Meet Me Under the Willow Tree

Chapter Nineteen: Maeve

Biology.

I may be good at it, but it's definitely my least favorite class. Mr. Beck never stops talking—I honestly think he's unable to shut his mouth for more than five minutes at a time. Most of the assignments that we're supposed to do in class never get done because Mr. Beck just keeps talking.

It's not a problem for me, since I always get them done early, but I feel bad for the other students who struggle to keep up. He's not even teaching us; he talks about things ranging from his home life to how much bacteria accumulates on water slides.

As I settled into my usual seat near the back of the classroom, Mr. Beck was already mid-sentence, regaling the class with a story about his weekend fishing trip. I suppressed a sigh, knowing too well that this was just the beginning of another hour-long monologue.

The minutes ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace as Mr. Beck jumped from one speech to the next. I tried my best to not listen to him, instead focusing on the comforting weight of the biology textbook in front of me. The pages were filled with diagrams of cells and organisms, a testament to the complex beauty of nature that I had once found so fascinating.

Now, however, that same feeling felt overwhelming, a stark contrast to the aching void left by Cassie's absence. The vibrant colors and intricate patterns on the pages seemed to mock me, their intricate dance of life a painful reminder of all that I had lost. I had always loved how I could perfectly preserve the beauty of life using only a colored pencil. I haven't drawn in so long there's an itch to grab my art case and let go.

"Maeve?" Mr. Beck's voice cut through my thoughts, and I snapped my head up, the sudden movement causing the classroom to spin around me.

"Would you like to share your thoughts on mitosis with the class?"

Panic rose in my chest as I realized I had no idea what he was talking about. I hadn't been paying attention, and now the entire class was staring at me, waiting for an answer I didn't have. I felt my face flush with embarrassment, my mind racing to come up with an excuse or, better yet, a way to escape the situation entirely.

Before I could formulate a response, a soft knock on the classroom door interrupted the tense silence. Mr. Beck, visibly annoyed by the intrusion, called for the person to come in. The door opened, revealing a faintly familiar face that sent a wave of relief crashing over me.

It was motorcycle girl, her eyes darting around the room until they landed on me. She gave me a small, reassuring smile before turning his attention to Mr. Beck. I haven't seen her since that night

"Sorry to interrupt your class, Mr. Beck, but I need to borrow Maeve for a moment. It's a school-related matter."

Mr. Beck hesitated, his annoyance giving way to curiosity. "Very well," he said with a resigned sigh. "But please make sure Maeve returns promptly. We have a lot of material to cover today."

She nodded, gesturing for me to join her in the hallway. I gathered my belongings as quickly as possible, eager to use any excuse to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the classroom. As I stepped into the hallway, the weight of Mr. Beck's monotonous drone lifted from my shoulders, replaced by a sense of gratitude for motorcycle girls' impeccable timing.

"Thanks for saving me back there," I said, leaning against the wall and closing my eyes. "I can't handle Mr. Beck's lectures today."

She chuckled softly, her voice filled with warmth and understanding. "Don't mention it. I was walking by and saw you through the window, thinking that you'd already gone through enough and you didn't need Mr Beck on your ass, I figured I'd drop by and rescue you."