Live A Little

Ch 15: Art

Alora p.o.v

My overthinking had lessened after my conversation with my dad. I felt happier, knowing that they wouldn't hate me because they loved me and always would.

"Alora," Zena's voice interrupted my thoughts as we walked towards the cafeteria. I hummed in response, and she continued, "Aren't you going to the art class?" As soon as she asked, my feet froze, and my eyes widened. "Oh my god! I forgot. Thanks, Zena. See you later!" I exclaimed, running towards the art class. The prospect of an art class excited me. Art always helped me forget my pain. Whenever I painted or drew, a weight of pain lifted. Art connected me to my past, not just the bad parts. If we can look forward to our future, we can also look back at our past because our past is part of us.

I rushed into the class, and the teacher gave me a surprised look. "Sorry, Miss," I said, panting, and she just sighed. "Well, you can find a seat," she said, turning back to her work. I quickly jogged to the back seats placed in the middle. There were no other seats around, only two as far as I could see. I took a seat and looked at the person beside me, who had his back facing me. "Excuse me, is this seat taken—" I stopped mid-sentence as I recognized the person in front of me. "Look who's stalking who now," Elias said with a smirk, causing me to narrow my eyes at him.

"Ughhh!" I huffed, looking at his smirking figure. Before I could say anything, the teacher started speaking. "Hello class, my name is Ms. D, and I will be your art teacher. As many of you know, this is not a course; it doesn't count for grades. It's only a club or a side activity. For now, I just want to see where you guys are in art, so I want you to draw something that, in your eyes, is the most beautiful thing. If you guys want, I can put them up on the bulletin board outside. Get to work." She announced and sat back down. I stared at the blank paper in front of me. Something beautiful? My mind seemed to go blank as I pondered her words.

I looked around and saw everyone already getting started. Unexpectedly, my eyes found Elias, but his eyes weren't on his paper like everyone else's; instead, they were on me. I shook my head and looked down, thinking about what I could draw.

Suddenly, an idea popped into my mind, making me smile widely as I started my work. Halfway through my drawing, the teacher announced that we had about 15 minutes before the end of class, so everyone started packing up. I walked outside and saw Zena and her friends... my friends waiting for me. A smile spread across my face at the thought. They approached me, and Zena hugged me. "Okay, before I ask anything, I have to talk to Ms. D really quick," she said, rushing back into the class. The rest of us started talking.

"You left this, draga mea (darling)," I heard Elias say as he handed me my water bottle. I took it, confused. How did I leave it there? "Who's this?" Sanaa asked with a smirk. "Doesn't matter," I said, glaring at Elias. It was a little weird that they didn't know who Elias was, but I didn't question it. "Alora, what happened to that jerk you were talking about?" Zack asked, making me tilt my head in confusion. "Which jerk?" I whispered, confused. "Oh, Zena's brother. What was his name? Like Elo, Eli, or something like that," Joseph said, making my heart stop. My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. I slightly turned to look at Elias, who raised his eyebrows, looking back at me.

"A jerk?" He echoes back, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Not just a jerk," Zach interjects casually, "Alora says he was a complete nuisance. An imbecile, a rude and spoiled individual lacking common sense and intelligence." I sigh, bracing myself for the impending shock. "Really?" Elias questions, turning to look at me. "Ha! When did I ever say that?" I retort awkwardly, eliciting a chuckle from Sanaa. "Practically every day," she quips. I close my eyes, wishing that this entire exchange was nothing more than a dream.