Recreating Helena (DISCONTINUED)

3. Stare downs and Sketchbooks

3. Stare downs and Sketchbooks

Raphael started joining her for lunch regularly after that day, even though Helena made it a point to never engage him in conversation, instead turning on her tablet and plugging in her earphones immediately after sitting down. People continued to stare at them. Helena found it very uncomfortable, and hated the attention Raphael’s deviation from the norm caused.

On the fourth day that Raphael sat down across from her, Helena took out her earphones and looked him in the eye.

“Can you just leave me alone?” she demanded. He stared at her in exaggerated amazement.

“She speaks!”

“I don’t want you sitting with me like this. I don’t like the attention”, she continued, ignoring his comment. “What do you want from me anyway?” Raphael leaned back in his seat.

“Hmm, well, I don’t know...I was kind of hoping we could be friends?” He grinned widely at her.

“No”, Helena said coldly. Raphael was momentarily taken aback at being rejected so bluntly. He recovered quickly, though.

“Come on, Lee, give us a chance!” It was Helena’s turn to be taken aback.

“Lee?” Who was he calling ‘Lee’?

“Yes, Lee. That’s what I’m calling you. I gave you a nickname - Helena is too long.”

“I don’t want a nickname. Or friends. Just go away.”

“Well, now you have both a nickname and a friend. You won’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Look, Scott -”

“Call me Raphael, or Raph.”

“ - there are a whole lot of people out there who want your attention. I don’t. So how about you respect that and leave me alone?”

“I can’t. I’m sorry. You seem like the type that’s always alone and it bugs me.”

“It doesn’t bug me.”

“Maybe it does, and maybe it doesn’t. Either way, you’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not. I want to help you become a better you.”

“I’m not interested. I don’t need improvement.”

“Everyone can improve in some aspect of their life. You’re - what? Sixteen? Seventeen? Of course you have room for improvements.”

“Well, in that case, you could use improvement yourself. Go improve somewhere else.”

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m a work-in-progress and I know it. You, on the other hand, look like you aren’t even trying to progress. I’ll be your friend and take you under my wing. Together we’ll recreate Helena!” he finished with a dramatic flourish.

“I’m not your project, Scott. I’m a person who’s satisfied with life as it is. I don’t need fixing or improving or anything from you or anyone else.” Raphael looked up at her with a thoughtful expression.

“You’re wrong, Lee. You do need things from others.”

Amber shut her locker and came face-to-face with Kimberley, along with Beth Simmons, a girl whom she considered to be a close friend. Beth was easier to be around than Kim. She was a generally easy-going, and sort of airheaded, but wasn’t so much so that it was unbearable - just enough to be a source of comic relief when the underlying animosity between Kimberley and Amber made things tense. Beth was definitely a follower, not a leader. She was, like her other companions, a pretty girl, with curly light-brown hair that touched her shoulders, blue eyes and the perfect beach body.