The Artist

5

The other kids stare at me when Liam and I enter the room. There's at least twenty kids (a surprisingly small class) that all have their own area. A desk, underneath their seats are some sort of chest that's attached to the underside. Someone across the room, a girl, pulls on a knob on her chest and take out a pencil. The room itself is painted a very pale pink color and an oak desk sits among all the teachers' stuff in the corner next to the door. On the opposite wall, shelves line the wall. A name taped to the top is assigned over each different shelf where textbooks overlap one another. 

"Hello there! You must be Jackeline!" A young, slim and petite woman says. She has blond curls at reach down to her waist and dark brown glasses that only make her look prettier. 

A few chuckles stir from the otherwise silent students. My frown replaces my slight grimace and I shoot daggers at two girls who are obviously whispering about me. I clear my throat so they look up. After glaring at them for a split second, I stand up straighter and force my chin higher so I can't stare at my shoes. "I prefer to be called Jack, ma'am." 

Her gleaming smile lights up her face immediately. "Alright! Well, I'm Ms. Parker. Now, before you take your seat there at the back, all new students need to answer a question." She pauses but when I don't say anything, goes on. "What does your mother and father do as careers and why did they decide to come here?" 

Ms. Parkers' question is harmless but my chest starts to hurt only seconds after it's voiced. I feel like she knows my mother is dead and is mocking me, maybe even giving the other students a reason to laugh at me. A slow anger that I used to feel back home when people gave me pity, creeps into my stomach. I know that she didn't mean to and that she can't possibly know what happened but my anger won't shut up for two seconds. 

There's really no way to get around it and I know that if people find out my mother died long after I've become friends with them, it'll turn into a whole other mess. I gulp and say as fast as possible, "My mom died so my dad thought a new environment would help." 

The silence that suffocates the room now is dead, no one dares to move as all of their eyes are fixated upon me. The next time Ms. Parker speaks, it's of pity. "I'm so sorry, dear, please take your seat." 

But I'm not finished so as Liam takes a seat next to the one I'll be sitting in, I stand still. My fingers entwine into each other as I speak. "My father is an author and my mother was a painter." I say flatly before sitting down and dumping back onto the floor. 

Their eyes haven't followed which I'm grateful for but Liam stares unashamed into my eyes just as Ms. Parker launches into a lecture. I only make contact when I ask him for a pencil. His gaze never leaves my face as he reaches down and takes out a black and grey mechanical. Even though he keeps staring at me, I'm determined to write down the notes she's put up on the white board. 

At the end of two more subjects, an odd shrieking noise rings out in the room signaling lunch. I get up to gather all my stuff but Ms. Parker says loudly, "We leave our stuff in the classroom since you're coming right back here after lunch." A few students look my way as I drop what I'm holding onto the ground. 

I turn back around to find Liam towering over me. His eyes are unblinking while his reddish pink lips are parted as if he wants to say something. I can see the pity in his eyes and my anger starts to boil my blood again. In seconds I have no doubt that I'll snap. 

"Enjoy the view?" I ask through clenched teeth. 

This seems to pull him from his trance as he grins and starts to blink again. "Oh yes. Would you like to eat lunch with me?" 

"What about your own friends?" I raise my eyebrows at him. 

He looks down at the ground between us before catching my gaze again. "They're probably going out to eat but I want to make a new friend so...here I am."