Silence is Golden

Chapter 23: February 2011

I started bringing out paper and pen during my silent lunch periods. I drew whatever was on my mind. Before, it was about the lastest movies I watched, being a movie addict and all that. But now, they all seemed to be about Rain. I drew about the time we first met, me being bloody and bruised from my encounter with her soon to be boyfriend. I may have exaggerated a few points.

I drew my first box. She was rushing towards me, her hand out, reaching for Ian who was towering over me. 'Stop' was the speech bubble hovering over her. From a low angle view, I see the two of them, yelling at each other. The next panel, he was gone and she was kneeling eye leveled with me, her long hair braided and over one shoulder like it was that day.

'I'm sorry about him,' she apologized.

'You really didn't need to, it was my fault,' I said to her.

She had the most beautiful smile on her face. "My name's Rain by the way," she said as she helped me up.

'I'm Aiden,' my speech bubble almost filled the entire square. 'I have so many things to say to you but I'm just going to leave because I feel extremely embarrassed. Plus, my eyelid feels like a bowling ball was stick on it."

I was walking away on the last panel. 'Things like a simple Thank you.'

I hid this deep in my folder, wishing no unwanted eyes would lay on it. Yes, people like Ian.

I came back the next day to draw again. This time, it was the time I met Rain in the library. Looking back at that moment, I realized how much of a bitch I was acting like. I didn't even had the guts to look at her properly.

First square was drawn, a table with inappropriate scratch marks littered the surface. There was only a little bit of her in the frame. I have not seen her in a while since the first time; actually, the last time I did see her, she was hanging around with Ian and the Idjits.

Now everytime I see Ian in the halls, I tried to avoid him as best as possible. It seemed to be working so far; he has not come to talk to me all week. Then again, he's probably just playing me.

The more i drew, the more I felt better of myself.

First square was drawn. It was set in the classroom, Ms. Lou's classroom to be exact.

'Aiden, how are volcanoes made?' she had the nastiest scowl on her face, her nose all scrunched up, the sharp black eyes staring at me.

'By to converging oceanic plates,' said me on the next panel.

Ms. Lou maintained her permanent scowl. 'You're going to have to speak up. I can't hear you.'

'That's enough,' it was Rain, standing up to help me for the second time already in a month.

'This doesn't concern you, Rain, sit down,' Ms. Lou scolded her.

The next square was Rain yelling at her. She looked so fierce in the most angelic way, it scared me. I was the one who drew her.

'Actually, it does concern me. I heard it all right. I can't let you go abusing the innocent. Especially when you're abusing my friend,'

You're my friend? Was a thought bubble that floated above my head. I was looking at her with a face of confusion. I blushed, a smile on my face. Next panel. 'Thank you, friend.'

Homecoming. She was sitting on the bench next to me, her feet bare and skirt blown gently by the wind. I stood up from the bench, facing her. 'May I have this dance?' I asked her, my arm stretched out to her. She took it and I lead her to the center of the football field. She was smiling. Then laughing. Her eyes sparkled, hair blowing everywhere.

I took a second to look at the row of squares, each one filled with a different expression of her. I smiled, then laughed (as best as I could) wondering how many times I could see her like this again. It's like a craved to see her face to face for another day. I wished that she could be right here with me right now.

She sat down on the grass, dragging me down with her. I rolled to the side, staring at the stars, Then I was staring at her, a wide smile on her face. 'It would be cliche if I started talking about stars right now wouldn't it?' she had asked.

'Well then we can talk about something else. Nothing to do with stars,' I said.

'Like what?'

'Like...' she was looking at me now. 'Like how much I love you.'