Everything Has Changed: The Lost Years

Chapter 8: Valentine

Summer was more than halfway through, but the days would grow hotter before the season was over. When it wasn't humid and preparing for rain, the skies were clear and the sun seared the concrete and reddened the skin. Quasi eventually had to acquiesce to the weather and remove his hoodie, but it wasn't as horrifying a prospect as it once was. Perhaps he had grown in confidence, just a little. 

Rehearsals for the school play continued, as did the preparation of the sets. Maddy's attentions also continued, when she wasn't rehearsing or chatting with her friends. He was sure they wondered why Maddy spent time with him, hanging around while he painted or helping him with tasks backstage. He wondered too. But it was nice to have company and someone who really seemed to like his. Maybe she felt the same way he did. Like she was someone who he could trust to treat him well, someone who would understand him.

There was a buzz around the school in the second week of February, as students were encouraged to participate in Valentines Day traditions, stalls set up for those who wished to send chocolates to others to pay a little money and put down their names. Every school that Quasi had been to had had some kind of tradition and he had just tried to ignore it, knowing that it was something that wasn't meant for him. He didn't know why they had to celebrate Valentines Day at school. All the red and pink seemed to mock him as he walked through the halls.

At least there was some escape from it in the chaos of rehearsals. He could forget about the romance going on in the halls and just paint, and chat to Maddy, who seemed to have an endless supply of topics to talk about. Today, though, on the hottest day he could remember so far, she appeared by his side with a twinkle in her eye, beckoning him away from earshot of anyone else.

"Remember how I said you need to learn to have fun?" She reached for his paintbrush, grinning. "It's the hottest day of the season and I'm not spending it sweating my ass off at school. Skip the rest of the day with me!"

"What?" He glanced around, panicked. "Wh-what about... rehearsals? Your f-friends? Won't we get in t-trouble?"

"There's no Maria parts to rehearse today, my friends are already gone, and if we slip out through the staff parking lot we'll be just fine." She offered him her hand. "We can spend a few hours on the beach and be back in time to get picked up, no problem. Come on, live a little!"

He wrung his hands nervously for a moment, considering the offer. He had skipped school only once before, to hang out with Mich on their last day together. They hadn't needed to worry about consequences back then. But then, how bad could the consequences be? He didn't need to think about the abuse that could follow from misbehaving, because that wasn't happening anymore. And he trusted Maddy. He could take some risks with her. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and took her hand.

* * * * * *

He was still holding her hand when they had made it off the school grounds and were walking down the street together. She didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't make a big deal about it. He slowly let her go, the ghost of warmth from her hand making his fingers tingle, but tried not to make it obvious that his heart was racing from the contact. 

The beach was a few blocks away, and they passed hotels and shops on the way, the streets quiet in the middle of the day while most people were at work or school. "Have any plans for V-day?" Maddy asked him, hands in her pockets.