Rainbows after Hurricane

11. |p a s t|

>>c h a p t e r  e l e v e n<<

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Song of the chapter/ Covering your tracks by Amy Stroup

When Dianna left three years ago to pursue her dreams, she never imagined returning to find everything she once held dear shattered. Nothing was as it had been. With Ashley gone and the friendship between Zach and Asher broken beyond repair, Dianna couldn't make sense of what had happened or why it had all fallen apart.

Since Asher dropped her off three nights ago, she hadn't spoken to either him or Zach. Both seemed to be avoiding her, fully aware that if she got face-to-face with either one of them, she would bombard them with questions, demanding answers she wasn't sure they were ready to give.

No matter how hard she tried, Dianna couldn't focus on anything. Not even the upcoming annual festival, just a month away, could pull her attention away from the turmoil inside. The preparations were in full swing, but they only served as a reminder of how little time she had with her mother. She had hoped to ask her about what had happened between Zach and Asher, but with all the hustle and bustle surrounding the festival, her mother had barely a moment to She yearned for someone—anyone—to talk to, to vent the frustration, irritation, and desperation that was eating away at her. The need for answers felt like insects crawling under her skin, biting and prodding, demanding her attention.

There had to be a way to find out the truth, right?

"Dianna, you're doing it wrong." A gentle shake of her arm pulled her from her thoughts. Blinking once, then twice, she cleared her throat and looked up, confused.

"Um, what?" she asked, unsure of what Ms. Lindale was referring to.

Ms. Lindale studied her for a moment before pointing to the ribbons Dianna was twisting and turning absentmindedly in her hands. Dianna's face flushed as she looked down and realized what she had done. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ms. Lindale. I'll fix it."

Ms. Lindale gave her a knowing look before gently taking the ribbons from Dianna's hands and setting them aside. Her hand rested briefly on Dianna's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Dianna blinked in surprise, then nodded. "Uh, yeah. Why?"

Ms. Lindale shook her head with a soft laugh. "I know when someone's lying. Something's bothering you. You can talk to me, you know." She smiled warmly.

Dianna stood frozen for a moment, taken aback. Was she really that transparent? Even Ms. Lindale, whom she wasn't particularly close to, could tell something was wrong? 

"Am I really that obvious?" Dianna asked, her voice betraying the faintest edge of irritation. She hated when people gave her that look, as though something major was wrong with her. Now, as she looked at Ms. Lindale's kind but slightly wrinkled face, the faint twitch in her jaw, and the unmistakable concern in her eyes, she couldn't quite tell if it was pity or genuine care.

Ms. Lindale chuckled lightly and shook her head. "No, you're not obvious at all. In fact, you're very good at hiding your emotions." Her eyes twinkled as if she knew something Dianna didn't. "But right now, I can tell something's off because it's showing in your work." She pointed to the mess of ribbons Dianna had been twisting aimlessly.

Dianna flushed, feeling sheepish at being caught.

 "You're usually so full of energy, but today you're different," Ms. Lindale remarked.

Dianna tried to brush it off with a forced smile. "You're pretty observant," she replied, but the sharp look Ms. Lindale gave her made it clear that her attempt to dodge the topic wasn't going to work. Dianna sighed, rubbing the back of her neck before finally meeting Ms. Lindale's steady gaze.