Headphones

{ Chapter two }

Ainsley sighed and walked to her next class, art. Art was Ainsley's favorite, the one time she could express herself without getting humiliated.

She went inside and sat down. In art, no seats were assigned, so she could sit in the corner so no one could see her drawings. One time, Benny Jones leaned over to her and said "Hey, i'll pay you twenty-five dollars to draw something for me." And the teacher caught them and Ainsley was the one who ended up in trouble.

She got out her drawing supplies and started drawing. Everyone else came in as well, and sat down. The boy from the hall sat next to her. "Hey," He said, smiling at her. Ainsley looked up and looked at him. "Uh, hi." She said, and went back to drawing.

"That's really good!" He said, looking at her drawing. "I just started, so it's not very good right now." Ainsley told him, not looking up. "Everyone, please quiet down," The teacher, Ms. Oak said. Ainsley stopped talking and looked up.

"Today we will be trying to draw people, can i please have a volunteer?" Stephanie raised her hand. "Come on up Ms. Miers." Ms. Oak said. Stephanie smiled and came up and stood on the block and posed.

"We're going to see who can draw Stephanie the best in under five minutes." Ms. Oak said. Ainsley nodded and brought out her colored pencils.

"Your time starts, now."

Ainsley started drawing away, shading, coloring, smudging colors, drawing lines, erasing, and it looked really good.

"That's really good!" A voice said from over her shoulder. Ainsley could tell who it was, and he was starting to annoy her. "Thank you, but i'd like it if you'd stop interrupting me."

"Right." He said, going back to drawing.

Five minutes flew by like a piece of paper in a gust of wind. "And done. Please come present your pictures." Everyone came up, one by one. "Ainsley, your turn." Ainsley took a deep breath and came up. She stood on the block and showed it.

"Here's mine. It's not my best work of art, but i think it's pretty good." She explained, while everyone looked at it.

"Pretty good? It's like, really crappy!" Stephanie giggled. Ainsley scowled. "Well hey, i was drawing you!" Stephanie gasped. She got out of her seat and came up. "Are you like, talking back to like, me?" Stephanie pushed Ainsley over.

The students gasped, and after she fell, Stephanie and Jessala cackled like little witches. The boy got up and walked over. "Are you okay?" He asked, pulling her up. "I'm fine." She said, dusting herself off.

"Miss Oak, may i use the bathroom?" Ainsley asked. The teacher nodded and Ainsley ran off.

She ran into the bathroom and went to the sink. She started the water and splashed some on her face. "You're okay. You're okay." She told herself. "You're just having a bad day."

                                                                                 *****

Ainsley sat down at her usual lunch table and pulled out her sack lunch. Her mom had packed her a PB and J sandwich, an orange, and a diet coke. She pulled out the sandwich from the ziploc baggy and ate.

But as soon as she took a bite, the sandwich squirted some purple jam at her shirt. "Seriously?!" Ainsley said. She groaned, and grabbed some napkins.

She tried to wipe it off, but the purple stain still stayed there. "Ugh." Ainsley put her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. "Can i sit here?" A familiar voice asked.

She looked up, and saw the same boy, from the hall and art class.

"Fine." Ainsley said, putting her head back in her hands. "You okay?" He asked. "Yeah, i'm fine, just having a bad day." She said, looking up at him.

"I'm sorry. I have bad days all the time!" He said, pulling out a sandwich out of his paper bag. He took a bite and wiggled his eyebrows, making Ainsley laugh.

"Have you guys heard the news?" Brittney McDonald said, sitting down at their table with her twin sister, Whittney. "What news?" Ainsley asked. Whittney giggled. "James Brown and Lacey Daniels kissed under the bleachers and their braces locked together!"

Whittney and Brittney were the writers of the school newspaper, and the heads of all the school gossip, and just loved to bug Ainsley about it, even though she read the newspaper.

It was probably because their little brother, Danny, was Bethany's friend, and they thought they should be friends with Ainsley, but Ainsley didn't like them. They were just like Stephanie and Jessala, only shorter and less-mean.

"Yeah, that was in the school newspaper, and on the school chatsite." The boy said. Whittney and Brittney sighed. "Everyone knows about all this gossip already! Ugh!" Brittney said as the two of them walked off. "By the way, i'm Charlie." Ainsley looked at the boy. "Ainsley." She said before taking another bite of her sandwich. She wiggled her eyebrows at him, and he laughed.