Infinity

Chapter 12: Eleanor

I couldn't concentrate on the project. My mind was still reeling from how this afternoon had begun. I couldn't quite decipher what had happened when we arrived, but I knew that is was something spectacular. Though all I had was a tambourine, and the beat I created was definitely sub-par, it was still an amazing feeling to be a part of something for once. Most people must take it for granted, but when you've lived most of your life in solitude, being included in anything, even as small as this, is extraordinary. For that period of time, whether it was a few minutes or an hour, I felt as if I truly belonged there. I belonged with those people in that moment, doing exactly what I was doing, feeling the vibration of the didgeridoos low rumble deep in my chest, letting the sounds of the instruments sink into my skin and causing my entire body to feel as if it was floating. But once it was over, the spell was broken. I was back to my former self. Eleanor. The girl who no one likes, who everyone ignored because she was known for being a bitch. It wasn't my fault that I wasn't allowed to socialize, that getting lose to people would cause enough trouble for me to cause me to reject any friendship I had ever come close to having. Even hanging out with these people was a major risk, and I wasn't all that comfortable with it at first. But I had to do the project, and they didn't seem too bad... In fact, they seemed pretty nice. But it was only a matter of time until they discovered the real me, and they would give up on attempting to be nice to me. It was the same story every time, and nothing would change that.

"Eleanor, are you even paying attention..?" Penelope asked, chuckling as she looked up at me, pen poised above her paper detailing the assignment. I immediately went red with embarrassment, looking down at my own sheet.

"S-Sorry, no.." I mumbled. She shrugged, chuckling more.

"It's fine, no worries. I was saying, I think for this project we should do either Fate, Fortune, or Love for our inspiration. Any one of those stick out to you..?"

"U-Um.... I don't know... Fate..?"

"Sure! Why not!" She said, circling the word on her paper with a purple pen. I did the same on my own with my jet black ballpoint pen. I hate regular pens, but someone stole my last gel pen and this was all I was left in. It shouldn't matter, I know, but for some reason it was really starting to irk me. I simply tried to shrug it off, trying to pay attention to Penelope as she shot ideas around.

"Well, we could do a collage of pictures, which is always fun and pretty simple, or if we wanna get really in depth we could try and draw something, though I have no idea what it could be. Um... Got any ideas..?" She asked, smiling. "I'm drawing a blank."

I thought for a moment, stunned into paying attention after starting to zone out.

"W-Well... We could always write out quotes from the play that involve fate.. Maybe put them in a design or something..."

Penelope grinned, seeming a bit excited. "Thats great! We could do a collage and then between pictures do quotes! Does that sound good?"

I nodded, silently, writing the idea down on my paper. My body was starting to get sore from sitting crosslegged on the floor, and the ibuprofen I got from the nurse earlier was starting to wear off. (The pain had started to get worse, so I lied and said I was having really bad period cramps. She promised she wouldn't tell my dad, thank GOD). I could practically feel each bruise slowly starting to hurt again, like when you cover a pot of water before it boils and eventually the steam still starts to come out.