Distraction

8

"This is hell." Said Maya, coming back into the hallway.
"I know, hun. It'll be over."
"Till next week."
"It might not be as bad."
"I hope."
"You feeling any better?" Asked Riley, coming back into the hallway.
"A little."
"Maybe you should just sleep through the rest." Maya nodded in agreement, following Riley into her room and laying back on the cot. Esme jumped up and curled up between her arm and chest when she laid on her side. Riley out the blanket over her since she'd already fallen asleep.
"Night peaches."
-
Maya tossed another piece of bread to the birds as Lucas watched.
"What?"
"Something in you's changed."
"Really?"
"I don't know what."
"Change is good. I guess."
"You guess."
"I hated it. Then I changed, and they said come back."
"Well, it can be either. Good or bad."
"I suppose."
"You suppose." Maya shoved his arm. "Okay so maybe you haven't changed all that much." Maya lifted her eyebrows as a 'ya' and threw another piece of bread.
"How was english yesterday?"
"Boring."
"Another essay?"
"Yep but I just worked on that research paper for history."
"What's yours on?"
"Pope Loe IX."
"How fun."
"Yours."
"Different class."
"Right. You don't have one?"
"I had a phycology one, English, and a french paper."
"French?"
"Yup."
"But you took Spanish."
"To fill my credits. I just wanted to take this class."
"You did?"
"Mmm mhm. You get to learn a language for free while your young and still can easier. You'll never get it again like that."
"But you don't become fluent. But I guess it is kinda nice."
"Only they want me to drop the class. And it's my favorite."
"They, who?"
"The school, the Matthews."
"The can't just tell you to. Unless you're failing."
"I have an 'A' thank you very much." She said, sarcastically.
"So why?"
"Look, we're talking about me. Time to talk about anything else."
"Oh, come on. Just tell me. Why are you so against extensions?"
"They don't have a good reason to give me one."
"Then why did they?"
"I don't know, Lucas." He threw a piece of bread and it went up and down, not landing far. Maya chuckled and shook her head.
"I want to be normal." She said ever so quietly but he still heard her.
-
"Mr.Matthews. Why do you want Maya to drop french?" Said Lucas, catching up with him in the hallway.
"Mr.Friar, I need to get to a meeting."
"I'll walk with you. I want to know."
"What do you know?"
"What's that mean?"
"It means you know nothing."
"Neither does Maya. That hardly seems fair."
"Did Maya specifically blame us or did she just mention it?"
"I guess she just mentioned it. Her tone was kinda like she understood but she said she didn't know."
"I don't want you to tell Maya you know this. Maya knows why."
"She does? Well why?"
"Nothing more, Lucas. Don't ask me. Don't ask her."
"She doesn't want to drop it."
"I know that. She needs a study hall to do her work in though."
"She's failing other classes?"
"No. She's doing fine. I have to go. Do not tell her you know she knows."
"Okay. I won't."
"Good." Lucas turned back down the hallway and into the art room. He looked through the crack in the door into the small room attached to the art room with a large window stretching across the wall with four panels, the sun seeping through. She was painting with a smile on her face. It was slight, almost unnoticed if he did bent look closely. It wasn't her lips but her eyes. He went back into the large room and over to the wall of art work he noticed a pencil one mostly hidden. Pulling one aside he saw a white butterfly flying into the wide open mouth of a detailed lion. He ran his fingers over it and pulled it off the wall. Then he went to an empty space and put it there, smiling. Taking a sticky note he wrote stop hiding and placed it on the corner. When Maya left, she noticed it.
"I saw a boy come in here." She turned around to the teacher, sitting at her desk. "He didn't notice me. Just you. He put that there. I have to agree. You need to display your work."
"I could never. That's just, impossible." She said, taking it off and bringing it to the cabinets full of art work.
"Why?"
"Have you ever seen me draw anything without meaning to me?"
"It wasn't that bad. It wasn't impressive. But I do know all of you're best pieces are the darkest parts of you." Maya took the note off and placed the drawing on the shelf, putting the sticky note in her pocket at the same time. "You used to create happier works."
"I stopped being a happy person."
"I know. There's an art show in two weeks. Go home. Read the note you tried to sneak into your pocket." Maya looked down. "And listen to it. Then give me an answer."
"Thanks Ms.Peters."
"Anytime. But you better do that." Maya smiled a bit and nodded, walking back to the exit. "Maya?" She stopped and turned around. "Keep fighting. You'll thank yourself later."