Sweet Expressions

Sour Lemon

I finished the rest of lunch by twisting my sucker wrapper into different shapes and twists as I got increasingly irritated. The boys had tried to get me to interact, but I had pressed my lips together and shook my head at them. I was too upset to deal with them all. Meanie was even grumpier with me when he was finished with his nap, snapping at me that I shouldn't be sitting in the grass in my skirt and setting my irritation on edge. I had huffed and turned my head, refusing to listen. I felt awful when he had stomped off with the guys, all headed off with concerned looks in my direction when it was time to go to our classes. I crumpled up the wrapper into a ball and threw it angrily into a trash can Silas and I were passing on our way to class. For the first time since Gabriel and I had started the assignment, I was not looking forward to the afternoon.

* * * * *

Gabriel and I weren't speaking to each other at the moment except for what was necessary to the class, and it was awful. The half hour we had spent in the classroom already had seemed like an eternity. I threw myself into every child's question or request as if my life depended on it. Meanie and I had avoided eye contact and both of us smiled at the kids a lot as if nothing was wrong. I don't think they were buying it, at least from me. I felt a tug at the rose colored t shirt I was wearing today and looked down into Sam's worried light brown eyes. He held out a paintbrush heavily laden with turquoise paint, flicking it back and forth in front of my shirt to show me he was done with it. I jumped back out of the path the drips were being flung and gently slipped the paintbrush out of his hand before he could spatter me too much. As it was, several blue spots covered the bottom half on the pink. The colors looked pretty together, so I didn't mind. I was going to have a collection of splattered t shirt mementos of the time I had spent here. The thought made me smile. Sam asked for the green paint and Gabriel appeared beside us, carrying a box of unopened paint jars. He put it down on the ground and removed two colors, handing Sam the green one and keeping the other brown jar. He gestured towards the brush still in my hand.

"Clean that up and put that away Sang, before it dries."

I looked at the paintbrush still loaded with bright turquoise paint and the sudden nerve that came over me was fueled by the irritation I had muddled through all during lunch. The pent up frustration at the boys and their stupid bets finally found an outlet. It felt wickedly satisfying to swipe the brush over his chin to make a rather large blue goatee. He jolted as if shocked and touched at his chin, pulling blue paint away on his fingertips to stare disbelievingly at.

"What the?"

I smiled bravely and lifted my chin up defiantly, brandishing my new weapon in front of Meanie's outraged expression. A mustache would probably set that goatee off just right. I squinted, readying my brush to apply another stroke at the curve of his upper lip. He lifted both hands up as if to stop me, but I got him anyway. A wobbly mark now made it's way from under his nose to stop halfway across his cheek. The children's high pitched giggles around us alerted me to the fact that we had an audience, but I didn't care. I went for the other side to complete my masterpiece.

Gabriel finally caught up to the fact that I wasn't going to stop and backed up, bumping into Sam's easel in his desperation to get away from me. I followed him with my brush at the ready, the children's giggles turning into full blown laughter now. He lifted his hands up in supplication.

"Sang, this is a good shirt! Don't you dare get paint on it. Sang!"

"But you said we were supposed to wear clothes that didn't matter if we got them dirty Gabriel!"

I was giggling hard now along with the children as I followed him around the A frame easel. I reached out with the brush and got him good on the other cheek. The other part of the mustache wasn't even under his nose or even the same size, but you could tell in an uneven, unbalanced way what it was. Gabriel grabbed at my wrist and held out his now open jar of brown paint. My eyes widened when he lifted it and hovered it over my spattered shirt.

"You asked for it Trouble."

He sloshed the paint over the front of my shirt, making me gasp. It began dripping down onto the front of my jeans. He let go of my hand and I pulled my shirt up and out with both hands to catch the drips before any more could get on my pants. I watched the paintbrush I had just had in my possession land on my outstretched paint sloshed shirt and quickly swipe a stylized blue heart in the mess before I could snatch it away. The classroom roared with laughter. I grinned up at his lopsided blue bearded smirk. He tapped at my nose with the still wet brush, leaving a cold smear. I laughed and dropped my still dripping shirt, beaming at him.

"Okay. You got me. Truce?"

"Truce. Now go get cleaned up sweet stuff, but leave the shirt alone. It looks good."

"Only if you leave the beard on for the rest of the day."

He shook his head, his eyes twinkling at me. He mouthed the word Later, and then turned to help the much happier group that was waiting on the brown paint. I wiped at the paint beginning to dry on my nose and giggled. The paint fight had left me feeling bubbly, refreshed, and glad Gabriel and I were on speaking terms again. I would talk to him later about the week and try to work it out with him in a better way, hopefully one that wouldn't have us so irritated at each other. I grabbed paper towels and headed for the bathroom in the hall, nodding to Gabriel that I would be back in a minute. I swung the restroom door open, accidentally bumping it into someone on their way out. I was mortified.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

It was Addie. I stepped back out of her way to let her by. She brushed her dark hair back from her face, her pretty features marred by a sneer as she took in me and my still wet shirt. I fidgeted with it, wishing I could hide the evidence that I had been messing around with Gabriel and the paint.

"I'm not so sure you fit in here, Sorenson. Your position here could be so easily replaced. Perhaps I should have a little talk with our Superintendent and offer to assist Mr. Coleman. I'm sure I could take very good care of him."

She smiled unpleasantly and walked away as if she hadn't just threatened to get me fired. I watched her back as she strode down the hall and disappeared around a corner. I would have to bring this up with Meanie as soon as possible. I sighed. Our little problems would just have to take back seat for now for a more pressing issue.