I don't know your name so I gave you one," Eri said, ironically. "Silas," He said under his breath while turning to his side away from her face. "Hm?", Eri said, confused. "My name," He said, dryly. "I'm Eri," she responded.

He turned to his opposite side looking up at Eri making eye contact.

"What?", Eri said, nervously. "Uh, nothing," Silas grunted. "Hey. Uh... Sit with me?", Silas said, nervously. "Sure," Eri replied. Eri laid by his side as time passed.

Tallie searched for Eri and found her up on the rooftop laying next to Silas. Seeing the two of them snuggle together like that unleashed an unknown anger upon Tallie. She griped onto the door almost leaving a dent.

Lunch time ended, and it's time to go back to class. Eri wandered the halls trying to find Tallie. She found Tallie in the restroom just standing in front of the mirror.

"Hey, It's time to go to class," Eri said. Tallie looked at Eri for a quick moment with a blank expression on her face, then faced the mirror again.

"...Tallie? Are you okay?", Eri asked, worryingly. "You're scaring me...," Eri added.

Tallie slowly approached Eri and looked down at her making eye contact. Eri had this scared confused look on her face.

Eri walked closer to Tallie. "Hey, stop playing around it's class time," Eri said.

Tallie softly grabbed Eri's hand and sniffed it gently. She then picked up a strand of her hair sniffing and playing with it.

"That's enough," Eri said, slapping Tallie's hand away. Tallie then pined Eri to the wall leaving Eri flustered and speechless.